The mystery of Mystic Order: From Disconnection to Participation

Like  most humans I craved feeling part of a 'tribe', but in early life, at school and university, felt like an outsider.  As a result I would keep myself apart, either by not participating or by acting a role.  Subconsciously, this feeling of separateness made me unhappy.

Learning Reiki began a healing of this sad disconnection, bringing a deeper understanding of what being in community means and how it nourishes me.  I now value and benefit from participating in community in many forms: my students, the UK and international Reiki groups and other communities such as my choirs.  This understanding has come through the Aspect of Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki known as Mystic Order.

In my early years in Reiki, participating in Reiki gatherings was uncomfortable and a struggle.  However in 1994 I attended a gathering with Phyllis Furumoto as special guest.  I was interested in the opportunity to learn more about Reiki from her, so overcame my resistance to be present.  She described the 9 Elements and 4 Aspects of Usui Shiki Ryoho. I recognised the way I had learned Reiki in the Elements and also understood 3 of the Aspects: Healing Practice, Personal Development and Spiritual Discipline.  The fourth Aspect was a mystery: Mystic Order.

Phyllis describes Mystic Order as: "A group of people who share a common practice that brings them in relation to reality beyond the realm of the five senses is considered a mystic order. Though the practice of Reiki employs the sense of touch, the quality of that touch can take us into the realm of union and communion with self, others, and the essence of life. Students experience directly through practice the interconnectedness of being and awaken to the experience of a much greater reality beyond what is known."

The 'reality beyond the 5 senses' is something familiar to me from life in Reiki. It led me to explore the 'greater reality beyond what is known', particularly through my involvement with The Reiki Association.  It was often difficult: like many aspects of Reiki it's the challenge that creates growth!  Feelings I had experienced in communities since childhood became more conscious: not feeling a part of the whole, not being acknowledged or valued and wanting to escape before I was pushed out.  This brought up some of my negative views about myself which was often painful, causing me to hide behind a 'role', such as being the Administrator.

However Reiki helped me to stay in connection, in spite of the difficulty, which brought me to experience and understand the benefits of being in community.  I learned that being part of a caring community is something I need; that to experience the connectedness with a greater whole that goes beyond the senses - even though challenging - nourishes something fundamental in me as a human being.

So, after years of practice, at the recent TRA 25th Birthday Gathering instead of hiding behind a role or feeling separate, I relished the interconnectedness of being in community!  I felt able to participate fully and joyful, receiving nourishment for my soul.  I felt welcomed, acknowledged and valued without the need to perform.  I now understand the value of Mystic Order: it satisfies my human need to be connected with the greater whole, bringing comfort, healing and happiness in return.

More pictures of the Reiki Association 25th Birthday here

Happy 25th Birthday Reiki Association

This month I will be going to a very special Reiki gathering: the 25th Birthday of The Reiki Association (TRA).  I attended inaugural meeting of TRA in August 1991 at Harborne Hall in Birmingham.  It was the first time 100 Reiki people from differing Reiki systems had come together in the UK.  Being a member ever since has meant a lot to me both personally and as a Reiki master and practitioner.

At the time Reiki masters and students coming together in community was unusual: there were Reiki organisations in other parts of the world, but they were for masters only or 1st and 2nd degree students.  So TRA started out on a path of inclusiveness by being an organisation for masters and students together.

The other inclusive aspect of TRA is that it is open to people of all Reiki systems/styles (although members must have received their initiation in person from a Reiki master).  It was not an easy decision to be open in this way because at the time many of the differing Reiki systems were evolving and there was some hostility and defensiveness between the different styles.  So the decision TRA made in those early years to be open to all Reiki systems was not an easy one and has been challenging over the years.

Reiki Gatherings have always been an important part of TRA's activities.  The picture here is of the first weekend gathering TRA organised in Sutton Coldfield in 1994, with Phyllis Furumoto as special guest.  Phyllis always encouraged TRA to remain open and inclusive and her attendance at several of the gatherings over the years has helped to foster this.

Gatherings are an opportunity for Reiki people to share Reiki treatments, experience being in community, connect and re-connect with friends, share stories and have fun - as well as the more formal aspects of annual meetings.  These  gatherings have offered the experience of being in community with people who have different ways of teaching and practicing Reiki and differing beliefs.  Like a microcosm of human conflicts through-out the world, gatherings are a place for differences to be acknowledged and accepted, our uniqueness and also connection through Reiki celebrated.  We have learned to move beyond the distrust and conflict to a place of resolution and peace.

I feel fortunate to have been involved in TRA since those early years (as TRA's administrator from 1992 to 2004 and on Council from 2009 to 2014) and it has certainly contributed to my development as a Reiki master.  Through this involvement I've made many good friends and learned to surrender to being in community!  I also met and became friends with Phyllis Furumoto, Paul Mitchell and Rick Bockner - all students of Hawayo Takata.  Wanja Twan - another of Takata's students and the woman who initiated my Reiki master - also attended a TRA gathering.  Being able to listen to the wisdom of these more experienced masters has been a great gift from TRA that I value highly.

