Article by Carrie Anderson
Keeping authentic in your Reiki practice is of huge importance.
- What does it mean to be authentic to yourself in your Reiki practice?
- Ask yourself, how you became interested in Reiki?
- Why did you want to learn Reiki?
- What have you gained from your Reiki practice?
- What has benefited you while learning Reiki?
Practicing self-care with Reiki is a key component of your practice, but so is remembering your reasonings for having Reiki in your life.
Recently, I was approached to teach a restorative Yoga class with a bit of Reiki thrown in at the end. I had previously offered to hold several “Introduction to Reiki” classes and shortened versions of a Reiki treatment, in order to have clients become comfortable and familiar with Reiki. However, what I was being asked to offer, didn’t allow time to explain to the participants about Reiki and would have allowed only for a minute or two of actual Reiki treatment per participant.
I understand that Reiki is can be a hard concept to understand. People want and need something tangible in which they can touch and feel. Reiki doesn’t necessarily offer that kind of tangible evidence. A person may or may not feel the energy. They might be misinformed and think that it’s a kind of massage. So trying to add Reiki to other offerings or modalities can be a great way to begin a dialogue about Reiki.
As much as I want to practice Reiki and have additional clients, I found myself realizing that I do have parameters in which I would not be comfortable giving Reiki. I would like to make sure the clients are aware of Reiki and what their expectations might be. I would like to have a brief dialogue, the ability to have a client intake form filled out. While, I have offered mini Reiki sessions of a 15 to 20 minute duration, I don’t feel that a Reiki session should be just a few short minutes. All of these reasons, caused me to decline the offer of teaching a class. It wasn’t a matter of stepping out of my comfort zone, it was more having the knowledge that I was not a good fit and that I might not serve the class in the best way.
I am sure that there are Reiki practitioners that would have intuitively known how to offer this kind of class. However, I realized that my discomfort could have jeopardized my ability to effectively offer Reiki after, the Yoga. I found myself explaining that, though Yoga and Reiki are amazingly compatible and can be incorporated, that perhaps I was not the right choice for teaching this class.
On a personal level, I do practice Reiki and Yoga during my own private practice. Which brings me back to being authentic in your Reiki practice. Take time to explore Reiki, it’s meaning in your life and how you would be most comfortable in expressing Reiki to others. Are there any current hurdles that might impede your efforts in offering Reiki. In what situations are you willing and able to offer Reiki? Are you able to offer Reiki to multiple people in a room or is a one on one basis more to your preference.
Perhaps, come up with a list of possible scenarios in which you could offer Reiki in a non-traditional setting. Before being offered an opportunity, plan out the logistics of offering Reiki in different scenarios. This could benefit you in brainstorming ideas in which you could grow your practice and also might help in learning, ahead of time, if there are certain conditions that might need to be meant before offering your services.
I have definitely been reflecting on my own practice and what Reiki means to me. I learned a valuable lesson in remaining true to myself. Being authentic means understanding yourself, your expectations, your reasonings, and your abilities. Your authentic Reiki self will not look like anyone else’s and that’s a great thing. We each have a niche and our each special as Reiki practitioners.
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Carrie earned her Ph.D in Metaphysics and Energy Healing through World Metaphysical Institutes. She is a Reiki Master Teacher, Animal Reiki Master Teacher and holds degrees in several types of Reiki. Her focus is on Distance Reiki. Carrie is a Master Level Psychic Intuitive and gives daily readings. She combines Reiki and Divination to create unique readings. She is accredited through World Metaphysical Association and Council of Holistic Healers. She also has certifcations in Teen Guided Meditation,. Additionally, she is a Professional Yoga Facilitator with a focus on Gentle Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Yoga Nidra. Carrie is a co-author with Mellisa Dormoy for the book, “Easy Mindfulness for Today’s Teens”. She is an active member of the Natural Healer Society and may be reached at www.caresreiki.com
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