Reiki and chakras

Posted on 28 August 20192 February 2020 by andy

One of the most frequent questions that I get is whether I work on a client’s chakras during a treatment.

Accordingly to the traditional Japanese energy systems, there are three centres of energy, at the third eye (or forehead), at the heart, and at the hara (a few inches below the navel).

My teachers, Frans Stiene and Bronwen Logan, call these the Three Diamonds, and encourage them as a focus for meditation.

The system of seven chakras that came out a few ancient Indian traditions is a different system. However, when reiki was popularised in the West, primarily in North America, in the 1980s, it was at a time when a lot of people were interested in the Indian chakra system, and the practices sort of converged. So, many Western reiki practitioners do like to use the system of chakras, and talk about reiki in terms of them.

I don’t.

It’s not that I don’t believe in them, it’s that I haven’t found them useful for my practice. Since energy flows in all parts of our body, I believe that a treatment should facilitate energy and healing everywhere, not just focused on or limited to the chakras. For example, some reiki teachers encourage a series of hand patterns that only cover the upper part of the body (as there are no thigh, knee and feet chakras). But as taught by Frans, I always work at the feet, and clients sometimes tell me this is where they feel the most energy, or they feel energy entering or leaving from their feet as it connects and flows to other parts of the body.

My other issue with all this talk of chakras is that many healers use them to tell clients things that I think are not useful or not correct. Does it really help to be told that your chakras are out of balance? Is it true? If someone tells you that your base chakra is blocked, what can you do about it? The prescription is often to buy a crystal, or to pay for a healer that believes they can unblock that chakra.

A few clients have come after being told or feeling that their heart chakra is ‘blocked’. But to me it seems more realistic that the person has suffered an emotional hurt, recently or in the past, and that they have access to the solutions themselves: practising self-awareness and self-enquiry, meditation, a good therapist, getting more sleep, eating better, exercise, spending time with friends and family, and learning to manage anxiety and stress. I think people have a much greater power for change and healing if it is something that they can do themselves and that is more easily understood, than, say using a rose quartz crystal to try to bring healing to the mysterious heart chakra.

Discover the gifts and benefits of a session of Japanese reiki therapy, healing energy from an experienced practitioner. Visit my website or Facebook page for more information and SMS, email, call me or book online if you’d like to make an appointment. Since 2011, I’ve given nearly 1,500 reiki treatments.

Clients come to relieve stress, anxiety and for many other issues, or to just give reiki a try to see what it does for them. Folks come from all over Sydney and elsewhere to see me. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney.

A few dates that I’m away

Posted on 6 August 201913 August 2019 by andy

If you’re feeling like a reiki treatment in the next few months, heads up! I’m going to be away or unavailable during parts of August, September and October! So, if you try to book through Bookwell and it says I’m unavailable, that’s why!

I’m happy to take your bookings in advance for when I am in Sydney. Just get in touch. Otherwise, to let you know, I’m not available:

20 to 30 August: I’m going to a wedding in Vancouver
9 and 10 September: I’m hosting a friend from overseas
25 September to 15 October: I’m on holidays in Italy

Reiki hurts!

Posted on 18 June 201922 July 2019 by andy

It has surprised me to learn over the years that sometimes a reiki treatment is not completely pleasant, nor are its after-effects. And sometimes, it even hurts!

Clients report that a treatment sometimes will activate old injuries and they’ll feel energy there, an itchy feeling or pressure or even a bit of pain.

Some report feeling a bit of a headache.

Others have reported feeling pressure, sometimes unpleasant, at a part of their body, usually their chest or throat area.

I even had a period where I was feeling sensations of pain in my arms or legs or elsewhere and then after the treatment, the client would tell me they had felt pain in the same places. Spooky! I told my reiki teacher who said that it made sense: as the whole point of a treatment is to achieve oneness, to be in the same healing space with a client and not feel a separation (or duality), so it’s actually a good sign if we’re feeling the same sensations.

After treatments as well, clients don’t always feel great. I think the most common unpleasant feeling that I’ve had reported is fatigue, feeling really, really tired the night of the treatment, or the next day or even longer. A few clients have felt emotional (one said her boyfriend was really worried about her). One client felt so out of sorts he snapped at his partner!

