The Reiki Cafe 

Hi friends,

I am new to the forum and to Reiki. I have been reading through the thread archive and it's very interesting.

I live in Birmingham, AL and had never heard of Reiki before I started attending a Unity church here. It was offered by one of the members. I was led to attend the training and it has been life changing.

I feel like a different person - for the better! It is so beautiful and full of light and love. Here's the question. How the heck do I explain this to my Bible belt friends and family? I am so excited and want to share the news, but I'm getting some really strange looks. I have tried explaining it as energy healing channeled from God through me. If I were to say "Universal Life Force", there'd be trouble. Whoa boy! I don't dare mention the symbols! Even my husband gives me looks like I've lost my mind, but he does see how much better I'm doing since the attunement.

I truly feel Reiki will be a part of my life forever and I want to pursue becoming a Master. I read with interest last year's thread on the Roman Catholic church's stand that it is occult and of Satan. I have a feeling I'm going to get those opinions in my area of the country.

Interestingly, when my dad's family first came to the US from the old country they settled in Salem, Massachusetts. I always wondered if they were the pious or the "witches"! :)

Masterpeace,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- one view is that to say Reiki is energy from god channeled thru us is the spin that has been put on original Reiki practices to make it more palatable in the predominantly christian West

- the cynics will also say that this has as much to do with selling Reiki training to as many people as possible as anything else

- but, if we are true to ourselves we will either say things as they are or keep quiet - Reiki practices can, in case of doubt, simply be made a very personal matter not needing justification to anyone else

- a lot of people will simply 'chose' to hear what they want anyhow and for most the wide-eyes will pass

- for those obsessed with satanism?? They are simply showing their own unresolved Shadow issues and you need to deal with that as you see fit

- Reiki practitioners are an incredibly small minority but it is important not to let the ignorance, fear and\or bigotry of others deter you from your path and your joy

- Reiki has nothing to do with religion irregardless of how hard some try to make it a religious issue

- hope this helps

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Dear Masterpeace,

Well, if anyone questions what you are doing, and whether it might be something "evil", let them decide by what they see in you. The proof is in the pudding, so if they can see a positive improvement in you, or sense your inner goodness, it's gotta be good.

Another way is to tell the religious ones to pray about their questions. They can ask God to show them if there is anything wrong with Reiki. This puts the ball back in their court.

Remember, you have nothing to defend, and if you do become defensive, people can take it as confirmation that you do have something to defend.

Just enjoy your Reiki, and be discerning about who you talk about it with for a while.

Welcome to the Reiki world!

khalsa said on

>Well, if anyone questions what you are doing, and whether it might be something "evil", let them decide by what they see in you. The proof is in the pudding, so if they can see a positive improvement in you, or sense your inner goodness, it's gotta be good.

Along those lines, see Matthew 7:16-18.

Bruce

khalsa,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- you said in part: "Well, if anyone questions what you are doing, and whether it might be something "evil", let them decide by what they see in you."

- what we 'see' in others is very often projections from our own Unconscious, afterall

- recognizing this is the first step to resolving one's own Shadow issues (which are revealed when we 'see something' in others) and hence our Karma

- the idea of allowing behavior to tell the tale is a good one (one deed is worth a thousand words) except that not all behaviors are interpretted the same way or accepted in all cultures and traditions

- but everyone, everywhere has a Shadow

>:-}}

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Hello,

I agree with the approach that Reiki really has nothing to do with religion. If you are confident and just let others say, think or feel what they want, they will see that you don't worry about it at all and will let it go.

I like to approach other people's reactions with calm assuredness. Replies such as " Reiki has been approved by more than 700 hospitals. Staff are being trained to deliver Reiki to patients because it has been proven to be very effective in many ways similar to physiotherapy and magnetic feild therapy. Is Physiotherapy satanic? Reiki is just a slightly more natural way of providing balancing to the the body's electrical systems.
You will find many ways of expressing these facts that feel comfortable to you, that stay totally away from the religious aspect.When people see that you are calm, make sense and are very happy and comfortable with what you are doing, they will either shift their belief, or be quiet about it. Either way, you will continue to experience your bliss, as Wayne Dyer so nicely puts it " Idependant of the good opinion of others"

Light,
Wendy.

