You won’t believe it, but I actually enjoy having a healing crisis once in a while. Why? Because it forces me to slow down and truly listen within.
Normally I feel relaxed and uplifted after receiving Reiki. However, sometimes my process of healing includes a cleansing reaction that we call healing crisis. Though it is a very uncomfortable experience, it is not a sign that something has gone wrong or that Reiki hasn’t been working. It’s actually quite the opposite.
A purification process
Reiki can start a cleansing process that affects the physical body as well as the mind and emotions. Most of the time this purification happens in a gentle way and no crisis occurs. But sometimes I feel as if I’m coming down with a cold, I get a sore throat or headache, I feel tired, my kidneys hurt, or I’m much more emotional. Strong emotions such as sadness or loneliness arise that have been held deep inside my emotional body from past experiences. Or old thought patterns and long forgotten habits like special food cravings come back to me.
I know that these symptoms are not caused by Reiki. They bring awareness to the imbalances that already are within me. My higher self has chosen to release more of what no longer serves me, and so it is bringing to light what needs to be released. I see it more like healing in progress. And when I experience a healing crisis, I embrace it. Actually, it is a chance to really listen to the needs of my body and soul.
What does my body need?
Do I need to rest and curl up on the couch with a nice cup of tea? Does my body need some extra time receiving Reiki? Or do I want to stretch, workout, or go for a long walk? Do I need to breathe fresh air deeply into my lungs?
And what does my soul need?
Do I crave spending time in nature? Do I want to meditate and find stillness within? Am I longing for some alone time? Or do I want to sit with my emotions and allow them to be? Do I want to be creative or take some time for journaling? What habits or thoughts must be changed in order to embrace a new and healthier way of living and thinking?
In everyday life I can easily forget to tune in to my body and my emotions, my unconscious mind just running my life. But when I feel my body and my emotions, when I AM truly in my body, I am present. I am truly present in the moment. And with this connection I am able to hear that inner voice, my intuition. I can receive this intuitive guidance and be in the flow with the Universe in the here and now, in this sacred pause.
Finding comfort in the discomfort
Experiencing healing crisis has taught me to pause, to bring my attention inward – getting out of my head and into my body – and to find comfort in the discomfort. It’s a great reminder to accept whatever comes to me during and after a Reiki session, neither ignoring physical pain nor pushing unpleasant feelings away. It’s a wonderful lesson in how to truly embrace and dwell in a sacred pause.
In our busy lives we tend to forget about self-care. Healing crisis has helped me to fall in love with taking care of myself and with the process of healing. It is a great teacher for self-compassion and patience. You can’t rush a healing journey. Healing happens in perfect timing.