The Reiki Cafe 

I sit here today enjoying Indian Summer in Ohio, and thinking of how each season brings in different energies to deal with. I have always loved Autumn and it is glorious here now.

I have been reflecting on many things today and as of late.

For we energy workers not all energy is always loving, or easy to work with or live with.

Lately I have "done battle" with a family member whom I have realized is an energy vampire.
I tried using all of the tools I have to support her and kept encouraging her to use her tools on herself. She is a Reiki II herself. The problem is she does not use her Reiki or her other tools. It took me some many months to sort through all of the muck with her and I finally realized about a month ago I had to formally speak to her in person about all of this, put on the table my feelings and my limits and then I pulled away from conversing with her finally as she angered and got defensive and offensive. She had been sucking away my energy for some time and kept drawing me in to her drama's and her addictive personality and all of the negatives that this brought in to her life and then in to mine.
You know that old saying, one has to hit bottom before one can crawl back up? I needed to do this release from her so she can live out her own karma for good or bad. I truly do not want to be a part of it anymore. I do wish her well and have told her so.

I have also been thinking about all of the global energy bouncing around. From wars, weather disasters, economics, politics et.all.

I have to say all of the above has been quite overwhelming energy-wise to me.
I have found myself being more at ease with staying home more and concentrating on my own healing and energy and just working on myself more so.
I find myself being more and more selective with whom I spend time with and with whom I want to be around with their energy mingling with mine.

Am I the only one or are there many others of you who are feeling these negative energies purging all over the place?

Perhaps it is time for me to put up more protections and work more with healing stones/crystals etc.
I know many say not to read the news but I for one like to know what is going on and deal with it as best as I can. I do not like to just stick my head in the sand so therefore it does not exist.

For me I find the best way in dealing with these things is during the Shamanic drumming I do. I am thinking I will have to step up the drumming I do at home and not just when in a group circle.

Any other ideas out there in how to deal better with all of the negativities? I do daily Reiki on myself, sometimes multiple times a day when I can.

I have noticed a slight lifting of these energies since Samhain, anyone else notice this?

I find myself getting a bit depressed and am working on keeping that at bay.
Yes, I am keeping the lights on in the house as I am aware of seasonal disorder also.

I think this just goes deeper than a seasonal thing, it just feels more global to me. I want to get my good feeling of centeredness back as it feels a bit off right now.

Any thoughts?

All blessings,
Donna

Hi Donna,

I empathise with you. Your situation with a family member mirrors a similar situation within my own family and it is incredibly hard to deal with because of the 'ripples in a pond' effect that it has on others in the family also. As energy workers, I think we are probably harder on ourselves when faced with these situations, when we have to draw the line.

Globally we seem to have lurched from one disaster to another since the start of the year and it is both painful and frustrating to watch our fellow human beings enduring such suffering.

Your drumming sounds wonderful, both healing and uplifting. I find that salt baths and smudging my house periodically are a good way to cleanse some of the negative energies that have built up on me and in my house. Playing uplifting music and burning incense also help to keep the vibrations high.

For stress and depression I find that taking regular physical exercise keeps it manageable :)

I will be interested to see others' suggestions too.

Gentle Blessings
Helen

Otoharo!

Donna,

I am not able to hob-nob with people now. I have had so much work to release myself from ego that I stay pretty much alone. Taking time off to go to a river alone and hearing the water, feeling nature there is very helpful for me. I resently moved to a house in the edge of woods and just above a creek. It is very healing. The only contact I have with people is clerks in stores, etc. I receive reiki from my friend through a monthly contract. She is an energy worker, too. From her I have learned that it is impossible to work the energy unless you, yourself are as clear as possible. So take care of yourself first. I appreciate you here very much.

finality

I do thank you both for the good suggestions, some of which I am doing.

Donna

Hi, Donna,
I think it is a difficult and dark time. Many spiritual masters will not deny this.....even though they continue to smile. I think the times push us to do our own inner work. Yes, I see dis-ease everywhere.....spiritual, mental, physical....it can feel overwhelming. But I do believe we are called to be Light right now. For me, once the world disasters became so "unfixable" (no amount of money or care on my part could make it all better), I began to ask Spirit how I am called, and time and again, I was told that I am called to be the best of what I am, and that will be my part in healing the world, if indeed, this is possible. And if it is not possible, well, then,I have advanced spiritually. I have become rigorous in my spiritual disciplines, careful with whom I socialize, careful of how I commit my time. Every moment now seems important and precious. Many ancient prophecies tell us that we are in the darkest of times, and that a significant shift is coming, some even have the date....the Winter Solstice in 2012. Many of us are being pushed, speeded up, in our progress, to be in place for a re-awakened planet. Many indigenous elders are crying out for help. They can see that there is psychic crap in our dreamspace.....pollution from man's evil actions, and from intruders. The inner work you do IS important. I have felt all you are going through. I see others doing the same, speaking their truth, and cutting off relationships that do not serve them. All this is happening quickly and to many, many people.Sometimes, it means divorce, leaving a job, moving, scary, painful, but exciting moves. I have been getting powerful signs from nature the last two months which have coincided with dramatic shifts in my perspective and courage. I don't think I am alone in this. Is there something you are holding back on? Sometimes that can bring about depression. Work with your dreams to see what your Higher Self is telling you.
Peace,
Feather

So much of what you say has rung true with me also.

