We Need Care Too
A reflection for Reiki practitioners, teachers, and anyone who spends time supporting others.
Stress is part of being human. Responsibilities, relationships, uncertainty, and unexpected changes will ask something of us from time to time.
Practicing Reiki or teaching others doesn’t make us immune to that. We can know practices that support us and still need a reminder to pause and use them.
Sometimes that reminder is simply: we need care too.
Watch My Reminder About Making Time for Your Own Care
When stress shows up in the body
Stress can feel physical before we recognize it emotionally. We might notice tight shoulders, a headache, an unsettled stomach, or difficulty sleeping. The body’s stress response can increase heart rate and breathing and tense our muscles. When stress continues over time, it can contribute to or worsen health problems, including digestive difficulties and sleep disturbances. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
It can affect our mental well-being too. We may feel worried, irritable, overwhelmed, or less able to concentrate. Stress and anxiety can share symptoms, but they aren’t identical—and ongoing symptoms deserve attention. National Institute of Mental Health
These experiences aren’t proof that we’ve failed at our practice. They are reasons to notice what we need.
A reminder for those who give
When our work involves supporting others, it can be easy to keep making room for everyone else while postponing our own care.
As Reiki practitioners and teachers, we can ask ourselves:
Am I giving myself time to receive?
Have I made space for my own practice without turning it into another task?
What support would help me this week?
Self-Reiki may be one meaningful part of that time. So might a walk outdoors, gentle movement, enough sleep, an honest conversation, or asking someone else to take something off our plate.
Begin with a small pause
You don’t have to create a perfect routine today.
Feel your feet resting on the floor. Let your shoulders soften if that feels comfortable. Allow your breathing to settle naturally, without forcing it.
Then ask: What would support me right now?
The answer might be rest. It might be a boundary, connection, or practical help. Give yourself permission to take that answer seriously.
If stress is persistent, worsening, or interfering with daily life, reach out to a qualified health professional. Reiki can be part of a personal spiritual practice alongside appropriate care; it should not replace medical or mental health support.
We will all meet stressful seasons. My hope is that we remember to offer ourselves some of the patience and attention we so readily offer others.
Explore Your Own Reiki Practice
If you feel curious about learning Reiki for your own practice, I’d love to welcome you to our combined Usui Holy Fire® Reiki Level I and II class on January 16–17, 2027, in Colby, Kansas, or online.
Whether you’re beginning with your own well-being in mind or interested in sharing Reiki with others, this class offers a welcoming place to start. No previous Reiki training is needed.
Explore the January Reiki Class
With warmth,
Nichole
