The Power of Negativity

Let’s embrace negativity for a minute. That’s right, stare right at it and dig in a little deeper. There’s so much out there about being positive that I got swept up in eradicating negativity. Staying in the flow with Reiki, I erroneously thought I had to push away all negative thoughts, did you?

For a while, I made it my personal job to strap on my backpack of positivity spray and blast out all the negativity out from myself and others to keep everything shiny and clean. Rather than reach my goal of becoming a beacon of positivity, I found myself hyperfocused on exterminating any negativity or sadness. Rather than sitting with my anger, I pushed it away. My poor friends and family as I passionately preached about storm clouds and sunshine, while ignoring my own full-spectrum of emotions. For years I focused on fighting anger and rejecting outbursts from anyone.

Disinfecting Earth view- what a shift as I now embrace all challenges. Image thanks  Ajay kumar Singh from Pixabay 

My determination to “get rid of negativity” became judgmental in my push for perfection. Once I made time to pause, as the stress of COVID increased, I realized there was no way to push through these heavy emotions. So I learned to pause in that moment and instead allow myself to become the observer. I learned to sit with it and instead watch the flow of thoughts and emotions in order to learn what was underneath. In the darker depths of the flow.

Reiki Principals to the Rescue

In this forced quiet, where I could no longer talk about staying in playfulness without having my head bit off, I learned the power of silence. I came back to the Reiki Principle- be kind to all living things. To apply this I have to forgive myself for being angry and engaging in conflict. I was hurting, just in a different way from those around me. I needed to sit in my waves of sadness, anger, and frustration, alone and find the calm floating on the waves.

There’s a parable that resonates with me which tells of a young boy and his grandfather. The young boy is struggling with dark impulses. His grandfather tells him that inside each person is a wolf of light and a wolf of dark. The one that wins is the one that the young boy chose to feed. There was an Aha- moment. He didn’t say, kill the wolf of the dark” did he? He said choose which one you feed. 

We all have the light and dark within us. The key is to embrace them both and then chose which to focus on…

My conflicts were tests for me to apply my “wisdom” and be compassionate. So compassion is what I gave myself, and in allowing myself to pause, I found grace and peace. I could not rush myself or anyone else to hurry through their suffering. I could not rush myself or anyone to see that they were in charge of their experience. I could not rush myself or anyone to see that we all have the wisdom within us when we make time to get quiet. I had to simply get quiet, find my inner calm, and wait out the storm.

Embracing Conflict

As I dove deeper into my Reiki practice, I learned it’s actually about softening and embracing ALL emotions. Feelings are simply indicators of different levels of stress and emotional holding. With energy healing work I learned it’s not the power of positivity but rather the power of love that heals. So dig into negativity…sit with it… deep belly breath and exhale… why am I feeling this way? Then just wait for answer to come… That is the key.

Here’s another Reiki principal:

Be honest and clear. I must learn to face every part of the person in the mirror with love. That’s the most important thing. I no longer reject my negativity, it’s simply my clue to pause, breathe, and go outside to look up at the beauty. Go enjoy the trees, birds, and hum of nature. Go out and realign my energy flow. When I get frustrated or irritated, that’s my stress valve needing a release and nothing more… Being angry, sad, frustrated, resentful does not mean have I have less value, it simply means I need to pause and release, reconnect, and restore my flow.

Energy Balancing with Reiki and Breath-work

By embracing ALL emotions, I am now being honest. I no longer try to censor my Bad Mood. Instead, I see her and pause, and then I ask myself how I am hurting. Negativity has become my inner barometer of unintentionally allowing stress to build and boil into a storm. It’s my clue to go outside and ground with a reiki meditation. I breathe deep into my belly as I expand my awareness up and out , then exhale while releasing down into the Earth. All my stress can then flow out into the Earth and be recycled. I’m so grateful to my reiki practice to know how that feels.

credit Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

Learning to get centered and flush out the energetic core of your being is powerful! If you too are ready to practice Self-Mastery with guided meditations or Holy Fire Reiki, reach out. I offer group sessions and private sessions for you to tap into your inner quiet and find your connection to wisdom. Book Now.

Costa Rica Self-Mastery Retreat

Join me for a Three-day Self-Mastery Workshop in Costa Rica May 2-6

Combine Reiki energy & aura work with exploration in gorgeous Costa Rica

The Self-Mastery Workshop, taught/led by Kimberly Naugle Long, will feature daily guided meditation, energy awareness training, chakra balancing through energy work, singing-chanting, creating and maintaining healthy energy boundaries, and aura maintenance. Our goal is to learn to increase flow and vitality for wellness. We will use Reiki meditations and energy awareness of the energy meridians.

Kim Naugle Long at the Private Pool Oasis

Alajuela City Stay


We’ll center our practice at an adorable small hotel in Alajuela, a small city adjacent to capital city San Jose, only minutes from the international airport. Daily excursions will be made to a city spa’s private pool, tree canopy zip line, and swinging bridge tour with hot springs immersion. We will practice staying open and curious while pushing our sense of adventure. Staying in the flow with Reiki and other practices in real life adrenaline rush situations is a challenge. How fun to put the practice to test!


The energy of this sweet town is quaint as there as many parks as there are little boutiques for everything you can imagine: clothes, school supplies, shoes, books, baked goods, and more. Each purchase you make helps a local family which in turn helps this community stay abundant and enjoy the beauty of their country.

While staying here I was amazed at the energy that flows through each of the shop keepers here. Most everyone feels very centered, relaxed, and filled with loving energy. It’s such an amazing feeling to explore and sense the love of this country from an energy healing perspective. The hotel I knew would be perfect for our get away as I saw The Four Agreements of the front desk in both English and Spanish. I will be thrilled to guide you through this amazing country in our short stay.