Representing TRA in the development of the National Occupational Standards for Reiki and on the Reiki Regulatory Working Group (which became Reiki Council) were also opportunities to develop compassionate ways of working with people of differing views!  This work is the foundation for my practitioner training, through which I aim to offer Reiki students a deeper connection with their Reiki practice.

So I will certainly be dancing for joy at this year's TRA gathering, celebrating our years together as an inclusive community!

Self Care: Mindful Preparation

For many years taking care of myself was never high on my list of priorities, but learning Reiki brought me to the understanding that self care is worth spending time on.  At first I resisted this idea, being more interested in helping other people.  However Reiki would not let me persist in this! 

Eventually I surrendered to this simple practice of daily self care and it has had ripples that have affected the rest of my life.  Recently I saw that in fact the self care I had resisted is important for preparing myself to serve others.

Beginning most days with a self Reiki treatment I remain as present as possible as I hold my hands in each of the positions  – a mindfulness practice that helps me to begin the day centred and calm.  This has led me to be more aware of other aspects of self care as I go through life.

Being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes made me look more carefully at my diet and I now know that eating regularly and with protein at every meal helps me balance my blood glucose.  To achieve this requires mindfulness, however as it’s easy to get distracted and forget to eat.  It also requires preparation and planning to ensure I have the right kind of food to hand at the time I need to eat.  I know this can seem fussy and cranky to some people, but I’ve found that through balancing my blood glucose I have more energy and vitality (not to mention loosing 2 stone!).  What this means is that I can do more to serve others and do it better (more efficiently, more joyfully). 

I was recently selected by the British Lung Foundation to run one of their singing for lung health groups, which involved training in London.  In my previous state of health I think I would have struggled to achieve this and would have worried about whether I had the stamina to run the group every week.  Now I feel positive and excited about the prospect!  So improving my health and well being was good preparation to take on this new project.

Another aspect of my self care has been to improve my sleep.  I have Reiki to help me drift off

once I am in bed, but you won’t find me answering emails late at night unless I’m breaking my self care rules!  When I was less good at self care I’ve experienced poor sleep with all the predicted outcomes: irritability, higher stress levels, lack of co-ordination, reduced immunity, increased frequency of making mistakes etc.  Now I take more care to do and not do the things that will encourage good sleep – such as being in bed by 11pm when possible, not eating or drinking anything after 9pm and limiting carbohydrates in the evening.  As a result I sleep well most nights and have more energy to give my attention to planning and balancing my life, rather than struggling through the day, just longing for my bed!

So Reiki has taught me that self care requires mindfulness and is not something that comes last on the list of priorities, but is good preparation for living my life to the full, able to answer whatever Reiki asks of me each day!

Reiki and Mindfulness

I met one of my students when she came into the clinic in a stressed state, asking for a mindfulness course: I suggested she learned Reiki!

I've noticed that mindfulness has become very fashionable recently.  For me Reiki is a mindfulness practice.  Mindfulness is defined as "the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one's thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis"

When I give Reiki, whether it is to myself or someone else, I automatically begin to pay more

What many Reiki practitioners have also noticed is that simply by doing a Reiki treatment we enter a state of mind that is like meditation.  It's one of the reasons so many people enjoy giving Reiki treatments I think - it's such an effortless way to reach a deliciously peaceful state of being. Worries and cares ebb away, it's a state of simply Be-ing in the Now.  The person receiving Reiki often experiences this letting go of past and future too, allowing relaxation of the mind and body.  Whether it's simply because we are being 'mindful' of our hands which brings us to this state, or whether something more is happening it's difficult to say, but the end result is clear.

A treatment can be given in a distracted and non-mindful state, but the best treatments are those when I, as practitioner, am fully present with the person I'm treating - mentally as well as physically.  This is also true of teaching and the opportunity to be present and aware as people learn Reiki for the first time is a real joy in my life!  It's so wonderful to see the changes that happen as people take this practice into their lives.

The Reiki principles also encourage mindfulness.  In order to not worry or be angry, as they suggest, I need to be aware if I am worried or angry - in other words: mindful of my emotional state.  In order to honour my parents I need to be aware of my thoughts and actions towards them.   To do my work honestly I feel that I need to be my authentic self, avoiding self deception and being conscious of how the ego may wish to trick me!

The last Reiki principle is "Show Gratitude to every living thing" - surely the clearest reminder to be consciously aware of all the beings who surround us, without judging them.  You can't judgmental about something and at the same time be grateful for it I find.

So whether it is through daily self treatment or receiving treatment from someone else, through treatment of other people or living with the Reiki Principles: Reiki practice brings your attention in a heightened and non-judgmental way to your body and mind.  This offer a way to have a heightened awareness and experience of life.  As many mindfulness practitioners of different paths have found, this way of being can increase happiness and physical well being.  And Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki does this with elegant simplicity!
attention to what my hands feel like - in other words I have a heightened awareness of my experience of touch and other physical sensations.  As the treatment continues there are often other sensations in my own body that call my attention.  As I spend several minutes in each position, I'm practicing giving non-judgmental attention to those sensations.

