While the practice of reiki and reiki treatments may have a specific shape and form, I’ve been thinking this week about the extra benefits from coming to a reiki treatment, which aren’t about reiki itself.
While it’s hard to generalise about my reiki clients, I can say that everyone comes to support their well-being. So, a first benefit is about a positive mindset. The action of coming to a reiki treatment means that you have decided that you want to take care of yourself. You want to see what reiki will do for you in a positive way or you may hope that it will address a negative situation in your life, such as stress or anxiety, or even a physical issue.
I also think it’s very important to be able to identify how we are feeling and then to say how we want to feel. We’ve all heard stories about how some people won’t admit to themselves how they’re feeling and then that sadness or anger or stress erupts or turns into a bad situation. Moreover, if we’re not feeling at our best, it’s useful to think about how we are feeling when we are good in ourselves. How do you want to feel?
So, some reflection is accomplished, which I think is very positive. Then, reiki clients turn intentions into action by booking and coming in for an appointment. I think this is also a positive gesture. A main challenge for some of my clients is that they know what they need to do (e.g. make time for themselves, work less or think about work less) but they don’t do it. By deciding you want a treatment and coming in for one (and making the time), you are breaking indecision, inertia or a lack of motivation to doing something you want to do.
Basically what I’m saying is that before the reiki treatment has started, you’ve put yourself on a positive course to feeling better. There are other benefits, which could be said to be part of the treatment, but I think of as extra benefits. Being welcomed into a peaceful, quiet and non-judgemental space. Being invited to say your intentions for how you’d like to feel. Being listened to and seen. Listening to music, which I hope you find beautiful. A cup of tea, if you’d like one, and perhaps a different sort than you’re used to.
One of the biggest benefits, I think, is being able to be quiet, in a space all to yourself, with time for yourself, free of obligations of work and family and the need to think about problems and other people, time to not receive phone calls and not be connected to our smartphones. Some clients tell me they never take or get this quiet time for themselves.
So when I say that I think that a reiki treatment is beneficial for almost all of my clients, it is not just the reiki treatment itself, but also the extra benefits!