Like you, I love information.

Yet as a writer and a Reiki master interviewed by the media many times, I know how easily information gets distorted even when there is a strong commitment to accuracy. Under the best of circumstances, interpretation slips in like greased lightening, unintended changes occur, and nuance gets veiled or incorrectly implied.

That’s why I make an effort to get my information as close to the source as possible. Especially information about Usui Reiki Ryoho.

I never met Hawayo Takata, but I’m fortunate to have been trained in her practice, and to have friends and colleagues trained by her, especially Susan Mitchell, Wanja Twan, and Paul Mitchell, who generously share their experience with me.

My years living in Asia sensitized me to the distance between Asian and EuroAmerican perspective, and so the support of my Japanese colleagues, Reiki masters Hyakuten Inamoto and Hiroshi Doi, is especially valuable to me. (I know my colleagues don’t like to use the word “master,” but I cannot in good conscience avoid it, as the term suits them so well.) Japanese is not simply a language; it is a cultural and spiritual perspective, and much gets lost in translation.

My Takata colleagues and my Japanese colleagues were generous with their support as I wrote REIKI: A Comprehensive Guide, and I remain indebted to them.

But that doesn’t stop me from asking for more in my continual inquiry into the essence of Usui Shiki Ryoho. Accessing the ancestry of my practice has become part of my practice; reaching into the past puts my experience in richer context. (It has also validated my intuition that once we have the Reiki initiations, practice trumps all. But I digress…)

Yes, I love information, and reliable information about Usui Shiki Ryoho is not easily available. So when I had an opportunity to discuss points of practice with my esteemed Japanese colleagues, to learn more about the distinctions and commonalities of our approaches from experienced teachers, I went for it.

As part of my blog’s second birthday celebration, I want to give you a special gift–the transcript of that conversation. It’s an honor to share with you this very special gift that Inamoto sensei and Doi sensei gave to me.

Hiroshi Doi spoke from his practice, Gendai Reiki Ho, based in the practice of Usui’s Gakkai; Hyakuten Inamoto spoke from his practice, Komyo Reiki Kai, based in the practice of Chujiro Hayashi; and I spoke from my Takata practice.

Click here to read the transcript of our conversation, and share this gift with your circle. Then please scroll down to leave a comment telling Inamoto sensei and Doi sensei how this has helped you. The transcript is translated into Portuguese and Spanish.

Do you have a pressing Reiki question? Share it here.

Related Reading:
Reiki Is Not Ancient

Most of us have cell phones. Many also have cordless phones in our homes and offices (cell and cordless phones function the same way). Although some of us are aware of the risks involved with the constant presence of these microwave radios, none of us are about to toss our cells. And we don’t have to.

Here are nine easy ways you can modify your cell use and reduce your exposure to radiation:

1. Use your phone on speaker whenever feasible. The distance between your body and your phone makes all the difference–and even a little distance helps. When you can’t go on speaker, avoid resting the phone against your head; hold it even slightly away, especially when you are speaking (radiation is higher when transmitting than when receiving). The cell manual you didn’t read probably recommends holding the phone an inch away from your head. Four inches reduces the exposure to radiation 1000 times.

2. Use a headset, preferably one with a ferrite bead to absorb the radiation, or get one with a hollow tube (the sound is carried through the air instead of radio waves). Using bluetooth? Switch sides and take it off when you’re not talking; it emits radiation even when not in use, albeit at a lower rate.

3. Hold the phone at arm’s length when you answer it, because when you answer your phone, it emits a burst of radiation.

4. Avoid carrying your phone on your body. Keep it in a purse, briefcase, or even your outer coat pocket rather than your pants or shirt pocket. This is particularly important when moving quickly, such as on a train, because the phone is sending bursts of radiation to establish connection with a tower more frequently.

5. When you carry your phone on you, do so in different pockets. This is particularly true for young men carrying their phones near the family jewels; you may not be thinking of parenthood at the moment, but let’s keep the option of a healthy next generation open. Know which side of your phone broadcasts the most radiation (usually the back), and keep that side facing away from you.

6. Use the phone only for emergencies when you don’t have good reception. When the bars are low, the cell is pumping higher levels of radiation as it attempts to connect with a tower.

7. Place your phone away from your bed at night, especially if it is charging. Put it at least three feet away from you. Six feet is even better. Yes, this may mean investing in an alarm clock.

8. Avoid using your cell in an elevator. It emits more radiation trying to get a signal, and you’re in a metal box that bounces the radiation and affects not only you, but everyone you’re riding with. Especially the children.

