It's All About The Healing!

Reiki practitioners are often challenged with overcoming misinformed public opinions regarding our practice of this wonderful healing modality. And unfortunately, some Reiki practitioners actually feed into the myths that Reiki is "hocus pocus", magic, voo-doo, witchcraft, sorcery, sacrilege or whatever other misnomer one sometimes hears attached to it.

As trained and attuned healers using the Usui System of Natural Healing, we should all have the true, clinical definition of Reiki ready on the tip of our tongue when asked, as we all periodically are, what Reiki is all about. I find that the following explanation works well both in its simplicity and its factual lack of mysticism.

"Reiki is a relaxation technique documented in early twentieth century Japan which has been shown to reduce stress and promote healing by using light touch to facilitate the flow of energy through the body."

You will note that this definition lacks any reference to spiritualism, religion, or psychic experiences. That is by design. Although many Reiki practitioners tend to be intuitive and spiritually developed individuals, those traits are neither required for, nor part of, the successful practice of the healing modality of Reiki.

Practitioners who bring such facets into their sessions without carefully considering their audience are inadvertently making main stream acceptance of Reiki a more difficult challenge. I am not saying that I have not experienced strong intuitive guidance while giving sessions. On the contrary, I generally do receive such guidance. I will commonly become clairsentiently aware of areas of my client requiring attention, and I will sometimes get clairaudient messages for them during a session. However, such messages are best kept to myself unless I know that my client is of similar mind regarding spirituality. When I am doing a Reiki session, I am practicing healing not mediumship.

It is also important to consider your setting when practicing Reiki. Some techniques, especially those in Level II where we invite in the special healing energies of symbols, require discretion in certain applications. As an example, when treating a patient in a hospital setting, it is probably best to visualize the symbols in your mind as you invite them in rather than to wave your hands around drawing them in the air which would certainly raise some clinical doubts. Similarly, when preparing a room for Reiki sessions, I will use the symbols to clear and charge the room, and also to set my own light of protection and activate my palms, while the room is empty before the client arrives.

The mantras associated with the symbols are similarly verbalized only in my thoughts unless I am in the presence of only attuned Level II or higher practitioners.

All of these precautions are enacted solely to protect Reiki from undue discreditation as sorcery. Although such attacks would only be forthcoming from the uninformed, there is no need to add fuel to their fire by making the practice appear to have a magical component resembling spell casting, even though we know that is not the intent of our mantras and gestures.

I recently had the awesome opportunity to listen in on an interview with one of Hawayo Takata's twenty-two Reiki Master...Paul Mitchell. One of the most interesting things Paul related from his experience learning under Mrs. Takata was her response to a student’s post-attunement feedback of mystical visions of balls of light and other spiritual visualizations. Mrs. Takata promptly and tersely dismissed this student's experiences with the single sternly spoken word "Fantasy" and returned the class discussion immediately to the clinical practice of Reiki. Although most Reiki practitioners I know have had similar experiences with the attunement process, Mrs. Takata's refusal to discuss it pays tribute to her dedication to move Reiki into mainstream acceptance for the greatest good of all living creatures.

There are other considerations which are part of my own personal relationship with Reiki, some of which I will share here. My intent is not to imply that these considerations are right for every Reiki practitioner, but they certainly help me keep my practice grounded and I offer them in my role as a teaching Reiki Master so that my students can consider for themselves these thoughts and concepts as they move forward with their own development as healers. I do encourage my students to maintain their individuality as they develop their practices, and not to simply attempt to mirror mine or those of any other teacher. It is your individuality which will draw the right clients and students to you.

First...I believe with my whole heart and soul that my attunements to be able to channel Reiki are a gift from God and I am truly blessed to have found this path. It has been powerfully healing for me. With that belief, I hold an obligation to never abuse this gift. By that I mean that I would never invoke Reiki energy for any purpose other than pure and universal good. For example, I would never trivialize Reiki energy by asking it to impact an unimportant outcome such as a sporting event...as much as I love my Yankees, I have to realize that God needs to nurture His Red Sox fans as well! I might "Reiki" my lottery tickets, but only because I know I would be philanthropic with the money to advance the cause of Reiki healing.

Secondly, I will never send Reiki to an individual for physical healing unless I know they have asked for it. I will often send Reiki to resolve a situation for the greatest good of all concerned without asking permission, but I will never include specific healing for an individual without knowing they want it. I have many requests for Reiki in my healing grid on which I meditate twice daily, but my requests are always that the situations resolve for the greatest good. This is similar to the way I participate in a monthly global meditation for world peace without a request for victory for any specific parties among the warring factions. It is also similar to the way I pray in my Catholic faith by asking God to provide for the greatest good of His children in resolving their difficulties, but only if that is His will.

Thirdly, I will never use Reiki to attempt to control the free will of anyone. As an example, those seeking a relationship should send Reiki to themselves that they find a situation which works for their greatest good rather than for a specific person to be made to be responsive to their desires.

Fourthly, I consciously set my ego aside when asking Reiki to flow. I do not try to direct the healing, and I recognize and honor that Reiki is pure, simple and clean life force energy gifted from the Source and guided by spiritual wisdom to heal where it needs to heal. When doing a session, I constantly try to keep my mind clear and brush aside distracting thoughts. Unless I am receiving guidance, hand positions are used only to give structure to the session as prescribed by Dr. Hayashi rather than to try to direct the flow of Reiki with my own consciousness. Using the prescribed Level I hand positions can actually help me keep my mind clear and my ego silenced since I have no reason to think about how to perform the session. I have no problem with the concept of doing an entire session with just one or two positions since I know Reiki will go where it's needed, and am starting to move my sessions in that direction when so guided. I do this commonly for self-treatment, often falling asleep with one hand on my solar plexus or sacral chakra and the other hand on my heart.

Fifthly, I do not subscribe to the belief that practitioners with different Levels of attunement are more effective healers. A Level I practitioner is serving as a channel for the same energy that I am channeling as an experienced Master. My additional training and experience might provide me with knowledge of techniques that I can use to make a client more comfortable or more at ease with the process, which might make their healing seem more efficient on the surface, and my Master certification enables me to attune and train other practitioners, but the Reiki energy is the same for all of us.

Finally, I am a big believer in Karmic balance. I do not question or challenge other healing modalities or the methods of other Reiki practitioners or other schools of Reiki. I simply work with the understanding that all healing is good, and all those who dedicate their energies to healing others are good souls. I know that the students and clients who are right for me will be drawn to and find me, and that other students and clients will be drawn to other practitioners and teachers, and that is as it should be. I only know that if I do good work without reservation, anxiety, anger, worry or trepidation, I am doing what I am called to do and healing will come back to me.

I have made many wonderful friends and found many like minded people through my work with Reiki and it will be a daily part of my life forever. I hope that my musings here help others move forward on their pathways to harmony and healing, and I remind my students that I am always available to them as a resource should they have concerns or wish to discuss or review their own development, but that my feedback will serve to help them explore their own pathways and unique gifts rather than to become a clone of my beliefs and methods.

Remember to keep it all about the healing, and thank you all for being a treasured and beautiful part of my universe!

May wondrous blessings befall each and every one of you!

Bob