If you are a tennis fan then you will be aware that Rafael Nadal is regarded as the Zen Master of tennis. If not, then it is worth considering his way of Being in terms of the tennis court and his opponent.
Rafa’s ability to play on all court surfaces has established him as one of the greatest tennis players ever. However, his favourite surface is clay and in particular he loves the clay courts at Roland Garros in Paris and has an exceptional record of eleven wins in this tournament.
So, what is this to do with Reiki? When watching Rafa play he is always cool, rarely shows any temperament other than being focused on his game. He is a master at playing this ball. If it is not a good ball, he lets it go and focuses on the next ball. Always focusing on this ball and only this ball and making the best shot he can with this ball. He refuses to be drawn into the future and does not engage with questions from interviewers on this.
I suggest that this reflects Reiju (the third blessing of Mindfulness – being Full of Mind – being aware of what is going on in the Body moment-by-moment; being aware of feelings and their quality and not grasping the pleasant or avoiding the unpleasant; being aware of emotions, feeling them with openness and not wallowing in them and bringing one’s Inner Wisdom to bear on life on a moment-by-moment basis) and the Reiki Gokai (Kyō daka wa – every day being soaked in Reiki so that every action taken is Reiki, every word spoken is Reiki, every thought is Reiki, and every breath is Reiki. Kyo means ‘your life’ so make it all you do; Okolu-Na – releasing all anger from the Body, becoming One with anger and then anger dissolves; Shinpai Suna – releasing all worry from the Mind, becoming One with worry and then worry dissolves and finally, Gyō Hage Me – behave well and take Right Action. Be True to myself and my True Path. I will do things without attachment).
Becoming as dedicated to living moment-by-moment as Rafa is will make all of us better at what we do.
Photo by Erwan Hesry on Unsplash
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