Are you wondering if this is too “woo-woo” or not in line with your Christian values? Living in the “Bible Belt”, this can be a touchy subject, and even some people close to me have a hard time understanding what this is all about. Growing up conservative Christian, all this “new age” stuff freaked me out at one point, too!
Boy….I’ve changed. My spiritual walk is very, very different than my past, and I claim no religion – dicey subject, I know, but my personal belief does not fit into one religion that excludes all others. That being said, I believe in a Higher Power, and, in true hippie fashion, ultimately, I believe in love, and spreading love – not judgement or agendas – to everyone I meet. There are people I know of many different religions that do this beautifully; for where I am in my own life, spirituality, not religion, is what resonates with me. I know there are people who think this is too “out there”…and they also tend to be the ones who say they aren’t creative or artists. Well, that’s something I don’t agree with, either.
For Christians, there is a lot of stuff on the internet about this, and it can be pretty intense that this is just “of the devil”. However, last I checked, the devil isn’t too keen on healing – this is a practice of love and no mal-intent. Reiki itself doesn’t hurt you, and, although it can dredge up some deep emotions, the actual practice is out of pure love and healing. To reference the Bible directly,
Luke 9:49-50 King James Version (KJV)
49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.
50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.
This is not anti-any religion, nor is it a religion. I am not casting out demons – I am, however, supporting you in letting go of whatever “demons” you have in you that prevent you from being fully at peace. You can be of any faith and practice Reiki. That being said, I have no desire to ever make someone uncomfortable within their faith nor do I believe Reiki is for everyone.
If you are uncomfortable with reiki, don’t do it.
It’s really that simple. It’s not the cure-all, it’s not the only way, and it’s not “the answer.”
Here are two resources from the Christian perspective that I found helpful in understanding it:
Reiki from a Christian Perspective
Christian Reiki Frequently Asked Questions
For the scientists, energy is all around us, and I don’t believe the energy resonating within us stops at skin level. Reiki addresses the energy beyond our physical bodies. Take a look into quantum physics and you see there is so much more than what we can grasp just on a physical and classical physics level. I believe there is more to existence than what we know/understand, and to put energy work as implausible is to say the same thing for half of what science is – because science may be “proven” but has also proven to have progressed, changed, and be re-written over time, which makes it still, in many ways, as much a leap of faith as believing in a religion.
If we were to go to the “worst case scenario” on Reiki work, this is what I would frame it as:
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It can’t hurt you. (shady people can, and unfortunately, that is a risk in any situation, whether it’s a medical doctor, a priest, or a reiki master).
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If it was simply a placebo, then thank you for the placebo effect and the power of it to still be a positive force in your life.
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It promotes healing and love.
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It allows for meditation and introspection…which I think still provides healing.
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If you don’t feel anything, you still got the opportunity to simply rest for 45-90 minutes. How often do we take the time to do that?
So, this is my explanation, for the dear friends and family who are more curious about what I’m doing. Feel free to ask questions and comment- I’m learning and growing in all of this. I don’t have all the answers, and I feel there is still enough ambiguity with all healing works that it is hard to have a concrete answer or proof – it is about faith, the power of the mind within the body, and what you want to get out of the process.
Namaste,
Mama Rose