This is interesting... I suppose that one's view on any system of healing tends to be coloured by the individual practitioners that one meets within it. And in reiki, one certainly does meet some funny ones.
Just to get it over with, I do work as a reiki teacher and therapist...about eight years going now. Contrary to popular opinion, I don't belong to the blue rinse club, neither do I frequent new age gatherings. And I certainly don't make fist-fulls of cash by habitually scamming hapless young seekers out of their hard earned pay.
I just finished teaching a small class today, and am getting ready to attempt a good nights sleep before we continue tomorrow.
Years ago, I had mt first reiki treatment from a friend while on a hiatus from music college. I'd been diagnosed with rhumatoid arthritis, and had lost use of my hands. It's a crippling, nasty degenerative condition...very painful and potentially disfiguring. The medical treatment that one can get...well...it's not that good. Consists mainly of high octane anti-inflamatories, painkillers, the occaisional shot of cortisone steroids into your already gnarled and twisted joints...not terribly fun.
I'd been experimenting with nutritional therapy, acupuncture, various other techniques, but didn't find anything incredibly effective. Then my friend offered me a reiki treatment, and I took her up on the offer. It was a lovely experience, deeply relaxing, and beneficial in a multitude of ways.
Eventually I was put in contact with her teacher, and took a few classes with her. All very nice. I suppose I was quite foruntate to meet two sensible and devoted practitioners.
The most interesting thing is the dramatic improvement that I had over the next year. I performed self treatments on a daily basis, and continued to have sessions with both my friend and my teacher.
Once I regained mobility in my hands, I was able to work on others as well. I started by treating friends and family...once I became more confident, I helped to facilitate a free clinic at a women's shelter that I'd been counselling at for some time. I also worked extensively with HIV+ people, and assisted at a voluntary clinic for addiction recovery.
Eventually I did start working as a professional therapist. I still balance this part of my reiki practice with susbtantial volunteer work, and occaisional work for trade and barter.
I don't believe that so called spiritual dogma has any place whatsoever in an ethical reiki practice, and I encourage my students to think indepenently about such matters. I also belive that quality training encompasses much, much more than the attunement ceremony itself. I endeavour to provide ongoing support to all my students, in whatever way they may need. Not as a spiritual guru, or "master" of any kind (abominably bad translation of sensei...a better one would be respected teacher) but as someone with a history of effective work and practice behind them, who may continue to be of service when needed.
I think that people are often too quick to criticise reiki therapists and teachers for the paid work that they do. The costs in running my practice...well...they are substantial. The greater part of the fees that I collect goes to room hire (I lack the privace and space to teach at home, so it is necessary to pay for a venue), textbooks, certificates, supplies, advertising, transport (try taking two large therapy couches on the underground!), web-hosting, practitioner's insurance and taxes.
My practice demands about 20-30 hours of admin work per week on my part as well, and ongoing free support for students. Course days are 10 hour workdays for me, and given that I keep tuition fees modest and class sizes small, I tend to cash out at around five to ten pounds per hour. I hold down a second job to help with personal expenses...my typical workweek is usually around 50 hours. This dosen't include voluntary work, nor creative projects, nor the demands of my personal spiritual practice...which needless to say, is hardly a bundle of off the cuff, new age candy-floss. I'm from New Orleans...needless to say my interests lie elsewhere...
Regardless though, I have found Reiki to be a lovely thing, and a rewarding practice, and have witnessed its beneficial effects first hand on more occaisions that I can count. I don't think it's the only valid system of healing in existence, neither am I evangelical about it. There are plenty of good ways to spread healing to those who are in need of it. Reiki just happens to be one of them, and I certainly encourage anyone with an interest to explore it for themselves, and not to be disuaded by the myriad of egotistical and toxic dogma that from time to time, gets flung on its good name. |
