Radical Acceptance

Radical acceptance is a transformative practice rooted in mindfulness and emotional resilience. It means fully acknowledging reality as it is, without resistance, denial, or judgment—even when it’s painful or unjust.

It’s not approval. It’s not giving up.

It’s saying: “This is what is happening right now. I don’t have to like it—but I can stop fighting it.”

Core Aspects of Radical Acceptance

1. Acknowledge reality – “This is happening.”

2. Acknowledge your feelings – “This hurts. I’m angry. I’m sad. And that’s okay.”

3. Release resistance – Stop fighting what you can’t control. That fight often causes more suffering than the situation itself.

4. Make space for choice – Once you accept the moment, you’re free to respond instead of react.

Radical Acceptance & Forgiveness

Forgiveness often requires radical acceptance:

• Accepting what happened

• Accepting that it cannot be changed

• Accepting how it shaped you—and how you’re choosing to heal

“I can’t change the past, but I can change how I carry it.”

A Practice for Radical Acceptance

1. Pause & Breathe:

Place your hand over your heart or belly. Take 3 slow breaths.

2. Name the Truth:

Silently say, “This is the moment I’m in. This is what I feel. And this is what is real.”

3. Release the Fight:

Let go of the “shoulds.” Let go of the need to fix or control.

4. Anchor in Compassion:

Repeat:

“This is hard, and I am doing my best.”

“I can hold space for pain and peace at the same time.”

Here’s a deeper dive into Radical Acceptance—its meaning, purpose, and how it can profoundly shift your inner landscape.

What Is Radical Acceptance?

Radical Acceptance is a concept from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), but it also has deep roots in mindfulness, Buddhism, and spiritual surrender.

It means completely accepting your current experience—your emotions, circumstances, and even your past—as they are, without trying to push them away, deny them, or change them in this moment.

It’s radical because:

• It asks you to stop fighting reality, even if it’s painful.

• It invites you to open to life as it is, not as you wish it were.

Why Is It So Powerful?

Because most suffering doesn’t come just from pain—it comes from resisting that pain.

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”

– Buddhist wisdom

When we resist what is, we get stuck in blame, shame, control, regret, or bitterness.

Radical acceptance lets us breathe again. It creates spaciousness, allowing healing, clarity, and choice to return.

Examples of Radical Acceptance

• Accepting that a relationship has ended, even if your heart is still breaking

• Accepting your childhood experience, even if it was traumatic or unfair

• Accepting your body as it is, even if society taught you not to

• Accepting your emotions—grief, anger, fear—without trying to “fix” them

What Radical Acceptance Is Not

• It’s not giving up. You can accept what is, and still work to change what you can.

• It’s not saying it’s okay. You can radically accept abuse or injustice without condoning it.

• It’s not passive. It’s the beginning of conscious, empowered healing.

How to Practice Radical Acceptance

1. Feel the Resistance

Notice what you’re fighting—whether it’s a feeling, a fact, or a part of yourself.

2. Breathe Into It

Instead of pushing it away, breathe with it. Be willing to sit in the discomfort, even for a few moments.

3. Say the Truth

Use a statement like:

• “This is what’s happening, and I can’t change it right now.”

• “I don’t like this, but I accept that it is.”

• “Even though this hurts, I accept this moment as it is.”

4. Soften with Compassion

Place a hand over your heart or body and say:

“I’m allowed to feel this.”

“I’m doing the best I can.”

5. Return Again and Again

Radical acceptance isn’t one and done. It’s a practice. The resistance may return—but so can your choice to meet it with awareness.

Where It Meets Spirituality

In Reiki or Shamanic practice, radical acceptance aligns with:

• Surrender to Universal Life Force – Letting Reiki flow without controlling the outcome

• Soul retrieval – Accepting lost parts of ourselves that we once abandoned

• Non-duality – Embracing both light and shadow as part of the whole

A Mantra for Radical Acceptance:

“I accept this moment exactly as it is.

I accept myself exactly as I am.

From here, I choose love.”

Bringing together Reiki and Shamanic healing for Radical Acceptance creates a deep, soulful process of returning to wholeness. This fusion works across energetic, emotional, and spiritual dimensions, helping you stop resisting what is and open to transformation.

Here’s a custom guide to integrate both for radical acceptance:

Reiki & Shamanic Healing Ritual for Radical Acceptance

1. Sacred Preparation

• Create your healing space: light a candle, burn sage or palo santo, and gather crystals like rose quartz (self-compassion), smoky quartz (grounding), and selenite (clearing).

• Call in support:

• Reiki energy and your healing guides

• Power animals or spirit allies

• Archangel Metatron (for deep soul alignment and truth)

Intention Statement:

“I am here to accept what is, to welcome the truth of this moment, and to release the need to resist it.”

2. Reiki Energy Activation

• Activate Cho Ku Rei (power), Sei He Ki (emotional balance), and Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen (distance/past-life healing).

• Place hands over:

• Heart chakra – to receive truth with compassion

• Solar plexus – to release resistance and restore trust

• Let Reiki flow and say internally:

“I open myself to what is true, even when it’s hard. I trust the flow of life.”

3. Shamanic Journey: Meeting the Truth

Optional tools: Drumbeat, rattles, or rhythmic breathing

Visualization:

• Imagine walking through a misty forest, guided by your spirit animal or ancestor.

• You come to a mirror or sacred pool. This represents the truth you’ve been avoiding.

• Ask:

“What truth am I ready to accept?”

“What part of me needs to come home?”

• Witness what arises. Be gentle. You may see emotions, memories, or symbolic images.

4. Soul Retrieval & Energy Healing

• Ask your guide to help retrieve any soul fragments lost through denial or resistance.

• As the parts return, imagine Reiki energy sealing them back into your being with golden light.

• Use Sei He Ki to harmonize the emotional body and Cho Ku Rei to ground the energy.

Say aloud:

“I welcome all of me back. I accept myself, my past, and my pain with love.”

5. Integration & Closing

• Visualize Metatron’s Cube spinning above your crown, aligning you with divine order and acceptance.

• Ground your energy into the Earth. Breathe. Feel.

• Offer gratitude to your guides, the Reiki energy, and to yourself for your courage.

Closing words:

“I accept this life, this path, this version of me. I am enough, and I am free.”

Optional Additions:

• Crystals: Hold rose quartz or black tourmaline during or after the session

• Journal prompts:

• What am I no longer resisting?

• What shifted during this healing?

• What does radical self-love look like now?

• Water blessing: Drink infused water (lemon, mint, or herbs) to symbolize your renewed clarity

Here’s a closing statement to seal your Reiki and Shamanic healing session for radical acceptance—a sacred way to honor the journey and integrate the energy:

Closing Statement:

“I honor the truth that has revealed itself.

I embrace this moment, just as it is, without resistance.

What was fragmented is returning. What was hidden is now held in love.

With the guidance of Spirit and the flow of Reiki,

I welcome myself home.

I release the need to change the past.

I release the need to fight what is.

I trust that every experience has shaped me,

and every step has led me to now.

I am whole. I am grounded. I am free.

This healing is complete.