Reiki Lineage Comes Alive

Reiki Lineage Gathering
by Ellen Sosinski

I have been a Reiki Master teacher since 2007. In the closing circle of every class, I express gratitude to our lineage of masters.

I am blessed to know three of the four living masters in my lineage. It has long been a dream of mine to introduce my students to masters in their lineage. In September, I was able to do just that.

I invited my Reiki master, Eleanor Fleming, and her Reiki master, Gwen Mitchell, to offer a workshop at my home. We started with a Reiki exchange in the afternoon, followed by a potluck meal and time for Eleanor and Gwen to share their experiences and answer questions.

I was personally delighted and honored by the presence of my lineage, but wondered if it were as valuable for my students. I was touched to receive these comments from four students.

Astrid Richardson:  Meeting masters in our lineage has awakened something in me. I don’t know if it’s akin to the sense of responsibility or accountability that one feels after meeting an elder of the family, but I have been a different person since the talk.

I have so much respect for these women and their accomplishments and I feel like I have to show respect for all of the masters (and myself) by making Reiki practice a priority.

As a result, I’m practicing Reiki daily and I’m remembering how great it feels to practice consistently. I have a yearning to practice, even just for a little while, everyday. I realize that I have to treat myself first, if I want to help others.

Before the talk, I hadn’t really thought about where I was going with Reiki practice or where I thought it would take me. Now I see a world of possibilities and I see that my daily Reiki practice will help me realize my full potential.

Sandra D’Zmura:  Thank you for hosting the workshop to introduce us to our lineage. It was a very powerful meeting for me. I feel we are part of a family, part of a team. Just listening to Gwen and Eleanor and their conviction and experiences solidified my confidence in my Reiki practice.

Rosemarie Marr:  You noted what a joy it was for you to introduce so many of us to Gwen and Eleanor. That was a mutually felt joy and, honestly, one I never expected to be so moving or profound. The event spiritually fed our souls, and strengthened our Reiki connection and the commitment of honor with which we hold it!

Stephanie Smith:  Reiki practice has always been a precious gift for me. Like any good gift, you want to know where it came from and how you fit in with it. That is what my lineage has become for me.

Ever since my First degree Reiki class, I’ve listened to my master express gratitude to our lineage and speak each of their names. It has been a source of pride for me that my lineage has so few steps back to Usui.

Over the years, I have relished stories about Usui, Hayashi, and Takata. Through these stories I began to build a connection to what Reiki practice has become for me, but it felt incomplete. As wonderful as the stories are, it’s hard to get a real sense of a person through a story alone. That is why these last two months have been so momentous for my practice and me.

I met Phyllis Furumoto at the Northwest Reiki Gathering in August. I went because you have attended for many years and always speak highly of the experience. Now I understand why.

In such a natural and supportive environment, I enjoyed dinner with Phyllis and experienced my story intertwining with hers in those moments.

And the very next month, you brought two masters of our lineage to our Reiki community in Maryland.

That was a magical evening for me! No longer were Gwen Mitchell and Eleanor Fleming just names on a page listing my lineage. They were here in front of me, sharing such wonderful stories from their Reiki experiences.

Many of their stories reminded me so much of my own experiences that they could have been my own story. Perhaps they were my story and that’s why this is my lineage – the place where I belong and have connections far beyond what I had previously thought was possible. My lineage is now a living and breathing entity, and my practice is enriched by knowing those who have come before me.

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