9. Speaking of children–no cells for them. Cell phones are being marketed to toddlers; it is up to us to protect children’s developing brains.

If you’re a Reiki practitioner or have ever received a Reiki treatment, you’ve experienced a subtle influence having a not-so-subtle impact on your well-being. It took decades for science to document the damage smoking causes. We don’t need to wait for the science to protect ourselves and our families from cell phone radiation.

Young people are particularly vulnerable, not only because their bodies are still growing, but also because they have years of cell phone use ahead of them, resulting in much higher lifetime radiation exposure.

Please send this to someone you love. Do you have another tip for smarter cell use? Please share it in the comments.

Related reading for your well-being:
Really?

If you are interested in learning more about cell phone science and safety, read this book:
Disconnect by Devra Davis, PhD

In Japan in the mid 1920s, Mikao Usui started a unique spiritual practice that has come to be called Reiki. Usui said his practice was new and never before seen in the world. He did not refer to his practice exclusively as Reiki, and at the time, there were other Reiki practices.

Somehow the name Reiki stuck to Usui’s practice.

It was as Reiki that Hawayo Takata and Chujiro Hayashi, her Reiki master and Usui’s direct student, brought the practice to Hawaii in the 1930s. Takata later taught Reiki on the mainland U.S., in Canada, and Puerto Rico, before dying in December 1980.

Most of the 22 masters Takata trained continued to honor her standards, but within a decade after Takata’s death, at least one of them began offering expedited Reiki training.

Rapid expansion of Reiki healing came with loosening of Reiki practice standards

With a fast turnover from First degree to Reiki master, it didn’t take long for Reiki practice to spread around the world. Few people would argue that global access to such a gentle, effective spiritual practice is a good thing, and this could not have happened so quickly if everyone adhered to Takata’s high standards. However, all rapid expansion coincides with a loss of standards, and this is the challenge that the global Reiki community faces today.

Perhaps the most critical question is this: Which practices are rightly called Reiki?

There is a reasonable expectation that any practice referred to as Reiki traces back to Usui—especially those practices called Usui Reiki—but we cannot assume this to be true.

Some practices marketed as Reiki have no basis in Usui’s practice. Those who sign on for such training usually don’t find this out until it’s too late.

The lack of agreed-upon standards in the Reiki community creates a buyer-beware market for the public. How can Reiki practitioners help the public navigate the sea of Reiki practices and identify those which are truly Usui-based? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Related reading:
Reiki Is Not Ancient
Reiki: Spiritual Practice or Energy Medicine?

We’d love to read your comments. Please keep them on point and in perspective so that we can have a thoughtful, respectful dialogue.

Do you find Reiki healing hard to talk about? Practitioners often struggle to communicate Reiki practice to the (literally) uninitiated, especially the media.

Caught up in Reiki enthusiasm, a practitioner can easily wind up looking ungrounded, and the practice a bit out there and, well, unscientific. It may be surprising to learn that scientists also struggle to share their work accurately, often for similar reasons.

Of course not all scientists and Reiki practitioners are allowed to speak to the media. Working for institutions carries prestige, but really cramps communication.

Institutions know how easily media coverage can go awry, and typically forbid their staff from speaking publicly, preferring to leave the messy job of communication to their public relations specialists. Often my conversations with hospital Reiki masters are off the record because they haven’t been cleared to speak publicly, lest their words reflect badly on their employer.

When scientists are free to speak on the record, they tend to do so with great care and precision; they are, after all, scientists. Having been so deliberate in their choice of words, they may be horrified to see what gets published. Even carefully chosen words are easily misquoted or taken out of context, misrepresenting science to the public and making dedicated professionals look foolish before their colleagues.

Same words, different meanings

Part of the problem is that science-speak is too precise for mass consumption; nuances critical in science are meaningless to the public and easily get lost in translation.

Reiki practitioners are rarely as precise as scientists, but like scientists, they tend toward a peculiar use of language, one that is foreign to the masses and begs to be misunderstood. Thus many public depictions of Reiki healing are enough to make a credible practitioner’s skin crawl.

To be fair, even reputable media can make mistakes, especially with so much sketchy information about Reiki healing floating around.

But some media outlets don’t bother to fact check. Talk has always been cheap, but with the new online media, it’s now cheap to publish, and we can no longer count on accuracy being a writer’s top priority.

What’s the agenda?

Motivations add to the confusion. Scientists and Reiki practitioners are motivated to bring accurate information to the public, but media are motivated to promote controversy, because controversy is good for business.

Popular articles about medical research can be so skewed toward the sensational that I’ve read halfway through an article before recognizing the study being discussed was one I know well. The writer had either totally missed the point or decided the facts didn’t make a good headline.

9 tips to help you communicate Reiki healing effectively

Want to get credible Reiki information to the public? Here are 9 tips to keep in mind when approaching the media, or any time you’re communicating about Reiki:

• Speak plainly and simply.
• Don’t try to explain Reiki.
• Describe what a treatment looks like from the outside (recipient fully clothed, hands placed lightly).
• Share a few of the most commonly reported benefits (such as feeling more relaxed, more centered, less anxious, less pain).
• Stay calm and low-key.
• Avoid making claims.
• Don’t talk science (you see how much trouble scientists get into).
• Position Reiki treatment as daily self-care, or as a professional support to conventional health care.
• Have an agreement at the start that all direct and indirect quotes will be fact-checked.

Easy enough. Now get out there and do it! We need more non-sensational, matter-of-fact Reiki coverage in the media. Every clear communication you produce–a public event, a poster, a flyer, an article, or your website–makes it possible for more people to see Reiki as an option in their lives.

Related reading:
Reiki Healing Is for Everyone, So Let’s Speak to Everyone

Who in your community could benefit from an experience of Reiki? How will you bring it to them? The 7 Steps to A Successful Public Reiki Event recorded webinar offers detailed coaching that takes you thoughtfully through the process, from choosing and contacting your host partners to feedback and follow-up.

Public interest in Reiki treatment and practice is rising rapidly, leading many to wonder, What’s the best way to learn to practice Reiki?

The best scenario for learning to practice Reiki is an in-person class with a qualified, responsive Reiki master who is also a skilled teacher, and who offers students on-going support. A group class is a richer experience than going solo. Interacting directly with people in the same room, both the teacher and other students, enlivens the learning experience in ways even the most sophisticated technology cannot replace.

Here are some points to consider when choosing a Reiki class and Reiki master:

• The teacher’s Reiki competence–
  Does she practice daily self-treatment? What was her Reiki training? What is her Reiki lineage? Was she a Reiki professional offering treatment to the public before becoming a Reiki master? What teaching experience does she have? What avenues has she created to offer students continuing support? It takes time to become a skilled Reiki master/teacher–and I mean years.
• The quality of the teacher’s presence–
  Is she welcoming, non-judgmental, even-tempered, professional, and anything else you feel is important in a teacher? Does she have clear boundaries? Does she communicate clearly?
• Your rapport with the teacher–
  This is an important relationship, so contemplate your values. If you are choosing between a teacher you like vs. one with more experience or a bigger reputation, I’d go with the one you like, especially if she will continue to be accessible to you, as long as she is qualified and committed to her students.
• First degree-only class–
  Give yourself the benefit of taking a class that is devoted to basic hands-on practice, with a focus on daily Reiki self-treatment. The class should include the four First degree initiations; protocols for self-treatment and informally offering Reiki to others (this is not professional training);  an accurate overview of the history of the practice, starting with Mikao Usui; and ample in-class practice time. The goal is for you to feel comfortable continuing your daily self-treatment at home by the time the class ends.
• Time–
  Ten hours or so is a reasonable amount of time for a small group class. It’s preferable for the class to be spread out over two or more days, so you have the opportunity to practice at home and bring your questions to the next session.
• Accessibility of the location–
  Is it necessary for the class to be easily accessible, or is it possible for you to travel to study with a Reiki master you feel drawn to?
• Fee–
  Did your mom ever tell you (as mine did), “You get what you pay for?” Low fees may indicate low confidence, little experience, or lack of grounding. You want a teacher who appreciates Reiki’s value in the world. After all, you live in the world, don’t you? This is a one-time investment that brings dividends for life; it makes sense to be generous to yourself.

What if you don’t find any appealing Reiki masters in your area, and you are unable to travel? There are still options. Is it feasible for you to organize a class and invite a Reiki master to travel to your area?

At what point might you choose to learn from a qualified, attentive Reiki master who is accessible only through technology? Each prospective student has to ask herself, what is the best learning opportunity for me?

Keep in mind that, should you leave your First degree class feeling unsatisfied for any reason, you can still practice daily self-treatment, and consider the possibility of taking another First degree class at some point. I know many people who have taken more than one First degree class and found it enriching.

