To this envious outsider’s eye, the United Kingdom has long enjoyed a rather enlightened perspective on what is now called integrative health care. Homeopaths were trained and then practiced side-by-side with conventional physicians, and traditional herbalism was valued.

Recently, however, something sinister is afoot. A crackdown on homeopathy has closed all but one homeopathic hospital. And more trouble is brewing for practitioners of other complementary healing approaches, including Reiki.

Recently, Reiki master Maggie Bevington of Newcastle approached me for help defending her UK-based Reiki website against complaints made to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Maggie was eager to address the complaints in a timely fashion in order to avoid a formal investigation.

Maggie believes the complaints originated with the Nightingale Collaboration, which she characterizes as “one amongst an increasing number of sceptic groups and individuals who purport to protect the public from ‘charlatans and quacks’ such as ourselves, who they believe make unsubstantiated and misleading claims about healing abilities of Reiki.”

The ASA required Maggie to remove from her website all claims that Reiki treats any condition or affects the physical body, as well as all references to healing, treatment, and benefits. Specifically, she was instructed to strike the following passage from her website:

“Reiki is believed to have many beneficial effects by:
Treating the symptoms and causes of illness
Strengthening the immune system
Clearing toxins
Relieving pain
Restoring balance e.g. hormones
Inducing a sense of relaxation and calmness
Reducing stress
Promoting creativity and intuition.”

Since Maggie has satisfactorily resolved the challenge to her website, I invited her to share her thoughts about how best to respond to such adversity. Although she is speaking particularly about complaints to the ASA, her perspective is useful to when addressing a wide range of complaints. Here’s what Maggie suggests:

“I recommend anyone who receives a complaint to not take it personally, and to view it as a challenge rather than as an attack. Some therapists in the UK are feeling anxious and even talking of closing down websites or packing in being a therapist altogether, but I believe that we need to develop resilience to such challenges and keep our intention high.

“This is an opportunity to be clear about our own information and intention, and to demonstrate a professional and reasoned attitude to both complainants and the ASA. I have endeavoured to make a positive connection with the lady from the ASA by friendly but professional communications, with occasional humour to lighten things. I have ensured that I haven’t reacted back with criticisms or insults – which would have been very easy to get ‘stuck’ in - which I certainly indulged in at first. I expressed my concern about skeptic groups in effect dictating the work of the ASA because of personal beliefs rather than in the best interest of the general public.

“I made several amendments on each response, to both demonstrate a willingness to comply with CAP law but also to retain the right to provide useful information about Reiki to current and prospective clients.

“It is possible to play the game and remove taboo words, not list conditions, and be more creative with language. Although it is a breach of CAP law to refer to or imply that Reiki has any direct effect on the physical body, we can refer to the use of Reiki treatment for emotional and spiritual healing! They have obviously never heard of the science of psychoneuroimmunology.

“The ASA have stated that they are willing to discuss our concerns so I therefore urge any research fellows and professional bodies out there in our Reiki community gather together good quality research on Reiki to submit for evaluation.”

I commend Maggie for her professionalism in addressing this situation and encourage all practitioners to become involved in the Campaign for Credible Reiki. The pressure is growing for Reiki practitioners to develop skillful ways of communicating our practice.

We can help shape future conversations about complementary healing practices if we see the writing on the wall and take action to upgrade our communication skills now. There may still be times when we need to conform to outside regulations, but if we contemplate and choose our words carefully, we can each find a way to communicate that is true to our own experience.

Has anyone else faced a similar challenge? If so, please scroll down to the comment section and tell us who presented the challenge, how you responded, and what the outcome has been.

The Medical Reiki seminar (London September 10/11 and New York City October 15/16) and the Introduction to Medical Reiki webinar recording teach you how to communicate Reiki in clear, neutral language, without making claims. This is useful to any Reiki practitioner, and especially valuable to Reiki professionals, whether or not you aim for health care collaboration.

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.

Thanks for the offer, but I’m not asking for distant treatment.

Nor am I hiring Reiki practitioners.

But this is a call to serve. To serve Reiki, and to serve yourself. The two go hand-in-hand (pun totally intended).

