by Mari Hall
I have given a lot of thought to what 2009 will bring. Certainly, opportunities always abound. Whether or not we seize them is a matter of choice. But, I find myself wondering; what is the future for Reiki in our world, and what is the future for us in Reiki? What opportunities are being offered to us this year that will make a difference in our Reiki communities and in our world community?
For the past several years the message I have been given is to come back into the center of Reiki. I know that Usui and love are there. In the center is also the simplicity of the system and of us. But is that all there is? No, of course not! This center point is the place through which we enter into the great beyond, past the veil of illusion into something greater than the sum of us. It is the way into and out of all there is . As my Reiki friend and award-winning author Jane Anne Narrin says, it is “one degree beyond the apparent.”
Throughout time we have been developing our egos and creating separation. We are fractured from the whole. We practice separation from our families, our state, other countries, and aspects of ourselves. We have defended this truth of separateness at all costs and under many names. We have prejudices that keep us apart from people with other colors, philosophical views, religion, sex and sexual preference. We take pride in the judgments we make about people’s size, age and education.
This belief in separation has caused untold bitterness and anger. Wars are still being fought, on our planet resulting in the destruction of cities, and their inhabitants. Genocide continues to be committed against the “other.” We witness atrocities on television news and watch movies and television dramas, and in the first five minutes alone, a hundred people might be killed and massive destruction take place before our eyes. Some might even say the drama wasn’t very exciting, because there was not enough action!
What will it take for inhabitants of this planet to stop killing and harming one another? What will it take to turn the tide from destruction to creation and peace? I certainly hope that it will not take a catastrophic event to shake us awake. We do not have to wait for the giant wake up call. We can take responsibility and start working together for resolution and peace. We can turn the tide.
One of the reasons I chose to do this work was because I realized Reiki has peace making potential. Reiki has the potential for transforming individual lives on every level. When we transform our lives, we transform our families. And the ripple continues to move ever outward. Reiki offers us the potential of working through the community of practitioners to help transform our world. When we are peaceful inside ourselves we will not need to create conflict. When we stand in the center of peace together, we can create peace in the world around us from that space.
It is therefore my dream that within our Reiki communities, in all the various streams of Reiki, we consciously return again and again to this center point of peace, love and community. By constantly returning to the center where love is, we can join Usui Sensei in a common vision of love. When we take the time to move into harmony, first within ourselves and then within our Reiki community, we embrace unlimited potential. Feel it for just a moment. All Reiki people united in a common cause. Our differences are acknowledged, each one is respected, and together we celebrate the sameness, which is love. The deeper our connection to a sound, loving Reiki community, the greater our outreach and healing will be on a global level. With the single intent of peace and love within our community, the power of our united hearts to create peace and love in the world is unlimited.
We begin at home. It is my dream that Reiki be a healing tool available in every household to reduce stress and its effects and bring about healing on all levels. The vision includes Reiki in schools, corporations, hospitals, doctor’s offices and homes for the aged. We are in the process of creating this now. Many studies and research projects are being conducted that show the effectiveness of Reiki. The results of projects like these will clearly serve as the bridge for Reiki to be more accepted in the medical community and elsewhere. Many teachers and others who work with children are using Reiki, and I am delighted to say many children are Reiki-trained as well.
In order for Reiki to be widely accepted it must be grounded and heart-centered. I believe it is important that each of us take responsibility for the message we personally give about Reiki. Others will more easily understand Reiki and its potential through witnessing the way we personally “walk the walk and talk the talk.” We must as Usui said, “Live Reiki.” We must be accountable for our personal as well as our professional actions. In our need to make “our” Reiki different, or to carve a market niche for ourselves, or to imply that we have the “right” Reiki where others may be practicing the “wrong” Reiki, we risk intimidating or confusing neophytes seeking information and devaluing Reiki in the eyes of those who are discerning. In the center of the system is the love that is the truest power of all. It is love that empowers the individual and the collective back into harmony. We must place our focus on love and our message must be love, if we are to have the success we desire, personally, professionally, and globally.
I am optimistic about the future of Reiki and us as practitioners and teachers of Reiki. I feel that many of us are starting to see that we must work together in more intentional ways if we want to create a firm foundation for Reiki in our world. I see us circling the globe in love. We are brothers and sisters celebrating the sameness of the heart in whatever language we speak. Certainly when teaching Reiki, I ask students to respect and not infringe on anyone’s space or time, be it physical, mental or spiritual. I also ask students to cherish all other forms of Reiki as being an awakening of knowledge for all.
There is a Hindu proverb that says the top of the mountain can be reached by many different paths. Some must come from the North, some from the South; some must climb the jagged peaks and some quietly walk a road. However they are all honoring the same thought process. Seek your own truth; respect, honor and learn to appreciate that others must seek their truth.
Although there may be many different paths in our practice of Reiki, I believe that we must hold ourselves accountable for how we teach and work in this field. If we would have Reiki accepted by other healthcare professionals, there must be established standards of practice. Those receiving our services have a right to know that we are following the best practices in our field. One of the opportunities I see for myself in 2009 is working with the greater Reiki community to establish standards for the teaching and practice of Reiki.
What Reiki opportunities do you see for yourself in 2009? I invite you to join me in an exploration of the gifts we each can bring to our Reiki communities, our local communities, and the world community to inspire and build awareness of a different way of relating with our world, love, life and each other. It is my sincere wish for you and your family that 2009 be a year of fulfilled promise and love given expression. I am one in the circle of many holding hands with you…Love, Mari
This article appeared in the Spring 2009 edition of the Reiki News Magazine.
