Would you like to learn a simple tool that can help you feel better and increase your well being?

As well as receiving and or practicing Reiki, creating a health and well being intention, and then choosing theme words that support your intention, is one way to get there. What is an intention? What are theme words? What do intentions and theme words have to do with Reiki practice?

What is an intention?

An intention is an aspiration that you set for yourself. When you set an intention it’s best not to be too attached to the outcome. I prefer the word intention to goal. Intentions allow space for human imperfection and life’s unexpected turns. Realising your intention requires you to have inner balance, self-evaluation, and a certain amount of trust.

What are theme words?

Theme words are words that help you achieve your intention. Let’s say that your intention for the year is to “improve your well being and feel better”, one of your theme words could be health, and the other could be rest.

A study in 2019 showed that words affect our mood and health outcomes. Seventeen subjects were part of a brain imaging study. The study found that the words used before and during painful medical procedures affected the level of pain and discomfort the subjects experienced during their procedure. That is negative, pain-related words induced the stress response compared to when neutral words were used. Ideally, more subjects would be part of the study, but it’s a start.

My experience with theme words and intentions:

I’ve been setting intentions for about 20 years. In 2022 I chose theme words to support my intention. .Those words enhanced my health and well being and were aligned with Reiki practice. They were “balance” and “integrity”. When you practice Reiki on yourself and receive Reiki treatment, you’re supported to achieve a greater level of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual balance. Reiki also connects you to yourself and something greater than yourself that you’re a part of, so you’re guided to work with yourself and others more honestly.

The process of choosing two theme words each year to realise my intention was so helpful that I decided to choose two words each year. My words for 2023 are “connection” and “flow”. Again, in various ways, these words relate to Reiki practice. One way connection relates to Reiki is that when you receive or practice Reiki you’re reminded that we’re all interconnected. Another is there is a connected, therapeutic relationship between a patient and practitioner. Studies also reveal that healthy relationships with others support our health and well being. One study showed that connection with others reduced the mortality risk of adults who have coronary artery disease; those who had heart disease and who were socially isolated had a risk of subsequent cardiac death 2.4 times greater than their socially connected peers.

One way the word “flow” is connected to Reiki practice is through the rewording of the Reiki principle, “Just for today, let go of worry” to “Just for today, go with the flow”. Continued worry can lead to anxiety. One study showed that Reiki reduced post-cesarean delivery pain and anxiety in women in 2011.

I want to share part of the process with you so you too can create more balance and well being this year.

Why use theme words?

Theme words help you:

to clarify your intention and create focus
guide your thoughts
align your actions with your intention

Let’s say your intention is to “feel better by improving your well being” and your theme words are health and rest. You’ll probably notice that some of your thoughts and actions aren’t aligned with your intention. Each day you eat a large block of milk chocolate. You know the thought (I want to eat a block of milk chocolate), and subsequent action (eating a block of milk chocolate) aren’t aligned with your intention. So, you start changing your thoughts so they’re aligned with your intention. These thoughts can then become action. For example, an existing thought of “milk chocolate is delicious, I’m going to eat a block of it” and an existing action of eating a block of milk chocolate could be replaced with “I enjoy eating a block of milk chocolate every day but it’s inconsistent with wellbeing intention for this year. I’ll only eat a certain amount each day, or go without”.

Three tips to help you choose theme words:

Choose words that:

correspond to your intention
are simple to remember
resonate with you

How to implement your theme words during the year:

Managing life is a balancing act and it’s normal to be pulled in different directions, to get unwell, and to feel emotionally and mentally out of balance.

That’s one reason why receiving Reiki treatment and practicing Reiki is so beneficial. It helps you to gain holistic balance.

Three other ways to help you stay aligned with your intention: