What’s the use of magic if I can’t fix this? I heard that line while watching television. The station was advertising the next episode of a show in which the characters are some sort of magicians. I had no interest in the show but the question stirred up all sorts of thoughts in me. I, however, would replace the word magic with the word Reiki. Now it becomes, what’s the use of Reiki if I can’t fix this?
Oh, how many times I’ve felt that way starting with my very first experience. I was in severe physical pain and after two months of using Reiki nothing had changed. “Hogwash!” I said, and discontinued it altogether. Years later, I came full circle back to Reiki only this time I maintained the practice and found the healing I had been looking for. But did I actually fix anything? On a physical level I don’t think so because my neck pain flares up every once in a while leading me to think it’s not fully fixed. What changed then?
Truthfully, I can’t tell you what exactly changed but I no longer live in pain. I said in casual conversation the other day that I think my sporadic flare-ups are often related to stress or perhaps even emotions. The listener replied with, “Interesting, emotional issues seem to be when my bad back acts up.” I know now that my physical healing didn’t happen until I had gone through a lot of emotional healing. This is important to note for two reasons; Reiki goes where it is needed most and it works on all levels.
I wanted physical healing. I craved it and dreamt of it yet it eluded me for so long. But my neck wasn’t where I needed healing the most and that was why I couldn’t ‘fix it’. I remember Glen who came for Reiki treatments. He had the most severe case of psoriasis I have ever encountered. When he left my office I swept his flakey dry skin off the floor. And he came religiously, three times a week, for months. When I saw no apparent change I asked why he kept coming back. He said, “every time I leave here I have a sense of peace and I feel like I can get through the day.” What I thought needed fixing for Glen was his psoriasis but that was not where the energy was being used. Eventually, he was able to maintain that feeling of peace and eventually his psoriasis disappeared. And just like me his healing came in a way that was not expected.
The physical body is the densest part of you, controlled and maintained by your mind and what you think needs fixing may not need fixing at all. Perhaps bringing peace to your mind means you don’t have to fix the bad back. The healing of the back happens as a natural extension of healing your mind.
Leading us to the second reason important note about Reiki – it works on all levels. That means as a practitioner I don’t have to know what’s wrong with you, and you don’t have to believe the Reiki will help you. I’m not talking about relinquishing responsibility of your healing to anyone else either. I believe it is in the healing of the mind and the calm that arises where you find the answers to what needs to happen next – which may be nothing at all – or it may be changing how you eat or getting some exercise. You will instinctively do what is best for you and you will treat that sore back in the most respectful way to promote healing. But it has to come from you.
Reiki doesn’t ‘fix’ anything. No matter what your issue is healing starts in the mind. The use of Reiki is to help your energetic system regain the balance needed for creating an environment of healing. And that healing may not look the way you think it should.