Parks are every few blocks through the city

Hot Springs Energy Experience

Extend your stay and enjoy several days at the hot springs near resting active Arenal Volcano. This area features more than 12 hot springs. Our extension includes 2 overnight stays here. The hot springs feature pools of a variety of temperatures with waterfalls for a natural massage. We will focus on checking our energy flow before the hot springs and afterwards. Each hot springs area have an on-site restaurant and bar so everyone can enjoy their stay without having to leave. Depending on the participants, we may rent a van or hire a driver to bring us around the various hot springs and rappelling excursions.

Estimated Costs:

Self-Mastery Workshop, Hotel, and Excursions (breakfast and lunch included) – US$850

Superior ​Room has a queen bed and small private bathroom with A/C. 

Cost includes three nights at host hotel, ​three days of training with Kim, light breakfast (Plato típico), and travel and destination fees ​to excursions.

Optional add-on: 

Two days at hot springs resort at Arenal (breakfast only) – Add approx US$550

​Enjoy two additional nights in a private room at the Paradise Hot Springs. Breakfast only included. 

Shuttle to the airport will need to be booked ​individually along with return COVID test if still required by USA and is not included in price.

*Deposit $450 due by March 15th. 3% credit card use fee not included. $150 of deposit may not be refundable depending on various companies and their deposit requirements and fees. 

Register by March 15th


Please let me know if you would like to join and I will get registration form to you. I will have final costs by March 21st once I have total head count to calculate excursions. 

**Please plan on booking your flight by March 20th at the latest for best price. Book a changeable ticket just in case of illness or family emergency-all airlines offer this and is much cheaper than refundable.

***Passport is required and must not expire within 6 months of May 2022.

Personal costs:

​Airfare, taxi/shuttle to and from airport, lunch & dinners are not included in above costs.

​A nice dinner at a local restaurant will cost about US$20 with tip (10% is customary). 

Flights are $280 ​(Spirit) to about $475-700 (Delta), and are direct nonstop from Atlanta airport.

If you chose Spirit, please do not check your luggage as it’s hit or miss on it arriving. 

Tentative Itinerary

May 2, Monday:

• Day 0. Arrive Monday night at Alajuela City Hotel for a workshop meet and greet 7pm & receive workshop materials. Prepare for an early start on Tuesday! Dinner on your own.

May 3, Tuesday:

• Day 1. 7:30 breakfast, 8am start meditation, 10:30am- Walk together to a private pool oasis. Spend the day doing moving meditations and mind, body, energy awareness, including wading into a private stone-lined pool to help you connect with energy flow sensations. Connect with energy fields and chakras, then learn proper grounding for staying present and increasing energy flow. Bring your notebook for a journaling prompt; lunch is provided. Enjoy free time for dinner and shopping. Return and connect in courtyard for an evening grounding practice and recheck.

May 4, Wednesday:

• Day 2. Rise early to catch our group shuttle to a zipline and/or rappelling adventure. We will begin with healing meditation and energy grounding practice for good flow then test it out at either zipline or waterfall rappelling with post-event meditation and energy awareness.

We will focus on healthy energy boundaries and maintenance with a Q&A, enjoy meditations on energy flow and expansion work. Dinner on your own near the hotel, then rejoin in the courtyard for art doodling with energetic flow and watercolors. Receive a journaling prompt for evening reflection.

May 4, Thursday:

• Day 3. Rise early to catch our group shuttle to a Swinging Bridge Canopy tour with hot springs soak (2 hour drive each way where we will discuss energy awareness and more!). Bring your luggage if you opt to add on a two-night stay at the hot springs resort. We will close the workshop together before parting ways!

May 5, Friday:

• Day 4. On your own: Take a COVID Test (not included, about $40-65) and fly home, or add nights to the hotel, or choose to extend your visit with a trip to Costa Rica’s many beaches or jungles. Let me know if you’d like more info about areas to chose!

Activity order subject to change based on weather.

What to know/bring:

•  Costa Rica is equatorial with sunshine from 6am to 6pm, so all driving will occur between those hours. Direct sun is very strong, take precautions as needed.

•  Arenal Área features at least 12 different hot springs areas, Canopy tours, ziplines, and rappelling excursions. Our Thurs excursion will be at one of the original Hot Springs park Tabacon Hot Springs, which has a resort hotel of $550 & up overnight. These springs are in the jungle along hiking trails,& worth enjoying for the pictures opts, adventure, and fun. 

The opt add-on over night is located at a more quiet, private Paradise Hot Springs established in 2011 with lovely large hotel rooms for $200/night. They have 7 different temperature pools, waterfall, and swim up fresh juice bar. 

• There’s a fast lab for a 1-hour COVID test required to re-enter the U.S. It’s a quick walk 1 block away, on the square across from Alajuela City Hotel, and opens at 6:30am. There’s also one at the airport.

• Bring a journal, bathing suit, small towel, water shoes, and walking shoes in addition to your summer clothing. I recommend a long sleeve, light jacket and pants for cooler nights. Bug spray and sunscreen can be brought or purchased locally (pack liquids and lotions under 3oz if doing carry-on.)

• Use a local ATM to draw out cash in Costa Rican currency – colones – or pay with an international (no-fee) credit card at most places. Check with your bank and credit card company to ensure your cards allow international transactions with no fees. If not, you may chose to bring cash to exchange at the local banks. The hotels all accept US dollars, while restaurants & shops typically accept colones or credit cards. 

 Website for workshop hotel: https://www.alajuelacityhotel.com/

Website for recommended hot springs overnight option