So many good words here. I relate to what you're saying, MasterPeace, because for a long time I felt "in the closet" with my Reiki. Like Wendy, I've been in the medical profession and in a state which seems to take a little longer to accept new or unexpected things. I've worked in Rehab, Nursing home facilities, hospice.....and in each setting I've offered to "introduce" Reiki to my co-workers & clients. Hoping that if they were interested they would seek further on their own (hoping towards my Reiki teacher). I've even given Reiki to managers, so they might sense what it's like and what could be expected....I was mostly fluffed off. But that's okay....because I realized that some just weren't ready yet.....like I wasn't ready years ago. Wendy, I've even shared the book, "Reiki Energy Medicine" by Libby Barnett & Maggie Chambers, as a good example of Reiki being used in our medical profession. Thank you, everyone for your words....you help me in so many ways.....I remind myself...be the Reiki.

I like your suggestions Khalsa. That's a great way to handle it. Surely, they'll see it can't be evil if it's made such a positive difference in my life already.

masterpeace,

Hi,

People who see evil everywhere outside their narrow range of view have found ways to attribute healing to being 'fooled' by satan or whatever other base spirit one wishes to name. Remember, most of the earliest people accused, tried and executed as witches were mostly just folk healers and herbal healers. But the good they did was not interpretted very well, I would say.

I do hope those around you will have a more enlightened view of Reiki and its apparent positive influence for you.

Cheers,

RC

Dear MasterPeace,
There is a Catholic retreat called Evensong that has Reiki so I don't know where you get that the Catholic Church thinks Reiki is of Satan. There is that verse in the Bible about "call no man Master" but the Catholic church tends to be accepting of other religions and spiritual practices.
peace,
Prosperity

Prosperity - Masterpeace said she read a thread last year on the boards that mentioned the Catholic church referring to reiki as Satanic. Those were not her words.

MasterPeace - I am from Nebraska and have seen some of the hesitation to reiki that you've experienced. I even work in a performing arts organization, and even some of the artists are uncomfortable with the idea of energy work. In my experience I have found the people most uncomfortable with the idea of reiki to be Christians. I'm not quite sure why. In any case, my experience is to say "I do reiki" and then let them ask me questions about it. If people get uncomfortable, they will stop asking me.

Those who are open to it will seek information and will find you.

Love and Light,
Jude

prosperity said on

>Dear MasterPeace,
> There is a Catholic retreat called Evensong that has Reiki so I don't know where you get that the Catholic Church thinks Reiki is of Satan.

Maybe from people who came onto reiki message boards saying they're catholic and their priests said reiki is satanic or demonic? It's happened periodically.

There is that verse in the Bible about "call no man Master"

Matthew 23:8-10 presents 3 prohibitions:
Do not be called "teacher."
Do not call anyone on earth your "father."
Do not be called "master."

When some people said reiki masters
were violating the Biblical injunction
about being called master, I asked
whether they had called anyone on earth
their father, which is prohibited just
one verse earlier. Nobody replied, though.

Bruce

This can be difficult. I am reading a book right now that puts healing in a perspective that might be quite palatable even to those in a "Bible Belt" mentality. The book is Healing Light by Agnes Sanford. She knew nothing about Reiki, but when you read it, you would swear she had come upon Reiki spontaneously. She was a devout Christian (the book was written in the 1940's!)and so the way she speaks of our capacity for transmitting healing energy is very much in that vein. Anyway, it might give you some ideas on how to approach this topic. My perspective is that Jesus did tell his followers that they could heal and perform even more miracles than he, because he was tapping into a gift that we ALL have. Reiki, I believe, is just one avenue or "school" of healing. It came through an oriental culture, and so has some oriental features, such as being passed from teacher to student, and using oriental symbols. Symbols themselves are pretty universal . We all use and understand symbols. Look at what is common between Reiki and what is in the culture of your listeners.......then help them see the similarities. We are all human and basically have the same hard wiring! Apart from that, if your listeners are coming from a place of FEAR, you probably won't be able to get them to listen to logic, so just move on to someone else, because they are not ready.
Good Luck,
Feather

I have found that some Catholic people don't understand Reiki, and are fearful because they don't understand it. This goes for many religious people of other denominations also.

