Maria Arpa
Resolving conflict starts within yourself. If you are stressed out, feeling stuck, trapped or under pressure you are less likely to be constructive in your approach. If you feel discord and disharmony in yourself, you are less likely to create harmony and accord. To find balance, I integrate mindfulness, meditation and Reiki into my practice as a mediator.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a conscious awareness of the present moment. Being mindful is to live in the present moment with regard to our sensations, feelings, thoughts and actions. It brings about self-responsibility.
What is Meditation?
Meditation is a practice which frees the mind of activity and thought until stillness is reached. Meditation can be used for emotional healing, for reflection, for stress reduction as well as for physical wellbeing such as reducing blood pressure.
What is Reiki ?
The Japanese word Reiki means ‘Universal Energy’ known as ‘ki’ in Japan, ‘chi’ in China, and ‘prana’ in India. Eastern medicine has always recognised and worked with this energy, which flows through all living things and is vital to the well-being of life. Reiki is an effective way of tapping into this energy to stimulate the body’s own natural healing potential.
How do these practices benefit conflict resolution?
By tapping into Universal Energy and raising awareness in myself, I improve the quality of my relationships because I become free from the restrictive mental attitudes which lead me to react rather than respond with compassion. When I can connect with my inner wisdom, I remind myself of my higher purpose instead of worrying about the obstacle in front of me. My thinking becomes Macro rather than Micro. In other words I stop sweating the small stuff!
Mindfulness and Reiki encourages and supports positive personal change such as improving the diet, having more rest, exercise or leisure time, and reduces dependency on alcohol , tobacco and caffiene. If I am well, rested and relaxed about life, I respond more calmly to events, and build on a more resourceful state of being.
Whether I am mediating a dispute or finding my way through a conflict of my own, these practices increase my state of inner harmony. In this state I can better serve the need for trust, peace and safety that we all desire.
What is a Reiki Treatment like?
You lie on a treatment couch, fully clothed, while the Reiki practitioner places his/her hands gently and passively on different locations on the body, usually beginning at the head. You might experience sensations such as warmth or tingling flowing from the Reiki practitioner’s hands. Most people report entering a very deep state of relaxation. The mind calms, the breathing slows down, and along with a a feeling of well being and centredness, a better sense of perspective is attained.
Can anyone learn Reiki?
The ability to channel Reiki cannot be learnt from a book or by instruction. To be able to receive Reiki, students go through a special initiation which ‘attunes’ them to the Reiki energy. This connection is improved through practice, and by actually using the Reiki energy on themselves – typical known as ‘self treatment’. It is considered essential to treat oneself with Reiki, and indeed many people use it exclusively for reasons of personal development, healthcare and stress-management.
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