Seasons Greetings

Christmas is upon us - this year it seems to have arrived even faster than usual, yet again I am under prepared. This is mostly due to work and people trying to squeeze in a last minute treatment before the break. Christmas looks like it might be less celebratory for many again as the pandemic continues to throw curve balls and new variants. The windows of work I am having between lockdowns and restrictions has seen regular clients returning and new clients engaging in treatments, many now because they value the mental health benefits they see of taking care of themselves.

Seasonal Musings - Reiki and Tai Chi in action

I have recently been questioned about whether I have seen Reiki "work", the question came from an interesting source - a Tai Chi Instructor who was also a Reiki Master, but had stopped practicing.... The liveliest of conversations followed making for an excellent evening. More importantly although I answered all his questions it promoted some musings that I would like to share with you here.

At the start of any Reiki journey it is best to begin with a translation of the word Reiki - it is Japanese and translates as "ultimate energy", "universal force" and other similar meanings.

At the start of any Tai Chi Journey the same process is the best place to begin - Tai Chi is Chinese and translates as "Universal life force", "Ultimate energy" and other similar meanings.

We can easily see Tai Chi "Work", people learn the form remembering moves, improve their balance, mindfulness, health and wellbeing, and gain a sense of proprioception "understanding of their body in the world around them". Tai Chi is the bed rock of "Falls Prevention programmes" offered to the elderly and frail. It can also be a huge part of any structural analysis for Podiatry, Osteopathy, Chiropractic work, massage, Orthopaedic treatments and many more therapies.

If by translation of both Reiki and Tai Chi we can understand that they are one and the same "a universal force/energy", why do people struggle to see Reiki "work"?

Firstly you would need to define what reiki working would look like.

Tai Chi has many "house" styles, Energy styles and number of moves in each form. People will feel different from each type of practice, they may feel a particular form flows more for them.

Reiki "moves" individuals in different ways. Some feel heat, cold, tingling, vibration, others see colours or go on a journey, many feel euphoric, deeply peaceful or cry with a release of something and some feel nothing at all. Just like Tai Chi practice, some feel the energy work in them or around them, some feel deeply peaceful or relaxed, for others it is simply a set of movements that you "go through". Even for those that simply go through the movements they still gain better balance, coordination skill and more clarity of focus so Tai Chi still works even if you don't engage with it deeply. Likewise Reiki will work even when you are not engaged fully in the process.

For me Tai Chi has given me strength, flexibility, peace of mind, clarity, focus and a great purpose in life - teaching Tai Chi is the greatest honour and I am humbled by it.

So to answer the original question I was asked "Have I seen Reiki work?" Personally, I have gained strength of mind, flexibility of mind, clarity, focus and a great purpose in life. The ability to pass reiki through treatments and in teaching is another great honour that humbles me. In others the results I have seen have been astounding over the years. Without naming, here are a few results I have personally seen in people I have passed Reiki to (I'm not claiming that I am or was responsible for their progress either, simply that this is reiki working).

A person who was feeling poorly, felt well enough to have a well deserved holiday abroad.
A person with a prognosis that they would have 6-12 weeks left to live with terminal lung cancer, survive for another 10 healthy years.
Many people have slept better, feeling less stress and worry.
A person who had a temperature of 104F was lowered to 99.5F in 45 minutes with no other medical intervention. They went on to sleep soundly through the night and the raised temperature did not return the following day.
A person releasing an addiction and staying in recovery.

There are many more I could share but these are my personal favourites. I can even see that reiki energy is working at the time of giving a reiki treatment, when people sigh, smile, yawn or even shake and flick hands and feet. Of course I won't make claims that it is the panacea of all ills. I have seen people I treat not get better and on at least one occasion a terminally ill client did not make a miraculous recovery. But in all cases I am certain that Reiki did and will enhance their life and wellbeing on some level. I have always understood the body will only heal one thing at a time - I have seen this in Intensive Care Units and recovery from multiple injuries. The brain prioritises which broken bone or damaged organ needs to heal first. So for those who don't see the effect they desire when having Reiki perhaps they should widen their view and see if there are improvements in other areas of their lives, remembering also that Reiki working is "active" its not a complete fix. Just like Tai Chi - you keep practicing to reach the perfect form - and there's a whole other blog there too!

I am in no doubt of the power of Reiki I see it working daily in the same way I see Tai Chi change lives daily. It is the greatest of blessings to be able to practice, teach and share both modalities. The way I see it... Tai Chi is the use of energy on the self and others to affect change through a series of mindful movements and practices, Reiki is the use of energy on the self and others to affect change through a series of mindful practices and movements.

If you want to start a Tai Chi or Reiki journey please contact me to help you on your way.