And yet, during or after a treatment, any negative feelings are temporary and clients feel better than before afterwards. My teacher, Frans, gives the analogy of a wound where the process of the scar forming might not feel pleasant: itchy, irritated and even painful. But it’s a necessary part of the healing.

I’ve found that clients like to know what they can expect from a treatment, and that those who are most disappointed are the ones who have very specific ideas about what will happen, and whose expectations are not met. So I do try to let people know: not all the time, and maybe never for you, but for some people: reiki hurts!

Lessons I learned from a prickly client

Posted on 7 April 201916 June 2019 by andy

Quite a while ago, I had what I would consider my most prickly client. There were two friends who came together and my communication with them to organise the treatments was a little odd, I remember. They came from work on a weekend, and were late. When I met them at the door, I asked whether one of them was going to go for a walk during the other’s treatment, or if they wanted to stay in the room. They said they wanted to be together.

They kept speaking between themselves in another language, which is fine, though something didn’t feel very good about it to me. They decided which one would go first, let’s call her Sharon, and so I asked my usual questions of how she was feeling and whether she’d had reiki before. She hadn’t but her friend had. When she was on the table and we were about to begin, her friend, let’s call her Bev, pulled out a laptop computer from her bag and opened it up to start to work.

‘No,’ I said. ‘I’m sorry but you can’t work on your computer while I’m giving a treatment.’

‘Don’t you have a waiting room?’ she asked, accusingly.

I was rattled. I offered to get her a chair and she could work in the area outside of the reiki room. It wasn’t ideal as I could still hear her working away and I thought what an odd situation it was. Sharon finished her treatment and said that she could feel something and that it felt good. So, I let them swap places, and Sharon went to sit outside the room.

‘So, Bev. I understand that you’ve had reiki before.’ Her energy was closed up so I was struggling to talk in a relaxed way. ‘If you’ve come back for another treatment, I’m guessing you had a good experience with it?’

‘Well, I haven’t had reiki from YOU yet,’ she replied.

I think it was only five minutes into the treatment, maybe ten, before she said, ‘I feel nothing. Absolutely nothing. The last time I had reiki, I started crying immediately and was very emotional.’

‘Do you want me to continue?

‘No.’

I charged her a discounted rate; I certainly wasn’t going to give up my time for free when I had offered the treatment in the same way as I always had. She continued to talk (about me, I was guessing) to Sharon under her breath and I did finally say: ‘I don’t think you were in the right space to have a treatment. You were working on your computer until only a few minutes before we started.’

‘Maybe you’re right.’

I escorted them out of the apartment as they continued to talk to each other in their own language, and I closed the door, not angry, but confused and drained. I was still annoyed by the thought of it for a long time afterwards.

Now, looking back. I’m grateful. From that time, I learned to be very clear that if someone is to stay in the reiki room during a treatment for someone else, then they will need to be quiet. They can read, or read their iPhone, but certainly not type or work. I put more information on my blog and website that Reiki Surry Hills is located in a private apartment. No, I don’t have a waiting room.

Most importantly, I really try to set the context better for treatments. If a client is new to reiki, I tell them that every treatment can be and feel very different, and sometimes I say that you might not feel much of anything at all, except quiet and relaxed. If a client has had reiki before, I tell them that this treatment might feel very different. I encourage clients to be open to whatever might happen, and not have particular expectations.

It’s also in the back of my mind, though I haven’t had a chance to try it out, that if I feel that someone is coming only as a favour to a friend, or that they don’t really want a treatment, or don’t feel comfortable, to try and catch that and be proactive and say, ‘you don’t have to have a treatment.’ It would be better for the both of us to not even begin.

Another lesson was that while I used to believe that reiki would help anyone, whether they believed in it or not, and whether they could feel anything, I’ve changed my views on that. Some people, or some people at certain times of their life, will not be interested in or open to a treatment and I’d think that if they felt a benefit, they’d ignore or not recognise it, or maybe they really wouldn’t any benefits at all.

These were all useful lessons for me to learn, so it’s good to now say: Thank you, prickly client. You’ll never know the ways that you helped my practice!

