Flexibility – as my own boss I can choose when and how much to work. Although I am committed to seeing clients regularly, I find I am able to balance their needs with my own so that I can care for my own health too. As a diabetic not on medication, it is important for me to be able to eat at specific times. Being my own boss gives me the flexibility to make this possible. Having heard how some NHS staff are expected to work without even proper breaks for meals I am very grateful to have this ability to
choose my own timetable.Necessity to receive Reiki treatments – I love receiving Reiki treatment, so it feels like a real benefit that those who are giving treatments to others regularly are expected to receive Reiki treatments. I give myself Reiki treatment most days (an enjoyable way to prepare for work!). By self-treating I help to maintain my own health and well-being, so that people who come to me for Reiki meet a calm and happy practitioner who is in the best health possible. I also find it both enjoyable and beneficial to receive Reiki from someone else on a regular basis to further support my well-being. When I was less experienced about Reiki this was also a good way to learn more about how it works and what treatment can offer.
Mindfulness practice – I have noticed that giving Reiki treatment is a form of mindfulness. As I treat, I pay attention to the sensations in my hands and body. I also watch signs from the person I am treating such as sighs, twitches and facial expressions. These things help me to maintain my attention in the present moment. What wonderful work that requires mindfulness practice for an hour at a time! It isn’t necessarily easy, but I find that reiki energy fosters a meditative mental state in practitioners as well as the person receiving healing. As a result, I often feel calmer and more centred myself at the end of the treatment as well as having helped the person being treated to achieve deeper relaxation.
In service to others – there is something deeply satisfying about helping another person who is in some sort of distress to feel more peaceful. The Dalai Lama points out that being in service to others is a way to achieve joy in our own lives. Giving Reiki treatments is one way we can help to relieve suffering and improve the quality of people’s lives.
Simplicity – attending a webinar aimed at nutritionists recently which included a lot of technical information I felt grateful that I do not have to remember so much detail to give Reiki treatments. With no diagnosis involved in Reiki, I don’t have to work things out and risk making mistakes. I find that anything I need to know comes to me intuitively and I am grateful for the grace and ease of this way of working.
There are challenges too of course, such as deciding what to charge, being comfortable giving treatment and knowing how to maintain appropriate boundaries, but I value these as part of the personal and spiritual growth this kind of work offers.
I am grateful to be able to work as a Reiki practitioner and I hope more people will enjoy this way of making a living.
