Written by: Romula
Being a Reiki Practitioner/Master, it is expected to have deep conversations on Reiki and one's Religious beliefs. It is a discussion that one can never avoid, and through training with one's Reiki Teacher/Master, we are prepared for this as best as we can.
But what if it is a close friend? Or a family member? How does one approach the other about Reiki and wanting to share it with that religious person?
We all know that when we do things that require support, some will and some won't. And that's ok. It doesn't hurt to try and reach out. The point is, is that the initial attempt to share was done. And that is all one person can do.
Now this talk about this conversation. I try to be as respectful, sensitive, and careful with my wording. In this case, I was texting with an individual who is on the Christian path (not sure which specific denomination). I wanted to share my Rise & Shine Reiki Monday Youtube videos with them, hoping that maybe Reiki could help in their faith, but mostly bring them relaxation and rejuvenation. My reach out was simple, and I even explained that it does not effect one's religious practice and that the energy comes directly from God. I usually tend to elaborate further than that, by including other denominations, indigenous practices, and other religions, naming their word for "God". But, I kept it simple as I knew the sensitivity of the situation. The response I received took me aback, but I asked the Great Spirit (my name for "God") for guidance and to send me Reiki so that I could continue this conversation and hopefully, enlighten this person to understand where Reiki comes from.
This quote is the only part that I will share from the conversation verbatim (for privacy reasons), "Hey, divine energy from which God?"
I had to sit for a moment. It was the first time, I didn't feel anything, just blank. I asked the Great Spirit to send me that calming, relaxing energy so that I could be able to answer the best way I could. I broke it down. God, as in the All in All. The Creator of Life. The Unconditional Love. God is Allah for Muslims, and Yahweh to the Hebrews. God as in the Universal Life Force Energy, similar to ki and chi. For Native and indigenous cultures, it would be the Great Spirit, Wakan Tanka, or the Sun God (as the person has Native roots too). Letting them know that Reiki was not a dogma. And that the beauty of Reiki, is that it does not judge, so anyone can receive it no matter their belief system. Just like Jesus Christ and his disciples, they were non-judgmental of the people they were healing and helping. Jesus, himself, walked amongst the lepers and the sickly, spreading his word and healing. I even mentioned that Reiki had been around for centuries and that it was believed it was what Jesus used to heal as he was attuned to God and his energy. Unconditional Love, is Unconditional Love. Reiki is the Universal Life Force Energy guided by Higher Consciousness, God Consciousness. And so it will not cause harm or interfere with one's practice. I explained how avid/hardcore Christians, a Rabi that I know, and a few Catholics, I've met overtime that have used Reiki to help them, bring them closer to God, and that they used it understanding that it came strictly from the Divine. Then I was hit with, that they only believe in things from biblical times.
As the conversation continued, I could tell at this point, it did not matter what I said. They were disinterested right from the start, but entertained this circus for a few moments or, genuinely wanted to know more. There was going to be one thing after the other. My main prerogative at that point was to dissuade their misconstrued conception of Reiki. Explaining Reiki was rediscovered in 1920s, and that it had been lost overtime, but had been around for centuries prior. I knew they were going behind the scenes "Googling" all that they could about Reiki, of which they admitted they were doing "research" to corroborate what I was saying. Unfortunately, the internet is not the best source to find all things, especially when there are people who claim to be Reiki Practitioners carrying a façade, and my lineage comes directly from the very person who rediscovered it. I have direct knowledge from my mentors and their passion to preserve Reiki. I have direct sources. It didn't matter. They said that it was "New Age", thus not old enough. That Reiki was managed by many Gods. And never hearing that Reiki comes from divinity and the beauty of how Reiki does no discriminate just like Jesus or any other prophet when helping the sick and poor. I explained again and said that my intention (at this point) was only to clarify their perception of Reiki and that answering their questions the best I could was all that mattered. There was no need to watch my videos or provide a Reiki Session. End of discussion.
Afterwards, I sat there. I called my mom and talked with my boyfriend. I told them that that was one of the hardest conversations I had ever had. I felt weird. Felt like my practice, my beliefs were being judged and, what's that word, almost "demonized". I've been practicing since 2016, grew up Protestant and Baptist, even went to Asia as a missionary to help with tsunami relief at a young age. I know my faith, and yes, I may have a different relationship and practices, such as using Reiki, but I am an avid believer in the Great Spirit.
It was just a first experience, that ruffled my feathers a little bit. There wasn't anger. There definitely wasn't disapproval. There wasn't any disbelief or discouragement. It was, the best I could describe as "eye-opening". It was an experience for me to go through, to learn from, to understand, and just know that I have been attuned to this beautiful, divine, Universal Life Force Energy from the Great Spirit and will share with those who will receive it. There's nothing more I can do, and I am satisfied with that. No complaints! (Just in my record book lol)
Romula Hawthorne
Sacred Willow Reiki Healing
