Meredith Kendall's Blog, page 13
December 31, 2016
coping
Communication, education, and ethics- these are my coping strategies for these scary times.
December 29, 2016
consent for Reiki
Many people have questions about consent for Reiki.
Sharing Reiki, that is. Of course self-Reiki is the foundation of our practice. And Reiki is primarily a philosophy and life-style. Still, many people instantly go to sharing hands-on, when they think of Reiki. So that's what I'm looking at here.
As a nurse, I heartily support the ethical concept of autonomy, manifested as informed consent. So I inform and obtain consent before sharing Reiki. I keep the inform part simple. I usually say something like, "Many people find Reiki to be relaxing. Keep your clothes on and get comfortable. I'll be placing my hands on your head, shoulders to hands, and knees to feet. All you have to do is relax and breathe.... Got any questions? Want to try it?"
If the person consents, then I give a few more instructions.
"Eyes open or closed, up to you. You can shift around at any time. You may ask me questions at any time."
I keep my eyes open, so I can check on the person's facial expressions and body language. I'm there to support, encourage, and facilitate the person's journey to health. I'm there to listen and to witness. I'm reticent.
If I can't get consent, then I don't ask the higher self; I refrain. I respect the person's conscious choice. I don't force it on anyone.
Good luck.
Be well, be Reiki.
Sharing Reiki, that is. Of course self-Reiki is the foundation of our practice. And Reiki is primarily a philosophy and life-style. Still, many people instantly go to sharing hands-on, when they think of Reiki. So that's what I'm looking at here.
As a nurse, I heartily support the ethical concept of autonomy, manifested as informed consent. So I inform and obtain consent before sharing Reiki. I keep the inform part simple. I usually say something like, "Many people find Reiki to be relaxing. Keep your clothes on and get comfortable. I'll be placing my hands on your head, shoulders to hands, and knees to feet. All you have to do is relax and breathe.... Got any questions? Want to try it?"
If the person consents, then I give a few more instructions.
"Eyes open or closed, up to you. You can shift around at any time. You may ask me questions at any time."
I keep my eyes open, so I can check on the person's facial expressions and body language. I'm there to support, encourage, and facilitate the person's journey to health. I'm there to listen and to witness. I'm reticent.
If I can't get consent, then I don't ask the higher self; I refrain. I respect the person's conscious choice. I don't force it on anyone.
Good luck.
Be well, be Reiki.
50 states?
I'm fuzzy on Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. It was a long road trip, that one from Maine to California way back then; Utah and Colorado for sure that time. Definitely missing Alaska; probably WY, MT, and ID too. Been to all the rest. Wait, never been to Oregon. Time for another road trip!
December 26, 2016
2017
There is hope and beauty, though vermin are creeping in. We thought we had protectors, but they were napping. It is up to us, as individuals and communities to clean under the sink and restore our shine. We are stronger together.
PS: sending love to the vermin.
PS: sending love to the vermin.
December 22, 2016
What Level are you?
Someone asked me about another Reiki practitioner. "Is she a Master?"
I replied that she was, not that it matters.
It doesn't matter if the Reiki practitioner is Level 1, 2, or 3 (Master/Teacher). All are capable of sharing Reiki. You see, Reiki isn't about the practitioner, it's about the universal life force. The Level 1 practitioner is the same as the Level 3. All that really matters is if the Reiki practitioner has a therapeutic presence: able to listen, to be present, and to be kind. And ethical: respectful of the person's body, space, and thoughts. And reticent: allow the person to experience and interpret their own visions.
You can take all the Reiki classes that you want. The energy is the same. What makes one a great practitioner is therapeutic presence, ethics, and reticence.
I replied that she was, not that it matters.
It doesn't matter if the Reiki practitioner is Level 1, 2, or 3 (Master/Teacher). All are capable of sharing Reiki. You see, Reiki isn't about the practitioner, it's about the universal life force. The Level 1 practitioner is the same as the Level 3. All that really matters is if the Reiki practitioner has a therapeutic presence: able to listen, to be present, and to be kind. And ethical: respectful of the person's body, space, and thoughts. And reticent: allow the person to experience and interpret their own visions.
