Ready to Emerge - Together!

Once you’ve established your comfy Cocoon and learned to easefully Transform, you may enjoy it so much that you never want to come out! But believe me, when you do, it will be well worth it.

The key to knowing how to successfully Emerge is three-fold.

One, we bring the energy of the Cocoon with us out into the world into which we Emerge.

Two, we can always go back inside our Cocoon as needed, for we are really more like turtles than butterflies in this respect. We Emerge again and again, so there’s no need to do it perfectly the first time. In fact, it’s the “beginner’s mind” or childlike wonder and curiosity that help us maintain the resilience needed to repeatedly try new things, grow, learn, heal and experiment. That’s the way we establish a foundation from which we hone our skill, glean knowledge from our experience and integrate new understanding.

And three, we Emerge together. You don’t need to do it alone, or to feel alone, because there is always support, whether from the Reiki community or other people in our lives, and always, always from the Divine love and healing energy of Reiki itself.

Circling back around to the first aspect, how can we bring the Cocoon with us? Isn’t that a contradiction, when the Cocoon is by definition not of the world? Sort of!

The Cocoon can certainly be a physical space where we retreat for healing, transformation, or creating as in George Bernard Shaw’s 64 square foot writing retreat we might call a Tiny House now, a Man Cave or even a She Shed - or a Reiki studio. But not necessarily.

We create a Cocoon, as we explored in the second week of this year’s Reiki Revival, welcoming the New Renaissance, when we draw a boundary; when we withdraw our energy and attention from some place or situation and focus it elsewhere; when we let go even a little bit and allow the busy-ness and intensity of life to drift away and begin to fade, even slightly.

We can enact simple or elaborate protective rituals, don our invisibility cloak (if you’ve got one!) or perform banishing spells. But we can also take the time to cultivate that calm presence that just seems to function like the feathers of a duck that allow the rain to roll effortlessly off its back. It’s just harder for us to be pulled off our center, into the drama and away from our own Transformation if we take the time to practice Cocooning, wherever we are.

And this is actually an important aspect of Transformation as well, which was last week’s Reiki Revival-New Renaissance topic. Becoming adept at creating our Cocoon and more able to do it on the fly is a Transformation in itself, an important phase of our growth.

To speak of Emerging is almost a misnomer in this sense, since we don’t entirely leave the Cocoon behind, but it’s true that we do need to step out of our comfy homes, our familiar routines, away from the crystals on our altar (especially if they’re very heavy - the smaller ones may want to ride along in your pocket) and venture out into . . . where?

Where are we being called to explore in this time of welcoming the New Renaissance? What Transformations have naturally arisen in the quiet of the Cocoon that are ready to take on the world, or maybe just our little corner of it?

And when this chapter of the adventure is over, whether we’re arising from meditation to start the morning, coming home in the evening, or just poking our heads out to see what the world looks like today, we can retreat back into that welcoming Cocoon we’ve created for renewal once again. It’s partly repetition that strengthens any practice, but not repetition alone. Mindfully revisiting the same steps brings us deeper into the dance every time as we Cocoon, Transform, Emerge and begin again, especially if we keep an open mind.

For we will Emerge over and over again, many times, each time reborn a bit, each time renewed, a little wiser or a little more weary or both. The vital importance of the Cocoon is that it allows us that healing, rejuvenating Transformation. Our growth cannot be just a linear series of Emergences and forward thrusts without resting and retreating in between sometimes.

And as the Cocoon is a calm, quiet place, and the Transformation we’ve been exploring is a subtle energy of natural revitalization, our Emerging can be gentle as well. There’s no need to burst onto the scene and take on the world all at once if you’re not feeling ready for that. And even if you are, I’m not sure the world is ready for your brilliance all at once!

It’s okay to Emerge slowly, a little at a time, a little further out each time you try it. You may be learning a new skill, starting a different job, approaching a relationship in a different way or cultivating a wellness practice. However you Emerge, you can do it boldly, bravely, with confidence, and still do it mindfully, with compassion and sensitivity for yourself and others.

It’s true that when the butterfly Emerges the Cocoon is destroyed, and sometimes in life this will happen too. We may never return to that home. We may be fired from that job. We may have innocence and trust damaged by violence and trauma. Retreating into the Cocoon doesn’t mean we go back in time or regress to the person we once were. The opportunity to Emerge does mean we can try again, venture out again, stick our necks out, to return to the turtle wisdom.

Sometimes we have to come out in the open in order to see if it’s safe, and sometimes it’s not! Or at least, it may not feel safe even if we’re not literally in danger. And again, the best medicine for our fears is compassion, Reiki and other wellness practices, reaching out for support. These are important aspects of the Cocoon we carry with us. That’s a beautiful way to Emerge - it doesn’t have to be done alone.

The opportunity to Emerge can seem less daunting when we plan and perform it in good company. It can help to share your ideas and intentions with a friend, another Reiki practitioner, a mentor, someone who understands and supports you. It’s also helpful to have accountability so you have that added push to do what you’ve promised because someone else will hold you to it.

This can be a mutual arrangement with a Reiki practice buddy or someone else who has aspirations to Cocoon, Transform, Emerge and Flourish (that’s next week!) in some area of their life. The process is the same whether you’re developing your Reiki practice to cope with stress or a chronic condition or for some other purpose, or cultivating your career, supporting family, participating in your community or anything else you endeavor to develop.

When you know you’ll be greeted with applause and admiration for your effort, it’s not so scary and much of the risk is removed. And even if you do have critics and detractors, the sting of their opposition can be reduced by surrounding yourself with caring companions and, of course, your own Reiki self-care practice.

Hito ni shinsetsuni is the fifth Precept of Reiki, and it means compassion for ourselves and all others. This is the magical medicine that makes it possible to take those risks, let ourselves be visible, share our truth and even speak truth to power.

The discomfort of remaining inside the Cocoon when it’s time to come out eventually becomes unbearable, so don’t wait for that to be the impulse for you to Emerge. Go ahead and give yourself permission to give it a try.

Remember, it doesn’t have to be all at once - it can be a little at a time; it’s a practice - you’ll get another chance to try again; and you don’t need to do it alone - there’s always support available.

So go for it! What’s ready to Emerge in your life? I can’t wait to see you share it and shine!

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A wonderful way to be sure you’ll have the support you need is to enroll in the Bring Reiki to Life: Live Virtual Class that begins next week. Whether you’re new to Reiki training or have some experience, you’ll find all the support and information you need for a satisfying and successful Reiki personal practice that will create a healthy foundation for anything that wants to Emerge in your life. Just visit www.essentialarts.net/reikitraining for all the details and registration.