The Legitimacy of Reiki

Fifteen years ago I found myself sitting on a yoga mat for the first time.  I remember that day clearly because the teacher came up to me and sandwiched my heart between her hands.  I almost broke down right then and there before the class had even begun, as I felt a wave of unconditional love and compassion wash over me like a tidal wave.  At the time, I was emerging from a painful period in my life and in that moment I could recognize everything was going to be okay.  I remember Elena declaring at the beginning of each class that we are all perfect and complete in this moment, just as we are.  I had never heard such words before let alone contemplated being perfect, whole and complete at any given moment because the inner critic voice of my ego was always drowning out such a concept.  Little did I know that this brief moment of compassion offered to me was a flash of what was yet to come as I began to heal my life and eventually become a Reiki teacher in order to help others.

The other day a young man in college reached out to me regarding a paper he was writing on PTSD.  He was researching alternative therapies and knows that I am a Reiki teacher.  He asked me what I would say to those critics who claim that Reiki is illegitimate.  I was so grateful for the question because I am surrounded by clients and students who are transforming their lives for the better and sometimes forget that there is still controversy over what I do. 

When Reiki was introduced to the west some important aspects of the practice’s purpose and meaning were lost in cultural translation.  The practice of Reiki in Japan began as a series of tools to assist the everyday person in experiencing greater happiness and inner peace which would in turn generate greater health and wellbeing.  While some of the tools taught to students in the west involved meditation and breathing exercises, the real focus of attention was with the hands on healing techniques.  As a result, Reiki healing is what people often times think of when they hear of Reiki.  They envision someone placing their hands on another and “doing the healing” to them which is an outside-in versus an inside-out approach.  It also does not allow the recipient the opportunity to take responsibility for their healing process which can be disempowering.

In reality, the role of a Reiki “healer” is to be a compassionate presence for the recipient to be able to discover the whole, complete and healed self within.  Whenever I finish a session with a client, I always say to them “Good work today!”  They will sometimes say to me, “But you did the work.”  I remind them that my job is to hold space for their own innate healing process to unfold and their job is to remain open and relaxed in order to allow this to happen.  While it may then sound like a simple and easy task for a Reiki practitioner, it is not.  A Reiki practitioner who is most effective  has made a commitment to stay true to their own healing process in order to remain a clear and open channel for both the flow of energy and to support the relaxed state of the client.  When this happens, there is an ego detachment on the part of the Reiki practitioner regarding the results so that the healing can naturally transpire for the client’s highest good. 

Reiki is not a replacement to therapy or medical care.  Reiki is a practice that holds up a mirror to remind a person that there is a part of the self that is indeed already whole, healed and complete no matter the state of their mind and body.  When they can recognize and relate to that whole and healed part of the self, they can then begin to experience the possibilities of its expression on other layers of their being. 

In quantum physics they have discovered that subatomic particles exist simultaneously in every potential state until they are observed.  Once they are observed, they behave in alignment with the observer.  What Reiki practitioners or teachers do for themselves and others is observe the whole and healed self within that is in alignment with their most authentic and true nature.  The more that part of the self is honored and observed, the more the healing process can fully manifest.  This is why we hear of examples of spontaneous miracles that science cannot explain.  BUT it is also why we can on the other hand experience profound wisdom and wholeness even when a person does not fully recover from a health challenge. 

Unfortunately energy healing practices such as Reiki are critically analyzed from the perspective of linear thinking and energy does not operate on that plane.  It instead transcends it, reaching into the layers of life that one cannot necessarily experience on a tangible level.  Those that choose to experience life from the mind alone will never understand the legitimacy of a practice such as Reiki.  But for someone who is even mildly curious and open to the possibility that there is a transcendent energy source that connects all of life, Reiki holds unlimited potential to transform a person’s state of being.

The human journey is one that is filled with both joy and pain.  When there is pain there is an opportunity to allow a part of the ego to shed its layers, letting go of its hold over us and our emotional attachments in life.  It is through this process that we discover the depths of human compassion that relieve us of our suffering.  When we bridge the human self to the complete self we are reminded that our pain and suffering are not who we are.  This in turn allows us to discover the gifts held within the challenges we face, and find out that underneath it all we have strengths we never knew we had and new perspectives on life we would have never attained otherwise.

