The Reiki Cafe 

Everyone,

Namaste...

I have been thinking about something and thought I'd throw it out there for you to express your thoughts about it.

I have observed that there are many folks out there who have some real concerns and questions about what an attunement is.

In my own situation, I was told little about the process...the actual "ritual" and what was the master was going to be doing.

I was told what it does for me...but not how they were going to accomplish that end result.

Because I trusted them, I didn't question much, and thought the movements/motions quite odd but figured they knew what they were doing.

:-)

As a teacher now myself, I hesitate to make it necessary for my students to blindly trust me like that. I'm not sure that's even healthy.

I guess where I'm going with this is tradition is fine, but when you live in a culture where keeping secrets can be an attempt to manipulate or deceive, isn't being out there in the open with information a better way to establish trust and a healthy student/teacher relationship?

I know there is loads of info out there on attunements, but how many of your teachers really explained to you what they were doing as they went through the "ritual"? Did the ritual itself make you uncomfortable or did you think it "weird"?

And wouldn't feeling more informed/comfortable about the experience be beneficial energetically as well, making the student a bigger player in the process...claiming their own part in it all?

I had the same teachers for all three of my attunements and wouldn't change that for anything. They were great. It's just now being a teacher myself, I hear huge concerns (especially in regards to is this "OK" religiously) and feel a need to address that matter of factly.

Blessings to your day!
Mammabear

MammaBear,

Hi,

There seem to be at least two important issues that you raise. One, is it ok to show and tell the attunement process to one's students at the time of their attunements. And two, is it ok religiously.

I have no essential issues with the first part. The tradition I went thru did not show or tell the attunements until one's Master level when one learns to do attunements. But in this day and age of so much information already public, I do not see the point in the secrecy if the Teacher wishes to be more open.

The religious issue?? A can of dragons.

lol

Cheers,

RC

Reikicurmudgeon,

Namaste...

A can of dragons? And me here with a can opener...hmmmm. Dare I?

bagl

I do think that the two as you so cleverly summarized, are not necessarily distinctly separate from the other.

If we are open, and explain what the master is doing, wouldn't it be easier from the student stand point to see that there is really no reason to be concerned, that there is no conflict?

Why is it that I, who truly appreciates the Christ have no issue with reiki whatsoever?

I think that knowledge/understanding is the key somehow.

What's the old adage?...Ignorace breeds fear.

Cheers in return,
Mammabear

MammaBear,

Hi.

Reiki and religion are, as far as I am concerned, two separate issues. ULE is accessible to everyone (including free thinkers) and Reiki certainly may be done in a manner entirely devoid of 'religion' or other organized spiritual dogmatism

:)

And, there are plenty of folks undertaking Reiki who are neither christian or Free Thinker. lol But, if all your students are christian? Well, even among christians there is a lot of variability in what is not thought of as 'heretical' in some way (though the term heresy seems to be left to the catholics most of the time), I have heard really strict Baptists refer to Reiki as a form of heresy.

But, if you need to justify Reiki in religious terms in order to make it more palatable for your students then it is certainly your perogative to couch things in whatever terms you might see as appropriate. How much it bothers you that others may not agree with you is another kettle of dragons, of course.

:)

Cheers,

RC

Reikicurmudgeon,

Yes, of course they are two separate "things" reiki and religion. But I'm referring to lack of understanding and fear of attunements being interrelated.

I am merely trying to get a grip on students reactions to how attunements were administered, did they feel ok with it regardless of their religious preferences, language preferences, or otherwise.

And if they didn't feel ok with it, would a more in depth explanation of it be of any great value to them.

:-)

Good point about how I view my individual approach. I haven't met any teachers in my area who take a more "down to earth" approach to reiki as I do. So perhaps I'm looking for validation.

Ah yes, the true sign of a shaking confidence.

:-))))))))))))

Out of the box I can sometimes be, ready with a can opener awaiting the dragons.

I guess I should be shaking a bit, after all I am no warrior.

:-)))

Thanks for the validation. And your comments.

:-)))))))

Mammabear

MammaBear,

Hi.

For myself? I was, naturally, curious about the attunement process. However, we were 'kept in the dark' according to the prevailing tradition of the time (in order to step further into the light lol, lol, lol) Some irony.

Yet, there are ways, if one has some training and practice in other 'energy work', to have a bit of access to the attunement process (or at least how it is accepted by oneself). So, I feel I came out of my Reiki 1 & 2 attunements perhaps a little more tuned into the process than some (but not all) of the others in my classes.

As for fear of attunement? In my estimation, the more hands-on Reiki practices students have during Reiki 1 the more likley most will be quite ready for the attunement (having already had a couple of days to absorb energy via Reiki as well as pass along the energy to others). I would say that most who come out of 8 or more hours worth or giving and receiving Reiki practices will certainly be feeling pretty good and fairly confident and if there are any butterflies they should be pretty tame. Might someone have a case of the 'dragons'? Sure. So, ok. There was one woman in my Reiki I who seemed to do all the practices just fine but could not do the attunements. We were told later on that she appraoched the Teacher a couple of weeks later and was granted the attunements.