Your First degree class will give you everything you need to practice daily hands-on self-treatment ,and to share treatment informally with others for the rest of your life, and that’s all most people need. So don’t feel pressured in any way to take Second degree (distant treatment). But if you want to learn distant treatment, give yourself the benefit of practicing daily hands-on self-treatment for a minimum of 3-6 months before signing up for a Second degree class.

I am a member of The Reiki Alliance, a global organization of Reiki masters who are committed to continuing Hawayo Takata’s standards of slow, thorough training. If you are looking for a teacher, I suggest you start there, but I still encourage you to go through the list of considerations above.

Ultimately, it all comes down to the teacher, her ability to carry the lineage and share the initiations, and to create a healthy relationship with her students.

RELATED POST: Recipe for Reiki Credibility

What ingredients make a Reiki practitioner credible? How can you know if a practitioner is trustworthy and well trained?

Since there are no agreed-upon standards for Reiki education, Reiki certificates are essentially meaningless. A First degree (beginning level) student might have more training than someone who advertises herself as a Reiki master. This creates a credibility challenge both for people who are new to Reiki, and  for  practitioners who want to showcase their credibility.

How can this challenge be met? If you are new to Reiki, what should you look for? And what can Reiki practitioners communicate to help someone new feel safe enough to follow Dr. Oz’s suggestion to give Reiki a try?

Usually a combination of gut feeling and information tips the trust scale in a Reiki practitioner’s favor. Here are some questions that can help gauge a Reiki practitioner’s credibility quotient, followed by my thoughts on the responses to look for. Most of the questions are a matter of gathering information that needs to be evaluated as a whole; to me, only one is a dealbreaker:

• When were you trained to each level that you practice?
  It’s optimal for each level of Reiki training to be given separately, with adequate time to practice before going to the next level. You need only a First degree practitioner to give you hands-on treatment.
• How many hours long was your training at each level?
  Eight to 12 hours of a group class is adequate for First or again for Second degree. There is much controversy about Reiki master training. Traditionally, becoming a Reiki master was a serious commitment to teach that was offered to only a handful of senior students. This is rarely honored today. Most Reiki masters don’t even teach, so you really have to consider what being a Reiki master means to the individual, and what’s important to you.
• Was your training in-person with a Reiki master?
  Internet training does not replace the onsite presence of a qualified Reiki master and her availability to provide you continuing support.
• What clinical experience do you have? Have you offered Reiki treatment to people outside your family and friends (and pets, if applicable)?
  This question will help you get to know the practitioner better, and provides valuable information for you to factor into your choice. Remember that a practitioner need not be a professional to give you a treatment, but if someone is advertising himself as a professional and charging you, he should have the training and experience to back it up.
• What happens during your Reiki sessions?
  I’d take it as a bad sign if the practitioner gets all cosmic on you at this point. What you’re looking for here is a down-to-earth description of the experience, that you will lie fully clothed on a treatment table, that the practitioner will place hands lightly and non-invasively, how long the session will last, that you will be receiving a Reiki-only session (no crystals, no massage, etc., unless, of course, that is your choice).
• Where will the Reiki session take place?
  Expect a professional to have a private, dedicated treatment space.
• What is the fee and how/when is it paid?
  Fees for Reiki treatment vary enormously depending on location, the practitioner’s level of experience, and whether she is practices Reiki full time or has another source of income. Keep looking until you find a situation that is financially comfortable for you. Remember you can also forego treatment from someone else, and choose to learn to practice First degree self-treatment, a one-time investment that pays lifelong dividends.
• What is your unique perspective as a Reiki practitioner?
  This is where the practitioner has a chance to shine and show you how professional he is, or you may watch him dive off the deep end…
• Do you practice Reiki self-treatment every day?
  Here is the DEALBREAKER. Daily self-practice is the most important way that we develop our understanding of Reiki. Someone who recognizes Reiki as a healing practice (like meditation and yoga) and who actually practices daily self-treatment, will be able to support you with greater depth and confidence than someone who regards Reiki merely as a treatment for others, or for when she’s not feeling well. Why would you want to receive a treatment from a practitioner who doesn’t value Reiki enough to use it to protect and maintain her own health and well-being?

Keep in mind that you don’t need a professional to receive a Reiki treatment. You can receive a Reiki treatment from a friend who practices. But if you are paying someone who considers herself to be a Reiki professional, make sure she meets your professional standards.

And use your common sense. If you don’t like a practitioner, go on to the next.

