This world is full of joy!

I've started multiple blog posts in the last month or so and none of them have felt right to publish, so they're still sitting in my drafts, just hanging out, waiting for their moment. Last night, I said the title of this post to a friend and something clicked. I want to write about something wonderful. Something I wasn't aware of until I put it into these words. This world is full of joy.

The world I'm talking about is the World of Woo. I realize that for a lot of people, things that are considered "woo" may seem unreal. I mean, woo-woo is defined as "unconventional beliefs regarded as having little or no scientific basis, especially those relating to spirituality, mysticism, or alternative medicine." How in the world can you study something that is intangible and show others how impactful it can be if you can't provide actual, physical proof? I don't have the answer to that, however, each interaction that I have with someone since I started down this Reiki path has continued to open up another door into a new way of thinking or looking at things. And because I keep finding moments of joy and true connection behind those doors, I continue walking through them.

This past week, when I hosted a morning meditation and Reiki session over Zoom for Rowan's Health and Wellness Expo, I had no idea what to expect. I've done plenty of distance Reiki sessions since December, but those have been one on one. In a one on one session I'm able to get to know a client and have a meaningful, specific conversation with them about what we should both be focusing on during their session. Through feedback that we are able to share with each other at the close of the session I know that each client is obtaining something from our time together, which is the entire purpose of providing that support. But I have to be honest. Selfishly, those sessions are amazing on the side of the practitioner too. To close your eyes and connect with someone's energy in a way that you can't truly put into words, in a way that shouldn't make sense, is...humbling. It is also magical and euphoric. But how in the world was that going to work in a group? How would I know how and where to focus my attentions without having had a conversation with each of these people? I had never even seen their faces (as the majority of them did not turn on their cameras), knew only whatever name was covering the black square that represented them, and had no idea why they had chosen to spend 30 minutes with me on a Wednesday morning.

I was ridiculously nervous heading into the session. I had 5 slides prepared with a tiny bit of information about Reiki and meditation and some ideas of what to do should they forget how to breathe during their time when I stopped talking. Once I was introduced I just dove in. I think I might have blacked out halfway through but I can tell you that I made a very specific point to state that the things I was describing might sound kooky. And they do when you really think about them. Sending Reiki energy through time, space and Zoom? Kooky. But this was a goal of mine when initially sharing this new journey with other people and creating my website. To be transparent and honest that it sounds unreal, and it might be this weird thing that you sign up to participate in and you don't tell your roommate or your significant other because you're afraid they're going to judge you. And then, it blows your mind, and that toe you dipped into the water? Oh yeah, you're all in now my friend!

It's like what Judy says in The Santa Clause. "Seeing isn't believing. Believing is seeing."

It's one of those things where you just have to experience it for yourself. You just have to trust that it's working and that the universe, and the energy, know what you need. So, I read a meditation, played some music, did some Reiki and hoped that it worked.

Cross your fingers, eyes and toes, who knows?

And even though I've been doing this for a little while now, I still questioned it. I still questioned whether or not it was beneficial to the group of humans behind those black squares. Even though I KNOW that Reiki works and that there are things in this world that we can't see to believe, I still questioned it. The cool thing is, the universe showed up once again and gave me everything I needed in that moment. Two people stayed on afterward; one to ask me questions about how I got started in Reiki and how this could be something they could possibly explore more, and the other to tell me about their experience. And then there was that moment. That spark. That click that happens after a session. They shared an affirmation that sprang to their mind during the Reiki portion of the session, wrote it down, and then I shared a passage from a meditation book that was the exact same affirmation they were thinking about. That connection happened and it was...like magic.

You might read this and say to yourself, of course. Coincidences happen all of the time. Yep. You're right. But what are coincidences? Something you didn't see coming, couldn't predict and that is remarkable. That's how I feel after every Reiki session. Like something remarkable happened. Even if you don't believe in the things that you can't see - being heard/feeling seen/feeling supported/feeling part of something and not alone - who doesn't need some of that in their life? That's what Reiki has allowed me to do for others. Make them feel seen, heard, supported and from what I've been told, better than when they joined my Zoom link.

Thanks to the World of Woo I've become braver. Bolder. Calmer. I'm a goddamn cheetah after all. (If you haven't read Untamed by Glennon Doyle, you are missing out. I'd let you borrow my copy but I don't want to. I love it too much.) I've found that I'm responding to things differently. I'm thinking about things in a new way. And I'm surrounded by SO MUCH JOY. Joy in the little things. Joy in discovering new ways to connect with friends, family, and people I've never met!

In closing, I invite you to walk through whatever door the universe has been leading you to. If you're feeling called to change things up in some way, just dip a toe in. You don't have to go all in immediately. Test the water temperature, look for scary fish first (if your water is a lake, good luck to you. Who knows what's in there.), and see how it feels. Try it on for a bit. Keep it to yourself or share it with the world, or maybe a select few. But don't close that door. You just never know what's waiting on the other side. It could be so much joy.