Reflecting on Debating from a Reiki Perspective

Thanks to everyone who emailed me with their thoughts and opinions on last week’s Reiki debate, “Can you learn Reiki remotely?”

I learned so much from each of your comments, especially the idea that not being able to learn Reiki remotely would prevent people with chronic illness or special needs from learning Reiki at all. I heard some amazing stories of readers whose chronic pain and suffering have been helped so much by the healing benefits of Reiki, only because they were able to learn from the comfort of their own home. I think this is a very important point about remote learning, and I’m so glad this was brought to my attention by my readers!

In thinking about some of my own (sometimes not so pleasant) experiences of debates within the Reiki community, I think it’s important to reflect upon the way that we conduct ourselves as Reiki practitioners when we discuss differences within our community. We should strive to always follow the Reiki precepts in our discussions:

For today only Do not anger Do not worry Be grateful Work diligently Be kind to others

If we remember these precepts, we’ll never say something that could harm or end a relationship, and we’ll always evolve and grow in our practice in a healthy, balanced way. I think it’s so important to balance a knowledge of and respect for the foundation and origin of Usui’s teachings, while also responding to real-life situations with wisdom and compassion. It’s a real-world challenge to our Reiki practice when we strive to embody the Reiki precepts, even in heated situations.

I also think it’s more important for Reiki people to stick together, rather than fight over differences. Just as animals have taught me that we are so much more alike than we are different in species, so too, we in the Reiki community have so much potential to come together and support each other in a world that too often forgets the power of love, peace, kindness and compassion.

We must work to find a way to honor our own unique inner truth without diminishing the experiences of others! Perhaps if we can try to focus on being Reiki with each other all the time, not just in the context of a formal treatment, this can give us a peaceful way forward, together.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about debate within the Reiki community too. Be sure to add your comments below!

Stay safe, be well and may the animals light your way,