Self-awareness may very well seem like an abstract concept, though without it, life can seem more difficult. Excellent self-awareness is required for many careers, but it can also give us the ability to have healthy relationships with ourselves and others. It can help us navigate the course of life and any obstacles or opportunities that come our way. So, how can Reiki help you to improve self awareness? There are many methods of how to do so, so let’s dive right in.
What is Self Awareness?
Simply put, self-awareness is recognizing the experience of our own individual personality and self. This includes our values, passions, goals, emotions, thoughts, and everything that makes us, US. By being able to tune into your feelings, ideas, and actions, you’ll not only be able to recognize how others see you but recognize how you see yourself. This means you’ll be more likely to see your own strengths and where there’s room for improvement.
Side note: one of the tools I love to raise self-awareness is through a numerology reading. It’s basically a blueprint of your life. It says a whole lot about your personality, talents, natural gifts, life challenges, your projection (image to others) and your internal image (who you are at the core and how you view yourself) and lastly, a numerology reading can shed a lot more light towards your life purpose. It oddly affirms a lot you may already know about yourself, meanwhile serving as an invitation to acknowledge other parts of yourself you may not be as familiar with. A numerology reading can be a great way to learn more about yourself and increase your self-awareness so it’s easier to make the changes you desire moving forward.
We can break the term into two categories: internal and external self-awareness.
Internal Self Awareness
As you may be able to deduce from the name, internal self-awareness is how conscious we are of everything going on in the interior: our values, priorities, desires, and so on. A strong internal self-awareness can offer an array of benefits, from increased happiness and satisfaction, to lower levels of stress and anxiety.
External Self Awareness
External self-awareness is linked to how you connect with the outside world. It means you not only understand your values and desires, but can take tangible things or actions to align your internal world with your external one. Moreover, by seeing yourself in an accurate light, you may be able to fix errors you’re making and have more empathy with others.
Let’s continue on to discuss the benefits of increased self-awareness as a whole.
Benefits of Self Awareness
There exist virtually innumerable benefits from increasing self-awareness. Let’s explore the most significant advantages to give you a better idea of what you can accomplish by doing so.
Better Communication
You’ll be able to better manage and regulate your emotions with improved self-awareness. It’s normal to go through life reacting to situations without thinking much about why we react the way we do. When you’re self-aware, you can step outside yourself for a moment and really develop what you want to say before you say it, rather than going with your gut response and running the risk of saying something you don’t mean. Expressing yourself much more clearly, effectively and in a way that aligns with yourself is one of the greatest benefits we can gain from improved self-awareness.
Do you ever find yourself feeling anti-social or worried you won’t meet social standards? Being self-aware can help you pick up on social cues and restrain anti-social impulses [1].
Recognize Strengths and Challenges
Instead of wondering why things have been challenging or why something hasn’t panned out as well as you thought it would, with better self-awareness, you can pinpoint what the issue is. Perhaps you are limiting yourself without realizing it, or maybe there are strengths you have that you aren’t taking advantage of to their fullest.
Increased Creativity
If you consider yourself to be a creative person, you know what a long process it can be realizing a project. Improving self-awareness can offer a more succinct idea of what you’re looking to accomplish and help bring your piece of art to fruition. Instead of encountering conflict and doubt, you may find yourself with a clearer vision for your work.
Higher Self-Esteem
Experiencing improved self-esteem will undoubtedly improve every aspect of your life. This aspect in itself can help boost productivity, creativity, communication, and much more. It’s also been discovered that those with high self-esteem typically experience more success in academic and professional settings, improved mental and physical health, and more [2].
How to Improve Self Awareness with Reiki?
Reiki sessions are an excellent way to improve self-awareness. For those new to Reiki, a few Reiki sessions in person or distant healing sessions with a qualified Reiki practitioner, Reiki Master, or Reiki Master Teacher would be helpful in helping you become more connected with your body, feel how energy moves through your body and blockages it may have. In Reiki sessions some people notice:
- Tingling sensations in their body.
- Feel the flow of the energy.
- Feel a release of energy, perhaps through bubbles, or gas-like movements.
- Noticing any thoughts, emotions and behaviors that come up during the Reiki session.
- A change from heaviness to lightness in the body.
- A change in mindset and emotions during or after a session, for example from stressed, sad and or anxious to feeling lighter, better and optimistic.
Anything you begin to notice from your Reiki session, a healing treatment that allows you to connect with your body on a deeper level will be a step towards self-awareness. Typically, a few Reiki sessions could help you kickstart in achieving a higher level of self-awareness.
For those who have been completed a Reiki Level 1 training (Reiki for self-healing), you could try practicing Reiki and cultivate a higher level of awareness. You could try this exercise if it resonates with you:
- Support the body in a sustainable posture. Find a posture for you that isn’t uncomfortable, yet allows for relaxation for the body and mind. You may sit on a meditation cushion, lie down, or sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
- Honor your intentions, and make it known that you are there to practice and get more in touch with yourself.
- Allow yourself compassion, and try to relax and center yourself.
- Draw your attention to your breath. Bring your shoulders away from your ears, relax your face, and jaw.
- Continue breathing and be aware of your breath, breathing into the lower belly. By doing so, you are connecting the mind with the vagus nerve, which can help ground us and keep us present.
- Take 10 deep breaths in through your nose and out from your mouth, allowing yourself to become more and more present in your breathing.
- Ask yourself where Reiki healing is most needed and apply your Reiki hands on the area(s). If it is unclear, try placing your hands in different Reiki positions and see where the energy draws the most.
- Allow your body to draw as much Reiki as needed to continue healing the area(s).
- After your self-healing Reiki practice is completed, express gratitude to yourself and the Reiki energy for helping with this process of increasing your self-awareness. Give thanks to the journey itself and the opportunity to be there, and be able to self-heal.
Practicing this form of energy healing for yourself for a minimum of 2 to 3 times per week can really make a significant difference in improving your self-awareness. Journaling your insights and ideas can also enhance results too.
The Bottom Line
Self-awareness is such an incredible tool to help us navigate any type of situation. The beauty of getting to know yourself better is a journey, but one that can greatly improve quality of life. While it may not be a process that yields significant results overnight, with the help of Reiki sessions, it absolutely will support a change in life and perspective for the better along with patience and consistency. Remember why you started in the first place, and select the steps you enjoy the most to motivate yourself.
