Sekhem: Let the First Feeling Lead and Practice Safely

Let the first sign lead

## When feeling begins quietly

A feeling may appear first as something almost imperceptible. During one of Patrick Zeigler’s earlier classes in Romania, an older woman in her eighties, who was also a Reiki master, said that she had not connected with anything throughout the class. A younger, very large and strongly built man also said that he was not feeling anything and needed help.

Patrick brought the two of them to the front of the class and began a slow countdown. Because the woman was in her eighties, the count moved through many years, and for a long time nothing seemed to be happening. Then, at about age nine, Patrick noticed that one of her eyes was becoming slightly watery. There was no more than the beginning of a tear.

He asked, “What happened at age nine?” She answered that it was the day her father came home. Patrick did not ask further questions. He invited her to feel her father coming home and continue counting.

For some reason, the two participants had been facing one another. The young man stood like a rock, with no visible emotion. The woman continued counting. When she reached five, a full tear came.

Patrick asked, “What happened at five?” She answered, “That’s the day they took him away.” As soon as she said this, the young man completely collapsed. The woman then began to move into a process. She finally felt something deeply, while the young man was entirely overcome.

After the process, during the sharing, the young man said, “That’s my job. I’m the one that takes them away.” The government had sent him to observe the class and find out what it was about. He was working in a role connected with government investigation and security. He came to the next class and said, “I cried the whole way home. And I quit my job. Now I’m back just for me.”

Patrick’s first class in Romania had been similar. Nobody would do anything, and he discovered that people were afraid because they thought a police officer was in the class watching them. They were very quiet. Over time, however, the people there opened up considerably and became very free in their participation. Patrick said that Romania came to rival Brazil in how openly people engaged.

The process can reveal something that has been held beneath the surface for a long time. A small sign, such as a tear, may be enough to guide the next question. The work is not about forcing a reaction. It is about noticing what begins to arise and allowing the person’s own experience to lead the process.

Make safety part of the practice

## Prepare the room and choose support

After sharing the story, the group was invited to prepare the room and find partners for the next exercise. Partner choice matters. One participant asked to work with someone who could provide dependable physical support because she had fainted two months earlier and had begun to feel light-headed during the exercise. She explained that this was why she needed to choose carefully.

The facilitator agreed to make a special arrangement and gather the whole team to work with her. The conversation also made clear that a person who is not able to catch or support another participant should not be placed in that role. An observer may remain an observer, while someone who needs a catcher can find a partner who is genuinely able to help.

The exercise should therefore be organised before it begins. Decide who is participating, who is offering physical support, and who is observing. Do not treat these roles casually. A partner must be able to respond if the other person becomes dizzy, loses balance or needs to sit down.

The next exercise was understood as one in which a participant might become light-headed or lose balance. Support should be arranged with that possibility in mind, rather than improvised after something happens.

Pause when the body says stop

## Respect pain and changing physical limits

One participant then explained that a partner’s head had struck the centre of their chest the previous day. The pain had become worse, especially when breathing in, leaning forward or pulling on socks. The whole area was tender to touch, and the participant was concerned that the sternum or chest wall might be injured. They had consulted an AI system, which suggested that it could be a bruised chest wall or a cracked sternum, but this was not a diagnosis.

The pain was constant and sharper when breathing in, because the chest expands. Getting down and standing up was also difficult. The facilitator advised taking it easy and not catching anyone. The participant was encouraged to sit in a large, comfortable chair, and another person went to find ice.

The possibility of a broken bone was not treated casually. The facilitator noted that a break might produce sharper pain, while also saying that no chances should be taken and that the injury should be checked by a doctor. A hospital or emergency room was considered as the appropriate place to seek assessment.

The participant said that they did not want to do anything requiring the shoulders to come forward and were trying to keep them back. The facilitator invited them to relax and asked whether the pain was sharp. The participant clarified that it was constant and became sharp on inhalation. The guidance remained simple: rest, use ice if helpful, avoid catching anyone, and obtain medical attention for worsening pain or painful breathing.

Another participant described becoming dizzy during the exercise and choosing to sit down before falling. They distinguished this from a previous blackout exercise, during which they had been caught by others. They also said that they wanted to remain aware of what was happening. These comments reinforced the need to notice bodily signals early, communicate clearly and choose the safest level of participation.

A partner exercise is not separate from bodily responsibility. If dizziness, fainting risk, injury or painful breathing is present, the exercise must adapt. Sitting out, observing, receiving support or seeking medical care are all legitimate responses when the body is asking for caution.