I wrote this in response to a question about a Reiki "Grandmaster" whose prerequisite for administering Mastership attunements, was a lifetime commitment to practice Reiki as an occupation, and a full battery of "related" classwork, the majority of which was finance-based .... "How to Operate Your Reiki Practice" among the titles....
I too, occasionally feel nostalgic for the 'good ol days'; when practicing
Reiki was SO special; when people were healed, or relieved of their pain,
and thought the practitioner a miracle-worker. Back when students traveled
far, and paid much to share in this mysterious teaching. ...
Too late. That's ancient history. There are many yet, who've not grown to understand that something of value doesn't always carry a pricetag. Some never will.
How well I remember Max Minh Tran, who drove all the way down from Syracuse and spent the night in his car, just so he'd be sure and be at class on time .... and to this day, whenever I receive an email from him, I get to marvel at the knowing that he has become not just a wonderful Reiki master, but a fine, sincere young man in so many ways, as well ... and maybe I have been a tiny part of that.
I remember the student who paid for a class with wild rice that she had harvested herself (it's very tedious labor) -- I didn't tell her that I couldn't possibly carry that heavy sack on the bus ... so I gave it to a homeless man ... the feelings that went with it yet nourish me.
Sometimes, I miss the snap and crackle of energy in a room when a class is just beginning ... the anticipation in the air ... the tension of the teacher, making sure that all the preparations have been made, and the classroom experience and attunements will be pleasant and memorable for every student ...
...and I do dearly miss those old weekly Reiki gatherings, where student practitioners used to get together to actually do the work, and share what they had learned and experience ....
WAAAY back ... long before I started getting those emails that demand: "Gimme that attunement, and be quick with the certificate." Back when there was RESPECT - or, at the very least, common courtesy in the mix.
I can empathize with those who want to maintain the mystique and the elite
quality of the tradition, and especially with the honest teachers who understand by the nature of Reiki that personal interaction with other practitioners is important, too ....
I don't regret having played a role in making Reiki available to everyone who wants it; but I am acutely aware, also, of the sacrifices that have been made to make that so.
Arla
