In teaching the Reiki system, we often discuss the curriculum: what techniques to include, how many hours, or how to get students. But we very seldom talk about mindset. Yet mindset is the key that can open the door to truly understanding and integrating the Reiki system into our lives.
Here are a few qualities that come to mind when I think of the right mindset for the different levels. These are by no means the only ones, but they carry a seed that can blossom into a beautiful practice at each level.
All levels
Shoshin (Beginner’s Mind): Reiki is not just a series of tools to be learned. Each meditation, protocol, and technique has unlimited layers of meanings, waiting to be discovered through constant practice and an open mind. By our willingness to approach and study them like a beginner would, no matter how advanced we are. For example, a Reiki 1 teaching may feel very different when approached with a few years of Reiki 3 practice under your belt.
If we feel we know all there is to know about Reiki practice, that is the first clue we need to adopt a beginner’s mind and revisit our practice.
Reiki 1
Discovery: Reiki is different than regular training, and it’s not a linear path. It’s ok not to know, ask questions, feel awkward, or have trouble settling our minds. You are not meant to know or do things easily on the first go. Bring your discovery mindset: let go of the fear of making mistakes and looking silly and immerse yourself into your practice instead.
Discipline: The name says it all: Reiki practice. Although you may have beautiful experiences when you practice here and there, constant diligent practice is what brings true transformation and understanding. After all, that’s why Mikao Usui pointed toward this in the Reiki principles (Gyo-o Hageme: practice diligently/work hard).
Patience: No matter what stage of practice you are in, you experience plateaus. Periods when nothing is happening. Often, Reiki 1 practitioners start doubting or get frustrated and drop off. Be patient. On the other side of these plateaus, new insights await.
Reiki 2
Curiosity and exploration: You already know the foundations and are now getting new tools, like the symbols and mantras. Don’t just practice with these symbols following a protocol. Meditate with them: visualize them, chant their mantras, reflect on their meaning and how they feel in your body. Use your personal practice to explore. We all experience and express Reiki practice differently. Find your way. And then don’t attach to it. Keep exploring, so your practice evolves with you.
Compassion: This quality is deeply related to the third symbol and mantra and is the culmination of our practice as indicated by the Reiki principles. Meet yourself where you are with compassion. Every. Time. You. Practice. If today your mind didn’t settle, that is ok. Let it go. If a session didn’t go the way you wanted, don’t feel like you failed. If you feel angry or worried, sit with it. Hold your experiences, thoughts, and emotions with compassion until they subside or blossom into inner knowledge.
Clarity: Don’t get distracted by ornaments—colors, sensations, sounds. Remain clear on the core of the practice: to feel less anger and worry and become more grateful and compassionate. Seeing colors and receiving messages is useless if we are not kinder in our work and relationships. Some of the most beautiful practitioners I’ve met can’t feel anything; they just trust their practice and heart.
Reiki 3
No judgment: We all label, group, and judge. Not judging may be hard or even impossible but letting go of our attachment to judgment is something we can practice. Don’t label experiences, vibes, or actions as good or bad. Things just are. Don’t judge your or your students’ reactions. Hold the space for them. Don’t resist judgment; allow it to move away like a cloud in the sky without paying attention.
Interconnection: The third level symbol is not just a tool for attunement; it embodies non-duality. The interconnection of all beings and things in the universe. When you perform an attunement (initiation), welcome your student into your heart. In your personal practice, have the awareness you are practicing for yourself and every being in the universe.
Honesty: The third level is one of deep commitment to your spiritual practice and if you decide to teach, to the spiritual journey of others. Be honest with yourself. Are you consistent? Are you in the right space to teach a class and/or hold the space for others? Can you hold the space for yourself or others when uncomfortable emotions or realizations arise? Are you feeling a little bit lost in your Reiki journey? Don’t let the title “master” confuse you. Level 3 training gives you the tool for a lifetime practice, not the knowledge that comes from that lifetime practice. Taking a step back, being vulnerable, and reaching for help and mentoring are ok. Expanding, growing, and evolving is ok—as long as you are honest about where you stand.
Article by Nathalie Jaspar
Free eBook download: We’ve created an eBook with our best articles on this topic, and offer it for free to all our newsletter subscribers.
Nathalie Jaspar is a Reiki master with over 15 years of practice. Her mission is to deepen the understanding of Reiki practice in the world. She is a graduate teacher from the International House of Reiki, also trained with the Center for True Health, and the International Center for Reiki. To gain an even deeper understanding of Reiki practice, Nathalie went to Japan to practice Zen Buddhism at the Chokai-san International Zendo. Nathalie is the author of Reiki as a Spiritual Practice: an Illustrated Guide, and the Reiki Healing Handbook. She is the host of the Dive Into Reiki podcast and has been invited to demonstrate Reiki practice at venues such as Soho House, the New York Jet’s Athletic Center, and Fashion Week.
You can reach her via www.diveintoreiki.com, or https://www.facebook.com/Dive-Into-Reiki/
Leave a Reply