Hi Birdy,
I agree with Starlight in the statement that Reiki is different for different people. I too have encountered people who see Reiki as something that happened to them, rather than as the amazing and miraculous gift it is to me. My thoughts are that Reiki is their business and even though I find their perspective impossible to understand, I'm sure that mine is equally foreign to them.
As I read your post, I immediately started thinking about a lady I taught in a class at a massage therapy school. Reiki was offered as an elective course there and even though almost everyone said that Reiki "called" to them when reviewing their choices, there were students who were signing up for whatever would complete their class schedule fastest. The lady to whom I am referring was one of those.
During the class, she was continually questioning (which was wonderful - I love having at least one sceptic because they ask excellent questions). During the attunements, she swore she felt nothing and during practice, she complained that she felt like an idiot doing the hand positions because "nothing was happening".
A month later, the class reconvened for Second Degree. I was surprised to see her in the class. She told me that she no longer required the class, she just felt "called" to be there. When discussing the experiences of all the students, she claimed to have done no daily practice and to not have used the Reiki at all. I should note that I could hardly believe what she was saying as the woman looked positively radiant, when she came into the room at the start of the class, I couldn't recognize her, she was so changed from the withdrawn, fearful looking woman I had met before.
Throughout the day, she would make comments off and on about what had been happening in her life since the First Degree class. In very short, her life had been turned upside down and yet there she was looking like the very essence of peace. She stated that she had been able to sleep deeply and peacefully every night, wonderful because she had been struggling for years with insomnia. She had met all kinds of family politics struggles with grace and without most of her old, unhealthy patterns. I believe that it was the aid of the Reiki energy that brought her through some very trying times.
Her Second Degree class was no more magical for her than the first. She maintained that she felt nothing but she no longer felt stupid being there, she knew she was called to it.
The moral of the story is this: Never judge what another does with the gifts the Universe gives them. Reiki is so perfect in that it automatically taylors itself to the needs of the recipient. What a miracle!
It's just as amazing to look at you. You have really bloomed into something spectacular. I'm not surprised though, the little bud of curiosity mixed with trepidation that popped in here a few weeks ago was pretty wonderful too.
Love, Sara
