| As a dedicated Reiki professional, one thing I find | | | | more effective to treat the area that is damaged. In |
| incredibly frustrating is an almost universal belief in a | | | | practice, putting energy into someone's hand to treat a |
| number of 'Reiki myths' amongst Reiki practitioners and | | | | broken leg is not going to work. The energy will stay in |
| Reiki teachers. So deep rooted are these beliefs that | | | | the hand and affect the hand and the surrounding area |
| one would think they were fact, but unfortunately they | | | | only. By putting energy into the damaged area at the |
| are very far removed from any fact. In studying these | | | | correct frequency the damaged cells/tissue/organ |
| 'myths' I find that there is truth in the origins, but this has | | | | bone will be stimulated to repair. |
| been lost in the interpretation through a lack of | | | | Another 'Reiki myth' that is bandied about is that 'it |
| understanding and awareness. | | | | does not matter what you do, it's your intention that |
| The main 'Reiki myths' that need to be dispelled are | | | | counts.' This strikes me as another way of avoiding |
| also the ones that make it hard for Reiki to be taken | | | | responsibility and any kind of effort to learn and work |
| seriously as a healing therapy. | | | | in the most effective way. I have seen Reiki |
| The biggest 'Reiki myth' is that ' Reiki does not heal or | | | | practitioners and Reiki teachers on Reiki forums saying |
| cure ', even though the founder Mikao Usui | | | | that it does not matter how you treat a client, it is your |
| (Usui-sensei) in interview said he used his Reiki Ryoho | | | | intention that is important. I have even seen a popular |
| to cure many illnesses. Many Reiki practitioners will say | | | | Reiki teacher say that it does not matter how you |
| that 'Reiki helps to create calmness and relaxation in a | | | | attune a student it is your intention that matters - he |
| client. This state of relaxation creates the optimum | | | | went on to say that he could attune a student whilst |
| state for the body to heal itself'. Others will say that | | | | standing on his head in the corner of the room! This is |
| 'Reiki clears energetic blockages that will allow the | | | | wrong on so many levels I hardly know where to |
| body to heal itself.' There are even some Reiki | | | | start… |
| practitioners that believe Reiki cannot and should not | | | | Firstly, it does matter what you do and how you do it - |
| be used to treat specific conditions - they believe that | | | | it is by your thoughts and actions that you connect to |
| the role of Reiki is to treat the client 'as a whole' and | | | | the energy, channel the energy and direct the energy. |
| allow the Universe to decide what the clients needs | | | | By being active and focused you can channel the |
| according to their karma/destiny. | | | | energy at the required frequency to effectively treat |
| While it is true to say that Reiki will create calmness | | | | any condition. |
| and clear energetic blockages, this is not the primary | | | | As for attunements, this is a process that involves |
| mechanism by which Reiki acts on either physical or | | | | specific thoughts and actions developed by the |
| emotional conditions. Reiki will act directly on any | | | | founder of Reiki, Usui-sensei. This is the way a Reiki |
| condition as long as the Reiki practitioner channels the | | | | teacher initiates students into the system of Reiki and |
| correct frequency of energy needed to cause healing | | | | is a wonderful experience for both the student and the |
| to take place. This is relatively easy for any competent | | | | teacher. Each step of the process has meaning and |
| Reiki practitioner to do, but many either choose not to, | | | | purpose and should be carried out lovingly and properly |
| or have not been trained to. I suppose it is much easier | | | | and with respect for the gift that as a Reiki teacher |
| to help a client to relax than it is to heal them of their | | | | you are bestowing on your student. |
| conditions, with the added bonus that you cannot fail | | | | In reality, as Reiki practitioners and Reiki teachers we |
| as you are not even trying to treat anything, and if | | | | have a responsibility to our clients and students to do |
| there is improvement it appears that much more | | | | the best we can for them - this means working with |
| amazing. | | | | good actions as well as good intentions. No matter |
| The other 'Reiki myth' that I hear so often is that 'the | | | | how good the intention, if the action is poor then the |
| energy is intelligent and it goes where it needs to'. This | | | | outcome is equally poor. |
| has been interpreted as meaning a Reiki practitioner | | | | Finally, the last 'Reiki myth' I want to deal with is the |
| can put their hands on any part of the client and the | | | | classic and much quoted 'Reiki is passive, as a |
| energy will travel through the client to the areas of | | | | practitioner you have no input into the healing process |
| greatest need without the Reiki practitioner doing | | | | and you should not even think about Reiki or healing or |
| anything. To me this seems like an easy option rather | | | | the client or their condition while you are treating them.' |
| than an effective option. By believing this the Reiki | | | | This school of thought believes that by thinking about |
| practitioner does not need to bother with a consultation | | | | what you are doing you are interfering with the energy. |
| or assessment as they do not need to know what is | | | | What really happens when you do this is the energy |
| wrong with the client - they just put their hands | | | | stops flowing with direction and focus. I have tried this |
| somewhere and 'let the energy flow for the highest | | | | and I could feel the energy dissipating and reducing - |
| good' and trust that the energy will work for the | | | | conversely when I put my thoughts back onto the |
| highest good (whatever that means). | | | | treatment the energy starts to flow much more |
| Again, this contradicts the methods used by the | | | | strongly (and effectively). It is common sense really, |
| founder of Reiki, Usui-sensei. In an interview he states | | | | wherever your mind and thoughts are the energy will |
| "…if brain disease occurs I treat a head, if it's an | | | | follow. This is true in every area of life, e.g. when |
| eye disease, I treat eyes…" and in his Reiki | | | | someone is talking to you and you concentrate on |
| Ryoho Hikkei (Usui Reiki Handbook) he has specific | | | | what they are saying you pick up much more than if |
| hand positions to treat a variety of illnesses, so | | | | you were thinking about something else. |
| obviously Usui-sensei believed you should put the | | | | © Copyright Andrew Chrysostomou 2007. |
| energy at the site of the illness or injury. It is so much | | | | |