Kick starting this new year discussion we are looking at Taggart King‘s first Rule of Reiki! See his entire list and original sources here.
Reiki is first and foremost a self-healing modality. I have come across many Reiki practitioners who spend more time working for others than working on themselves, this seems an odd balance to me. As Taggart states:
If we go back to the origins of the system and Mikao Usui’s original teachings, treating other people didn’t feature a great deal at all: it was all about working on yourself. We know that the word ”Reiki” wasn’t used by Usui, and that he referred to his system as a “method to achieve personal perfection”, so that gives us a big hint as to the main thrust of his system: working on ourselves.
What have you been taught? Was the focus of your workshop more on personal growth and self-healing, or was it more for use on others? Can you help others before yourself?
I would add that if Reiki works towards balancing, if you are not full of energy before you try to heal someone else, the Reiki will tend to end up balancing you rather than the person you are trying to help, which would seem to defeat the purpose. I’m reminded of an interesting case study written about in Can your Reiki Strength Diminish? where Angela noticed a difference when she decided to do more self-Reiki. So the first important point is that by helping yourself you are helping others.
Taggart also makes a point that we often neglect ourselves as we may feel we are being selfish by working on ourselves instead of others, but as he points out, are we not also a person needing help?
Secondly, if we are following the Reiki system, following the precepts that deal with compassion and honesty, then how can we neglect ourselves? How can we deliberately refuse to nurture ourselves, refuse to give ourselves that special space in which to heal and balance?
Often people drawn to Reiki tend to be empathic people who strive to help others. ‘Reiki people’ tend to be givers, not takers, and so the idea of using Reiki for ourselves first and foremost can appear hard to swallow. Often we want others to benefit as we have benefited, but to not see ourselves as the number one priority means we are neglecting the one person we really can help and benefit. The second important point is that self-healing is really the only real healing.
So do you agree or disagree? Did you learn Reiki mainly for yourself or to help others? And has this changed or evolved as you have deepened your Reiki practice? Share with us your thoughts in the comments below!