However, I have many Catholic friends who practice Reiki. I was originally attuned to Reiki by a Reiki master who is Catholic. I have attuned a Catholic nun to Reiki, and she thinks it's wonderful.

I'd say that attitudes within religion are just as diverse as those outside of religion.

Thank you feather and all of you for your helpful replies.

Hi Masterpeace,

A warm welcome to the Reiki Cafe.

Just a note to say that in 2000, I received Reiki first and second degrees from
a Roman Catholic sister who teaches at the local Roman Catholic college:
Ursuline College. She had taught Reiki for years prior to that.

I think acceptance is growing more and more all around.

A note about your husband and family giving you strange looks:
I too went through that. To this day, I do not mention Reiki or energy healing to
my husband. I am careful to share it with only those who have the ears to hear.

Further, I am many years late in pursuing Reiki, energy healing and the like because
I permitted, I allowed, others to define me. My error...I wasted scads of time. I'm
sure you won't let that happen to you. Go where your heart takes you.

Blessings,

resplen

Hi Masterpiece!

I just wanted to add that my Reiki Master teacher is Catholic and we have a Catholic nun who often participates in our healing circle and is a pastoral counselor.

But I did learn something as I searched for Reiki and Catholicism. There are quite a few sites out there condemning Reiki because of misinformation.

Blini

Dear Mini,

I agree about the websites as I wonder if they are authentic is an understatement. I know there are nuns and priests who often disagree with what the Pope says anyway and do have issues as everyone should about any institution. Did your RM do initiation attunements?

Peace,
Prosperity

Dear Masterpeace,

I am Christian but non-denominatinal, and certainly see value in other spiritual practices. My uncle is an Anglican minister and knows about reiki - he has no problem with it. My teacher was taught reiki by a Christian minister. Mrs Takata was Bhuddist and called reiki "God Power" (a closer interpretation from the Japanese is "spirit power/energy"). Mikao Usui was a Bhuddist lay monk. Reiki is spritual but NOT religious in nature. (That said, I know atheists who use it! They often begin to re-think their posn on possibilities after reiki...)

When I speak to my more conservative friends (whether religious or not), I sometimes say that if they can accept that prayer and laying on of hands might have effect, then perhaps reiki is like that. I never allow myself to be drawn into the argument around good vs evil, but do offer to put hands-on if they want to try.

About becoming a "Master"... Give yourself plenty of time to practice right where you are right now at your current level - develop discernment in your hands and begin to better understand what the various energy flow and sensations mean for you. Then ask the question "Do I want to become a teacher?" because that is what the third level is about - teaching. The responsibility is huge. If you want to be a great reiki practitioner and work on healing, and you have done the second level, then that is all you need to do (if nothing has been withheld from your training). Sadly there are some people out there who offer ridiculous numbers of levels, top up courses with loads of attunements, and stacks of peripherals that have little or nothing to do with reiki.

Welcome to the cafe!

Suzibeth

Hi,

in the Reiki attunements in the western system we invoke Jesus Christ and the Heavenly father to bless the person being attuned and they are the ones who attune, I am just let them work through my hands. Who else should respond than those, who else could jump before them? Can you call Jesus and get a response by Satan? If Jesus would let that happen, would he than have the properties we know he has? I think: a big NO!

And what does occult mean? It is the translation of hidden. But hidden is not bad per se. Does anyone know how much is hidden in the Vatican? Can or should it be called occult, too? Scaring is not loving.

If you use the Japanese pantheon then you use Dainichi Nyorai, who is the Buddha in the center of the universe and Kannon, who is the boddhisattva of unconditional and compassionate love, synonymously. Very much the same, or?

So any christian person getting scared or into judging is invited to reflect about Jesus and God and their properties to us before going on with it, those are larger than anything else, because it is all there is.

All the best!

Movia,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- invoke jesus for Reiki attunements?? Why on earth??

- I do not anyone who does attuements in this way but without a specific name it is hard to say whether I have ever heard of the system to which you allude

>:-}}

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper