The Way
(Excerpt from The Reiki Way, page 14)
Allow yourself to imagine the entirety of the Universe… It is far too vast for any of our minds to contain, but in the attempt, we pull ourselves open. We unzip our edges.
Reiki is a meditative practice that cultivates an awareness of the natural energy permeating the whole Universe. As we tune into this auspiciously vast field of interconnectedness, we become still enough to feel that we are one with the whole. Touching this internal space is transformational, deeply healing and activates an awakening of consciousness. When we connect to the Universe in this way, we become mindful of the deeper dimension of ourselves. We realise that we are expressions of the Universe. A being made of cosmic energy, alive in a world of frequency.
At first this system of healing that arrives with attunements can, on the surface, seem like we are connecting to something outside of ourselves, something new. But slowly we unravel that there is nothing outside. We are not working to channel an external force greater than ourselves; rather, we are becoming who we really are. The Great Bright Light within. The being that was here before it had a name, a body, a story of limitations and physicality. You are Reiki. The system provides a simple and profound practice of remembering that you are embodied soul energy.
By connecting to the universal intelligence, you can begin to feel the underlying web that is woven through all existence, heal your life and understand the deepest nature of your True Self. Rooted in Buddhist wisdom, this is a pathway of connecting to our inner medicine because it is a means of giving attention to our inner Buddha. This being lives in us all and heals with its very presence. It offers unconditional love and kindness, and sees clearly through compassionate eyes. This awakened inner being loves all it touches. Discovering this aspect of ourselves is the Reiki way – a lifelong journey.
What we find is the unconditioned energy of our expanded self, knowing how to receive the love that pulses from the beat of the Universe’s heart. This is always available to us. We can touch the unseen force that animates, creates and harmonises all of life because it dwells in us. This one stream of consciousness manifests into infinite varieties of form. Reiki is an emanating magic that is rather indescribable, though it is fun to try.
It is not just ‘spiritual energy’ as a concept, it is the essence of the Universe that flows through all of life. The essence of ourselves. When we connect through our heart, we discover that our heart is connected to the heart of all things. Spiritual energy is all of the cosmic energy of the formless. We often see Spirit as separate from ourselves, so language points us in this direction even further, yet Spirit is All That Is – the quantum field of endless formlessness and the manifested form reading these words. This is a trapping of the world of duality; we see form and formless, yet in the ultimate realm where our soul dwells, we find that everything has energy and all of that is spiritual energy. Eastern cultures do not make a distinction between spiritual energy and natural energy; it is considered one and the same. That all-pervasive energy is what we call Reiki. Clients often describe it as a warm blanket because it is the blanket of immeasurable space unto which we all exist. It is the Pure Land. The canvas of spaciousness that holds the whole Universe. What could be more natural? What could be more spiritual? This energy is Source.
The great quest of us seekers is searching for this essence of ourselves, trying to get back to where we came from. As children, we were deeply in touch with our true nature. We took our time walking short distances, never fixated on the destination. We paused to wonder, to absorb our surroundings, curiously touching every leaf and new texture. We were in touch with our body and with our feelings, expressing ourselves freely moment to moment. In this human form you have lived the way you seek to live. Children are present, joyful, true, woke beings. We can get in touch with this freedom again. It was inside us all along – the infinite dwelling place of Source. This feeling sparks the healing, the change, the alignment with the divine. This is our wholeness, our fulfilment with the Buddha-mind, the soul, the perfection of emptiness. The peace we seek.
How very profound this work is; it seems as simple as the laying-on of hands but that is a small picture of the eternal place we touch. It begins with connection and goes as deep as our awareness will allow.
Reiki comes from within you, the greatest you, the part that remembers not only where you came from, but who you are, right now. You are powerful. You are vast. You are connected. You are unlimited, unbound and unbreakable.
This is all so much more dynamic than a complementary therapy, though that is an undeniably beautiful and practical expression of it. Reiki is a deeply spiritual, holistic practice focusing on the wellbeing of the practitioner. Our practice evolves through our years of tenderly getting to know the energy. As our understanding of it broadens, it extends far beyond the time we set aside for personal hands-on healing. We practise Reiki with every breath.
I see Reiki as the energy of the soul in all its vastness, as a pinpoint of Source’s infinite light woven through the great cosmic tapestry. It brings me home to my essence, as I focus on the deepest dimension of stillness within me while rooting my body-mind to the magic of the present moment. Any exchange with another is a gift that allows our understanding to overflow from our heart, cascading through our meridians to nurture both ourselves and the other. Together our souls co-express in this dance of energy. Where the mind had become fixated on a problem, the soul eases it into grace. As an anchor of presence in a world of frequent chaos, we invite order to return simply by joining the harmony of our unbound essence.
We don’t need to figure anything out, try to control what is not ours to control, or aggressively assert healing; we choose instead to indulge in peace. The soul-voice is always whispering, guiding us to act with clarity. We trust that as we align with harmony, everything around us returns to its own natural state of balance. Healing becomes a way of seeing the world in its true nature, accepted and invited to be as it is. This includes anything we judged about ourselves in a less than forgiving light. I’ve come to see that the process of healing doesn’t mean we need fixing or editing; rather, healing happens when we completely embrace every shunned aspect of ourselves. It’s a journey to true wholeness. Reiki shows us that our mind is ultimately what receives healing in its perception of the world. We learn to accept and adapt; we water the seeds of compassion within our consciousness and we find a more meaningful connection to life by becoming friendly towards it (and ourselves).
The practice isn’t unique to Reiki. It flows through countless teachers who bring the same quality of energy through their presence. I encounter Reiki everywhere. I’ve sat in the audience of Eckhart Tolle receiving what felt like an extended Reiki attunement simply by the clarity of his presence. Quantum physicists speak of it when they dreamily explain the Unified Field. It hums within Sanskrit texts. It chimes through every Buddhist monk’s invitation of the bell. I find it in the Zen teachings, in the Tao Te Ching, in Animism and Paganism, in ancient Greek philosophy and even in a theologian’s utterance of the holy spirit.
Reiki is everywhere.
Without being a religion, it is the basis of all spirituality.
This is one of the most remarkable things about Mikao Usui’s method: he created a very practical, very approachable, yet very rich spiritual practice which requires no belief and yet provides limitless applications of universal energy through direct experience – from deep personal meditation to healing clients in hospital settings. Our focus is inward. Whatever transpires on the external level simply can’t compete with the treasure we discover within. These are the riches no one can take away and no one can give, yet they create wealth for us all. Others benefit as a natural occurrence – an offshoot of our practice. This flowering tree provides abundantly beyond ourselves. Our work is to nurture the tree, to root down into the earth, to open to receive sunlight and rain. The fruit comes without any strain.
