Just back from London, bleary-eyed and jet-lagged but still functioning thanks to my Reiki practice, I noticed two surprises on this week’s calendar. Today is the 10th anniversary of my very first blogpost, and tomorrow marks the 12th year of our monthly public Reiki clinic at the JCC in Manhattan. Reiki WOW!
Those milestones reminded me of a quote, often erroneously attributed to Bill Gates:
People overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.
Getting started
Ten, twelve years ago, I wasn’t thinking ahead. I was thinking of Reiki and spirituality. I was starting something, making something happen. A friend and Reiki student at the JCC suggested organizing the clinic and I said, “YES!”
Two years later, blogging seemed the next step in my continuing efforts to inject a more credible, thoughtful Reiki presentation into the public conversation to help people make the connection between Reiki and spirituality.
From the success of my book REIKI, A Comprehensive Guide, and my experience bringing Reiki and spirituality into conventional medicine, I knew many people interested in Reiki practice couldn’t get past the language that is generally used, or the New Age beliefs commonly wrapped around the practice.
Spirituality, not dogma
As Peter Ustinov said,
Beliefs are what divide people; doubt unites them.
Too often Reiki practitioners don’t separate Reiki practice from their own personal beliefs. They inadvertently create a barrier for people who are interested in Reiki practice but prefer to think for themselves.
Seriously, do you know anyone who likes beliefs shoved down their throats with the zeal of a Reiki evangelist? Of course not. Yet, we’ve all done that. We get all Reiki excited and you know what happens next. It’s not pretty.
There are more effective, inviting ways to communicate Reiki to the mainstream.
A trove of free Reiki tips
Do you need help with your Reiki communication? ReikiCentral blog to the rescue! I published weekly for 5.5 years, and have continued writing since then, but not weekly. That plus a busy teaching and event schedule adds up to a lot of Reiki communication, and I’m happy to share what I’ve learned.
The Communicating Reiki category has more than 100 articles to help you communicate Reiki and spirituality more credibly, in a way that is true to your understanding and your particular practice. That’s important for both home practitioners and professionals.
The response to your Reiki talk affects how you feel about yourself and your practice. Don’t you want to talk about something so important to you as your Reiki practice without stimulating much rolling-of-eyes?
I created the Clinical Practice category to support Reiki professionals in being more, well, professional in their interaction with clients and with other professionals. The Reiki community is very diverse and we embarrass ourselves and demean our practice when Reiki diversity becomes Reiki adversity.
The Reiki Stories category is a special treasure, a showcase where people express how Reiki practice supported them through tough times. Aren’t tough times often what brings people to a spiritual practice?
We need a body of credibly written articles for people to find when they google Reiki and cancer or Reiki and autism, or Reiki and dental work. Do you have a Reiki story to tell? I’m happy to help you, if you’ll take some editing without offense. You are the expert of your story, but I might know a little more about how to write it so people will keep reading.
Tell Me a (Reiki Healing) Story lays out how powerful a simple story can be. If you’re willing to put in the time to share your story credibly, email me a first draft and let’s get started. Think small so you can reach people where they are. How has your Reiki practice supported you in every day life, or as you faced a challenge? How has your Reiki practice helped you feel better about yourself and your life or your job?
Reiki is a spiritual practice
We live in spiritually bereft times. People are desperate for spiritual support. Reiki is a spiritual practice that can connect them to their spiritual core. Why skirt Reiki and spirituality when you could instead help people understand what’s missing?
Although people are hungr
y for spiritual support, they’re often not spiritually sophisticated enough to realize it. Rather than shy away from spirituality, Reiki practitioners can step up and help people recognize what they’re looking for. Remember what Steve Jobs said:
It’s not the customer’s job to know what he wants.
The clearer you are about spirituality, the more easily you can help others understand what it means that Reiki is a spiritual practice. For example, people often confuse religion and spirituality because they haven’t really thought about it. Religion involves dogma. In order to belong to a religion, you have to believe the dogma attached to that religion.
Spirituality, however, is belief neutral. You don’t have to believe anything to practice Reiki and experience benefits, both immediately–feeling better, functioning better–and long term.
Reiki and spirituality, not metaphysics
Reiki practitioners often confuse metaphysics and spirituality. Simply stated, metaphysics is conceptual; spirituality is a felt experience. Reiki practice gently shifts your state. You feel better. That’s a sign of spiritual healing. You might impose your metaphysical beliefs on why that shift happened, but that’s not necessary.
People don’t have to share your metaphysical perspective to benefit from Reiki practice. Their bodies will respond regardless their beliefs. That is, if you don’t scare them off by pasting your personal beliefs on this neutral spiritual practice..
How Reiki Helps lays out the physiologic response to Reiki practice. You’re welcome to print and use the article to support your Reiki outreach.
Credibility or spirituality?
Fortunately, you don’t have to choose between them. Credibility and spirituality are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the more years of consistent daily spiritual practice you log-in, the more your credibility shines through.
Daily self practice is humbling and healing. It’s where we make friends with ourselves and our lives, and thus with others. You become more confident as you bring your hands to your body every day at your appointed practice time, day after day, no matter whether you feel like practicing or not, just because you said yes to your responsibility to take care of yourself, just because you decided to start something.
That’s how I started, back in 1986. The I Practice Daily Self Reiki Every Day badge is available in 32 languages for you to display as you like that communicates your Reiki values to the world.
Why don’t you start something today? Who knows how much good you will have created in 10 years.
Our diverse Reiki lovers community
There are many ways you can be part of our growing, diverse community of Reiki lovers. It doesn’t cost a cent.
If you’re anything like the Reiki practitioners I’ve met around the world, you want to help and you love to share. If my work has helped you, please share it in any and every way that feels comfortable to you. Here’s where you’ll find us on Facebook:
And @pamelamoves on Instagram.
Sign up for my email list, and know I’ll never share your information. That’s just between us.
2 Congratulations 🙂 “Beliefs are what divide people; doubt unites them.” Would that include any kind of Belief?
Why wouldn’t that include any belief, Josephine?
When we speak of belief, we divide the room into people who share our belief and those who don’t.
While there might be times when we want to do that, it’s wise to consider whether it serves us, the public, or Reiki practice, to speak about the practice from personal belief, especially when the beliefs are not identified as such and are presented as fact.
Congratulations on 10 years of blogging, that is an achievement and dedication in itself! It is quite difficult to communicate Reiki to the mainstream without stepping into ‘preaching’ territory. I think it’s because we have experienced the amazing benefits first hand and want to encourage others to take their first steps on the journey of self discovery. Looking forward to your next post 🙂
I completely agree, Saffron, it can be quite difficult to temper our enthusiasm and our desire to help when we speak about Reiki practice.
It helps to remember that things worth doing are often difficult. If we truly want to communicate rather than simply express our point of view, we find the discipline to say what the person needs to know rather than what we have an emotional need to share.
And of course the balancing effects of Reiki practice help us heal our emotional need for recognition and speak from our equanimity so we can show people the difference Reiki practice makes instead of just telling them.
“Do as I say, not as I do” just doesn’t work, does it? We’re much more impressed when someone embodies the wisdom instead of preaching.
Thak you for counting me in
You are very welcome, Juan. We are an inclusive community.