Almost famous: Reiki Surry Hills

Posted on 6 February 20199 February 2019 by andy

Here is what I think is a fabulous video from January 2017:

I’ve thought for the last year that they (I won’t mention the name in case they’ve got alerts!) would delete the video but it’s still up so I might as well share it more officially with you.

You see, I got a call before the video, where they said they do neighbourhood guides, and that Reiki Surry Hills would be a nice sort of service or business to fit into it, as it’s a bit different.

So, I had this super-professional and beautiful woman drop by, Rachel Billsborough, with a very excellent camera guy, and they filmed this video (which was later edited).

Afterwards, they asked me to rent it from them for promotional purposes. I can completely see how this would work for some businesses. Videos can apparently be a really effective marketing tool, which gets way more attention than a static image or set of words. I didn’t have to arrange this or script it. It really was amazing to be given the opportunity to use this video to promote Reiki Surry Hills.

The problem though is that I don’t really have such a big business. It’s part-time work, which I fit in with my other professional work, as an editor of reports and documents, and I don’t charge a ton of money (like some places…) for the treatments. Plus, I’m getting as many clients these days as I want. So it didn’t make sense to invest money into using this video to promote my business, when I’m happy with how it’s going, and my Google Business profile, Bookwell appointment system, word-of-mouth, and repeat clients are keeping me as busy as I’d like to be.

Still, it’s a great video, isn’t it?

Gentle, general healing (vs specific blockages)

Posted on 13 December 201816 January 2019 by andy

A client forwarded me a video by Abraham and Esther Hicks. I’ve some mixed feelings about what I know of their work. It was basically stolen from them and made into the best-selling book, ‘The Secret’, and while I think that setting an intent is a good idea, both ‘The Secret’ and the work of the Hicks seems to imply a much stronger link. Ask for what you want and you’ll get it. Like the very popular work of Louise Hay, who specifically links disease to emotions and past trauma, I think these writers and thinkers need to be challenged.

On the other hand, I found this video quite interesting and helpful.

It’s 15-minutes long so I think most people won’t have the specific interest and the time to watch it, so let me give you a summary: a reiki healer is worried when her clients ask her to clear specific blockages. She’s confused about the way that other healers talk about these blocks. She’s worried that she can’t feel them (I think this is what she is saying).

The answer from the Hicks really matches what I believe, and then goes further. They say that the energy that all energy healers work with is the same, it’s the ‘source’ energy. They say, as energy healers, we are not beaming energy from us into a client. We are creating a healing space, and allowing the energy of our clients to be in touch with our energy, which, through our practices and meditation, is closer to ‘the source’. The aim is not to feel blocks or diagnose, but create ‘a more allowing state’ for that energy to flow.

They said that when people feel they are out of balance or have blockages, they have already set the intention to feel better; they know what needs to be fixed; and are working on that practice on their own. The ‘source is on the case’. So, if they can’t solve the problem on their own, if ‘source’ can’t do it, then a healer won’t be able to either. They say that there is a possiblity that if the client is really correct about what needs fixing, and the healer focuses energy towards this, that this specific practice could work.

But the Hicks say being general is better. To provide gentle, general and genuine healing, it is not about projecting ‘blockages’ or focusing on them. It is better to say something like, ‘I don’t have absolute knowledge of the energy that is flowing, but I can feel it.’ We don’t have to figure out what that energy is, or what it is doing. The energy holds the intelligence to know what needs to be done. Our work is to allow the energy to flow as this energy always helps.

What the Hicks say in the video really does match what I’ve been taught my Frans Stiene, my teacher, and what I believe. I just don’t think it’s helpful to believe that we have blockages and imbalances, and especially for other healers to tell people their heart chakra or head chakra is blocked. We know when we’re feeling bad, and there are lots of reasons for it. Working too hard. A difficult relationship. Not eating right. An injury. Feeling lonely. All of these things we can work on, in different ways. But who knows how to ‘remove a block from a heart chakra’?

If you come to a reiki treatment for your chakras to be cleansed or for your energy to be balanced, isn’t it simply saying that you want to feel better, to be more closely in touch with yourself and your core energy? As I always tell clients, the more specific problem you have, the more difficult it might be to solve. But will a treatment generally make you feel better, and give you some space to relax and reflect? Yes, I think it will.