You can take all the Reiki classes that you want. The energy is the same. What makes one a great practitioner is therapeutic presence, ethics, and reticence.
November 17, 2016
meditation
My students keep asking me for meditation.
OK.
Yesterday I sent them to beds and stretchers. They doubled up, cuddled up to the manikins, or simply laid their heads on a table. I turned out the lights. We stretched and breathed. They closed their eyes and slowed down.
I talked to them slowly. Told them this:
Rest, breathe, relax.
Imagine there is an egg of light around you.
What color is your egg of light?
Imagine that you're tiny inside your egg, floating around.
Rest, breathe, relax.
Imagine that your egg is enormous.
Imagine that you are a drop of water, floating in your egg of light.
Be a drop of water. Be rain. Rain into the ocean.
Be a wave.
Rest, breathe, relax.
The sun shines on you and you evaporate.
Now you're air.
Be a breeze. The wind.
Blow over the land.
Blow into a forest fire.
Be fire.
Burn away what you no longer need.
Burn til you reach a marsh.
Become earth.
Rest, breathe, relax.
Be earth.
Provide fruits and vegetables.
Eat.
Be you.
Wake up.
OK.
Yesterday I sent them to beds and stretchers. They doubled up, cuddled up to the manikins, or simply laid their heads on a table. I turned out the lights. We stretched and breathed. They closed their eyes and slowed down.
I talked to them slowly. Told them this:
Rest, breathe, relax.
Imagine there is an egg of light around you.
What color is your egg of light?
Imagine that you're tiny inside your egg, floating around.
Rest, breathe, relax.
Imagine that your egg is enormous.
Imagine that you are a drop of water, floating in your egg of light.
Be a drop of water. Be rain. Rain into the ocean.
Be a wave.
Rest, breathe, relax.
The sun shines on you and you evaporate.
Now you're air.
Be a breeze. The wind.
Blow over the land.
Blow into a forest fire.
Be fire.
Burn away what you no longer need.
Burn til you reach a marsh.
Become earth.
Rest, breathe, relax.
Be earth.
Provide fruits and vegetables.
Eat.
Be you.
Wake up.
weird energy
Someone said last night at the Reiki Share that energy is weird right now.
Is it?
There's the election. Anxiety and anger. Sexism, racism, stupidity, lies, and greed.
End of semester: stress there for sure.
Winter coming. Drought.
Earthquakes, fire, fracking, oil pipelines, animals dying.
Is the weird energy: fear?
The Reiki principles tell us not to anger or worry.
What about fear.
Is fear a step beyond worry?
Just for today, don't be afraid.
Put your energy in love. Feel peace, connection, light, and warmth.
Forgive someone. Forgive yourself.
Hug lots.
Love.
Is it?
There's the election. Anxiety and anger. Sexism, racism, stupidity, lies, and greed.
End of semester: stress there for sure.
Winter coming. Drought.
Earthquakes, fire, fracking, oil pipelines, animals dying.
Is the weird energy: fear?
The Reiki principles tell us not to anger or worry.
What about fear.
Is fear a step beyond worry?
Just for today, don't be afraid.
Put your energy in love. Feel peace, connection, light, and warmth.
Forgive someone. Forgive yourself.
Hug lots.
Love.
November 15, 2016
my dream
My dream is that we all wake up and remember that we're connected.
Soldiers drop their weapons and embrace. Greed ends. Earth rests, rejuvenates, burgeons with new life. Whales rejoice. Peace and love.
Soldiers drop their weapons and embrace. Greed ends. Earth rests, rejuvenates, burgeons with new life. Whales rejoice. Peace and love.
November 10, 2016
therapeutic presence
How to witness, support, facilitate, and validate.
And not advise, translate, interpret, and say how great you are.
Reiki is easy. Well, the sharing part. The walking the principled path part is harder. Sharing is easy. I place my hands and open my heart to love. I go to my happy Reiki place, and marvel at he spiritual connection with universal life force energy.
Sharing Reiki is easy. Being a therapeutic presence is difficult.
