Lately, I have been hearing ideas regarding what a Reiki practitioner must be. “You must always be zen,” or “I need to heal myself first before I can learn Reiki and heal others.” With mythical ideals such as these, no one could then become an energy worker. We are all encompassed by moments of chaos or fear at some point in time. No one could ever always be zen. Not even the most zen person on the planet. The healing process is ongoing until we die; we simply detach from one portion of trauma at a time while we repair ourselves. It is okay to not have a clue, to be broken and damaged, to learn the system of Reiki and as time treks on, to become successful at it. Just as a medical student does not go to the operation room to perform brain surgery on the first day of class, neither should a novice energy worker start advertising their new found skill and book clients for payment right off the bat. The system of Reiki has stages, and with each stage additional knowledge and awareness is gained. I encourage first and second degree practitioners to focus Reiki on themselves before any other. The Reiki modality is a tool for mending and restoring the energy field. I see this as important self care, that can be accessed at anytime to support oneself. Although a mystery, energy work can awaken deeply held gifts and abilities, as well as release traumas, assisting with sustainable health and wellness all the while enhancing most (if not all) aspects of living. With an open mindset, loving compassion, trust in spirit and intuition, anyone is capable of becoming initiated as a practitioner of Reiki.
