Ten Years in the Making . . .

 

Photo Credit: Koi-skidone.com

When I was first introduced to Reiki I noticed some practitioners also did massage therapy, cranial sacral, yoga, etc., or had psychic abilities that left me in awe. Having worked in the corporate and non-profit world all my life, I knew I had a lot of catching up to do if I was going to compete and run a successful alternative healing business.

My journey began right away at my Level I training, where I learned that through the continued practice of Reiki I would discover Reiki’s true power. Instinctively I knew there was sacredness about what I was doing. I was touching people at such a depth that I could sense their vulnerability, and in the state of oneness that occurs when you are of pure service, I began to sense my own. I was taking the journey with them. Not in a co-dependent way, but as a supportive partner. They put their trust in me and I in turn, felt the responsibility to continue my own healing. I accomplished this by doing Reiki on myself everyday, and by recognizing the types of clients I was attracting. Often these clients would have similar issues or life stories as mine. After the treatment session, the client long gone, I would examine the part of me that was touched by the session and be open to the personal healing process that was about to occur just by recognition and willingness to change. Reiki was no longer just a technique; it was becoming a lifestyle.

Here I also made a conscious decision to adopt the Reiki precepts into my life — first everyday, then, eventually, every minute of every day. I struggled with letting old behaviors go, and continued to listen to my thoughts and words. I would notice the worried thoughts, the angry words and begin to make the necessary adjustments toward letting go of ego and becoming clearer as a practitioner and teacher.

The true power of Reiki was showing itself to me again and again through experiences with my clients and with myself. Whenever I doubted if Reiki was enough, or doubted my own ability to serve others with it, the energy would present itself asking me to trust it once again. While visiting my in-laws in Florida, my mother-in-law had what the EMT’s and ER doctors said was a stroke. But both a CAT scan and an MRI showed no pools of blood in her brain. She also suffered no damage to her mobility, speech, or other senses. (I had placed my Reiki hands on her head at the beginning of her head pain and kept them there until the ambulance arrived. –I know now what I was feeling was very strong Byosen as taught in Jikiden Reiki.)

Many opportunities to learn other modalities continued to show up in trade magazines, websites, and direct invitations from friends and colleagues. I thought I would first learn all I could about Reiki and then add additional modalities later. What I had come to realize was Reiki has a depth that continues to show itself, the more it is practiced. This depth is on a spiritual level. So every time I would look into adding something else, it just didn’t fit for me. I wanted to continue to delve deeper for myself, and in turn, others.

There is nothing wrong with doing other modalities at a healing session. Or having access to additional healing tools. But I have chosen to continue my personal focus on just Reiki. I decided to trust the energy and see where it took me.

While working with clients, I realized that most people tend to their health care with the same attention as “flipping channels” on a TV remote — often jumping from one drug, doctor, or treatment to the next expecting immediate gratification and results. Through my choice of a single focused modality, I am able to introduce the value of stillness into their healing process. I trust the energy and the process of healing — and now they do too. My clients are surprised at first at the lack of a menu of services, but after their first session, they continue to come and enjoy the subtle healing power of a continuous hour of Reiki.

Over the past ten years I have worked with many clients with different illnesses, physical conditions, and emotional issues. The profound experiences and the people I have helped feel relief on some level, lets me know it is okay for me to do just Reiki.

And I look forward to practicing Reiki over the next 10 years! Stay tuned . . .

‘This Is Reiki’ by Frank Arjava Petter – a review

Lotus Press 2012

‘This is Reiki, Transformation of Body, Mind and Soul, From The Origins To The Practice’ by Frank Arjava Petter (Lotus Press)

Review by Lorraine George

Books don’t usually come with a caution label, but this one should. Be prepared to: be mesmerized by the flow of words on a page; be warmed by Arjava’s passion for the subject; inhale the story of Reiki’s journey at the level of your soul; and most of all, lose track of time.

