Healing Messy: Why You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Start with Reiki

Hey, Radiant Soul!

I’ve been sitting with something lately. It’s been coming up in conversations, in my journal, and especially during the quiet moments — healing is not always clean. It’s not always polished. Most of the time, it’s actually pretty messy.

There’s this belief, I think a lot of us carry — maybe not even consciously — that we need to “fix” ourselves first. Healing is a reward we receive after we’ve done enough inner work or finally gotten our life together. We think, Once I’ve figured this out… then I’ll be ready to heal.

But what if it doesn’t work that way? What if we never actually arrive at healed — we just keep healing? And what if that’s okay?

Healing Isn’t Linear, It’s Layered

A few weeks ago, I completed my Karuna Reiki Master training. It was an in-person event with a small group, and we all showed up exactly as we were. Some people were going through tough transitions; others were beginning new chapters in life. I was somewhere in the middle — still learning, still letting go, still healing.

One thing my teacher said stuck with me:

“As we heal, we allow others to heal.”

I’ve been thinking about that ever since. Because healing isn’t about being perfect, it’s not about getting it “right.” It’s about making space for what’s real. And when we allow that space in ourselves, we help others feel safe to do the same.

We’re all healing something. And that’s not something to hide — it’s something to honor.

Sometimes we forget that the process of healing includes discomfort, release, and change.

Sometimes it means crying in the shower, canceling plans to care for your heart, or realizing you’re outgrowing relationships or environments that once felt safe and secure. That’s still healing — even if it doesn’t look pretty.

A Somatic Moment to Ground You

Take a moment to pause. Let your feet rest flat on the ground. Relax your jaw. Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly. Take three slow breaths in and out. No rush.

With each breath, quietly say to yourself:“I’m allowed to heal, even in the middle of the mess.”

Let that truth settle into your nervous system. Let your body feel what it’s like to be safe enough to heal right here, right now.

We’re often told healing comes after the breakdown. But what if healing happens during the breakdown, too? In those small, quiet moments where you choose to be gentle instead of judgmental with yourself — that’s healing.

What Healing Messy Looks Like

Healing messy means showing up when you feel unsure. It means you’re doing the work while also still carrying questions. It means you’re crying during practice, needing a break, and still returning.

Reiki has helped me hold that — not to fix it, but to witness it. And that witnessing has shifted so much in how I treat myself. Less pressure. More grace.

Sometimes, it feels like lying on your bed with your palms on your heart and belly, asking yourself, 'What do I need in this moment?' Other times, it’s taking five minutes between meetings to breathe and place energy on your body. Or saying no to something that drains you, simply because your energy matters.

Whether you're navigating grief, burnout, anxiety, or simply craving more presence, healing messy gives you permission to be real. That, in itself, is powerful.

A Final Affirmation

You are worthy of healing right now, just as you are. You are allowed to grow at your own pace. You are allowed to rest. You are allowed to begin again.

Say those words aloud. Let them fill your body. Even if part of you doesn’t fully believe them yet — let them vibrate in your body anyway.

You Don’t Have to Be Ready. You Just Have to Be Willing.

I wish someone had told me that earlier. That I didn’t need to earn my healing. That I didn’t need to become some version of myself who finally had it all together before starting something that could support me. That I could begin right where I was.

I spent so much time waiting — for clarity, for confidence, for confirmation from the universe. But healing started the moment I stopped waiting. The moment I said yes to the tools in front of me. Reiki was one of those tools. It continues to be.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, burned out, or even just curious — I see you. This practice isn’t about fixing yourself. It’s about giving yourself tools to feel more grounded, more present, and more at peace in your everyday life.

And if you’re already walking a healing path, Reiki can add to what you already do. It can support your nervous system, your intuition, and your ability to stay connected to yourself and others.

Reiki won’t erase your problems — but it can help you meet them with more softness. It won’t make life perfect — but it can make life more aligned.

Final Thoughts

I say this a lot, but I really mean it — you deserve a life filled with peace and clarity. You deserve to feel held, supported, and empowered as you move through your healing.

This world will tell you to keep pushing, to keep performing, to keep proving. But healing asks you to pause. To listen.To be honest about what you need.To start now, even if you’re not sure how it will go.

You don’t need to be perfect to heal. You just need to be present. Let’s start there.

If you’ve been waiting for a sign, maybe this is it. I’d love to have you in this space of healing, whenever you’re ready.

P.S. Interested in Learning Reiki?

As a gentle FYI, I’ll be teaching Holy Fire Reiki Levels 1 & 2 this July, live on Zoom. It’s beginner-friendly, deeply experiential, and designed to help you practice Reiki for yourself and others — no perfection required.

You’ll receive official certification through the International Center for Reiki Training and learn tools to support emotional, spiritual, and physical healing in your daily life.

Click here for details and registration if your heart feels curious.

Remember, you got this.

Keep shining!