Is it evolution or has the healing energy of Reiki
become bastardized?
by Miami's Reiki Master, Rev. Atena Komar URM
Reiki is a healing practice based on unconditional love
energy that surrounds us all. It was first taught by Dr. Usui in the
late of the 19
th century. Along with is successors, he opened
Reiki training center many years after he was first given “the tools to
healing” in it’s purest form, known today as Reiki.
Today Reiki is practiced by millions of people all over the
world. Reiki practitioners of all levels are sprouting up like mushrooms
in the forest after autumn rain.
When Dr. Ususi first taught Reiki, he explained that his uber-simple,
superbly gentle and ultra powerful method of energy work should be
spread around the world. The more people practice it, the easier it is
for everyone to use it, the stronger the energy channel becomes and the
easier it is to absorb and attune to. In short, Reiki is accelerating.
As Reiki accelerates, builds momentum and grows strong, we too in
turn respond – as a collective human race we are becoming more open to
receiving this beautiful gift from our universe.
When Dr. Usui first opened his practice, his students would spend
years at the center, painstakingly working their way through the levels
of the very same energy we so abundantly use today.
Dr. Usui stipulated that Reiki will never need more complication.
There will never be more symbols and it will always remain a three tier
process requiring three separate attunements. With each attunement, the
new practitioner is given a descriptive title. With the first, the title
of Reiki Level One, with your second attunement it is level two and
with the third attunement it is level three or master.
Master is teacher level. At master level the new practitioner should
have received all the symbols and have been taught how to pass
attunements to others.
New practitioners would spend years in Dr Usui’s center preparing
themselves for each attunement through a multi-year process of hours of
practice, hardcore study and intense meditation.
By the time Reiki reached the western world through Dr. Takata in the
early 20th century, one only needed 29 days between levels.
And the energy keeps accelerating.
In 2003 when I got my master attunement I found the 29 days a
nuisance. At my first taste of Reiki I was so drawn to it I took my
class as soon as I possibly could.
I have practiced Reiki ever since and started teaching within a year
of getting my Master’s Certification – though I had never intended to
teach, profoundly and strongly protesting the suggestion of such a thing
by my teacher. She just smiled and said “you will teach”.
She was right.
I have now taught a new class every couple of months
resulting in over 36 classes, giving the world 42 new Reiki
practitioners and it is one of the most rewarding
g things I can
possibly do. This is just my impact in a few short years… imagine the
impact of all the Reiki Masters around the world!
But with acceleration comes change, and this is how I came to make a
major change in the way I teach Reiki:
Some years ago I had a group of clients who wanted desperately to
learn Reiki from me before leaving town less than two weeks later.
I protested, witch each phone call and with every request I would
say, in respect to the traditions of Reiki, I cannot teach all three in
such a short span, plus, it might cause way too much turmoil for you to
have all three attunements in such a short time.
No, it cannot be done!
During one of my daily meditations where I often receive inspiring
messages from my what I believe are my spirit guides, I got this: “What
makes you think you can dictate what others are ready for!”.
My guide was not pleased and I had no idea why. This was the only
thing I got, and mind you I had a busy life where Reiki plaid a small
part in. I spent days trying to think of, what could this be about. I
strive to be an open-minded person so this was a rather disturbing
message. I combed over memories of conversations, relationships,
workshops and readings.
Then I received one more call form this same group of clients who
asked me one more time if I could please-please-please teach them Reiki
before they move out of state. It dawned on me in that moment – this is
what I was being so wrong about!
Reiki energy is accelerating!
I instantly thought back to my first experience with Reiki. How I
felt that my Reiki master in spirit had been working with me for years
before I even knew what Reiki was!
How much I longed to go to the next level within hours while being
made to wait for weeks. How my spirit guide would scuff at my teacher
every time she explained why I was given this harsh sentence of waiting.
Yes, this was true… but it is not anymore.
I combined the classes and taught all three levels in an intensive
class to my eager clients and I must say, this is almost the only Reiki
class I teach anymore. It is in high demand and for some a little too
intense. But I am there for them to help slow down the process as they
absorb the information weeks after their class.
Now this brings me to another point. With all these people who
sometimes create their own versions of Reiki and their own systems. How
is one to know what to do?
I teach Universal Usui Reiki, this is the practice as it was taught
by Dr. Usui so many years ago. The same system untainted and for the
most part, unchanged. We still use the same symbols; we still use the
same hand positions; there are no complications. It is clean, pure and
powerful energy.
Now I hear about the Atlantian Reiki, Karuna Reiki and other hybrids
of Reiki that honestly I personally believe, god never intended. They
are complicated, intense, drawn out and sometimes ridiculously
expensive. In some disciplines, new practitioners spend thousands of
dollars before they are even allowed to think of practicing on others
and forget about becoming master, this is left for the privileged few.
Who decides who is worthy?
Some disciplines add dozens more symbols to memorize. Some completely
change the way you use the original symbols. Some disciplines have
four, five or even move levels.
There are even institutions and organizations popping up all over the
country each of which claim themselves to be “experts” and creating a
self proclaimed regulatory body for Reiki in the world in attempt to
completely remove it from the hands of the average person.
It all just rubs me the wrong way – I like it simple, I like it pure.
I like the real thing. If you are going to add something on top, why
not just call it something else because it honestly is not Reiki in any
more.
But then again…
Hard core traditionalists are also very much against what I am doing.
They do not believe that a person is working with the Reiki energy long
before they are exposed to it in the physical. They do not believe that
the energy is accelerating at this rate.
So I must respect these new forms of “Reiki”. Who cares what things
are called, it is just a word we use for energy. But energy is energy so
if people want to make it complicated they have the right to do so.
Perhaps one day my budget will catch up with my curiosity and the
availability of these new forms of Reiki will be convenient enough for
me to try one of these systems out. Then I will know for sure. Though I
am fairly convinces they are good and powerful forms of energy work, I
will not be convinced it is Reiki until I try one these systems for
myself.
But as a renegade Reiki Master, while breaking out of the mold, I
still try to respect and uphold the integrity of the practice and the
traditions of Reiki.
My intensive training class, though it is Reiki in Warp Speed, is
still Reiki. I did not change a thing about the teachings and my Reiki
lineage can be traced all the way back to Dr. Usui.
It is still the energy that Dr. Usui wanted to be accessible to the
common man, the same energy he wanted mothers to use for their children,
and masters to pass on to their students and let them go forth and set
free an avalanche of the beautiful healing energy.
Yes, some have changed things quite a bit. Some have added what they
believe is right. Some have kept it so strict there is absolutely no
room for growth. But overall, Dr. Usui’s wish of energy work for the
masses has been fulfilled. It is still growing and still accelerating
and each of us masters serve to better the world though unconditional
love… no matter what we call it.
So to answer the original question, has the healing energy of
Reiki become bastardized?
In short, yes.
But that is not a bad thing, at least not according to this Reiki
Master.
It is only growing and diversifying just as we are. The collective
needs all the Reiki it can get, so let them get it in whatever form they
choose.
It is still a beautiful, gentle and powerful energy that should be
shared with all.
