Declaring Your Reiki Self Practice

Reiki Self HealingAt the beginning of 2014, I launched the I-Practice-Self-Reiki-Every-Day badge to support and inspire Reiki practitioners in daily self care, the foundation of traditional Reiki practice.

I also wanted to increase public awareness of Reiki practice, and particularly to highlight self practice, hoping to expand public perception beyond Reiki as an intervention, like massage, that one receives from someone else, to the empowerment of self care.

We now have 30 translations of the badge, and will happily add yours, too, if you email me the translation.

The badge is free for anyone to use on their website, Facebook page, email signature — anywhere you want to declare your daily Reiki self practice.

Reiki oops

I thought I had found a value our diverse Reiki community could unite around, and that collectively we might offer some good news and encouragement to a world so steeped in bad news.

And for the most part, the badge was received in the spirit in which it had been offered, with enthusiasm, openness, and love of Reiki practice.

But there was also criticism, coming most often from Reiki masters I know to be dedicated, longstanding practitioners who deeply share the value of daily self practice. Although I am no stranger to criticism, and happily accept it as the price of stimulating deeper thought, the criticism of the badge came as a surprise.

Some of my colleagues experienced the badge as pressure. Some said it was commercial (I am not selling anything attached to it). Others said I was making a competition of Reiki practice. Some accused me of causing a division in the community between those who practice daily self Reiki and those who don’t. And some said their daily self Reiki practice was nobody else’s business.

Mindful, anyone?

I'm mindfulThis morning I came across the mindful equivalent of the self practice badge.

“Are you mindful?” the headline reads, “Tell the world.”

Of course I love the mindful badge. I wonder if it has ignited similar controversy, and if so, if the antagonists are mindful of their motivations.

Declaring your mindful intentions

Imagine the impact — in our own lives and in the world we live in — of being mindful and practicing daily self Reiki.

And letting the world know.

What positive commitment are you willing to declare publicly? Please post as a comment below, or click here if you are reading in your inbox.

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10 thoughts on “Declaring Your Reiki Self Practice”

  1. Tess Secor-Cantrell

    I just want to say that I reposted the self Reiki badge for several reasons. None of which were selfish reasons. I simply want my friends and family to know who I am, what I stand for and what I am about. I want them to know my philosophy, feel loved by me and to give joy and hope in a time of so much war and sorrow. Reiki has blessed my life in countless ways and blessed many who have received Reiki treatments. I am shocked at some of the comments that are negative about posting that badge. I do not wish to judge anyone and I do not care what they think about “why” I posted it. Thank you for listening and be blessed.

  2. Thanks for the encouragement to practice daily, I found the badge to be an inspiration, as some days I don’t make the effort to find the time.

    1. Good to know the badge is a support to you, Joey.

      It’s easier to maintain a daily practice if we find a time in our daily schedule that it fits, and make that our practice time. For me, it’s the morning. I start my practice before I even open my eyes. If practice is part of your daily schedule, it will become as automatic as brushing your teeth.

  3. Thank You Pamela!

    I am all-grateful for what you offer to Reiki practitioners with your message on self-Reiki! This particular message is certainly needed. I just had a conversation with a young man the other day who has his second degree and when asked if he practices self-Reiki he said “not really”! His answer amazes me! I encouraged him to practice Reiki self-care. He said it made sense!

    The button is a wonderful creation! I’d like one in every available form.

    I deeply appreciate the work that you are doing Pamela! You are truly on a Reiki-inspired mission! Personally I think your “mission” deserves all the very best respect and love that the whole Reiki community is capable of expressing. I appreciate your perspective on the larger context and agree that there are more than enough individuals who are candidates for being introduced to Reiki and that this field is wide open when it comes to generating business. IMO, the “reactions” are symptomatic of a fear-based belief and they all need to be acknowledged as such.

    My culinary dream is to have a community-supported kitchen where all the co-workers at least have their first degree Reiki. Naturally we would Reiki all the food! How nourishing that would be in so many ways!

    Bright Blessings, all along your way!