What happens in our lives is much more out of our control than we’d ever like to admit to ourselves, and so there is a human tendency to insist on proof or a guaranty that everything is going to be okay.  When we begin to recognize the part of us that is complete and whole, the ego that insists on those guaranties in life fades into the background, allowing for a more powerful experience of life because we are free of any attachment to the outcome.  When this freedom takes place, the greatest potential for happiness and healing can then transpire.

So for those who refuse to validate the practice of Reiki, I challenge them to ever so slightly crack open the door to possibility.  My students and clients who are undergoing chemotherapy, psychotherapy and other medical treatments are not looking to me to “fix” them.  They are becoming active participants in the dance of life and recognizing that while they have challenges, their challenges do not define who they truly are.

Blue Moon Oasis

Last week we had the pleasure of enjoying a July blue moon.  Despite the extreme rain that day, the moon peaked out from the clouds dressed in a crystal blue aura when I arrived home later that night.  I was so grateful to spend a few minutes connecting with her beautiful light.  Since I was a child, I have loved looking up at the night sky.  Its silent, nurturing presence serves up a soothing elixir at the end of a busy day.  Whenever I take a moment to check in with the moon, my mind immediately surrenders and my awareness becomes fully centered in the heart.  I found it so ironic to be standing on a New York City street corner, experiencing this inner peace despite all the noise from the bars and traffic.  

These moments I take to look up at the moon and breathe with gratitude have cultivated an inner oasis where I can let go and connect with who I truly am no matter how my day has gone.  They provide a reminder that no matter how harsh and chaotic the outer world may seem, underneath all of it is an infinite oasis of inner peace, joy, love and gratitude one can access 24/7.  

It is so easy to get caught up in and carried away by the doing of life – “should do,” “have to do,” “if I don’t do” – that we forget the physical world is just a microscopic fragment of reality.  There is a vastness within and it’s only when we quiet the mind that we can enter that special oasis.  This is the space where inspiration and a sense of wonder exist.  It is where compassion resides and healing takes place.  It is where that sense of oneness with everything creates the ultimate state of bliss.  The more often we give ourselves time in this space, the more we can embody love, compassion and grace in our daily lives, gently softening the rough edges of the things that stress us and weigh on our hearts.  Taking just a few minutes each day to connect with the energies of one’s unique inner oasis can produce significant and profound shifts in one’s daily life, and the easier it becomes to slip in and out of that oasis anytime, anywhere.  

Nurturing Your Unique Nature

As spring has been serving up her beauty in unusual timing this year, blossoms have emerged against the back drop of trees that have yet to bud.  It is as if Mother Nature has decided to leisurely serve up a seven-course meal instead of the usual buffet that seems to magically appear out of nowhere.  With a much cooler start to the season than in years past, I wonder if the trees that are first to bloom thrive with the increased sunlight while others need the encouragement of warmer temperatures and water in order to sprout.

Nature’s pacing this year provides us a reminder that we are each unique and as such have different needs in order to flourish in life.  Some of us need more sleep while others more protein in their diet.  Some need quiet solitude in order to feel replenished, while others to be surrounded by lots of people and activity.  And our needs change as we change throughout life.  One of the greatest gifts my personal reiki practice has given me is the opportunity to look inward each day to look, listen and feel for what is needed for my highest good at any given moment.  Our daily lives can become so outwardly focused with juggling work, school, appointments, taking care of our families, that we become conditioned to ignore what the inner self needs in order to thrive.  In the practice of reiki, the precepts ask us to “morning and evening bring our hands into gassho” (prayer position) to either meditate or do reiki self-care. Making the time to breathe deeply for a few moments each day, offers the mind a chance to recalibrate, the heart a safe space to find expression, and the higher self a channel through which to guide us with its wisdom.  It is during these moments we can begin to clearly recognize what is needed to experience the joy and grace that are always available to us.

