Article by Maria Mison
Reiki goes where it is needed, and no matter the situation, us Reiki healers have a tendency to lean towards recommending more Reiki than not. So when do you not do Reiki? When do you refuse to do a Reiki session for someone? Here are some guide questions I can recommend to any practitioner to reflect on to simultaneously improve your business alongside your practice.
1. Are you perpetrating their weakness for your own gain?
Your goal as a healer is to awaken the client to their own healing. You are holding a vibration to help them remember the fundamental truth that their natural state is that of health. If you are encouraging your client to revisit their hurts with the intention of you getting more business – then maybe you can rethink the real end goal of your work.
Your ultimate goal is for them to not need you. Ironically. This might not be the most economically feasible goal, but it is the one that respects the ultimate capacity of each soul. Never disrespect, or twist that for your own benefit.
If a client is using Reiki or you as a crutch, correct them. If they don’t want to own up to intuitive guidance that surfaced during the session, call them out on it! Remind them, that you’re in this for the long haul. You’re in this for the paradigm shift of them awakening into their own power and you will not settle for anything less. Don’t perpetrate a victim mentality for the sake of keeping more clients.
Image by Surian Soosay
2. Are you personally strained (tired?)
On a practical level, you might confuse some of your own sicknesses with theirs. Though I very much agree with the sentiment that you could still channel powerful reiki; this perpetrates the horrible healer trope of healers not knowing how to take care of themselves and that they giving from an empty cup.
This is like burning a house for warmth. It’s simply more practical to deal with your own health first before concerning yourself with healing others. As they say, in-flight safety procedure, put on your own mask before assisting others. (for a further reading that puts a good metaphysical spin on this see: The Only Person We Can Heal is Ourselves)
3. Do you respect their journey and the process? Are you the right fit?
We’ve all had them. You are requested healing from someone you for legitimately don’t like, or have baggage with or have so many muddled and vested intentions for. You can envy them, misjudge them, you can feel emotionally clingy with said person and/or situations. Whatever it is – the energy feels bad.
This has many probable explanations. You may be mirroring the issues they are going through, you may even be the perfect person to refer them to a different healer or even different modality. Whatever it is, respect the journey and the process – even if it means you’re not the right person to be part of it. Don’t be attached to the outcome or the credit and the energy will flow better for everyone, including you.
These are the three questions I highly recommend you ask yourself before agreeing to do a Reiki session. Reiki in itself is powerful on its own, but shaped with the right mindset and empowered belief systems — it would work wonders not only in your sessions but transform your most fundamental belief systems about healing and life.
If you feel tripped up by one or two of these questions a lot, reflect on the underlying thoughts and assumptions along those lines of thought. Why do you not agree with this and what does that say about you and where you are now? What are the possibilities? Do you have questions that you think should be on this list?
Please comment on them!
Until next time,
M
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Maria Mison
Maria Mison is a shaman and a dreamwalker from the Philippines; Reiki level two, and Seraphim Blueprint level four practitioner.
By day she is as a healing plant and mushroom lad, an urban poverty fighter, and a dancer. Newbie tarot reader, all-around Lover. You can find her in wanwuspiritlibrary.com where she blogs about life and likes talking to literally everyone on the interwebs.
Good advice. I’m not sure that you meant this, but I just have to say that I don’t think it’s weak to ask for a session from someone else occasionally. Yes, you want to make someone no longer dependent on you, but everyone needs a boost or some self-care and love (by getting Reiki from someone else) from time to time. I think it’s wise as practitioners or lightworkers to get a session from someone else when we need it.
I believe all three questions to be a valid and a binding link for all healers.
Of course, we are guided to channel healing energy but it is to awaken others to their own gifts of healing. We as humans have distanced ourselves so much from our true selves. We all have the ability to heal ourselves and for some of us; we need to be reminded.
Your article is well writ. Thank you!
I have regular clients who have come to me over a period of 2 to 3 years.
One had a fantastic outcome with an arthritic ankle… pain and swelling are gone. He also seems to do a bit of past life regression during sessions where he finds himself in situations at different places and times. My client says he will keep coming as a preventative measure and he enjoys the experience. He comes less frequently now but I don’t feel I should cut him adrift.
A second regular also came originally with a now resolved ankle problem. She says it’s her weekly hour of rest and relaxation, like some might go for a massage or get their nails done. She does have occasional spiritual experiences too. Again she comes from choice and loves it.
I did not become a reiki practitioner to make serious money as I am retired and financially ok (although a bit of extra spending money is nice). I have never considered telling either of them to stop coming. Interesting to read the article but I will let them keep coming until they choose not to.
I can’t even tell you how much I needed to read this today. I am not surprised that it showed up in my FB feed as I was thinking about this just yesterday.
I was thinking about what I would do if one of the “toxic” people in my life requested Reiki (not that I thought she actually would, but her name came to mind for one reason or another). I wanted to say that I would never turn anyone down, however I struggled with this…not because it would be financial gain to have another client, as I am not in practice for this money. However, I wondered if our energies would clash, and I truly wondered what my motivation would be – and if I could let go of anger and hurt that had come from that relationship.
The timing of your article showing up was impeccable. *This is not the first time that has happened (where I’d been thinking about something to do with Reiki, and an article came up in my feed about the same subject).
Thank you for helping me answer my own questions.