Discover the gifts and benefits of a session of Japanese reiki therapy, healing energy from an experienced practitioner. Visit my website or Facebook page for more information and SMS, email, call me or book online if you’d like to make an appointment.

Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney.

Why I’m not a Reiki Master

Posted on 28 November 201829 November 2018 by andy

Sunset on trees, Nelson Bay

When I was first learning about reiki from my brother, I was surprised and disappointed to find out that reiki is like any other system or school or practice. After it started, people started created their own variations, and because conflict is part of human nature, people from the various systems of reiki can criticize each other and fight with each other, which is … not really the point of reiki. But those are humans for you.

In most Western systems of reiki, the teachings are divided into three levels: Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 (in Japanese traditional teaching, these are called okuden, shoden and shinpiden). Generally, after doing Level 3 or shinpiden, reiki practitioners are considered able to teach others reiki, though some of us don’t teach, and just use our practice to treat others and ourselves (and as a personal spiritual practice).

It is also after this level that generally, around the world, people refer to themselves as reiki masters. I’ve always been uncomfortable with this term. I think the reason why is that the word is often said with a mocking tone by people who think reiki or the idea of a reiki master is a bit silly.

The thing is: I agree that the phrase sounds silly. The word ‘master’, in common usage, means that someone possesses particular skills or experiences that give them mastery in an area. But my problem, when this is applied to reiki, is that it is not that difficult to simply do the classes. While you should do one level at a time, with time for the teachings to settle in between, these days I’ve heard of people who do the levels very quickly, or all at the same time. There are no particular tests to prove that someone has absorbed the knowledge. As long as you have the money for the courses, and take the time to do them, you too can become a ‘reiki master’.

But what I’ve learned from my teacher, Frans Stiene, and from practising reiki for over twenty years, is that reiki is a spiritual practice and a daily practice that includes meditation and chanting and trying to live a life according to the reiki precepts, to ‘just for today, not to worry or be angry, to be compassionate to ourselves and others, and be true to our way and being.’

Some people who do reiki courses do not continue to practice reiki regularly, so in this case, I’m not sure that the title of ‘reiki master’ is very meaningful.

Most importantly, to me, the title ‘reiki master’ can interfere with a reiki treatment. Used in the wrong way, or said in the wrong way, the term implies a superiority, a wise guru and expert who has masterful powers. But my role as a reiki practitioner during a treatment is not to DO something to my client, and not to wield magical powers, but to open a healing space in which both practitioner and client work together. The aim is not for me to be superior to my client.

For these reasons, I prefer using the term ‘reiki practitioner’, which is kind of a mouthful to say, but it suits me best. I’ve heard people use the term ‘reiki therapist’ but to me, therapy is associated more closely with clinical treatments and counselling. The term ‘reiki healer’ is not too bad, but I read too many fantasy novels in my younger years and tend to think of ‘healers’ as wearing long white robes using an arsenal of potions and a magic wand. So, for now, reiki practitioner it is … and that’s why I’m not a reiki master!

(As an addendum, which is somewhat related but I don’t want to do a separate blog on, a LOT of people seem to find my website while searching for ‘spiritual healing‘ or a ‘spiritual healer‘. While reiki works at an energetic level that is tied to a particular philosophy and sense of spirituality, I don’t define what I do as spiritual healing. A quick search on Google and I’m still confused. I know there are spiritualist churches (where people talk to the dead) and I have heard the expression before, ‘spiritual healing’, but I’m not sure, when someone calls themselves a spiritual healer in Sydney, what they actually do or offer.)

Discover the gifts and benefits of a session of Japanese reiki therapy, healing energy from an experienced practitioner. Visit my website or Facebook page for more information and SMS, email, call me or book online if you’d like to make an appointment.

Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney.

Reiki Surry Hills newsletters

Posted on 26 November 201822 November 2018 by andy

Since starting Reiki Surry Hills, I’ve tried to keep in touch with clients. A newsletter seemed to be a good way to try to do this, and the rather amazing program Mailchimp allows individuals and businesses to easily create and send out newsletters and to maintain a list of contacts.

