You have just discovered this beautiful stress-reducing modality, Reiki, and now you want to share this Japanese Art of healing with the world. What do you do when you lack the confidence to boldly go forward to either share or teach Reiki or both? 

I had the odd stacks against me in life. I was always reminded of what I did wrong or what I could not do. By age 12, the words “no” or “you can’t do that” were commonly spoken to me.

Even though I lacked the support growing up, one thing I know is that I was born with a heart of a teacher. I recall at age five getting in trouble in kindergarten, being placed in what today would be called a “time out”. As I sat there watching from the side of the room, away from my classmates, I clearly remember thinking I am going to grow up to be a teacher, and I will teach in a fun and loving way. Despite the challenges in my childhood, I tried to push through my shyness.

In my teens, I started working at an amusement park near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at a game called “The Fish Pond.” My confidence began to build as my manager, Helen, and I would either sing or encourage guests to come and try to catch a plastic fish to win a prize. An audience of children and parents, I became more comfortable each summer that I worked at the amusement park.

When I approached college with my student teaching experience, I found myself at ease teaching in front of a group of students more than my peers. Time and practice help me achieve a comfortable level at which I can speak in front of my peers without rushing through my presentation. 
 
In January 2020, the death of my sister, Angel, caused a deep shift in me where I suddenly lost my confidence. The idea of presenting and teaching, no matter what the material, became paralyzing. Adding in a global pandemic didn’t help with building my confidence. During the pandemic, I found an opportunity to retake my 200-hour Yoga teacher training online. In practice sessions, being paired up with another classmate to practice cueing is where I found myself stumbling, forgetting sequences, and breaking down in tears as I tried to cue another into the asana warrior two. It was at that moment that fear arose that I would never have the confidence to teach again. I knew something had to change. Then I found Reiki.

I attended a training at the advice of my best friend. Before attending the training, I had never personally experienced a session myself. I just knew I had to go straight to learning about it.

Here, I learned to use Reiki as a daily tool. I was shown ways to help bring healing to myself in addition to helping others. I knew I had to work on myself to be of service to others.

The evening of my level one training, it began. Just for today, I brought in the five Reiki principles and added a sixth, ”Just for today, I will have confidence.” Each night at bedtime, as I lie in bed, a hand on my heart and a hand just two finger widths above my navel center. I invited the Reiki to my solar plexus. I asked the Reiki to assist in my confidence, my willpower, and my resilience. In the beginning, I found myself in tears, wondering when confidence would arrive. 

I was consistent and hopeful. I did Self Reiki every night for almost two years until the realization hit me that I may never get over this, and the only way to get over it is to get through it. This is where the rubber met the road. I had to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. I had to start putting myself in situations of offering Reiki and yoga to overcome the fear. Realizing a setback or a failure was really an opportunity to grow.

I asked the Reiki to help me stop creating excuses. I could waste my energy creating a thousand excuses, or I can use my energy to move forward with an experience. Here, I created opportunities to build my confidence. Six years later, with daily Reiki and staying consistent, confidence is something that I no longer lack.

Napoleon Hill once stated, ”The only limitation is that which one sets up in one’s own mind.”

What can you do to help build confidence? Confidence is something you activate within yourself. Reiki can help you.

Here are some tips that may help in building confidence

1. Take a moment and breathe. Get grounded. Then assess where you are. Maybe you have no idea where you want to go? You just know you need help with confidence to move forward.
2. Look what you have around you. Think or write down 3 things that are your strengths and how you can work confidence into those strengths.
3. If you don’t know, write a future letter to yourself, eg. about how proud you are and all the amazing things you want to do.
4. Look at what is lacking. Maybe you lack family support, maybe you have, like I once did, the odds stacked against you. Know that you have the greatest tool: Reiki.
5. Reiki every single day or night. Daily Reiki and prayer ask for help wth releasing.
   • fear of judgment,
   • fear of success,
   • fear of rejection
6. Get used to the word ”No”, you will not be everyone’s cup of tea.
7. Get comfortable being uncomfortable, actively seek out uncomfortable social situations to overcome fear. Take small steps.
8. Taking responsibility, ask Reiki to help with those excuses: You can waste your time making thousands of excuses, versus using that energy to move forward with the experience.
9. Look at a setback as a positive if something goes wrong; see it as an opportunity to grow or build character.
10. Ask Reiki for authenticity over ego.
11. Find a Reiki buddy. Someone who can cheer you on and offer support or trade Reiki sessions.
12. Start with one person. You just need one person to practice with.
13. Recognizing resonance vs misalignment. Sometimes it may not be a lack of confidence; it may be something you just don’t want to do.
14. Always make sure to thank the energy.

Building confidence takes time. Give yourself grace. Being consistent and keeping an open heart and an open mind. Go at your own pace. It took me two years and six years to really feel confident to share, speak, and teach. Don’t compare to others. This is your journey, and with Reiki, clarity, and trust, you can become a more confident you. Remember, confidence is consistency with positive feedback.

Article by Tracy Searight

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Tracy Searight is an educator, Yoga Instructor, Reiki Master Teacher, Reiki Grandmaster Teacher, Author, and creative energy behind the podcast Ready Set Reiki. She is the owner of Feather Sister which offers Yoga and Reiki classes and training online and in person in the El Paso, Texas area. She lives in El Paso with her husband Kevin Dibert and their cavalier king Charles Spaniels. www.feathersister.com