Does anyone ever say FAQs anymore (Frequently Asked Questions)? It used to be the lingo that people used on websites, but I’m not sure these days. In any case, if you are interested in a treatment or reiki, here are some of the questions that I’m asked most frequently, and some other useful information:
What did I feel during your treatment?
It’s not important what I feel. It’s important how you feel. While I feel different qualities of energy and warmth, they might not be what you feel. I also don’t do diagnoses during the treatment, which other healing practitioners seem to do. I think they may not always be accurate and can put negative thoughts into someone’s mind. I’m especially skeptical of people being told they have energy blockages and problems with their chakras.
How long have I been doing this?
I have been giving treatments from our spare bedroom in Surry Hills since 2011 (so that’s seven years now that it’s 2018). Before that, I had studied and practised reiki on and off for about 15 or 20 years but became more disciplined about it in the early 2000s.
How often should I get a treatment?
I have some regular clients who come every two or three weeks, as they like the way that a treatment makes them feel, and feel that reiki helps them in their lives and with the issues that they’re seeking to address. I have many clients who come occasionally, when they feel they need a treatment, or when they remember to and can find time in their schedules. I’ve had many clients who have just come for one treatment. So, it’s all up to you. After a treatment, you should evaluate how you feel and if the treatment helped you in terms of what you came for. Then think about how often you would like to feel that way.
How did I get involved in this?
My brother Walter Quan is a reiki master from way back, and introduced me to reiki (level 1) in the late 90s. He initiated me in level 2 a year or two later, and level 3 in 2003. Walter collects reiki books and heard about one written by a Dutch teacher living in Australia. I looked up the book, and found out that he ran practice sessions on the same street where I was working in Newtown. So, in January 2004, I started hanging out with Frans Steine and the International House of Reiki and continued to both practise regularly and do further training with Frans.
Can I bring a friend?
There’s only one of me, so I can’t do treatments on more than one person at a time. If a few of you would like to come, I can do one person right after the other, though if there are three of you, I’ll need a little break after the second treatment!
A reiki treatment is supposed to be quiet and relaxing, so if a friend has brought you to the treatment, it’s best if they drop you off, and go for a coffee or walk during the treatment. If you would really like them in the room with you, that’s fine, but they should be warned that they need to be prepared to be quiet for the whole treatment.
Can you treat me if I have mobility issues?
There are two flights of stairs to get to the apartment where the reiki room is, so if you have problems climbing stairs, let’s talk about it. One client decided to get up the stairs, and took her time to do so, which was good, but I would have liked to warn her before.
I have done a reiki housecall in the past, but would do so generally only for a client that is within half an hour from here by public transport or foot. I also offer distance reiki, but would generally recommend this for someone who has experienced reiki before in person.
What if I arrive early or late?
It would be great if you could SMS or call if you’re running late, or if you’re going to arrive early. Sometimes, I can receive clients early and often new clients come 15 or 20 minutes early, just to make sure they can find the place! But earlier than that, I might not be ready, so might request you to wait, or you could walk around the block in pretty Surry Hills. If I really need you to come at the time of the appointment (probably because I am with another client), I’ll try to warn you in advance by SMS. Similarly, if you’re late, I can usually accommodate you, but not if I already have another client coming at that time.
Can you do something about your cat?
One of our cats, Thor, liked to hang out in the reiki room but we lost him, too soon. His sister, Freyja, is pretty shy, so if you are allergic to cats or afraid of them, it shouldn’t be a problem. Still, let me know in advance and I’ll give the reiki room an extra careful clean. It might help if you take an antihistamine or other allergy medicine before you come, just in case.
Can you offer me a deal?
If you can’t afford the $85 for the treatments (which I understand is comparable or cheaper than many other reiki treatments), let’s talk about it to see if I can allow you to pay less.
What can I expect to feel?
Everyone is different, and every treatment can be different. Someone might have a completely different experience from one treatment to another. Some people have more of a mental experience, and go into a relaxed, almost meditative state. Some people fall asleep. Some people feel energy or heat beneath my hands or in other parts of their bodies. Some people don’t feel much during the treatment, but notice changes in themselves after the treatment. One of my clients enjoys the feeling of relaxation during the treatment itself, and hardly ever notices effects after the treatment. It’s best to try not to have expectations and see what happens.
Do you teach reiki?
I enjoy giving reiki treatments, but have not put in the efforts to teach reiki. So, I’d recommend that you study with my reiki teachers at the International House of Reiki in the Blue Mountains. Frans Stiene and Bronwen Logan are excellent teachers, and Mount Tomah is a beautiful place to learn.
Does reiki involve touching?
During a treatment, a client is on the reiki table, fully clothed (do not trust a reiki therapist who tells you to take off their clothes). Reiki treatments can involve both hands-on and hands-off healing. Especially for new clients, I try to make sure that they feel touched, as people who are unused to energy feeling may have difficulty to *feel* the treatment without feeling my hands. I make sure to not touch any intimate parts of the body. However, I understand that it can be strange to be touched by a stranger, especially on some parts of your body, such as your stomach or jaw. I remember a fellow reiki student who did not like to feel her eyes covered by hands. If you feel uncomfortable in any way by being touched on some parts of your body or at all, just tell me and I will adjust the treatment to be hands-off.
What about noise during treatments?
Actually, no one asks about this but I did want to bring it up. Surry Hills is in Sydney’s Inner City, and there’s always something going on. The reiki room faces a lane, not a busy street, but you can still often hear the noises of the city and people talking. Garbage pick-up is on some weekdays in the mornings. There sometimes seems to be construction or repairs. Neighbours come out of their houses and sometimes have loud conversations. There is sometimes a bit of background noise from my apartment or neighbours.
Usually, the reiki room is pretty quiet, and I play beautiful, gentle music to cover low-level noise. If you think it might be a problem for you, you could do what one of my clients does and wears noise-cancelling earphones during the treatment! I have a small supply of free, disposable earplugs in case there’s unexpected noise (like construction). You could also bring your own music if you think that will help you relax and enjoy the treatment.
On the other hand, during one treatment, with unexpectedly loud repairs to our building (now finished, thank goodness), my client said she felt that the loud, construction noises actually helped her feel like things she wanted destroyed and cleared out were being hammered away!
What is that tea?
For a long time, I always served the same tea to clients, because they liked it to much. It’s called genmaicha and is a Japanese roasted rice tea. You can find it in Asian and Japanese grocery stores in both loose leaves and teabags. Lately, I’ve been switching it up though, so you might get a light green tea, a herbal tea with coconut, a ginger tea, or something else, but all of them will be herbal teas or light green teas: I don’t want to get a lot of caffeine into someone before their treatment!
Do you any suggestions for other questions and answers that I should include here? Let me know!