What’s (Self) Love Got to Do With It?

So let’s talk about Reiki and its pure love. Reiki has truly changed my life, helping me to become more focused and balanced, more spiritual, compassionate and loving towards myself- ‘self-love’ and others.  It has accelerated healing on all levels of my body, mind and spirit, and through my healing sessions and teaching Reiki I help others remember they can do the same.

Unfortunately, the myth of Narcissus is too often our concept of self-love. We believe that if we love ourselves, we are selfish and self-centered, that falling in love with self means conceit and self-absorption. In fact, the opposite is true. Self-love is an honoring of the self that requires a high degree of independence and courage. The love we give others will be enhanced by the love we give ourselves.

A lack of self-love is a sign of fear, low self-esteem or self-worth and shows its face in many ways: a refusal to enjoy life, workaholics, perfectionism, procrastination, guilt and shame.

Those who lack self-love avoid commitments, stay in destructive relationships, and fail to experience true intimacy with anyone. They practice negative self-talk, compare themselves with others, compete with others, care-take others and fail to take care of themselves. Unlike Narcissus, when they look in a mirror, they turn away.

The primary difference between those who practice self-love and those who don’t is their belief about themselves. “Of all the judgments that we pass in life, none is as important as the one we pass on ourselves, for that judgment touches the very center of our existence,” (a well known quote).

When you’re unable to love yourself, you are your own harshest critic, fault-finder and nagger; as Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can do to me what I have not already done to myself.”

And just the opposite is true, too. You can be your own hero, nurturer, lover and champion. Acting from authentic self-love, people are naturally gentle, attentive and kind to themselves. They develop their gifts and talents and live according to the values and standards they have set for themselves. Theirs is a beauty that shines from within; they laugh readily and are at ease in the world. Theirs is not a conceit, but a sureness of self.

It has been said, “To honor the self, is to be in love with our own life, in love with our possibilities for growth and for experiencing joy, in love with the process of discovery and exploring our distinctively human potentialities.”

So to answer the question: What does self-love have to do with it?  Everything

Now, as you are aware, you are a three-part being...Body, mind and spirit.  Think of your body as representing happiness - the mind as representing joy and the spirit as representing peace.

• Inner happiness comes when you meet the needs of your physical self… and it radiates outwards.

• Inner joy comes when you meet the wants of your emotional self… and it radiates outwards.

• Inner peace comes when you meet the desires of your spiritual self… when you follow the nature of who you are… and this radiates outwards too.

Bring all these aspects of yourself together and you can experience a state of blissful contentment…  And Reiki is tremendously helpful here.  Reiki makes you more of who you already are, and as you will come to understand… less, really is more.  As you expand, through Reiki, parts of you drop away - they are no longer important or serve you.  Suddenly this ‘huge you’ is standing there, in all your glory.  You feel serene and confident… you don’t have to do anything - you simply are. Everything becomes pleasurable and fun, because you chose it, and you are now fully aware of this… You may choose to learn and practice Reiki for yourself, become a Reiki Master or even a Reiki Teacher, at every level you learn, you will experience the secret to your spiritual inner self and self love.

You now know, that it is you who creates your reality.
It is you - and no one else – who makes’ what happens’ happen.

‘Share Yourself - Life is Enjoyable’

Please feel free to share with The Secret of Reiki Community- any practices, ideas or meditations you have used.  Now, I am on the road to the OHIO RETREAT…. See you there!  Namaste’ my friends! Questions: 800-553-0269

Sharing with Love n Lite,
Kimberlee Cusumano
Reiki Master Teacher,
Intuitive Communications
Author of your free ‘Spiritual Nutrition’ e-book
Author of The Secret Of Reiki Home Study Package