One of the most instructive and wonderful reiki books I have come across
is the revised published version of Hiroshi Doi’s A Modern Reiki Method for Healing, (Vision Publications, 2014). In
it, Hiroshi Doi explains that when we take a reiki course and decide to use
reiki in our lives, what we are really doing is allowing it into our lives,
allowing it to work through us. The more we allow the reiki to flow through us,
through our reiki meditations, treating other people, etc. the greater our
potential for healing ourselves and others and attaining the 'personal
perfection' that is mentioned in the reiki precepts. By 'personal perfection', I take this to mean the perfect, most authentic version of your soul's expression, not a paragon of virtue, or anything like that, unless, that IS you, of course :)
What I have learnt is that reiki is all about raising your vibration,
purifying your energy field and clearing energetic blocks that separate you
from the source of reiki, universal energy. Where you believe the energy comes
from is another topic (you don’t actually have to believe anything to
experience it) but there an important element that is the attitude of allowing reiki to flow through you.
The degree of readiness that we feel may be hindered a number of
different energies that would tend to divert, or distort the healthy flow of
natural energy in our bodies that is our birthright. These are the energetic
blocks and resistance that we need to try and clear in order to fully experience
the wonder and good health that reiki can potentially bring, and the spiritual
progression that it walks hand in hand with.
Some of the energetic blocks are caused by thoughts and beliefs that
originate from low self esteem, or a sense of not being worthy to receive. They
may also be caused by habitual patterns of self defeating thought that some
call the ego or the devil on our shoulder. We are all, of course, worthy to receive, it is
just our perception that causes interference in the flow. Of course, the wonderful thing about reiki is
that in giving we are receiving and this creates a beautiful balanced energetic
flow as the practitioner benefits as well as the recipient of the treatment.
I have often wondered why some people seem to progress really quickly
with reiki and others take more time. We are all on different paths and what is true
for one person will not be true for you, or it may only be a partial part of
your truth and your healing progress. What we can be sure of, is that we will
attract those people who will benefit us and reflect back to us what we are
needing to work upon and what energetic blocks in the form of unhelpful
thoughts and beliefs are coming up for clearance.
There is a well-known channel, called
Daryl Anka, whose helping spirit Bashar,
says that “you are the only person in the room” This really struck a chord with
me, it felt such an evident truth and one that we would be wise to remember! I
take this to mean that the only reality we have is our own inner reality and by
extension what we see around us is a reflection of that. If there are parts of
that reality that we do not like, this brings the wonderful opportunity then to
do some inner work and change that energy or vibration to one that is more to our
liking and help us achieve greater well-being.
It is my belief that there are qualities or energies that people are in
the habit of allowing that will help
them progress faster on the reiki path. This is where the precepts come in but
I would not limit practise to the precepts, although they are an excellent
place to start. Two of the precepts are more about releasing energies: Do not anger and do not worry; these are
important blocks that can lower our vibrations and hinder the natural flow of
reiki. It is not just about trying not to be angry about something, it
is more about releasing any anger that we may have stored within our energy
system, from past or present imagined hurts or grievances, often by working out
why we are angry, which often stems from an unacknowledged fear. The anger that
lies within us can erupt or be brought to the surface by other people who hold
or express an anger, often when we least expect it. It is the tiger we need to
tame and transform. Releasing worry, in
this we are surrendering our need to micro manage our lives, not giving in to
bleak thoughts about the near or distant future and trusting in a benevolent
universe and our ability to handle whatever comes.
The three other precepts are more about allowing energies in: the energies of honesty, gratitude and
compassion. The allowing is not just a passive allowance, not just sitting
there feeling honest or grateful or compassionate (although this is a start, I
am not knocking that) It is the active practise of all of these that will really help to keep our reiki flow
strong and pure and lift us to higher levels of awareness and vibration. So, I
will give thanks for every gift I receive in physical form or otherwise, I will
not let someone’s else’s mistake be an opportunity for me to profit, I will be compassionate to myself by viewing
others with understanding and love, helping them with discernment and
objectivity when I can. We can expand this idea and work with other energies to
enhance our lives, such as loyalty; tolerance and acceptance; stillness;
sharing; joy; you can add to the list and pick which one you would enjoy and
benefit from the most at any particular moment. There may be an activity that
will bring you joy, a place where you find it easy to tap into stillness or an
opportunity to be true to another person in sharing friendship. Each one will shine like a facet in the
diamond that is reiki or source energy.
By having in mind the feeling of “allowing” these energies to flow
through us, we can start to harvest a rich and abundant future for ourselves, accelerate our personal healing and release any resistance to a healthy and meaningful life.
Lesley Sherlock
