Background by Windy
Reiki IS wonderful. I'm so happy you would like to know more about it. I practice traditional Usui System reiki, as taught by Mrs. Hawayo Takata, the first Reiki teacher in North America. There are lots of different styles of Reiki, and different Reiki marketing gimmicks where practitioners tell you that they "scan the body to discern areas of need" "Heal past-life trauma" etc. and explain why their type of Reiki is unique and special and better than other types of Reiki.
I don't market any "Special Reiki" but, every time I practice Reiki, it's REALLY special, for myself as well as the recipient of the treatment.
Depending on the needs of the person receiving Reiki, different things happen during a Reiki treatment. Reiki is grounding for the ungrounded, and uplifting and opening and for the overly grounded. Reiki is perceived as being warm soothing energy when needed, as well as cool, calming energy when needed. It removes pain, promotes relaxation, heals the immune system, tunes the psyche, opens the heart, revs up creativity, strengthens the organs, makes colors seem brighter.... I could go keep on going with the descriptions, but the best way to find out what Reiki does is to experience it for yourself.
My experience with Reiki started in early 1994. After battling chronic fatigue syndrome for over 2 years, I moved to the Southwest so that I could take advantage of the climate and the slower pace of life. While I was living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I started seeing Reiki advertisements everywhere I went. I'd never seen them before, but they'd been there , I just didn't notice. I researched the local teachers and decided to take a class from the one I felt most comfortable with. That class was one of the very best experiences of my life. My energy picked up immediately, I had no pain and no fatigue during the entire weekend of the class. I felt like I became 50 pounds lighter, as if I had begun to float through life rather than drag through it. It was absolutely wonderful.
As my relationship with myself changed, my relationships with other people improved. I was calmer, more willing to honestly see my own contributions to problems, more able to change things that didn't work - to make changes in my attitude when attitude was the source of the problem. To get along with people who were generally considered to be obnoxious and cruel - or at least to avoid being picked on by them. In short, to become "unstuck". To change, adapt, and mainly, flow. Flow is my favorite side effect of Reiki.
So, I'd hate to pretend that my life all of a sudden became perfect. It didn't. But it became much more fun and interesting. And that's what I like to share with people through practicing and teaching Reiki - the experience of having a fun, interesting, and peaceful life, even though it isn't always exactly what I thought I asked for...
Mrs. Hawayo Takata wrote a short essay on all of the things that can be accomplished through a lifetime practice of Reiki -Good health, happiness, spiritual awareness and longevity...and summed it all up as "perfection".
I think that what she was referring to was a sort of dynamic perfection - the ability to go with the flow, to change and thrive, to be resilient and flexible throughout life's ups and downs and to live with equanimity and faith in the process of life.
If you are interested in that, as well as feeling physically wonderful - I recommend Reiki! Wherever you are, I hope you will pursue Reiki treatments and classes as soon as possible - so that you can experience all of the wonderful "side effects" Reiki has to offer you. Please don't waste your time wondering if Reiki treatments and classes are really worth your time - just jump in and find out for yourself! You'll be very pleasantly suprised when you do.
Sincerely,
Amy
Last updated November 27, 2000