People tend to think of spirituality and spiritual practices as a serious affair. You picture a monk, perhaps, or a nun sitting in perfect silence for an eternity. It is, in fact, part of the history of reiki that its founder, Mikao Usui, fasted, prayed and meditated in a cave in Japan for 21 days, and had a spiritual awakening.
But I had a profound discovery myself that has had me think about reiki and spiritual well-being in a different way. In October, I was able to spend time at a reiki workshop with my teacher, Frans Stiene, who used to live in Australia and now lives in the Netherlands. He’s known worldwide as a fantastic teacher, one of the best, and one of the things that I’ve always known is that his students love him because he is always joking around, he likes to swear and he makes them laugh.
Yet this visit (we’ve known each other for over 20 years), spending time with him and drinking cocktails, I suddenly realised that it’s not just about playing around – though he does call the workshop ‘Reiki play days’ to show that it’s more play than work. It’s a way of being. In fact, during the play days, he said, look at the Buddhist monks and nuns and the daily life at the monastery. They are always laughing and smiling. Spirituality does not have to be so serious!
Because Frans has a lightness about him and is funny and positive, he also has the capacity to listen to other people’s problems, in fact their negativity, and not be affected by it. Both friends and strangers seem drawn to Frans to tell him their problems or simply be around someone who makes them feel good. Two of the reiki precepts are about not being angry and about not worrying. I saw, perhaps for the first time, that Frans has a way of being in the world that is more than just being a funny guy, but being bright and open and light. It is a way of being.
There are many translations of what ‘reiki’ means. Some see it as universal energy. Frans sometimes talks about it as the Great, Bright Light that is our true nature. That we are the same energy that makes the trees, the planet, animals, humans, the universe. For me, it is perhaps easier to say what reiki is not. Reiki is not about diagnosing someone’s problems or that we need fixing. Reiki is not about being in a perfect state of no thoughts and no emotions. Hands-on reiki is only part of the larger practice of reiki, which is a way of being in the world. Reiki is not necessarily serious.
Perhaps what reiki is: uncovering our great, bright light, and letting go of the worries and anger that can cover it up; that energy and feeling inside of us that is light and open and makes us want to laugh. Perhaps reiki is the connection we feel with ourself, with others, with the world around us. Perhaps reiki is the love that we have for our friends and family. Perhaps reiki is enjoying cocktails with a friend.