Because so much of our culture asks us to look outside ourselves to find the answers to what we need, this idea of seeking answers from within can seem uneasy, impractical or even a bit crazy.  We may be afraid that what we discover will make us stand out as different from others.  We may also be afraid to express our needs out of fear of seeming weak.  Yet when we move through life fully aware of our distinctive nature and what it requires in order for us to feel well and happy, we operate in an empowered manner that honors our needs and appreciates what makes each of us unique.  

I leave you with this quote I read recently by Ram Dass:

“That when you go out into the woods and you look at trees, you see all these different trees. And some of them are bent, and some of them are straight, and some of them are evergreens, and some of them are whatever. And you look at the tree and you allow it. You appreciate it. You see why it is the way it is. You sort of understand that it didn’t get enough light, and so it turned that way. And you don’t get all emotional about it. You just allow it. You appreciate the tree. The minute you get near humans, you lose all that. And you are constantly saying ‘you’re too this, or I’m too this.’ That judging mind comes in. And so I practice turning people into trees.  Which means appreciating them just the way they are.”

Your Inner Walk-In Closet

Over the course of this year, I’ve heard so many people talk about how everything in life seems crammed in.  There is the need to work longer hours, while still taking care of family and home life, and then there are the multiple ways we communicate via text, email, and social media that constantly divert our attention.  While the digital era has made life easier, it has also made heart centered communication and human connection more challenging.

I was recently talking to a friend about how life in New York City feels like an overstuffed walk-in closet.  Everything one could ever need or want is there, but we are so crammed in both physically and mentally, sometimes there isn’t enough space to see and appreciate what we have.  While NYC does have its own unique dynamic, I suspect many who don’t live here feel the same way.  In a modern, fast paced lifestyle, it’s very easy for the mind, body and spirit to mirror this and become like that overstuffed walk-in closet.  We’re constantly thinking and worrying about what’s next or getting overstimulated by messaging and social posts, and so our being does not get a chance to calibrate. 

When one cleans out a closet, there is a physical and emotional feeling of freedom and lightness.  Sometimes there is also a sense of gratitude due to all the wonderful things from the past that are rediscovered.  Perhaps this is why more and more people are turning to practices such as meditation, reiki, yoga and other disciplines that require the mind and body to surrender to the present.  They offer space for the “inner walk-in closet” to get cleared out.  The more regular the practice, the more fully one can return to center when life does get chaotic.  Taking the time to quiet the mind and calm the heart is one of the most empowering things you can do on a daily basis, and all it requires is you and a clear intention.  It allows us to move through life with more grace and take pleasure in and appreciate all that is good in the here and now.

With the onset of winter and shorter days, we have many holidays that celebrate light.  This is a great time to light a candle, quiet the mind and allow spirit to shed light on all the great gifts that reside within us.  I invite you to do this simple meditation I’ve written:

Inner Walk-In Closet Meditation

Read this meditation a few times before you begin, so you can remember the steps.  You can take as little as a few minutes to do this meditation or as long as a half hour or more.  Try doing it several times over the course of a few weeks and see how it evolves. 

Find a place to sit quietly in a chair or on a meditation cushion, or you can lie down on the floor.  You may wish to light a candle, burn some incense or play some soothing music.  Gently close your eyes and relax your facial muscles.  Take some slow deep breaths, expanding your lower abdomen on the inhale, allowing your body to release and relax on the exhale.

You see before you a door.  Take a few moments to examine the door, its color, texture and design, as well as the details of the doorknob.  As you do so, a light begins to stream from the gap between the door and the floor.  You turn the knob and find yourself stepping inside a walk-in closet.  Take a few moments to adjust to the light and look around you.  Are there boxes, books or clothes?  Or are there a lot of objects piled up inside?  Is it neat and organized or cluttered and in disarray?  Is it empty, or is it overstuffed and in need of purging?