Any other points you would add? Please post a comment below.

Would you like to participate in the Campaign for Credible Reiki? This is not about a particular style or lineage, but rather raising the credibility of the practice across the board.

How does Reiki work?

This question comes up often.

The answer is simple: We don’t know.

We don’t know.

Reiki energy, or healthy biofield flow?

I find the words “we don’t know” to be liberating. They free me from the common explanation: “the Reiki energy comes through and goes where it’s needed.” They enable me to explore and contemplate my practice.

The “Reiki energy” model is, to me, deeply unsatisfying. For one thing, it stretches credulity. And it doesn’t really match my experience.

Yes, when I practice Reiki self-treatment, I usually feel subtle movement, a sense of flow. I just don’t assume that flow to be “Reiki energy” coming through. I realize it’s my own biofield reorganizing itself the same way it does in response to other healing practices. (The biofield is what the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine calls the subtle vibrational body that purportedly surrounds and penetrates the physical body.)

I vividly remember my first Reiki treatment in 1986 (I took First degree training the following week). I had already experienced acupuncture and various hands-on healing. I had practiced yoga, pranayama, meditation, chanting, visualization—the list was long and varied. So I knew very well how balanced I felt when my biofield was flowing evenly. And I knew there were many ways to gently and effectively influence the human system toward a more balanced state.

Reiki, acupuncture and meditation

As a Reiki newbie, I was given the usual rap about “Reiki energy.” I knew something good was happening during my Reiki practice–the experience was palpable and familiar enough to be beyond doubting–but the explanation didn’t make sense to me. It raised more questions than it answered, and it didn’t seem necessary.

After all, when the acupuncturist needled me, he wasn’t putting energy into my system that went where it was needed. He was stimulating my system, helping it reorganize itself so it could function more efficiently.

And when I meditated, even when I felt an inner quickening and fullness, I never imagined an outside pump filling me full of whatever. I realized that meditation reconnected my awareness to a place which exists within all of us where we experience that all is well, and that through that connection, my system let go of the clutter that got in the way of my well-being.

Reiki healing and the ocean

Practicing Reiki didn’t feel like some outside “energy coming through me going where needed”–it was more like a trip to the ocean. When I sit by the ocean, I feel my system recalibrating itself. Simply being in the presence of the ocean deeply affects me, as if I were sitting in the direct presence of my inner wellness.

The ocean is a reminder of that inviolable inner state in which we feel the proximity of the ocean of consciousness. My entire being responds to being reminded that, on a profound level, all is well. I walk away from the ocean feeling relaxed and refreshed–a lot like the way I feel after my Reiki practice. When I practice Reiki, it’s as if I am sitting beside the ocean of consciousness.

Reconnecting with that inviolable core of wellness through my daily practice helps my system to stay well tuned, its self-regulating mechanisms whirring and functioning optimally.

At least until the next major onslaught knocks me flat, or a steady stream of smaller insults disrupts that naturally rhythmic state. Then I may opt for additional care from a trusted practitioner, usually Reiki treatment, acupuncture, or homeopathy. (Seems like a good place to share this: My esteemed acupuncture colleagues tell me the meaning of the Chinese character qi, commonly translated as “energy,” is actually closer to flow.)

Have you ever longed for a more plausible model of Reiki? This perspective may seem radical at first, but if you contemplate it, you may find this line of inquiry helps you conceptualize Reiki in way that is more empowering and satisfying, and that reflects your actual experience of Reiki practice. Please share your comments and let’s chew on this together.

This post has been translated into Spanish, Hacia un Modelo Más Creíble de Reiki.

This could be a very short post, because when it comes to the science of biofields, there isn’t any. That’s why the NIH uses the word “putative.”*

That’s not to say there isn’t a talented scientist or two engaged in cutting edge investigation of these mysterious realities. The scientific community has fringe elements like any other community. But fringe scientists doing frontier science don’t get a lot of respect until their data–and cause–are taken up by the mainstream.

Science is a group conversation, and in any group, what matters is what most people are saying. That’s called consensus, and that’s what carries weight. Consensus can be wrong, but it’s foolish to buck it, especially when trying to establish credibility.

Unless done skillfully, reaching for science to bolster your presentation of Reiki will likely backfire. Only people who don’t need “proof” will be impressed; scientists are skeptical by nature and training, and readily find the holes in an argument. So until such time as doctors are ordering kirilian photographs instead of CT scans and MRIs, don’t risk running your argument aground by confusing frontier science and conventional science.