If you’ve met Arjava, you’ll recognize his voice. It’s as if he is sitting across the table, sipping a hot coffee, relating his delightful adventure into the Japanese world of Reiki. He introduces us to Usui Sensei’s ancestors, and gives us a peek into the original Reiki Ryoho Gakki. We travel in time from Usui Sensei’s birthplace to his memorial. We meet Hayashi Sensei and the Yamaguchi family. This is an up-dated history of Reiki, based on written journals, documents, family photos, and interviews. Arjava tells us the background story – the history and spiritual culture of Japan – so we get a better understanding of the events that influenced the development (and later decline) of Reiki in its place of origin.

And then we are off to Sacred Reiki sites. More than a travel guide, Arjava uses personal stories, and at times, humor, as we meander from one site to the next. This chapter is plush with photographs.

He goes on to tell us about the deities and spiritual practices that are rooted into some of the beliefs and techniques of the Reiki we do today. This tapestry of spiritual identity helps to explain the dynamic realm of guidance and power, available to us in Reiki practice.

The final chapter covers healing with Reiki, including perception exercises, Gassho Meditation, and Japanese techniques. There are also interviews with Fumio Ogawa Sensei, and Chiyoko Yamaguchi Sensei.

Although designed for those who teach, this book is a valuable resource for everyone who practices Reiki. I would also recommend it for those who have an interest in learning more about this simple, yet powerfully effective, Japanese healing art.

Lorraine George is a Jikiden Reiki® Shihan Kaku, and Usui/Tibetan and Karuna Reiki® Master. She can be reached at LGeorge@Reiki4Wellness.com

Frank Arjava Petter returns to San Diego in 2013, on May 24-28 for Shoden/Okuden, and May 29-30 for Shihan Kaku seminars. Contact Lorraine George for course and registration information.

Be, not Do, Reiki

“Being” something is different than “doing” something. Being involves having a constant, and present, consciousness to make it happen.

This occurred for me about a month after I was first attuned. I made a commitment to make Reiki a business choice, and then, a personal one. If I was going to offer my services to others at their most vulnerable physical and emotional state, I was going to have to be gyo-o hage me, doing my duties fully.

I was guided by two very powerful forces at that time in my life. The first was a Japanese Buddhist (SGI) practice. Here I was chanting everyday in an effort to raise my own life condition for myself and also for others. I began to understand the transmission of compassion between people through the energy produced by the chanting vibrations of the mantra I learned to recite sitting in front of a beautiful scroll. My Reiki hands would turn on quickly as the words of the Lotus Sutra were spoken. I allowed the energy to flow. I studied it within me. I loved the feeling it created. I still do.

The second force was a man. A Tibetan Buddhist I worked with who demonstrated in his daily comings and goings, ego detachment. Each day before we opened the healing center doors, he would light a stick of incense and chant a prayer to Medicine Buddha for assistance, guidance and healing for those who we would see that day. I understood what being a true channel was by his example. Whenever a client would sing his praises, he would always raise a hand to the sky and give Medicine Buddha the credit. He would turn to the person and say how strong they were to heal themselves. These were valuable lessons for someone who had just entered the world of complimentary healing.

From then on I became aware of the consciousness that is still ever present. Each decision I make always involves me and Reiki. And these are the internal questions I ask myself:

How will this decision affect my clients?

Will it help my business grow so I can reach more people?

Does it help me grow to be a better Reiki channel?

Does it educate others about Reiki?

Is it a good use of my time?

What does it have to do with doing Reiki?

I also have two statements I have added as a final check. One of my early Reiki teachers said, “When you add a title after your name, YOU PUT YOUR NAME IN LIGHTS”. This was valuable information for me. Yes, of course this is a personal truth. I had to act as a Reiki Practitioner, and Master, and Shihankaku, whenever I interacted with another. I had to ‘be” Reiki. I was to demonstrate how clear and kind and loving and simple Reiki is. And not just in a session or a class. I had to “be” Reiki at the grocery store, the gas station, driving my car, etc.

The other statement is from my husband. Whenever I would come home with a marketing or business addition that involved adding something else to Reiki he would always say to me, “So are you a Reiki Master, or a book, candle, doo-dad seller.” Or my favorite, “Are you a Reiki Practitioner, or a jack-of- all-trades and . . . “, well you know the rest.

I had worked most of my life behind a desk. Helping people none the less, but never in the capacity I would experience in my Reiki practice. And in this practice, I am “Being” Reiki.

Amida Buddha in the garden.