As you look around, a box of some sort catches your eye.  You open the box and look inside.  Take some time to connect with what is in the box.  It could be an actual object or it could be something abstract like a color, sound or word.  What does it mean to you?  Is it something connected to your past?  Or does it remind you of a forgotten desire?  Does it symbolize something you’ve been trying to release from your life or does it represent advice for a challenge you are trying to overcome?  Or is it reminiscent of a happy memory?  It could be something that reminds you of a lost loved one or of someone you’ve wanted to contact.  The possibilities are endless, so take your time and connect with what is inside this box you have uncovered and what it means to you.

When you are ready decide what you will do with what is inside this box.  Will you use it or throw it away?  It may be time to release what is in there or it may be time to connect with the thoughts, feelings and ideas it inspires.

When the time feels right, take a few deep breaths, imagining you are stepping out and closing the door to the closet for now.  You can always return whenever you need to take inventory of your life or to empty out the mental and energetic clutter.  Gently open your eyes and write down any details you wish to remember.

Letting Happiness Catch Up to Us

I recently listened to a wonderful two hour discussion on the subject of happiness that His Holiness the Dalai Lama held with three other religious leaders.*  Rabbi Jonathan Sacks spoke of a story about an 18th century rabbi who was watching all these people in the town racing about their day.  He finally stopped someone and asked what he was running around for and the man replied that he was trying to make a living.  The rabbi asked how did he know his living was in front of him and that he wasn't actually running away from it?  Rabbi Sacks equated this story to our pursuit of happiness and how we are often times so busy pursuing what we think and society tells us will make us happy that we forget to pause and simply allow happiness to catch up to us.  He went on to say that this is the purpose of the Sabbath in the Jewish faith.  Rabbi Sacks’ anecdote struck me, as this indeed is the purpose of any meditative or spiritual practice, to center ourselves so that the blessings of life are given a chance to come into focus for the heart, mind and soul to enjoy.

Earlier in the conversation, Rabbi Sacks spoke of there being two types of happiness.  There is the happiness we feel as an individual and then there is the happiness we cultivate through sharing it with others.  It is the gratitude for our blessings that we share in our relationships and within our communities that renew and strengthen our joy.  He calls this a spiritual happiness which is the greatest renewable energy there is as it reinforces and deepens our sense of joy, love, friendship and trust.

When asked about finding happiness in the situations that bring us suffering, the Dalai Lama spoke of being able to look for the blessings that result from the changes the suffering initiated in the first place.  Rabbi Sacks cited Genesis 32:26 when Jacob, who has wrestled with God throughout the night, says to him, “I will not let you go until you bless me.”  It is when we move through our suffering and discover even more meaningful blessings in life that we can embody a deeper sense of joy.

Seyyed Hossein Nasr, a professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University, discussed the meaning of the word beauty in Islamic culture and that beauty also means virtue.  As the conversation unfolded, his point was that as we appreciate our own inner beauty as well as the beauty held within the world around us, we experience the presence of the Divine.  He describes happiness as the permanent state of the soul and when we practice gratitude, we tap in to this eternal state of joy allowing it to be expressed through virtue.

As we “harvest” our blessings through the many different cultural and spiritual traditions that take place between now and the end of the year, let us take some time to quiet the mind and center the heart in order to allow our happiness to “catch up to us”, and in turn share it fully with our loved ones and community in the spirit of appreciation for all that is.

*A recording of this discussion can be heard at the website for On Being (www.onbeing.org).

Playing the Fool

This summer the world lost two special celebrities who touched many people’s lives.  The moment I heard the news of Robin Williams’ passing, I was taken aback by a wave of grief.  Then I realized it was because of my personal memories of going to see his films with my grandmother.  I remember her talking about Dead Poets Society for decades.  But when we saw Patch Adams and Awakenings together, I witnessed a part of my grandmother I almost never saw.  These films had reached into her heart and touched a vulnerability that she rarely let anyone see.  As a strong, loving, but stoic woman, the idea of showing vulnerability was out of the question.  Yet underneath the surface flowed a wealth of tenderness and sensitivity.  Just as a farmer digs for wells, Robin Williams’ characters had found a way to dig a well for her sensitivities to flow and find expression, if for just a couple of hours.

