This post originally began as a continuation of my last one (read it here) in which I offered some advice to a young Spiritual seeker. It turned out to be way more involved than I expected, so it has its own entry here.
Reflecting back on the beginnings of my own Reiki training, it strikes me as incredibly ironic that I began studying such an intuitive, right-brain practice while I was attending University. Though my investigation of healing and Spiritual practices started unconsciously when I was very young, I was first attuned to Reiki at 19 years of age (during the summer of 2006). I came back for my sophomore year of school and found that pursuing a degree in biology was cast in a very different light after coming into such strong alignment with my own intuition and experience in holistic, systemic thought. The reductionist approach taken by most of the scientific community (and the only approach that I was taught as a student of science) seemed horribly incomplete, though I didn’t really have the conscious grasp or the vocabulary to express my feelings at the time. My interests in biology reflected this belief in systemic thinking–rather than pursuing cellular or molecular biology, my specialization focused on ecology and animal physiology and behavior. In other words, I looked at systems where many variables affected each other, rather than the ordered, finite processes of chemical reactions. And yet, even my research on hummingbird foraging behavior (an intricate, complicated topic subject to many variables) was forced into a tiny reductionist box. Still, that meadow in Costa Rica offered me an opportunity to sit in meditative enjoyment of my beautiful test subjects and experience the wonder of their energy.
As I think back on my time at University, I now find it hilarious that the two academic experiences where I had the most freedom to pursue the breadth of my interests (as related to energetic and healing practices) were projects of independent study in classes outside of my major. For the class Archaeology and Religion, I investigated the symbolism of horses in the prehistoric art of an ancient Ukrainian tribe (it may have been the Scythians, but I don’t remember exactly). I enjoyed talking about human-animal relationships in preconquest society, especially since the consciousness of this time had not yet relegated horses to the status of purely utilitarian beings. The beautiful gold artwork portrayed horses and other animals as powerful, mystical creatures that spoke to the tribe’s connection with nature.
The other academic project that allowed me some wiggle room and an opportunity to practice systemic thinking was for a class through the Psychology department called Alternative Health and Wellness, or something similar. I took this class as a senior, so I had had a couple of years to develop my understanding of Reiki and energetic healing. This class was my first concrete experience in grounding energetic practices in the physical realm. Bridging the gap between academia and esoteric studies was exactly what I needed, especially given the work I’m doing now (bridging the gap between our human and Spirit selves). That class helped me see that the two are not mutually exclusive. I have come a long way since then in my ability to present esoteric concepts in ways that make them accessible to reductionist/analytical/left-brain consciousness.
In terms of sharing this consciousness with my peers at school, being authentic was a challenge. Every time I tried to share my Truth with my friends, I was at best offered the response of, “that’s nice,” and at worst aggressively shut down for “spouting unproven bullshit.” It’s interesting–at a time when students are supposed to be expanding their minds and discovering what their Authentic Truth really is, most of the people I encountered had already decided that anything outside the realm of the material presented to them wasn’t worth considering. Either that, or they were reluctant to acknowledge the fact that their own personal Truth didn’t easily fit the traditional model of Western academia, so rather than express it, they hid or ignored it. Or maybe something else entirely.
And yet, even this is shifting around. In the intervening years I have “found my tribe,” so to speak, and now have a wonderful community of people who ground Spiritual practices and systemic consciousness into their physical lives. I was delighted, however, when some of my classmates from high school and University got in touch with me. A few wanted me to work on their animals, some were curious about my Spiritual evolution and the direction of my practice and a couple were interested in classes and workshops. I remember the first time someone contacted me out of the blue (the last time we had spoken was high school) and told me she had read about my work on Facebook. I was totally blown away.
As I encounter more and more people who tell me stories about their disillusionment with society, education and reductionist thinking, it becomes increasingly obvious to me that the direction in which we’re heading as the whole of humanity can only be one of integrated understanding. Understanding of the alchemy of multiple variables, understanding that there is always gray area, understanding that it is okay to change our minds and that Truth is a continually evolving, changing concept and that knowledge is always incomplete. Understanding that “sometimes,” “maybe,” “it depends” and “I don’t know” are acceptable answers and that asking more questions is always a good thing.
About darn time. Isn’t it exciting?
Eagle Song 