How to be therapeutic?
Listen.
Shhhhhh..... just listen.
Ask open-ended questions. "Tell me more."
Ask, "What does that mean to you?"
Ask, don't tell.
Don't tell someone how to feel, don't offer advice or interpret another person's experience. That's your ego. Your journey, your stuff, your baggage. Set all of that aside and be present for another person.
Be a therapeutic presence. Listen, love, support.
And not advise, translate, interpret, and say how great you are.
Reiki is easy. Well, the sharing part. The walking the principled path part is harder. Sharing is easy. I place my hands and open my heart to love. I go to my happy Reiki place, and marvel at he spiritual connection with universal life force energy.
Sharing Reiki is easy. Being a therapeutic presence is difficult.
How to be therapeutic?
Listen.
Shhhhhh..... just listen.
Ask open-ended questions. "Tell me more."
Ask, "What does that mean to you?"
Ask, don't tell.
Don't tell someone how to feel, don't offer advice or interpret another person's experience. That's your ego. Your journey, your stuff, your baggage. Set all of that aside and be present for another person.
Be a therapeutic presence. Listen, love, support.
November 5, 2016
timeline of an upper respiratory infection
Monday, Day 1: Slept 10 hours, woke several times in the night with sore throat. I blow my nose and the mucus is orange. I might be getting sick. I go to work. I feel progressively worse as the hours tick by. I end the day with fever, chills, and shooting pains. I sleep 14 hours.
Tuesday, Day 2: I wake and feel completely fine! I go to work. By the end of the day I realize I'm not fine. Sore throat is back. Headache too. Sinuses. I go home early and sleep 10 hours.
Wednesday, Day 3: Sick. I call out of work. The virus moves down to my chest. How many ibuprofen can I have in one day?
Thursday, Day 4: No voice. Went to work where my coworkers backed away from me in horror and concern as they begged me to go home.
Friday, Day 5: No voice. Wheezes. Stayed home. Stepped outside to get the mail. Neighbor stopped to show me his new puppy. Spasm of coughing. Neighbor backed away from me in horror and concern and told me I work too much.
Saturday: Day 6: Day 3 of no voice. Coughed up nebulas of olive green mucus. Smudged the house with sage that I picked up in New Mexico in July. Opened all the doors, inside/outside, cupboards, and closets. Trails of pungent smoke. Out with illness, in with wellness.
Months ago my friend Denise planned a birthday surprise for our friend Betsy. We told Betsy to save the date. Denise and I bought three tickets to a Broadway national production of Rent. The three of us have the best times together. We talk, laugh, and cry. Mostly laugh. I'm a Rent-head. I listened to the sound track every day for a year. I know all the words to all the songs.
Denise and Betsy are going without me. I'm quarantined at home. Sick.
Tuesday, Day 2: I wake and feel completely fine! I go to work. By the end of the day I realize I'm not fine. Sore throat is back. Headache too. Sinuses. I go home early and sleep 10 hours.
Wednesday, Day 3: Sick. I call out of work. The virus moves down to my chest. How many ibuprofen can I have in one day?
Thursday, Day 4: No voice. Went to work where my coworkers backed away from me in horror and concern as they begged me to go home.
Friday, Day 5: No voice. Wheezes. Stayed home. Stepped outside to get the mail. Neighbor stopped to show me his new puppy. Spasm of coughing. Neighbor backed away from me in horror and concern and told me I work too much.
Saturday: Day 6: Day 3 of no voice. Coughed up nebulas of olive green mucus. Smudged the house with sage that I picked up in New Mexico in July. Opened all the doors, inside/outside, cupboards, and closets. Trails of pungent smoke. Out with illness, in with wellness.
Months ago my friend Denise planned a birthday surprise for our friend Betsy. We told Betsy to save the date. Denise and I bought three tickets to a Broadway national production of Rent. The three of us have the best times together. We talk, laugh, and cry. Mostly laugh. I'm a Rent-head. I listened to the sound track every day for a year. I know all the words to all the songs.
Denise and Betsy are going without me. I'm quarantined at home. Sick.
