Reiki: A Practice of Commitment

For eight years I have practiced Reiki. For all these years I have described it as a Japanese technique for relaxation. In my classes, I describe this relaxation as so deep that it puts the receiver into a state, not unlike deep meditation, where the mind is quiet and there is nothing, even if only for the briefest moment, for the body to do nothing, but heal.
I stand by these words, but this is only part of Reiki’s effectiveness! In October of 2013, I had the opportunity to study Jikiden Reiki with the inimitable, Frank Arjava Petter. Arjava Sensei, as he is lovingly called his students, spent over 12 years in Japan, researching, studying and teaching the origins of Reiki healing.
Arjava Sensei helped me discover the deeper and even more amazing power of this Universal Life Force to move toxins from the body. In brief, he brought our group to the understanding that Reiki, as simple as it is to share, has the ability to bring about miraculous transformation. The trained practitioner, and by this I mean trained in the Japanese, Jikiden style, which takes much practice, becomes aware of the subtle changes created by the release of toxins harming the body and they are able to concentrate on the area(s) until the release is complete. This process may take days or even weeks of daily sessions, however the commitment by both the practitioner and the receiver is rewarded by improved health. Arjava Sensei is a great example that the difference in this technique is not the way it is shared, but the attitude and fundamental intentions of the practitioner.
I have studied several styles of Reiki and they each allow the Reiki student to explore and expand their intuitive abilities and share calming, balancing energy. They each encourage regular practice, yet Jikiden has given me a new perspective both in application and in my future teaching. I embrace the knowledge that commitment and practice are rewarded as the practitioner becomes ever more sensitive not only in their work, but in their daily life.