I never thought I’d write a blog, but the surreal situation we’re all experiencing has changed everything and everyone. So, here I am, writing you from my flat in Hackney, East London.
More than just a book
In spring 2018, I was in my hometown in Italy, searching through my parents’ bookshelves for some inspirational reads. A book named Reiki: Universal Life Energy by B.J. Baginski and S. Sharamon captured my attention. It felt strange that I had never noticed that book before. I had always spent a lot of time in that room. I started to read it. I was immediately mesmerised. Reading words that I didn’t even know existed and discovering things that I always felt were there, suddenly everything became clear and familiar. I opened my doors to energy healing, and some Japanese words and symbols imprinted on my mind.
Summer was on its way, and a season of London’s parties were luring me away from my bookshelf discovery. Festivals, rooftop terraces, hangovers – I got extremely messy that Summer. Fortunately, my Reiki journey, however, had already begun.
A meeting that changed my life
In autumn 2018, I moved into a new share house in East London. It had somewhat of a squat-house vibe. My head was telling me it was the wrong decision (‘It’s too messy!’), but my heart kept comforting me, telling me it was the right place. It was right.
The same evening I moved in, I bumped into a guy in the house who turned out to be a massage therapist and Reiki Master and healer – here he is. He was living with us for a few months. I had never met a Reiki Master before. Why was I meeting him then? Why was Reiki continuing to come back to me? I was trying to convince myself that it was simply a coincidence, but it was hard to believe it.
Training in Energy Healing
I decided to book my Reiki 1 course in November 2018 with East London Reiki. I had no idea what to expect, but it felt right and I wanted to follow my instinct.
Meanwhile, I found out that my mum completed the two Reiki courses when she was young, but never mentioned it to me as she felt that I would eventually discover it myself. That’s exactly what happened.
I recommend the Reiki 1 course to everyone as it’s all about self-healing. Over one weekend, you learn the technique and a mix of theory and history of Reiki. You also receive four attunements from the teacher, alongside lots of meditation.
Throughout the course, thoughts crowded my mind and my soul was filled with mixed emotions. Time felt like it had stopped, and I was extremely relaxed and present in the moment.
They informed us that after the course, we’d go through a significant healing process, and this would be different for every individual. Mine turned out to be powerful. The baggage I was carrying included unresolved issues, problems I’d never properly worked through were coming to the surface. I cried, screamed, and ruminated, but eventually, I found my way to a place of peace. My body and mind were responding and healing naturally.
The healing period after the course typically lasts for 21 days. This is the time that Mikao Usui, the man who rediscovered and developed Reiki in the early 1920s, spent in Mount Kurama in Japan where, after fasting and meditating for three weeks, he experienced a moment of enlightenment and discovered Reiki.
After that, I felt the need to be more connected within my mind, body and my inner self, and the urge to incorporate self Reiki practice within my daily routine.
In May 2019, I decided to take the next step as I wanted to share Reiki. I signed up for the Reiki 2 course, again with East London Reiki, which allows you to practice on people. I learnt the Reiki symbols as well as distant healing. Despite my scepticism towards distant healing (‘how is possible to heal someone in another part of the world?’), I realised that distant healing is just as powerful as face-to-face healing.
In Summer 2019, Carlotta Reiki was born and I started practising on people, friends and family.
In progress
The final milestone is the final Reiki Master course. It allows you to teach and to attune other people to Reiki. I had planned to do it last month, but the Coronavirus situation put everything on hold. Nevertheless, it’s at the top of my to-do-list when all of this is over.
Reiki helped me to understand what is right and wrong, who the people I want to be surrounded with are and it made me develop a deeper knowledge and understanding of myself. How can we be connected to others, if we don’t know who we are?
I’m no guru, to be clear, and will never masquerade as one. I strive for balance as a key guiding principle in everything I do, think, say, eat, feel. So long as I am aware and present, I know I will always grow.
While we navigate uncharted waters together, it feels comforting to share some thoughts about Reiki, and experiences which have been extremely beneficial for my personal growth. I hope you’ll find some of the stories in this space interesting, perhaps intriguing, and that they might help you during these uncertain times.
Stay well and stay connected,
Carlotta x
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“The act of discovering who we are will force us to accept that we can go further than we think.” – Paulo Coelho.
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Instagram: @carlotta.artuso
Facebook: @carlottareiki
Website: www.carlottareiki.com