Thank you Feather

Donna

Otoharo!

I would like to add that feeings of depression or usetness of any kind you can trace back to ego. Ignore them. BE. In beingness we are real and move in the realm of reality.

finality

I find myself being more and more selective with whom I spend time with and with whom I want to be around with their energy mingling with mine.

Hi rekimerlot

Copy and paste is a fantastic tool to use I have cut the above from your post for my reply.
I do not think that this situation is anything to worry about, re you being more selective with regards to the people you want around you.

My wife and I are exactly the same.

The lack of feeling when you are doing Reiki, yes I get these days to.
I don't think that we ever will loose our Reiki energies and possibly the energy sometimes works on a much higer level or astral plane than we can ever imagine, I am convinced that when these higher levels are present, we have a buit in protection system that allows this energy to flow more freely, otherwise it would overcharge our system hence the lack of feeling.

Angels are always with you

neil

Thank you Neil for your thoughts.
I did not say I do not feel Reiki when I am being Reiki, that is not a problem for me.

My post was more about my thoughts of negative energies in the world and around me and how pervasive they seem to be and of such long duration.
It just gives one pause for thought about it all and how we deal with them and at times certain people.

Again, I thank you all for your input! I appreciate it!

All blessings,
Donna

Hello lovely Donna, *hugs you warmly**

Blessings to you at this moment in time, this shift in awareness your moving through. I'm thrilled to read that you were honest and layed your cards on the table. One can only take so much and then the imbalance from someone taking from us moves us to action.
Your lesson that was to speak up in which you transitioned into that beautifully. Bravo my sister!!
Hopefully now that you have been so honest, it will bring about change within her, unless of course it does not. Her choice. But you have given her even more tools to work with, to bring up her awarness and that was sharing your truths with her.
The energy of the world has been amazing for me. Some tougher than others to move through. Yes, I've found I'm not comfortable in loud noises, and I've been working more deeply, yet more groundedly in my energy works. Shifting some of this old baggage has been rough. I've found self attuning and gratitude for whatever is surfacing helpful.
Not just noticing it per se, but saying out loud ( at least in my head in a clear way) thank you for the lesson that your teaching me and thank you experience and universe for making this happen so I can FEEL my imbalance.
Its so important we FEEL. Its so easy just to go numb to it all and hope it will fade away in time. There are some things of course that are easier to do this with. Other things that are really in our lives for healing ( in your face type stuff) will not be ignored as it begins to cause pain and intolerable imbalance.

Lots of self loving care Sis... More rest, water, quieter is good for you. I see you like a delicate flower. Too much of anything will wilt you.
Rise to the occasion with your I AM-ness.. Know you are moving through these things because you have spent a thousand years preparing for the transformation within yourself and now is the time to heal.

All the global turmoil is but a reflection within ourselves. I'm like you and I have to see the news and know whats going on, but I know I pay a toll emotionally for having to know. Salt baths, lavendar, candles, insense, essential oils.. These are all tools you can use to lessen the effects of global turmoil within you as you heal this turmoil within yourself.
Thank Goodness for our own inner baromoter of pain that we numb ourselves to feeling too much at once or we would be overwhelmed all the time. We are connected to ALL through the One Love and to feel that much suffering when we are not fully healed by having the Wisdom of our Oness and Sacredness would surely cause us to lose ourselves in the illusion of fear and suffering.

Bright blessings my sister and just keep on chugging along. Your doing wonderfully and when the time comes to do something different, you will know within yourself and shfit automatically to another way of assisting in the self clearing.

Jahnavi

Dear Cafe',

I thank all of you for your comments and sharing.

All blessings,

Donna

Dear Donna,
From time to time a post much like yours will appear at the Cafe. So you are in good company. :) My take on this is that there are ALWAYS negative energies being purged around us, it is our awareness and experience of them that changes. So whatever makes us more vulnerable is where we concentrate on rebuilding our fortress against the storm. Many times it is our thoughts. Years ago I read a book written by a survivor of the concentration camps of the Holocaust. He wrote that those who survived without total mental breakdown were able to maintain a connection to the positive, be it religous faith or the desire not to "be" as their captors were.
Energy suckers seem to sense compassionate souls and people with positive energy. Sometimes I wonder if they cant help but be drawn to their opposite or to one who would like to help...much lke a moth drawn to the light. The image that I try to keep in mind is a household appliance that just vegetates until you plug it into the socket & it gets that electrical surge...it reminds me that energy suckers can't drain if I dont allow them to plug in. Like the vegetating appliance, they are a problem only when they are plugged in. Need I say that I discovered that through personal experience as you have? :)
As you said, we live in difficult times: political crises, financial, fuel & energy wars, etc. Has any other age been bombarded with as much negative images: TV, radio & print? We hear of EVERYthing that is ghastly to the point that sometimes, it just doesnt register emotionally anymore. That leaves us more vulnerable to attack. You dont have to cut yourself off from media but you can choose to "unplug" more often.
From my perspective, you are brave to talk to a family member & should take credit for doing so. Isnt that a positive step?
Forgive me for being simplistic but the basics of water & added vitamins ( including antioxidants), good nutrition and recharging with activities that promote peace within self would be my choice. You are already doing so many good things for yourself and thus, for the rest of us. :)

peace & joy,
holobon