Reiki needs help putting on a new public face, a face that invites everyone–not just the New Age community–to follow Dr. Oz’s advice and try Reiki (The Dr. Oz Show, January 6, 2010).

The unveiling of Reiki’s new public face might happen at any time–during lunch with a colleague, while skyping with a friend on another continent, or as you respond to an online article or blog.

Of these opportunities, the online one is trickiest. When we are interacting directly with people, we have so many cues as to their level of interest, and how they’re receiving what we’re offering.

Online, we have none of that, plus people can stare wide-eyed and scrutinize our every word, imagining implications we never intended. The mere thought of communicating online can be enough to make you hit Delete!

And who cares what you have to say, anyway?

You may be surprised. I certainly do. So do the people who could have learned about Reiki from someone who would have made sense to them (you), instead of what they would have to wade through if they googled Reiki.

That’s what people do now when they want to know about something. They google. Have you tried it lately?

I just googled Reiki and 8,470,000 sites showed up. I won’t get to all of them before you read this, but while I was waiting for my book REIKI: A Comprehensive Guide to be published in 2006, I looked at a thousand sites, just to see what was out there. It wasn’t encouraging.

Maybe you’re not ready to make your own website. Maybe you’re just thinking of scheduling a Reiki treatment with a professional, or a friend. If something you read makes you uncomfortable, realize that statement is more about the practitioner than it is about Reiki. There is nothing bizarre or unsafe about Reiki treatment, but each practitioner weaves the story according to her own understanding and perspective (including this one).

If you see something about Reiki that puts you off, please take a minute to read this UPI interview about Reiki practice, or this one about Reiki classes before deciding Reiki’s not for you.

Your Reiki Website

If you are a Reiki professional, or a student moving in that direction, I’d like to help you organize a website that showcases a credible face for Reiki.

Your Reiki Website webinar is available to you online as soon as you register. You can view it as often as you want, whenever you want, at any pace you want, and come back to review specific sections. Why not register now?

“The Reiki room was pure magic….as usual.

“I know you know this, but I just have to remind you that every year, the Reiki practitioners touch so many lives.

“I asked both groups (120 women) how many had never had Reiki and the majority of hands went up. You are truly doing a HUGE service to these women by introducing them to this amazing healing. I can’t believe that even after all this time and exposure, Reiki is still relatively unknown to these women challenged by cancer.”

These quotes are from the organizer of the annual JCC Spa Day for Women with Breast and Ovarian Cancer in New York City. This is an upliftingly ambitious event that offers 120 women a half-day of pampering; a delicious, healthful meal; a vision of wellness; and the experience that their quality of life matters.

2010 was our fifth year offering Reiki as one of the six wellness treats given to the Spa Day guests. Every year, the day flows even more smoothly. Every year, the experience is more profound. And every year, the women give their Reiki experience rave reviews.

Public Reiki events create community and build public awareness of Reiki, especially if they are well organized. Here are three tips from my 20+ years organizing events:

• Schedule far enough in advance to allow time for outreach and promotion so the community knows about the event
• Plan how you will support both the public and the Reiki practitioners during the event
• Follow-up with the organization that hosts the event, the practitioners, and the public.

If you have given public Reiki events, please leave a comment and tell us about it.

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 webinar offers detailed coaching that takes you thoughtfully through the process, from choosing and contacting your host partners to follow-up.

May Day marks the first year of Reiki Central, and what a ride it’s been!

My not-in-the-least-bit secret goal is to stir things up, to get Reiki practitioners thinking about what we do, looking more deeply into what we’re taking for granted, and considering how we can communicate our practice more effectively, so that Reiki practice is seen as a viable option in health care and by the mainstream public, and the response has been nothing short of thrilling. Toward a More Plausible Model of Reiki has over 100 comments and they’re still coming in. What Is Reiki? What to Do? and Recipe for Reiki Credibility are still getting tweets.

I hope you will continue to make Reiki Central a community resource where thoughtful Reiki practitioners can respectfully discuss the hard questions, and pool our diverse perspectives, experience, and wisdom to move the field–each of us–forward.

