I asked my dear friend Hawley Hussey to write a post about her Reiki practice and she sent me this beautiful letter to share with you. Hawley is an artist, writer, performer, arts educator and, as she calls herself in this letter, a maker.
Over the years I have watched Hawley bring art to children in the inner cities who would otherwise never get a chance to experience painting, drawing, performing, pretending, playing and the exhilaration of creating. She is a catalyst for joy.
I have experienced Hawley’s distance Reiki healings while facing personally challenging moments and the Reiki she sends is so grounding, loving and tangible.
Hawley lives in Coney Island and in her letter she describes her healing process after super storm Sandy:
“Dear Jeri,
As you know I have done Reiki every day since my first Reiki 1 attunement in 2001 here in NYC.
I practiced Reiki 1 for a full year, then my Reiki 2 attunement changed everything with the ability to engage in distance work. Distance Reiki is a daily part of me, like good hot coffee and walks on the beach. Beach walks are now the great exception as my beach community was leveled by super storm Sandy.
I got internet and phone about two weeks ago but not one moment of complaint can happen as my neighbors are either homeless or sequestered into a couple of rooms in their homes as they still wait for relief. Our beach house was strangely spared.
There is no real solace in being the ones who made it. My beach walks and especially my well-known winter bathing (usually a daily practice) have come to a full stop. The water has been filthy and the beach side houses are so destroyed it is impossible for me to engage in the joy the edge usually brings to me. The edge where ocean, sand and boardwalk meet.
Reiki has preserved a thin thread of hope for me. The thread is gold and real and keeps my spirits afloat even with this loss of my neighborhood and my bit of the Atlantic. All the destruction brought with it high creativity. I had to go within. Tap into the source of wonder I was born with and be what I am. A maker. With no internet or phone since October’s end my painting and writing practice have flourished.
I did notice that I pretty much let go of the tending of my wee beach side apartment. Normally I take great pride in my organizing and tending to my home. I think I had been distancing myself in case I had to suddenly leave. Although I still have to look through much damage to the ships passing and sunsets setting I am still sending Reiki daily and without fail. To myself, to the sea, to my neighbors, to my loved ones, to difficult people at work, to strangers I see suffering, to potential wild cards on a crowded train. Much is gone from this brush with an explosive and destructive wilderness experience and much has quietly and quite unexpectedly arrived.
I am so thankful for Reiki.”