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!  

Preparation

As the New Year begins many people think about the year ahead: a time of preparation for what is to come.

I was once a Brownie with the motto "Be Prepared" but didn't learn this lesson in my early life!  I frequently found myself rushing because I hadn't prepared.  Last year I heard a comment about the importance of preparation from Ben Haggard, a wise teacher in the Reiki community.  It resonated with me, so I began to pay more attention to how I prepare in life.

I realised that what causes me to rush out of the door or arrive late is that I'm often   This, I realised, is a cause of unhealthy stress, so I began to make timely preparations.
preparing at the last minute: for example going to a Reiki Share and only getting the blankets and pillows just before I'm due to drive away!

Last year I also had a lot of preparation for my new Practitioner course.  Most of the 10 sessions I was teaching for the first time, so I had to ensure I had plenty of time to do the research and prepare myself, including self treatment or sending Reiki to the session.

My daily self treatment is a way of preparing for each day.  It also supports my health, ensuring I'm prepared for serving my clients and students, especially when they are finding things difficult.  Due to Reiki self treatment preparation I know my immune system is in good shape, so if a client calls to say they have a cold I don't need to put them off, but can give them the treatment they need.

Regular Reiki treatments also help build mental resilience, in preparation for life's more difficult challenges.  Everyone experiences shocks and unexpected happenings that can be distressing - such as my car's radiator blowing up on the way to a Reiki Share in November!  On that occasion I found that although I was scared I had the resilience to deal with the situation without further stress.  This was a small challenge and I know of many people who have found that Reiki preparation has helped them in the face of much bigger challenges, such as a major health diagnosis or loss of a loved one.

In Usui Shikui Ryoho Reiki the way we teach also encourages preparation:

the time of the course, over 4 part days, ensures the student is fully prepared for each initiation.  I also know from many years of teaching that students sometimes take years to be ready to learn Reiki, a time of preparation that I respect.  The suggested time gap between 1st degree and 2nd degree is also a time of preparation for the student, ensuring they have had time to practice and get to know how Reiki feels before taking the next step.  The same is true as people set out on the road to Reiki Mastery, a preparation that may take years.

So like the gardeners who are using this quiet time of the year to prepare the land for the growing season ahead, I am taking some quiet time to prepare for the coming year.  I am planing more teaching to assist you in your growth on your Reiki journey.  I don't mind waiting for  you to join me because I know that preparation can take time.

Peace at Christmas

Christmas is a time when many people in the world pray for peace.  With all the violence happening in the world, this can seem like a prayer that can never be answered.  And yet...

A comment Caroline Myss made some years ago resonated with me: "The gods work in divine paradox: what you think is a small choice is always a big one, what you think is a big one is always a small one".  She went on to illustrate this with the way Jesus came into the world: not in a palace, or with a fanfare, but in a humble stable, among the animals without even a proper bed.  

This particular comment resonates with me because I have seen the truth of it in my Reiki

practice.  Treatments and initiations, given in silence and mostly in stillness, can look as if nothing is happening.  However I've seen amazing transformation as a result of some-one's simple choice to receive Reiki.  In the stillness and calm insights arise, understanding deepens, change and healing takes place.  Peace of mind is a very commonly reported outcome of Reiki treatments, but there are no clever tricks or great effort that bring this about: just the simple fact of one human being acting as a connection for another human being with the greater whole.

Making a choice to become more peaceful does make a difference to other people.  The recent attacks in Paris and elsewhere invite anger, hatred and violence in response.  There are often situations in our own lives that are the same and Christmas can often be a time when conflicts arise.  To react with anger or resentment only continues the disharmony and pushes peace and happiness away.  To respond in a different way may seem like a small choice and can be difficult, but can bring about a transformation that improves the situation for everyone.  When I encounter someone in my life who is angry and unkind towards me  I have a choice: fight back or forgive and move on.  The message of the great teacher Jesus was that we should do just this.  

The Reiki Principles encourage us to live in peace: not worrying (letting go of fear), not being in a state of anger (letting go of hurt feelings), honouring our elders (those we often want to dismiss), being honest in how we live our lives and being grateful for all the blessings we receive.  

You may say how can this make a difference to terrorists?  How can I change their minds to see that the violence they create is bad for humanity?  I think the only way to change the world to make it a more peaceful place is to follow Gandhi's advice: "Be the change you want to see".   I know there is only person whose mind and actions I can change: mine.  I also know that when I feel calm and peaceful it affects other people.  I would rather make that small choice and change what I can than worry about what I cannot alter.  It reminds me of the Chinese saying: "It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness". 

May you be a candle and shine your light, no matter what.  A small choice that can have big consequences! 

Wishing you Peace at Christmas and for the year ahead.  

What small choices are you making?