Surrendering to Reiki

Article by Deborah Lloyd, Reiki Master

You may have cringed when you read the title of this article, and that is understandable. The word “surrender” can provoke many emotions, including some negative ones. We may think of unbalanced relationships when one partner has control over the other. Or, we may think of the losing country in a war, or a government overthrown by insurgents. We may see the surrendering of a person, or a group, as being a weak or powerless stance. Viewing surrender in a different way, within the context of holistic healing, is fascinating.

Receiving Reiki gives us another perspective on surrendering. How many times have we approached Reiki with a specific request? What does this say about our understanding of how Reiki works? Do I think I always know what is the best result for me? The answer to each of these questions may be, “Probably – sometimes that is exactly what I think.”

Our intention for all Reiki treatments is that it is for our highest good, or the highest good of a client. We think we know what is needed for healing, and sometimes, we are correct. But many times, we are asking for a cure for a symptom, thinking that is the only healing possibility. Reiki’s healing energies are directed towards the root cause of a problem, and often we, nor our clients, know what the root cause is.

Let’s consider a client who requests Reiki for stomach ailments. She has had numerous medical tests for gastrointestinal issues, and no physical cause has been found. During the session, the Reiki practitioner perceives the root cause is fear and anxiety, resulting in stomach upsets. The continuing physical problems cause more fears and anxieties but are not the root cause of the stomach ailments. When the practitioner shares this information with the client, she becomes defensive stating all her fears and anxieties are a result of the ailments – not the other way around. She does not want to explore what her fears may be. The surrendering needed by the client is that she needs to consider this new perspective. She wants to control the situation by looking for a medical solution only; she is resistant to the possibility of an emotional cause.

Next, let’s explore how lack of surrender can develop for a Reiki practitioner. In many cities and countries in the world, developing a fulltime Reiki practice can be challenging. This may be due to many other energy healing practitioners in the area – or for an opposite reason, little knowledge about this field. A new Reiki practitioner is enthusiastic about developing such a practice but keeps hitting one roadblock after another. He seeks advice from other small business owners in the town, and he writes a business plan. He strongly believes he is on the right track, but the clients do not come. He is doing everything right, he thinks. He is in control of the situation.

Another way we may try to control Reiki is the belief that an intention will always be met (whether it is for the highest good of the client, or ourselves). What we know, however, is that healing always occurs, but often not how we expected it to manifest.

The healing energies of Reiki often bring many surprises into our lives! It is not unusual to seek healing for one problem and soon learn that another issue is where our focus needs to be. When we insist that we know the core issue and resist another possibility, we may miss the opportunity for healing. However, when we surrender to a new perspective, true healing may begin.

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Deborah Lloyd is a Usui and Karuna Reiki® Master and certified holistic therapy practitioner, providing Distant Reiki sessions and training in Asheville, NC. Deborah is the author of two books, 22 Messages from the Archangels; and, Believe and it is True: A Story of Healing and Life Lessons. She is also one of the co-authors of Reiki 101: 101 Answers for Your Reiki Questions. Reach Deborah at [email protected] and on Facebook at Deb Lloyd Healing.