Of course, one doesn’t always meet one’s own expectations, so while I hoped to get out three or four newsletters a year, I managed to do two in 2016, two in 2017, and have now done a third (and last one for 2018).

Maybe this is good. I am bombarded with spam and junk mail every day, multiple newsletters from stores and businesses that I’ve used, and worst are constant entreaties to Reiki Surry Hills as a business. Most of them say, ‘I must say – your website is very impressive’ and then go onto to tell me I need them to get to the top of google rankings (or use them to create videos, or buy a doormat with my logo). So, I don’t want to ever come across as one of THOSE people.

So, I hope 3 or 4 newsletters a year is not too much. In the meantime, my latest newsletter is available. If you didn’t receive it directly and would like to read it, it’s here. I believe from that page, you can also subscribe to the newsletter if you haven’t already… or if you want to unsubscribe, please do so! I don’t want to annoy you by sending you information you don’t want, but I hope you keep in touch!

Discover the gifts and benefits of a session of Japanese reiki therapy, healing energy from an experienced practitioner. Visit my website or Facebook page for more information and SMS, email, call me or book online if you’d like to make an appointment.

Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney.

What if anxiety is our friend?

Posted on 19 November 201819 November 2018 by andy

The most common reason clients come for a reiki treatment is for anxiety. So I found this recent New York Times article by Alicia Clarke interesting: how can we harness anxiety and see it as something that is useful?

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/16/well/mind/how-to-harness-your-anxiety.html

The article says that too much anxiety isn’t healthy, but no anxiety at all is not good (sociopaths for example).

She recommends that we think of anxiety as a signal, a useful one, to pay attention to what is causing us stress, and look for a solution.

We can also relabel ‘anxiety’ to think of it in a more positive way. If you’re nervous about something, you could think of it as nerves about how WELL it might go, rather than how badly.

Finally, she advises to aim for the ‘sweet spot’ where we use our anxiety as a friend (for example, to meet a deadline, or do something we’ve been putting off) rather than letting it overwhelm you.

I think it’s all good advice, and an invitation to look at the big picture. If a client comes for anxiety, and the cause is, say, a bad boss at work, or having to move apartments, then reiki alone isn’t going to help.

Still, I have had clients report back that a reiki treatment may help them be more relaxed, or deal with the anxiety better, or even have some inspiration about how to deal with it.

If you do have problems with anxiety, I encourage you: Ask if anxiety can be your friend. Try to allow some anxiety be useful for your life. And then for the anxiety that is uncomfortable and painful and not useful: explore different options so that you can find the set of solutions that will help you feel more calm and capable of dealing with life’s regular pressures and stress.

Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney.

Note to self: keep doing your thing.

Posted on 13 November 201826 November 2018 by andy

My teacher, Frans Stiene, from the International House of Reiki, posted this on Facebook a while ago, and it struck me how perfect it was for what I was feeling at the time.

It seems to be attributed on Pinterest and elsewhere to Nanea Hoffman who has a website called Sweatpants and Coffee (though I can’t find this post on her website).

There are many components that make a good reiki practitioner. Studying with a good teacher will help. A regular practice of meditation and reiki is essential. And I also think that we need to learn to have the right attitude and philosophy.

Even if I have good intentions, and want something specific for a person (say, to heal their broken heart when they’ve told me their heart is broken), me trying to control the energy and treatment gets in the way of the healing.

Similarly, if someone has specific expectations for a treatment, that they will feel a certain way, or that it will be exactly the same as a previous treatment, then that gets in the way of a treatment too. What if you are expecting a treatment to feel hot or for you to cry, and think that the treatment is only effective that way? Perhaps you would miss a different kind of healing that happens, that might be more subtle, or might feel different than what you expected.

For me, as a note to self, I can’t control what a client feels, and taking on disappointment if someone doesn’t get what they expect, or even have what they think is a bad experience, well, that’s not so helpful to me. It is something to be learned though, and a lesson that I think is a pretty good one for everyone, not only reiki practitioners.

The people around us are going through their own stuff, with their own reactions and expectations. We can’t control it. Just keeping on doing what we are doing, with as much love as we can do it with… that seems like a pretty good path forward.

The International House of Reiki’s Facebook page is here.

And if you haven’t visited lately, my Facebook page is here.