“Where is the place you call home?”
A few years back when I was very new to yogi philosophy and mindfulness wasn’t even on my internal map, I was invited to participate in a reiki session on the beach. *If you’re wondering what reiki is, see below..
So here I am laying on the beach with a slight breeze blowing sand across me, in the scorching sun with screaming kids and a loud surf in the background, well that’s how it felt. I felt the presence of someone near me, then there was an exchange something about my Anahata (heart chakra) and a large stone was plunked down on my sternum. In addition to the burning sun, the waves were irritating loud and there were screaming children near by.
I’m seriously thinking, “when is this going to be over, I already have sun damage!” I “anchored” myself to my breath as I had been taught. Nope.. Still miserable.. I began to imagine riding my breath and trying to synchronize it with the crashing waves..
The next thing I remember was the sound of soft waves, children frolicking in the sea, and a gentle breeze cooling my warm skin. This was mental paradise for a woman who has always loved the ocean and beach..
Some type of bells rang slight in my memory. Then a woman’s voice, “Shes not waking up..” Another voice, this happens occasionally, “Get the spray bottle”.
Seriously, a spray bottle? At least, it’s not a soaker. Although, I could pretty much care less as I was still riding waves and listening to the sweet sound of happy children. The spray did come next and it was gentle and lovely to my skin. I now am in heaven. Eventually, I realized I may be being a tad bit rude to the other participants so I began to move my fingers and toes and eventually came to enough to sit up..
The woman who was my “reiki master”, held my hand and with the soothing voice of an angel she verbally shared my experience. Truly magical, but I’ll save that story for another time.
I drove the hour drive up the coast of San Diego that afternoon in a type of fuzzy bliss that is unexplainable. Somewhere between awe and confusion. I share all of this today on the heals of running into Andy last night at an end of summer fire ceremony at the spiritual center near me. You see, I was attending a class on mindfulness at Scripps when I met Andy and I explained the awesomeness of how my mind “transported me from misery to bliss” without my consent to him. His mindfulness practice was much further ahead of my baby one. He suggested that I now viscerally knew what it felt like to let go of worries and really live in the moment. One the most life altering and powerful things he gently shared with me was that I, me, had control over how I perceived the world And experiences.
I have come back to this very visualization of laying on the beach many times over the years just to relax but more importantly, I have combined it with my breath while anxious or in extremely stressful situations. Its greatly reduced anxiety, lowered my heart rate, and brought my body back to a more calm manageable place where my mind begins to clear and I’m able to make better choices in stressful moments. The conversation I had with Andy has changed the quality of my daily existence and I will be forever grateful!
“Where is the place you call home?” I encourage you to ponder that question and my hope is it will lead you to a deeper understanding of yourself and how mindfulness can serve you..Making this world a little softer for you and those your life touches.
*Reiki
I’ll tell you in my under qualified understanding. It’s an energetic exchange between the reiki master and the practitioner using the ancient technology of tapping into the energy each of us have running through our bodies and extending out around us (koshas) to others and all beings. Typically, using the chakra system. Ever had someone come up behind you and you can just “feel” them “breathing behind you”? That’s an invisible energetic exchange. Reiki masters are trained to release blockages in this system encouraging healing and balance within.
Namaste,
Suzanne