Could I trouble you take a minute to do something for me? I want to know how better to serve you, and only you can tell me. Please click here to post a comment letting me know what topics or specific questions you would like to see addressed on Reiki Central in the coming year.

And please celebrate this milestone with me. This Saturday, May 1, at noon Eastern time, we’ll meet on your computer screen for a free question and discussion webinar. If you mention in your comment that you’re available, we’ll send you the connection details.

To our health and our great well-being, with many, many thanks to all!

SPECIAL BIRTHDAY GIFT TO ALL: Click here to access the webinar recording, and come back to comment below.

“I want Reiki to be as common as aspirin.”–Hawayo Takata

Reiki-as-common-as-aspirin means Reiki available mainstream, maybe not at your local pharmacy, but available where the mainstream public hangs out.

You could help make that desire a reality. Are you with me?

Then it’s time to get vocal, time to speak up on social media. Do you hang out on Facebook, connect on LinkedIn, tweet, or read other blogs? And not just Reiki blogs, but health and wellness blogs, lifestyle blogs, hobby blogs, what-do-I-do-when-I-hammer-the-wrong-nail blogs–all kinds of blogs.

Why not weave Reiki into the conversation?

Look for opportunities to mention how Reiki helps you, your family, your clients, your pets. Have you lost weight since practicing Reiki? Stopped smoking? Improved your game? Maybe you’re less anxious, or sleeping better. You could mention that you practice in bed, as you’re falling asleep. Just the fact that a regular person like you is talking about Reiki gives it a mainstream persona.

And when you talk about Reiki, stay with your usual mainstream language. Talk about balance and relaxation, what you get from Reiki rather than what Reiki is. It’s challenging to speak about what Reiki is without making it look like a club Joe Q. Public wouldn’t want to be a member of.

If you want Reiki mainstream-available, credible is critical. Most people don’t believe in magic, or they’re at least convinced it won’t happen in their lives. Most people are not even secretly woowoo. But if you give them rational information about something they want–wellness and happiness–they’re all ears and eyes.

Let’s start a grassroots thoughtful Reiki movement. Start watching for chances to showcase a mainstream, credible approach to Reiki on social media, and share this post with some Reiki buddies so they join in too. If each Reiki practitioner reading this post participates, the public will get the message that normal people use Reiki, and they’ll see plenty of credible Reiki opportunities to join in.

Communicating Reiki practice clearly, simply, and effectively with doctors and health care administrators helps bring Reiki to the mainstream public. There are many ways I can help you refine your communication skills, through blog articles, the Communicating Reiki and Introduction to Medical Reiki recorded webinars, and the in-person Medical Reiki weekend seminar in Barbados and 4-day intensives in New York City and Atlanta. Click here for more information.

Balanced journalism covering Reiki is hard to come by. There are many reasons for this, including the lack of cultural understanding of healing practices in the US, the scarcity of credible information on Reiki, and a journalist’s duty to be skeptical.

This week, the Syracuse Post-Standard published a piece we can work with. Let me be clear: I don’t agree with everything in this article.

It’s still a good article, and I encourage the Reiki community to rally behind it. Please click here, read the article carefully, and post an intelligent comment (you’ll know why I specify intelligent when you see some of what’s been posted). When media about Reiki draws an unusual number of hits and thoughtful dialogue, it signals the media that the public is interested in Reiki, and that encourages more coverage.

What do I like about this article?

I like that in the photo, the Reiki practitioners are actually touching the patient.

I like that the human story is told, both by the patients and by some hospital personnel.

I like that opposition to Reiki was reported without going tabloid, and I commend both the writer and the paper for this (journalists are sometimes pressured by their editors to rev up the masses with a sensationalist slant).

And I like that the journalist spelled complementary correctly, even though this Reiki program is actually complimentary, given by unpaid Reiki professionals (more about that soon). For now, let us seize the moment, and vote with our clicks.

Sister Madeline Gianforte is a Reiki master in Milwaukee, and a Roman Catholic nun with the Sisters of Saint Agnes. Kim Lawton, a correspondent for the PBS show “Religion and Ethics,” interviewed Gianforte and another Reiki master who was trained by Catholic nuns. Lawton also interviewed Rev. Tom Weinandy of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, which advised in the spring of 2009 that Reiki practice is not appropriate to Catholics.