As I reflect on Robin Williams’ work, what I love most is what he was often times criticized for and that was exposing his raw side.  As a society we are conditioned from a young age to keep our inner world deep in the shadows, and Robin was willing to play the fool by exposing the full and colorful tapestry of his human experience.  Through his work, he reminded humanity that we all have seeded within the soul a childlike vulnerability that seeks creative and playful expression.  He held up a mirror, reminding the world that within the shadow self resides a goldmine just waiting to be discovered.

People who are sensitive and experience the full range of human emotion are often times judged as weak.  In reality, however, it takes great strength to be able to experience the depths to which human emotion can go, and Robin was one of those people.  Unfortunately, the extremes took him too far, too early.  This leads me to question why society doesn’t fully embrace those who have stronger sensitivities to life, and view them as leaders who shed light on how one can experience his or her emotions while remaining strong.  Perhaps if we did, this less traveled road would be a little less lonely and a little less painful for those who feel like misfits against the back drop of society.

Some of the greatest works of genius resulted from someone willing to stand out on the edge and play the fool.  Joan Rivers was another example of this.  Her whole life was spent on the edge, breaking the glass ceiling for female standup comedians, while ignoring all those who told her she had no talent.  Joan never denied her vulnerable side to the public.  Just like Robin, she held up a mirror to humanity and said it’s okay to be yourself, your whole self and nothing but your SELF!

When we deny or hide in the shadows the parts of us we fear will make us look foolish, we are missing out on the chance to be of service to others who may also be too afraid to admit their own vulnerabilities.  It becomes a missed opportunity for humanity to heal its shame just a little more and to bring out the best in ourselves.  The next time you realize you are keeping a part of your authentic side locked away from the outside world, ask whether or not someone else could actually be having a similar experience.  As Joan would say, “I succeed by saying what everyone else is thinking.”

Listening to What Echoes in the Heart

Several summers ago, I was relaxing in front of the TV on a Sunday evening when out of nowhere a cricket flew through my window and landed on my bookcase.  Now for those of you in the suburbs or countryside, this might not seem like a big deal, but for a city dweller, living in a third floor walkup, this is a very rare occurrence to say the least.

As the cricket played on for the rest of the evening, I turned off the TV, made sure he was out of reach of my cat (who was growing increasingly excited), and quietly listened to his song with my full attention.  I remembered falling asleep as a child to the sound of crickets in the summertime and took this moment to fully appreciate the little guy’s heartfelt solo performance.

The wisdom of cricket reminds us to listen with our hearts, to feel the vibration of what is being said, and let the sound echo what soul is expressing through our natural sensitivities and intuition.  With fast paced modern communication styles, information often passes through as just words and the full experience of what is being communicated gets lost in the flood of data.  Taking the time to listen with our hearts has almost become a luxury.

As part of the training for the reiki master program this year, we did an exercise on reflective listening through body language.  Instead of repeating back what the person was saying, we tuned in to how they were holding their body and the rhythm of their breath.  Just by finding ways to subtly experience the other person’s physicality in the conversation, we were able to listen with deeper a understanding of what was being expressed and experience more compassion for the other person.

Listening from the heart instead of the head doesn’t come easily in this day and age, but when we get the opportunity to do so, it becomes a gift for both parties involved.  The speaker feels heard and the listener receives an expanded awareness that opens the heart to a deeper state of compassion.  The art of listening in this manner is cultivated over time and through practice and not just when we are actually listening to someone.  When we sit to meditate, practice reiki, yoga or tai chi, play a musical instrument, dance, or engage in any other activity that requires us to be fully present, we are deepening our ability to quiet the mind and tune in to the sensual and intuitive sensitivities that enable us to become better listeners.

Summer is the time when Mother Nature is at her peak of expression with both the animal and plant kingdoms fully awake and active due to the extra warmth and daylight.  This provides a wonderful opportunity to quiet the mind and center the heart to receive the messages she offers us whether they come from a small cricket, the sound of waves at the beach or a gentle breeze.