Cheers,

RC

Reikicurmudgeon,

Namaste...

Good point about having prior energy "dealings".

Concerns raised to me have always been folks with limited exposure to energy work.

And then there are others who have never had reiki and have been polluted with bad information so they are a bit trickier to engage in conversation.

Again, easy to understand dialog seems helpful so there are fewer misunderstandings leading to defensiveness.

And this isn't just in the realm of the religious, it can also be in realm of the scientific/medical as well.

Glad the student reconsidered the attunements. Great testimonial.

:-)

Happy day,
Mammabear

MammaBear,

Hi,

Limited exposure to energy work? Yes, that can make some nuts a bit tougher to crack. But, two hours of Reiki then attunements, to me, does little to alter that situation. I really cannot imagine most folks gaining any sort of comfort level with Reiki if they do not have a minimum of 8 hours of hands-on work spread over two days.

Then there is also the matter of doing Reiki after an attunement. It is essential that people do hand on Reiki with others so that one is at both ends of the energy connection (not to mention the benefits one can reap oneself thru the simple act of hands on Reiki for someone else).

Cheers,

RC

Reikicurmudgeon,

Namaste...

There are people who have issues with the concept of attunements and would never venture into a class because of the misinformation or misunderstanding they have about it.

So the info we put "out there" is also critical. Have you ever had to do any "damage control"? The things I hear people say about reiki makes my eyes pop right out of their sockets!

Well, that's a bit dramatic, but you get my drift.

:-))))))

And it happens even in my class. Class time is intensive, so if you have had no prior studies in energy work, you are hearing a lot of new concepts for the first time, so it's understandable to mis"hear" a thing or two.

That's why I'm a biggie on follow up reiki shares for all my students so we can work together and share feedback which to me is the best classroom of all.

Be happy,
Mammabear
:-)

Dear Mamabear,
You raise a valid issue and I like that you don't want your students to have blind faith in you. Sounds like wisdom and maturity on your part. Students who put a teacher on pedastal will set up teacher to fall off and get injured or attacked later by same students. There does need to be honesty and of course listening to our intuition and having respect for what the student is wanting. Thanks for bringing that up.
peace,
Prosperity

MammaBear,

Hi,

Oh yes. Lots of 'misperceptions' of energy especially if one has been swaddled in a culture with generally very narrow views about that sort of thing (if it is not our dogma it is heresy). This is why having a few hours of a Reiki class (at the front end) devoted only to 'information' and issues of perception can be very helpful. It is also a way for a Teacher to get a grasp of students and one may learn of some previous experience that could be interpretted in terms of energy and help someone relate to Reiki a little better (or not in some cases). :)

Sure, there may be an occasional drop out but that should be OK. As you say, people need to be informed so they may choose as clearly as possible.

Damage control? But, what all those who say "Reiki can do no harm"? lol

Cheers,

RC

mammabear said on

>Everyone,
>
>Namaste...
>
>I have been thinking about something and thought I'd throw it out there for you to express your thoughts about it.
>
>I have observed that there are many folks out there who have some real concerns and questions about what an attunement is.....
>
>Blessings to your day!
>Mammabear

Dear Mammabear,

Your post invoked gigabytes of stored internal data and dialog on the points you brought up.

Germain to this post thread, I would say that we all have strong and common notions as to how the attunement thing should go. My first and most profound attunements were tom waits back alley by comparison. Distance. It was a rough ride for a while not having a mentor or guide to steady me. Eventually I found not one mentor but a whole gaggle of mentors at the Reiki Cafe. I came to realize years later that it was my path to go it alone. I also realized that while I had to go it alone, as far not having a hands on mentor, I learned much more and gained much more in the long run by having many mentors in one spot. I'm blessed come to find out. That was my path though.

My point is that Reiki chooses the individual it seems. We don't fully understand it but the documentation is there. After the attunement though it's always up to the individual, the attune-ee, to tend the infused Reiki to some manner of fruition. Or at least learn to live with it.

Reiki attunement rituals that involve mojo ritual-like movements would give me pause as well. I had no esoteric experience when I was first attuned. I had visions and clearly witnessed Guides working on me, the whole bit. I was way cool with that while it was going on. The attunement style you call into question seems scary.

At the end of the day we hang our hat and coat up. And hopefully forgive ourselves for only doing your best that day. Then sleep peacefully.

Namaste,

Michael

Michael,

Happy to dig deep into the well of your stored data and help you reboot it. Just hope it wasn't in the recycle bin awaiting to be trashed being unpleasant in any way.

:-)))))

Thank you for sharing your story. It reminded me how unique our experiences are.

Very responsible of you to accept the journey yourself. An excellent point for all of us to remember.

I smiled at the testimonial of the benefits that this cafe has had for you. I hope Mike & Firekeeper read that. :-)

I'm not sure how I feel about your comment that Reiki finds the individual as if it's on it's own personal mission. My practical brain would view it more like Reiki is drawn to a person who is willing and ready to use it consciously or not. But of course questions like these have no easy answers, so we'll just each do our best to wrap our brains around it.

