Different factors lie at the root of the issues our clients come to see us for. The source of a patient’s illness or struggle might be an unhealthy lifestyle, a toxic relationship, or unresolved childhood trauma, to name a few examples. And many healers do acknowledge these underlying factors.
Being subjected to some form of harm on the basis of their sex, race, sexual orientation, economic background, and the like, is also typically at the core of the pain and imbalance that we witness in our clients and yet it’s a factor that is rarely discussed in spiritual circles.
Below I look at some of the concepts that can make it difficult for healers, and spiritually-oriented people in general, to tackle or address structural injustice and why this shouldn’t be the case.
1. Anger
As we know, one of the five Reiki principles states “Just for today, I will not be angry.” One would be forgiven for thinking that being angry is not compatible with the philosophy and practice of Reiki. And since anger can be a positive, galvanizing force for redressing wrongs, it would appear that Reiki is not compatible with social justice.
But there is a difference between identifying with, and being consumed by, your anger on the one hand, and feeling it and allowing it to move through you, on the other hand. And it is the latter – giving our anger healthy expression and release – that allows us to use it as the force for good that it can be.
2. Forgiveness
We are told that it is noble, and divine, to forgive. Not only that but also that one’s ability to heal depends on one’s capacity for forgiveness. Many people who say these things are well-intentioned. But not everyone is. In some cases preaching forgiveness is a way to silence victims; to deny them their right to feel angry and hold perpetrators accountable.
Forgiveness is undeniably a beautiful, powerful, liberating quality. But it cannot be forced or rushed. Furthermore, in my experience, forgiveness is not what leads to healing but what comes after healing.
When we’ve been victimized or violated, it’s healthy to feel hurt, betrayed, resentful, etc. And we need to make room for these feelings, and allow them their due course, before forgiveness can naturally surface.
3. Non-judgement and non-attribution of blame
Another common belief in the world of spirituality is that it is not our place to judge others. That because, each person is walking their own path and has their own lessons to learn in this lifetime, we have no right to pass judgement or blame. And in a general sense, this is a healthy rule to live by: we have more to gain and learn from exercising compassion and understanding than we do from being critical and intolerant of others.
However, if we care about fairness, equality, and human dignity, then there will be a limit to what we can and must accept and tolerate. If we care about these things, then we have a duty to stand with the defenseless, the voiceless, the wounded.
In instances where a harm has been done or a line has been crossed, it doesn’t help anyone – least of all the people who have been hurt – to avoid placing blame where it rightfully belongs. It doesn’t even help the perpetrators of wrongdoing because when we avoid holding them accountable for their actions, we are effectively depriving them of the opportunity to learn from their mistakes.
4. Love
Usually when people speak of unconditional love, they make it seem like it comes only in one flavor: the “sweetness and light” variety. But love has many faces. Sometimes it looks like fighting back for what we cherish; sometimes it looks like refusing to look away in the face of injustice; sometimes it looks like tearing down what doesn’t serve us in order to build something more sustainable and nourishing.
5. Divine order and perfection
Yet another concept that is embraced by many in spiritual circles is the idea that everything is perfect exactly as it is; that everything is unfolding precisely as it should. And in a deeper sense, this is true. Underneath the upheaval, and torment, and chaos is a supreme order, grace, and harmony.
I’ve certainly experienced this in my own life: there have been moments when no matter how difficult or daunting my circumstances, I have been able to touch a deeper layer of myself that felt fundamentally okay and was unaffected by everything that was going on around me. I know I’m not alone in this experience.
But the grace and peace and perfection underlying reality don’t make the messier and darker aspects of existence any less real. And rather than cause us to downplay or avoid dealing with the painful parts of life, tuning into that deeper harmony and grace can allow us to confront life, in its fullness, with courage.
6. Personal responsibility
Many spiritually-inclined people – myself included – believe that we each create our own reality through our habitual thoughts, feelings, expectations, words, and actions. Many of us also believe that the situations we find ourselves in, no matter how unwanted or painful, are something that we attracted in order to learn certain life lessons.
There was a time when I would have dismissed this notion as nothing more than an attempt to blame people for the bad things that happen to them. But I see the value in it now. I find that because I am able to see how my own insecurities, fears, and internal narratives contribute to the circumstances I find myself in, I am less likely to stew in negative emotions and to hold on to people, places, and situations that don’t spiritually nourish me.
But recognizing the fact that people have a hand to play in the dramas and traumas that they endure does not mean that we should never or cannot extend compassion or assistance. And it certainly doesn’t mean that we can’t acknowledge how those people have suffered at the hands of others.
If a man is hitting his wife, for example, we can acknowledge how her own unresolved issues and limiting belief system are contributing to her tolerating the abuse. And we can help her see this in our attempts to support her.
But when it comes to scrutinizing personal motives and actions, our focus should ultimately be on the perpetrator and on a system and culture that still makes it possible, sadly, for many abusers to get away with their actions.
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As healers we know that if a client is unwilling to radically change certain things about their life, there’s only so much that Reiki can do for them and that whatever issues they’re facing will likely keep resurfacing.
The same principle applies on a collective level: unless we’re willing to do the uncomfortable work of challenging (in whatever way makes the most sense for each of us) the oppressive and toxic systems and structures we’re all a part of, the work we do within the treatment room can only go so far in helping society heal as a whole.
Article by Thandiwe Msimuko
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Thandiwe Msimuko is a certified Usui Reiki Master from Zambia. She is also a devotee of Psychic Reiki – a form of Reiki based on the Mikao Usui Reiki Crystal of Awakening and popularised by Brett Bevell, the renowned American Reiki Master.
She was inspired to explore and share her gifts as a healer following the crucial role that Reiki played in helping her recover from her childhood sexual abuse trauma. It’s her hope to help similarly affected women find their way back to wholeness and harmony through the transformative power of Reiki.
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