Accessing the Unseen

Reiki practice offers me a way to connect with the unseen, including emotions, mind and the spiritual energy that I believe flows through and connects all things.  It is understandable that some people are sceptical about this, yet we all have some experience of things we can’t see, hear, touch, smell or taste.  We are all very accustomed now to the invisible waves that connect us via the internet and mobile phones.  Such invisible things also exist in Nature – Reiki is how the Japanese would describe the energy you feel in a beautiful forest.  The understanding that what is unseen can affect the physical world has long been understood by spiritual teachers.  Buddha, for example, said: “We are what we think.  All that we are arises from our thoughts”. 

In the current situation we are facing a virus invisible to the naked eye that has had the power to change all our lives.  Some are sceptical about it, because if you rely primarily on an understanding of the world that is based on your senses, this virus is beyond comprehension.  Similarly, it is understandable that some are sceptical about Reiki as an energy that can be transmitted between people at a distance.

Love is an invisible energy that the current situation is showing us that it can still be shared and felt even when we are not able to touch or even be physically in the same space.  We can still send our love out into the world, in the same way Reiki can also reach any part of the planet.  Perhaps it is when relatives are able to comfort a Covid-19 patient, so that they know they are loved, that gives them a better chance of survival.   It is the one factor doctors have no control over that may explain the differing survival rates of those who are most ill.

At present, unable to give Reiki in person,

I feel blessed to be able to continue to offer comfort and support through distant Reiki treatments.  It can take a leap of faith to accept that receiving Reiki from any distance is possible, yet experience over many years has shown me that, like love, it can be sent through space and time and is safe for all concerned, even with Covid-19. 

The Reiki Association Care Service is available for members to request distant Reiki treatments from a team of volunteers.  We have received many reports of positive outcomes, unexpected by doctors.  We frequently hear of the healing, comfort and peace of mind these treatments bring, including at the end of life.  I’ve received similar reports from the treatments that the Community Clinic volunteers have been doing.  These reports include better sleep and reduction in need for pain medication. 

I am always looking for ways to develop my Reiki practice so, following an inspiration during a self-treatment, I now offer distant Reiki treatments via a live Zoom link, which means that I can be present with the person I am sending to through their treatment via an internet connection and they can be aware of what I am doing.  I don’t even need a photograph to send Reiki but meeting via Zoom we are able to see each other and talk before and after the treatment (we can also talk on the phone).  Reiki offers many ways to explore the unseen and I am enjoying this time and the opportunity to expand my distant treatment practice.

Being Together in Person

Reiki Master Rick Bockner - the last master initiated by Sensei Takata

Listening to Rick Bockner's talk at The Reiki Association gathering in May I was struck by a comment he made about Oral Tradition.  This is one of the Nine Elements of Usui Shiki Ryoho and refers to the way teaching is offered in person rather than through distant learning or books.  What Rick pointed out is that it also refers to making the effort to be together in person.

In the past few years I have participated in many meetings with Reiki people around the world through the internet, where we are able to talk in real time and sometimes see each other (there's often not enough bandwidth for us all to activate our cameras at the same time!).   This is a great improvement on communicating via email, but when I attended the Association Gathering I noticed how wonderful it is to actually meet people in person!  I was grateful that Rick and everyone there had made the effort.

While modern technology does allow a part of the energy of a person to be transmitted over the airwaves, it's not the same as being in physical presence with them.  There are subtleties of communication that we read instinctively when we are with someone, but also I feel there is energetic presence that goes beyond that.

I've also found that a group of people who meet together create an energetic field - something I've often experienced in Reiki Sharing groups.  Even though not a word is spoken while we treat each other, we enter into a deeper connection with each other and ourselves.  This connection is comforting and supportive, so that we leave feeling better, more able to cope with the vicissitudes of life.

So if you're wondering why I'm planning to travel all the way to Almaty in Kazakhstan to attend the Office of Grandmaster (OGM) Retreat, it's because I feel called to be there in physical presence, to meet other Reiki students and share in the energetic field that will be created by this gathering.  Of course I'm also  feeling somewhat daunted by the idea of travelling so far, but I'm receiving wonderful support for this journey and I'm willing to make the effort!

I've often made long journeys for various Reiki meetings - usually in the UK, but also to the USA and Australia.  I'm happy to travel because I know from experience that being there in person can be important.  Perhaps that's why I was required to appear in person rather than by remote link when giving evidence recently to the Crown court.

While it is possible to give Reiki treatments from a distance, there is a story of Sensei Takata taking a long and arduous journey that involved various forms of transport to give someone Reiki treatment.  When asked why she didn't just send Reiki distantly she responded that Reiki in physical presence is always preferable when possible.  So I encourage you to take every opportunity to be physically present in a Reiki energy field whenever you can.  After all Reiki is a way to bring non-physical energy into the physical world, so to receive it we need to be physically present!

Reiki Energy, Reiki Way

The word 'Reiki' is often translated as 'universal life energy'.  However the word 'Reiki' has also come to refer not only to this energy, but also to the way or system of practicing. 

All Reiki ways of practice begin with the founder of this healing art: Mikao Usui.  He offered Reiki healing to beggars in Kyoto, but discovered that some of them became sick again.  This led to one of the first understandings about the Reiki way: that the healing of the mind, emotions and spirit are important for lasting healing.  So Usui developed the Reiki principles, to remind us to pay attention to our non-physical aspects.  These principles have also become part of the Reiki way. 

An essential part of the Reiki way Usui developed subsequently was the initiations (or attunements) by which the connection to the Reiki energy and way can be given by one person to another. 

The next person in my lineage (line of teachers) is Chujiro Hayashi who developed a sequence of hand positions that offer a comprehensive treatment.  His successor Hawayo Takata brought this teaching out of Japan, creating another aspect of the Reiki way: that it is available to anyone who wants to learn.  She gave us her interpretation (rather than translation) of Usui's meaning and intention behind the Reiki Principles.

After Takata's death, the Reiki way evolved further: some chose to maintain unaltered the system she had taught, others made changes such as re- translating the Reiki Principles.  One thing that remains common to most Reiki systems, however, is an understanding that Reiki practice is guided by spiritual principles.

In all Reiki ways people's hands are used to apply the energy of Reiki to the recipient (unless the practitioner has no hands in which case the feet can be used).  Frequently, including the Reiki system as Takata taught it, the healing is delivered through touch - although it can also be given with hands off the body for particular circumstances.   In other Reiki systems the treatment is given without touching the body.

There is no right or wrong Reiki system: each one has a particular quality.  It seems that Reiki wants to connect with as many of us as possible, so is available in a variety of flavours that can meet the wide range of people's attitudes and beliefs!  My personal taste is for simple Reiki practice, honouring tradition (like a Sunday Roast!).  Others may like their Reiki flavour to have added spice, such as the Indian chakra system, angels or crystals.  If it were not for the appeal of different Reiki systems, Reiki might be ignored by people who can benefit from it.

The Reiki way common to most (if not all) Reiki systems is the intention to live healthier lives through natural healing.  People who come together to share Reiki often notice a feeling of connection that goes beyond our differences.  Perhaps this is because we are caring people, wanting to live better lives, to help others and to see more healing in the world.

So the word Reiki refers not only to the energy but also the way that it's practiced.  When you are deciding who to receive a treatment from or learn Reiki with it's important to find the right flavour for you: a way you feel inspired by, so that Reiki (the energy) can support you in living a long happy and healthy life!