Saturday 1 March 2014

Reiki Sharing Groups

At the end of the First degree Reiki class our Reiki master Martha encouraged us to meet with our classmates to exchange Reiki treatments.  For some time after that a group of us would meet every Sunday to share Reiki.  This is something that Reiki students all over the world do and that I continue to offer to my Reiki students.

Not everyone was able to attend each session, but there would always be enough of us to make it worthwhile.  It was lovely to meet my class-mates again; who I had shared the excitement of learning Reiki with, and to take our first steps in giving treatment to others together.

It was helpful in those first months to have each other to remind ourselves of the hand positions and of course we all remembered slightly different things about the class, so it was great to be able to compare notes.

Some of my students also get together in this way and I also run monthly Reiki Shares in Ludlow and Birmingham to offer a space for Reiki students to come together, give each other treatments, be reminded of hand positions and also have time to chat about their Reiki experiences.  I’m always happy to answer questions and share my own experience if this is helpful.

These monthly meetings are open to people who aren’t my students too: either because they have not yet learned Reiki or because they have learned with another master.  People who haven’t learned Reiki clearly can’t participate in the treatments like those initiated into Reiki, but we have a way of including them and they also get a turn on the couch to receive a treatment.  It’s often the first time they have experienced Reiki treatment and it can be quite an amazing experience for people who have not had Reiki before.

Some Reiki students come regularly to the Sharing Group, which creates a feeling of community.  Many people don’t find it easy to talk about Reiki to their friends and family, so it can feel good to be with a group of people who understand and share similar experiences.  Sometimes students feel a bit doubtful about their Reiki ability and by the end of the evening they have usually had an experience that reassures them.

During my Reiki Shares we usually treat in silence.  This can be a welcome rest from the busyness of modern life and gives time for a deeper awareness to arise.  This, I feel, contributes to the sense of connection that many people experience.

In the end the Reiki Shares of my class fizzled out as people got busy with other things.  This often happens with Share Groups because it does require some dedication to keep practising when there are so many other things going on.  This is why I am committed to keeping the Shares going as long as people keep turning up: to create a space that is reliably there for people to connect or re-connect with their Reiki practice.  If you’re in the area you would be welcome!

Have you ever been to a Reiki Share?  Perhaps you go regularly?  What are your experiences?  Please share your comments