    1. Thank you for your kind words, and to your vision of a community-supported kitchen, I say (loudly), “Yes, chef!”

  4. Xander makes a good point about links. For myself, I found the badge a good reminder and encouragement and yes, challenge. Most everything worth doing, that makes the world a better place requires some effort; even Reiki practice requires showing up and “doing it”. If someone feels pressure his/her feelings are his/her own. Often our feelings are more reactionary than responsive. Either way, they are great teachers about our own internal life.

    1. Julie, great insight that feelings are often reactionary rather than responsive. And of course the hard part is to remember that in the midst of the feelings 🙂

  5. Living mindfully & daily self-practice will gradually change a person for the better. These changes are noticed by others & this probably sends a stronger message than words. However, if someone is asking questions about what you are doing that is causing you to change, they deserve an answer. I wouldn’t go around preaching to people, but I would be honest about what I do & the benefits it brings into my life. I find most people want to be calm & happy. If there are tools that enable them to find peace & contentment, why not share them? But it must be done with gentleness & respect for where people are at. Wearing a badge seems harmless to me. It makes a statement & nothing more. It can act as a catalyst for people to ask questions about Reiki, or not. Personally, I think the badge is a great idea.

  6. Xander Ramos-Ramirez

    I practice daily self-reiki, and I’m mindful. Perhaps the criticism comes because you encourage practitioners to proudly display this badge on their websites without disclosing before hand that the html code links people back to your own business website. I enjoy your badge on my site, and I’ve encourages my Reiki friends to do the same, many of whom expressed irritation with me that I suggest they post a badge on their business website that links customers back to your own business website, offering many of the same services. Would Dominoes Pizza advertise for PizzaHut, after all? You are, in fact, selling services on your site – many of the same services advertised by the people whom you encourage to post this hidden link on their own sites. Being honest about that would indeed ruffle feathers, but at least people would know what they are agreeing to before hand.

    1. Xander, thank you so much for posting the badge, for encouraging others to do so, and for your frank comment. I really appreciate it when people are up front with their concerns, and express them in a respectful way.

      The code includes a link to the page on my website where the badge is housed with all the translations. The text on that page speaks to the benefit of daily self treatment. I deliberately kept the page simple, devoid of other text links, focused on the badge and the daily self Reiki initiative, which has to be housed somewhere in order to be readily accessible to anyone who wants it.

      I would think that anyone technically sophisticated enough to use html would understand that, but even if not, that there is a link is apparent once the badge is posted because the cursor goes live when on it. There was no attempt at subterfuge.

      People who prefer not to link to that information page can grab the visual with a screen capture, or email me for a jpg or png file, as many who wanted the badge but don’t work in html have done. Please let me know if you would like me to send you such files, and in which languages.

      I consider other Reiki masters as my colleagues, not my competitors. My interest is to serve the practice, the greater Reiki community and the public, to help individuals find a reputable Reiki connection that is a good match for them. Every day I refer someone to another practitioner or Reiki master, or point them to resources on my blog to help them find someone local.

      I don’t understand your Pizza Hut/Dominoes Pizza analogy. I disagree that I am selling “many of the same services advertised” by others. The services I offer are unique to my perspective and understanding. Many masters around the world use my book in their teaching and/or attend my webinars or classes for professional development. The content of the Reiki continuing education classes I offer are from my nearly three decades of experience with Reiki practice, to share what I’ve learned and support my colleagues’ growth. Where is the competition?

      You might argue that other Reiki masters teach First degree classes, and of course that is true, but so is the reality that we all teach from our own understanding and draw our own students. I teach First degree mainly in New York City, where more than eight million people reside, plus people in the commutable environs, more than enough potential students and clients to keep us all busy. When I occasionally teach First degree Reiki elsewhere, it is because I have been asked to do so by a friend or student. When I travel, I offer events to support Reiki professionals in the area and strengthen the local Reiki community.

      Please let me know if you have any other concerns. Transparency is important to me, and if I’ve missed something, I appreciate you bringing it to my attention.

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