The "mojo movements" that I was taught have special intentions behind them, all dealing with the energy and the student.

I correlate the "ritual" in my own mind with a tea ceremony. Every movement is deliberate and has meaning.

But to the average "Joe", it may appear rather odd to observe or experience.

I'm carefully thinking about the importance of the ritual vs. a more gentle and kinder approach if someone has fears or concerns and how I want to deal with them.

There has to be a way to help those who are "on the fence" about reiki because of attunement.

I just don't want to jeopardize losing any important lesson by being so frank and open.

Am I being overly conscientious?

LOL

Probably! I'm a Virgo afterall.

LOL

Thanks again for sharing.

Abundant blessings,
Mammabear

Dear Mamabear,

Perhaps i mis-visualized the mojo thing. It seems normal when I see you doing it. As far as a potential attunees apprehensions, 'walking' some thru it beforehand is the best you can do. After that it's up to the person to make that leap of faith.

namaste,

Michael

Otoharo!

I am not comprehending this. As I remember it, I was asked to keep my eyes closed. So I knew nothing about what was happening until the breath work. and working on my hands. I did not know anything about the attunement process until I was taught it in reiki III. And that was after a year of auditing classes. Even there, my eyes were clsed along with the students being attuned. It was many years after I had been attuned that I learned what it was. How do prespective students know anything about it?

finaltiy

Finality,

Namaste...

The fact that the student knows nothing might bring cause for concern in a students mind in of itself, don't you think?

I definately sensed my master doing "stuff" in addition to what you mention. And wondered about it. But again, I had great trust in my teachers because I had a long standing friendship with them so I knew it was "OK"...

...but you can believe I was asking questions!

Not everyone is ok about speaking up and asking questions then draw the wrong conclusions creating misunderstanding and a wake of more misunderstanding as they share their experience with others creating more need for "damage control".

So why not avoid any such situation from the front?

Just being curious then about others feelings on the subject of being very open about what's going on.

Does that make sense?

Blessings,
Mammabear

MammaBear,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- you said, in part: "...the subject of being very open about what's going on."

- question? Who's to say the Teacher 'knows what's going on'

- might not students' questions reflect their 'interest' in whether the Teacher really has any clue as to what is going on??

>;-}}

- not everyone is thrilled, afterall, to hear that variously lauded and villified phrase: "trust me!"

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Firekeeper,

Namaste...

Excellent point!

Still cool in your parts?

Tonight I was out sitting by a campfire with a friend enjoying the cool weather when she got a call that her son (after almost three years of waiting and who recently had a "cutting edge" procedure done with a new type heart pump) was being rushed to have a heart transplant.

He is my age.

Astounding, scary and sad all at once.

You just never know when you wake up in the morning what's going to happen today.

Take care,
Mammabear

MammaBear,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- I will, of course, keep good thoughts for your friend's son (and the family)

- people who sign on as organ donors are amazing!

- campfire on a cool night? Perfect!

>:-}}

- it has been great the last few nights - able to sleep with windows wide open - just add a light, extra blanket (not nearly cold enough yet for the down comforter)

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Hello,

I did alot of research on Reiki before i recieved my attunements. I have all and total faith in my god, there for i found no problems with the people he led me to or in the process of the attunements. I know god has my back. And that everything happens for a reason.
Having said that, I wouldn't worry too much about your students having complete faith in you, and i would put together some info. packets and leave them out for them. That way it is their choice. And the question should be what are YOU comfortable doing and what feels right to you.
Thanks, hope that helps,

love and light harmony

The fact that the student knows nothing might bring cause for concern in a students mind in of itself, don't you think?

In response to that, Most students go into classes not knowing much. Hence... the class and teacher.

I think they would not have gone as far as to sign up and pay and all that if they werent really ready.

love and light, harmony

Otoharo!

Good sharing.

finaltiy

Firekeeper,

Namaste...

He did terrific through the surgery, thank you for the kind thoughts.

:-)

Glad you've had enjoyable temps. Warming up a bit again this week, but still nice.

I sent you an email...did you receive it, or are we having trouble again?

:-)

Happy day,
Mammabear

MammaBear,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- thanks for the card. What fun!

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

I think we could all be a little more open to change. It is inevitable if you truly belive in the Universe and Universal Energy.

Shake up your attunement processes. Do them differently every time if you wish. These are not set in stone practises. Make your students comfortablr with the knowledge they are recieving and pass the knowledge on. That is what it is about.

On a religious level....Oh I am so glad to comment.

I believe that we are all given special talents and gifts from God. I struggled with this aspect and prayed on it alt for my own piece of mind. God layed his hands on people to heal. I think my gift comes directly from God in that he helps me to help others. The first person to recieve Reiki was show the symbols while on a mountain...Hmmm so was Moses with the 10 commandments. I was brought up very much a Catholic. God is always first in my heart I just chose to expand my heart and let the Reiki shine through. Reiki is not Religion. You can guilt free do both.

Love and Light to you,
Namaste
Healing-Hands