As Reiki becomes more visible to the public, Reiki practitioners and students will come across not only more people who are interested in Reiki, but also, those who dismiss or oppose it. It is critical that a mature Reiki practitioner understand the arguments that are made against Reiki and be able to address them reasonably.

A thoughtful discussion of the issues raised would benefit the Reiki community, and I hope you will share your perspective after watching the video. What are the points that you found particularly useful? Do you have a well reasoned rebuttal to any of the points made? Are there other questions or points that you would have liked to see raised?

Let’s use this as an opportunity to practice communicating about a controversial issue without being inflammatory or disrespectful of other perspectives. In this way, we honor Reiki founder Mikao Usui’s advice, Today only, do not anger. Only comments that honor this request will be posted.

Related posts: Bishops’ Syndrome, Reiki & the Bishops in the Boston Globe, Want Reiki, Have Nun?

“I just feel more relaxed.”

How often do we hear that from people after a Reiki sample?

Just relaxed.

No big deal.

Wait a minute!

Just relaxed is a very big deal.

Just relaxed is a biochemical event, the beginning of healing.

And just relaxed is what you’re not getting enough of.

So get your Reiki hands on yourself (if you’re a practitioner), connect with a Reiki buddy, or make an appointment with a Reiki pro.

And just relax.

Give Reiki a try. Doctor’s orders.

Dr. Oz, that is.

Related Reading: Sleep Much?

Dr. Oz’s recent endorsement of Reiki on his popular tv show kindled interest among an entirely new segment of the population. Now what?

Think of the people in your (extended) family who are most different from you (and put aside how many times you tried to talk to them about Reiki in the past). Thanks to Dr. Oz, Cousin Vinny is now encouraged that maybe this Reiki thing will relieve the pain in his arthritic joints. Aunt Sally is hoping Reiki treatment will help her sleep after years of insomnia.

They turn to the internet to learn more. Do they see much that speaks to them?

Probably not.

But they trust Dr. Oz, so they soldier on. Now they are standing in front of the community bulletin board at the local health food store, a store they may be visiting for the very first time, looking for a Reiki practitioner, and they see a number of listings. They wonder how to know who is credible. Common sense helps, but still, they’re losing confidence and wishing they had more to go on…

The public expects health-care professionals to have meaningful credentials, but Reiki practice is not regulated in that way. There are no agreed upon standards for Reiki training or treatment. Some people become “instant powerful Reiki masters;” others take longer training, but start charging for their services without having any supervision or professional training. How can people new to Reiki know who is credible?

And without meaningful credentialing in the field, how can serious Reiki professionals distinguish themselves in their communities?

Here’s the current situation. We have three groups in need of help:

1. The public needs help finding credible Reiki professionals.
2. Credible professionals need help connecting with clients.
3. Reiki practitioners need help developing themselves as credible professionals.

I made a short video that can help all three groups. Click here to view it on my Reiki video page.

If you agree with the criteria I mention, please share the link. If you find the video helpful, you are welcome to add the video to your site.

If  you have something to add, or you don’t agree with what I’ve said, please post a thoughtful comment so we can discuss it here. Let’s pool our collective wisdom and experience to meet the credibility challenge. We need to raise the credibility of our practice if Reiki is to become available in the mainstream.

Let’s address this challenge as a community. If we do this in a respectful, inclusive way, we can inspire Reiki practitioners of all perspectives and practice styles to raise the credibility of Reiki practice before the public. We want to maintain Reiki diversity so that individuals can make connections that are meaningful for them, and we need to maintain high professional standards if we are to earn the public’s trust and respect.

Related reading:
Mainstreaming Reiki

INTRODUCTION to MEDICAL REIKI WEBINAR
Have you been waiting for online training to help you bring Reiki into hospitals and other health care settings? Wait no more. The Introduction to Medical Reiki Webinar will give you skills and strategies to get you started in health care. Let’s get Reiki where it is needed, and raise the professionalism of our practice. Click here to learn more.