“Awakening is not changing who you are, but discarding who you are not.” Deepak Chopra
A few times recently, I was asked about Reiki and spirituality. Here are my thoughts on this topic. Not everyone will agree with me; it is my personal view. This is my view on Reiki or any energy healing and spirituality as of today. Honestly, I cannot say this view will never change. I always have an open mind and eager to learn something new. My understanding of spirituality is that spirituality is created or formed from personal experiences that help us understand the universe and our place in it. Thich Nhat Hanh wrote, “At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit or further away from it.”
Often Reiki practitioners tie Reiki to their personal beliefs. Reiki is a spiritual practice; Reiki is not a part of and doesn’t belong to any religion. Because Reiki does not belong to any religion, it will not interfere with any beliefs. Reiki is part of the world of nonduality. Attaching our practice to certain religious beliefs creates separateness that diminishes our effectiveness. Reiki practitioners are a diverse community united by a common goal; at the same time, every practitioner pursues their personal spiritual journey. A Hindu proverb says, “There are hundreds of paths up the mountain, all leading to the same place, so it doesn’t matter which path you take. The only person wasting time is the one who runs around the mountain, telling everyone that his or her path is wrong.” In Reiki, there is no religious doctrine or dogma to follow or no one to worship. So, when practitioners tie their practice to personal religious beliefs, what they practice is part of energy medicine or biofield therapies but not Usui Reiki.
Spirituality has different meanings for different people. Reiki principles or precepts give us clear guidance to our spiritual awakening. Being spiritual requires never-ending work on yourself. It examines your negative thoughts, anger, worries, and fear. Reiki precepts show the way of liberation from the toxic elements in our lives. They teach us not to judge, be kind and grateful. Reiki precepts help us to remember that we are all spiritual beings. They teach us to see life as continuing miracles without trying to oppose or control life. We understand that life does not happen to us – life is responding to us. So, we have the power to influence the situation.
Taking good care of our spiritual life is important to overall health. Indigenous healing tradition explains health as a balance between our life’s physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects. Reiki, as biofield therapy, addresses all four elements of our health. They are all connected and affect each other. Reiki helps us to heal our wounds. And because we are all energetically connected to one source by healing ourselves, we are healing the world. Reiki assists us in fully living our lives, feeling connected, being at peace, and being supported.
Reiki nurtures our spiritual growth by expanding our worldview. It opens our minds to experiences that our sensors cannot always register and knowledge of interconnectedness in the universe. It fills our hearts with compassion, love, and understanding. We nurture compassion for every living thing in the world and understand that we are all one family artificially divided by race, nationalities, social status, and beliefs. As a spiritual practice, Reiki helps us cope with physical and emotional issues and everyday stress in general. This is why the consistent practice of Reiki and any form of meditation is so important. Brene Brown wrote: “Spirituality is recognizing and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion. Practicing spirituality brings a sense of perspective, meaning, and purpose to our lives.”
Reiki precepts help us achieve a level of spirituality where we clearly see our path, obtain inner peace, and rediscover our purpose and meaning. It helps us be optimistic about the future and appreciate the present. Reiki brings us to the level where we can address the root cause of our problems by connecting with our authentic self, inner voice, and higher power. Practicing Reiki helps us connect with universal energy or universal consciousness and understand this nonduality. It is a realization that we are an important part of this continuous web of life with a mission to fulfill. Our existence is a gift from the universe; how we live and act is our gift to the universe. We are spiritually awake when we awake from dreams and wishes that our thoughts create.
With love,
Roman
February 1, 2024