I spent eleven hours training last week with Reiki master Pamela Miles, author of “Reiki: A Comprehensive Guide.” She speaks accessibly on the topic and seems to understand and have contacts within the mainstream medical community. It seems like she could be the one to catapult this form of hands-on caring into settings where it’s never been practiced, or even discussed. Her website contains many medical papers on the success of Reiki healing in hospitals, and she has trained myriad hospital personnel in the method.
What is Reiki? Sometimes people incorrectly think of it as a “Beam me up, Scottie!” practice of laying hands to magically zap wounds or cancer cells. Others consider it Jesus’s healing method, or God’s love. While the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) classifies Reiki as a form of “energy medicine,” Miles disagrees. When trained Reiki practitioners calmly place their hands on themselves or others according to the designated protocol, Reiki consciousness (a term Miles prefers to “Reiki energy”) “affects the subtlest level of the biofield [a.k.a. energy body or aura]… Unlike energy therapies, Reiki is accessed through, but not directed by, the practitioner. Once accessed, Reiki flows as water seeks its own level, gently encouraging the biofield toward balance.”
If you have ever kissed a boo-boo to make it better, you have a notion of what Reiki is like. Unfortunately, you can’t learn how to practice from a book. So precious and subtle are the initiations (or empowerments) bestowed by the trained Reiki master, and so edifying are the conversations you’ll have within your class, you need to find a teacher who can “give” you Reiki in a way you’ll find accessible. Miles recommends the Reiki Alliance’s teacher directory as the most reliable international source of instruction. Since Reiki can become a loosey-goosey modality subject to New Age distortion, beware of teachers who promise Lazarus-style miracles.
posted May 31, 2006 at 3:02 pm
I don’t agree with you at all about not being able to learn from a book. Distance symbol is for distance healing, so then why wouldn’t it work for attunements, empowerments?? I have had much success with using reiki without the very expensive attunements and classes offered by many reiki teachers. Reiki energy is not something you get from the teacher, its available to all, and therefore can work for all. Many of the things taught by reiki teachers were not even taught by Usui when he was teaching his pupils. Like the particular hand placements. He didn’t teach them, instead he taught by instinct where to place the hands, which to me makes much more sense. There is so much greed involved in teaching and attunements. If others truly wanted to help the world heal, there would not be such an enormous price tied to accessing reiki. Right now, its only for the rich if people want to believe that you cannot learn from a book or have distance attunements, empowerments.>
posted May 31, 2006 at 4:15 pm
This has been the constant argument about Reiki…. Reiki is about love and light and everything else is just discussion. No, you don’t have to pay a large amount of money to learn about Reiki, but an equitable exchange for taking other people’s time and resources seems appropriate, especially if you want to learn in person with someone to guide you. There are “traditional” and “non-traditional” modalities of Reiki and neither is more important or better than the other. The part that distracts and detracts from the work of Reiki is arguing about it. I applaud anyone who helps to educate others about accessing and utilitizing the healing energy within themselves. Once a person has “learned” Reiki, the most important thing about your learning is to practice using it. A very wonderful way to do that is the Distant Healing Network. Look for them online. They are a group of volunteers who take their own time to send healing energy to anyone who asks for help. It’s lovely and the right way to go to find a daily use for your newly acquired knowledge! Blessings and Light to You and Yours!>
posted May 31, 2006 at 6:50 pm
Beautiful!! Thank You Joni…I agree about the arguing, but my point was meant for those that are interested but did not have the resources to pay hundreds of dollars. It was to help those, not argue with others who oppose my view.>
posted May 31, 2006 at 9:10 pm
I think the teacher list is out of date. I called the only teacher in my area and he is no longer in the state. In doing online research, I came across Quantum Touch. Has anyone experienced it?>
posted June 1, 2006 at 9:50 pm
Quantum Touch is different than Reiki. I looked at the website once and was turned off because it said it was better than Reiki. Made me wonder where they were coming from or what Reiki they had experienced–what’s the point in saying pears are better than apples? There are so many good modalities. It’s usually easy to find a Reiki teacher, but not always easy to find one that’s credible. You can ask at the local hospital, or call a respected acupuncturist or chiropractor or such to see if she knows anyone. Once you get into the network of complementary therapists in your neighborhood, you’ll likely find a Reiki practitioner.>
posted October 7, 2006 at 5:20 pm
Hi, Interesting discussion – and I think Kate’s initial comments were spot on! If reiki is universal then it is for all
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