If you want to lean on science, be humble. Deflect attention away from biofields, and focus instead on the research into how Reiki treatment can benefit people. Acknowledge first that this investigation is just beginning, then state that preliminary data suggest Reiki can help improve heart rate, blood pressure, and immunity, and reduce pain, anxiety, and depression. We do not yet have enough research evidence to say more than that, and if you try to, you run the risk of discrediting yourself, and Reiki.

If you are communicating with physicians or other health care professionals who want more information, you needn’t do the heavy lifting yourself; just hand them the top three articles in the medical papers section.

*NOTE:
The section of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that studies the safety and efficacy of complementary therapies such as Reiki is the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM).

Here is what NCCAM says about biofields in the section on energy medicine: “Biofield therapies are intended to affect energy fields that purportedly surround and penetrate the human body. The existence of such fields has not yet been scientifically proven.”

I was the principal reviewer for the Reiki Backgrounder posted on the NCCAM website. This document has no copyright and you are encouraged to use it freely.

Ask an artist What is art? and you’ll likely get either more than you bargained for in language you can barely recognize as your native tongue, or a cold, frustrated stare. To many artists, art is something they do, not something they talk about.

Reiki practitioners can relate. The question What is Reiki? floods them with such emotion and memories that they don’t know where to begin…or end, even though their friend’s eyes have long glazed over.

The question What is Reiki? is not going away, so let’s find a workable strategy to address it, one that is comfortable and serves the public, and our practice.

There is no shame in taking Mrs. Takata lead, saying, “I can’t tell you, but I can show you,” and sitting your friend down for a Reiki sample.

Or you could say, “I love my Reiki practice so much and experience so many benefits from it, that I don’t feel I do it justice when I talk about it,” and refer them to an accessible resource (may I suggest the UPI interview Reiki: A Healing Touch?).

Or you could imagine yourself as a parent whose child asks, “Where do babies come from?” Are you even tempted to tell your child everything you know about the subject? Of course not. Do you jump right in without thinking? No way.

You consider your child’s age, knowing a 3-year-old needs a different response than a 5-year-old. You might ask for clarification, saying, “What exactly are you asking, honey? What is it you want to know?” This could lead your child to clarify, “Jenny’s parents went to Chicago to pick up their new baby. Do all babies come from Chicago?”

Similarly, when a friend asks you what Reiki is, you could make it a conversation, and avoid a monologue, by asking, “There are so many ways to address that question. Tell me, what’s your particular interest?” Your friend may then say she has surgery coming up and is wondering whether Reiki treatment could help her heal faster (yes, it can!).

Faced with the question What is Reiki?, I encourage my beginning students to take the pressure off themselves and defer to a resource. My advanced students don’t get off so easily. Especially those who want to become professionals. I coach them to write a basic response that they memorize as a starting point, and customize to fit the occasion.

Here’s my basic response when I’m asked What is Reiki?: Reiki is a spiritual healing practice that promotes overall balance. If I think the person might not have considered the distinction between spiritual and religious, and I don’t have time to address that, I skip “spiritual.” When speaking to someone I know to be a meditator, “promotes overall balance” might morph into “encourages balance in body, mind, and spirit.”

And that’s as far as I go, unless the person asks for more.

That’s how I respond when asked, What is Reiki? What about you?

Do you approach Reiki as a technique to perfect or a practice to explore?

Maybe you’re wondering, What’s the difference?

If you approach your Reiki self-treatment as a technique, then you likely have some concern–anxiety even–about doing it correctly, or well, or even–perfectly.

Then on any day that your Reiki self-treatment doesn’t meet your expectations, you struggle with that internal yardstick of praise&blame, looking so hard for evidence that you’re doing it right and so sure that you’re doing it wrong–that you miss the big picture: the all important fact that you’re doing it, you are giving yourself a treatment.

This approach leads many students to stop self-treatment, because in their minds, they can’t do it “good enough” to make it worth doing.

If, however, you approach Reiki self-treatment as a practice, then the goal is simply to do it. On days when your experience doesn’t match your expectations (these days happen), instead of assuming some variation of failure, you recognize your expectations as just that–expectations–and direct your awareness to exploring your current experience, or to simply being with it.

In Reikiville, instead of practice makes perfect, practice makes present.

Welcome to Reikiville.

Any of this sound familiar? If so, please tell us how you’re discovering your present, or ask a question in the comment box below.

Related Reading:
How to Practice Reiki Self-Treatment