Do You Put Your Oxygen Mask On First?

I have a confession to make.

During my 3rd year of working as a massage therapist, I almost threw in the towel and called it quits.

You see, during this early stage of my career, I was unknowingly giving too much of my time and energy away to clients, while simultaneously trying to be there for my loved ones.

I was saying yes to everything and everyone…except me.

This constant stream of ‘yes’s’ to the outside world, leaving no time or regard for me to nurture my inner world, left me feeling consistently depleted and exhausted to the point I couldn’t see even straight. As each day came and went, I found myself becoming the energetic equivalent of a sloth. It took what felt like hours to accomplish even the smallest of tasks, and when the day was said and done, all I found myself having the ability to do was come home and crash on the couch to watch television.

Needless to say, I didn’t feel like myself, nor was this who I wanted to be.

Then one day I experienced a turning point.

This turning point was when Reiki was introduced to me by a dear friend who felt this form of energy healing could help my situation. Learning Reiki, especially Reiki Level 1 that focuses on healing thyself, taught me how to replenish my energy, enhance my wellbeing and set healthy energetic boundaries so I could continue doing the work I loved, as well as, enjoy my time with loved ones.

It was through learning the art of Reiki where I started to become more attuned to how I was feeling in any given moment, as well as, where I was expending my energy and to whom.

In short, where was I using my energy wisely and where was I not?

Reiki also taught me how to put the oxygen mask on myself FIRST before placing it on anyone else. Let’s face it, if you can’t breathe, there is _no way_ you can help anyone breathe. Another way of putting this is, if you can’t help yourself, there is _no way_ you can adequately help anyone else.

Now you don’t have a be a massage therapist, or anyone working in the helping professions for that matter, to relate to feeling tired, wiped or burnt out. It doesn’t even need to be this extreme. Anyone can feel a little off on any given day. It doesn’t have to be negative either. Anyone can experience feeling great one day and a little off the next, or anywhere in between.

What I’m trying to say is that ALL of us have the capacity to use our energy wisely or not.

So I now I ask you to consider, do you put your oxygen mask on first or do you attempt to put it on another before yourself?

If you answered yes to the latter portion of that question, then I ask you to consider the following questions:

– What would your life be like and feel like if you put your oxygen mask on first?
– Would you feel more energetic? If so, would you then have more time and energy to do the things you love to do?
– Would you feel more excited to be there for others, rather than be there out of a sense of obligation?

Think about it for a moment.

What would it be like to live a more energetically responsible life? Is it not the responsible thing to place the oxygen mask on yourself first before placing it on another? That’s what the airlines say to do in the event the plane loses oxygen. So why would this be any different with energy?

Think about it.

There’s a famous quote that sums this all up beautifully, and this quote happens to be by someone I can’t name because for the life of me I cannot find the original author’s name! At any rate, the quote states this: “You can’t pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first.”

So while you’re letting the words in this blog sink in, I ask you to consider some of the wonderful side effects of learning how to become more energetically responsible in your own life. The following are just to name a few:

-Stress and anxiety reduction
-A sense of deep relaxation
-Increased sense of well-being
-Eased muscle tension
-Improved quality of sleep
-Enhanced ability for the body to heal itself
-Refreshed spirit
-Balanced emotional, mental, physical and spiritual aspects of oneself
-Support during times of acute injury
-….and much, much more.

After pondering the words above and you come to the conclusion that you’d like to learn how to put the oxygen mask on yourself, so you can feel better and be more equipped to place the oxygen mask on another, then I invite you to join me in two weeks to learn Reiki for yourself in Reiki Level 1.

Check out my practice’s Workshops & Circles Page to learn more!