A month has passed since I attended a workshop for Reiki Masters with Phyllis Furumoto on November 3. I wanted to meet Phyllis since I began listening to her Global Reiki Webinars about two years ago. She is the granddaughter of Hawayo Takata, the woman who brought Reiki practice to the West and to the world. Phyllis is also one of the 22 Reiki Masters trained by Hawayo Takata.

What I took away from this workshop is that every time I practice Reiki I make a conscious choice – and that Reiki gives me what I need, not what I want. I choose to practice Reiki every day. And as I do so, I choose to commit to my Reiki journey. As a Reiki practitioner and teacher, I know and trust that Reiki is helping my clients and students, because my Reiki practice has helped me in so many ways. But the greatest gift that Reiki is giving me is connection, to myself and others.

For many people, Reiki is a healing art. The art of hands-on healing. Especially when people first turn to a Reiki practitioner seeking help for a physical or emotional ailment or challenge. They think that the laying on of hands will work as a magic wand, taking all their pain and problems away. Ideally, within one session. Few understand that healing is an inside job and our own responsibility. How can I expect to run a marathon when I don’t even run a mile a day?

But over time, as we receive Reiki regularly and decide that we want to become students of Reiki, we are given the possibility to discover that Reiki is also a spiritual practice.

During the workshop, we had the opportunity to discuss Reiki as a spiritual discipline and practice. At the end, one of the comments on the board said: “Reiki as a spiritual practice has, as its goal, wholeness of the human experience.” I think this statement is a nice summary for our discussion.

Depending on a Reiki practitioner’s lineage and training, there will be more emphasis on hands-on healing, the precepts, or on the meditation practices within the system of Reiki. To me, the precepts are the core and guiding light of Reiki practice:

Just for today

Do not anger

Do not worry

Be humble

Practice this diligently

Be compassionate to yourself and others.

When I can walk through life each day with a little bit less anger, less worry, more gratitude and more compassion, I am in a better place. A better place to choose.