“The most important is that one must believe it, for to doubt and not accept Reiki Healing reduces the ability to work with it. The people being treated do not have to hold such belief, as this is not a test of their faith; but the practitioner must believe.” -Hawayo Takata (Haberly, Helen Joyce. Reiki: Hawayo Takata’s Story, p. 55, Archedigm Publications. Kindle Edition.)
When I read these words I felt struck like a gong. I felt the truth of it reverberate in my entire being, and when the sound settled out, I wondered, “How had I forgotten?”
Reiki is talked about as something that can only be taken in when the person on the table allows it, and several practitioners take that further to mean that the entirety of someone’s healing Reiki experience on table has everything to do with the level of faith in the receiver.
Not so. Not so. Madame Takata says otherwise. My soul was struck by the truth of it, and my Reiki guide reminded me of other stories that speak to this truth.
In the New Testament, Jesus is approached by a man carrying his son with some kind of palsy. The man asks Jesus to heal his son. Jesus asked him, “do you believe?” The man replies “Yes! I believe!” but Jesus does nothing, says nothing, simply looking at this desperate father. Then the man spoke the truth. “Help me with my unbelief.” And then Jesus heals the boy. The father didn’t have perfect faith, he was simply desperate to try, hoping, wanting to believe, and it was enough. It was enough because Jesus was enough. Jesus the Healer had enough faith for the both of them. (Story in Mark 9.)
Then I remembered another story, this one, in my own life. My spouse, Robert, had come down with mono. At the time we were very poor and we simply could not afford for him to miss a month or more of work. At the time I still attended the local Mormon church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). I asked a couple of the brethren to come and give my spouse a priesthood blessing to heal him. When the two men showed up, one of the first things they asked Robert (my spouse) was whether or not he believed. Robert said, “No,” and that he was only doing this for me, because I believed. I looked those two men straight in the eyes and said with a confident smile, “That’s okay, I have enough faith for the both of us.”
The brethren accepted that answer, and gave him a healing anointing and prayer. As a result, Robert got over his illness in only a week; an illness that typically takes a month or more to recover from, done in a week. His medical doctor was shocked somethin’ fierce to boot. Robert had allowed my faith to operate for him, and my own faith was indeed sufficient. And so it is for anyone receiving Reiki from me.
It was several years later that I became a Reiki Master, and a little longer still before I got my hands on this little book about Hawayo Takata’s Story where I could remember the truth that as long as I, the Reiki Master, have faith, and as long as the person on the table has a desire to believe then it is enough.
My Reiki guide is Jesus Himself, and whenever I lack faith, I ask him to help me make up for it, to help me with my own unbelief. Sometimes I still have off days where I don’t have enough faith in myself, but Jesus has enough faith in me to make up for it. And I have enough faith in Reiki, and in my Reiki guide, to make up for any empty spaces of faith in myself (or in the person on the table).
Therefore, I always believe in Reiki. Always. And in so doing, I can still have a positive affect on the person who needs my help, regardless of anything else going on distracting me from my path in the moment.
When speaking to your clients do not tell them they have to have sufficient faith for a healing to work. That sets them up for failure. Instead, tell them with a confident smile, “No worries, your desire is enough, and besides, I have faith enough for the both of us.”
And you know you do because:
- Reiki has sufficient faith in itself,
- Your Reiki guide has sufficient faith in you,
- You have sufficient faith in your Reiki guide and in Reiki itself (both of which you can rely on when you feel weak)
- You know how to begin.
Bonus, then you can feel what an honor it is to be so trusted by the energy and your guide, but also by the person on the table who desires to receive and believes you are safe enough to give it try.
I am forever grateful to Hawayo Takata for her words and to Helen Haberly who captured them in her book so that I, too, may be filled with such wisdom and remembrances. May you thus be blessed in this way as well.
Article by Ruth Renate “Lady of Radiant Joy” Davidson
Ruth R Davidson
Ruth Renate “Lady of Radiant Joy” Davidson is a Reiki Master/Teacher who combines Reiki with other body-work, earth-based energy healing practices, and meditation. She loves working with her Divine Team and helping people connect with their Divine Team, including spirit animal guides. She teaches Tarot Energy Healing.
You can also connect with her on Instagram @ladyofradiantjoy and on her website www.ladyofradiantjoy.org. Ruth’s soul vow is: “I Accept All Things for the Preservation, Healing, and Growing, of LOVE.”
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