I read an article the other day that I have been trying to relocate, but thus-far have been unable to. At first reading I though it was just some guy complaining about the current state of spirituality, but as I thought about it some more his message began to sink in. Please allow me to explain…

Basically the article was about how hard spirituality really is. Much of the literature devoted to it recently makes it sound like it is so easy… just listen to the tibetan bells every day for an hour and you will be enlightened… just imagine you are enlightened and you will be… just follow the Reiki Path to the best of your ability and each step will take you closer to your ultimate destination, which is the ultimate liberation.

The author’s response to all these suggestions that this stuff is so easy is that whoever is espousing such a notion is dead wrong in that achieving the ultimate liberation is much more difficult than just seeking it. He (and I’m going by memory here, so I’m not even positive it was a he) felt that teachers teaching that this stuff is easy are doing a terrible injustice to their students in that a tremendous amount of discipline and hard work is required before even getting a glimpse of what you are working towards.

To me it just sounded at first like he was just complaining about how new age authors are just making it all sound so easy. But as I thought about it I realized there is quite a bit of truth in what he was saying. Putting no effort at all into one’s spiritual practice will, in all likelihood, yield quite limited results and if you are looking for something more, well, no pain… no gain!

The author wasn’t talking about Reiki, but as I tend to view just about everything I experience through a Reiki filter any talk of spirituality for me, equates with Reiki and so at first, even though he never mentioned Reiki, I felt like it was an attack on Reiki but now I see it as more of an admonition as in “As Ye Sow, So Shall Ye Reap“.

Some spiritual seekers have spent their lifetimes seeking liberation or true enlightenment and so to suggest that one can achieve the same results is rather simplistic. 

On the other hand…

Many of those spiritual seekers were going under the assumption that they only had one lifetime to get things right and that they needed to either achieve enlightenment in this lifetime or be lost to the swirls of time. Other spiritual seekers feel that this lifetime is only a stepping stone and the further you get in this life the less you will have to achieve in the next. Yet others feel that this mystique of difficulty is an illusion and with the information that has come to light in the past 50 years or so it is that illusion alone that is preventing spiritual seekers from succeeding in their spiritual quests.

So who is right?

I really wish I could give you a definitive answer to that question, but alas, I am but a pilgrim in these lands myself. I would, however, love to hear what y’all think about this and would appreciate your weighing in on the issue… perhaps your opinions will help others in their own quests. So please submit your comments below and maybe we can figure things out here.

For further explanation or discussion, your thoughts are most welcome and highly encouraged, please feel free to comment below!!!

I‘ve recently been inundated with questions about exactly what Reiki Mastery means, since I’ve often contended that it has little to do with the Reiki level one has attained. So I’d like to take a look at this question here in a bit more detail. I apologize in advance for any feathers that may be ruffled in my attempts to do so.

First of all, let’s take a quick look at some of the ways one becomes a Reiki Master. The traditional way is to begin with Reiki Level One instruction, and upon achieving a certain level of mastery at that level the practitioner could then proceed to the next level and so on until the student has reached the highest level. If a Reiki Practitioner has truly put in the time and effort at each step, then the final level will have been earned, justified and hence, mastered. In my own style of Reiki, Hana Reiki, even Level One Certification is not given until students have displayed a mastery of that level. Sitting through a class is hardly indicative of the required level of mastery IMHO.

On the other end of the spectrum are the Reiki Master Certificates sent out along with a Reiki Master attunement, generally in return for a certain amount of money (but not always). In my opinion these certificates should say that the recipient has received a Distance Reiki Master Level Attunement (which is exactly what has happened) and NOT that the recipient is a Reiki Master. Since the majority of Reiki Masters in the world fall on this end of the spectrum it has become more and more mainstream, making it an accepted practice… and far be it for me to go against what is approved and accepted by the masses.

There are a myriad of Reiki trainings falling in between these two extremes and again, IMHO they are all valid. The conservatives might poo-poo the instaReiki path while the more liberally minded might poo-poo the blood, sweat and tears path, but I believe Reiki Mastery is well within the grasp of either, as it is a personal decision as to exactly what to do with the certification awarded.

The web pages here at TotalReikiMastery.Com are designed such that Reiki Practitioners from any and all lineages can start wherever it is they they happen to presently be on their Reiki Path, and chart their own course to Total Reiki Mastery. This is my own chosen route, which I am far from completing, and it just makes sense to me to take the journey alongside other like minded individuals so that we are, in a sense, walking our own paths… but walking together.

Reiki Mastery is not the attainment of a certificate, but if that is enough for you… more power to you. I personally liken the process to receiving a black belt in karate. Nowadays the black belt is bestowed when a karateka, or karate student is deemed to be worthy by a teacher and/or has completed a certain level of training.  Traditionally, there really was no black belt. One wore a white obi (karate belt) and as the years went by it grew dirtier and dirtier until it was virtually black, indicating years of use and hence, mastery. While this theory is considered a myth by some, I believe the theory to be sound and it makes a valid point.

Further, Karate is a martial art and therefore a karateka is an artist, a martial artist. Many people have contented, myself included, that Reiki is both an art and a science, the difference simplistically being that science is finite while art is not (although quantum science seems to be blurring the boudaries between the two). All true artists endeavor to take their art to ever deeper (or higher) levels and that is the same conclusion I have reached with Reiki, i.e., the true Reiki artist will never be satisfied with his or her current level, but will constantly be striving to perfect their art… which in reality may not even be possible… so the question becomes, how close is close enough? What degree of Reiki Mastery is enough for you?

No matter what your personal answer is to that question TotalReikiMastery.Com is here to support you. If there is ever any way that we can be more helpful to that end… please do not hesitate to ask.

For further explanation or discussion, your thoughts are most welcome and highly encouraged, please feel free to comment below!!!

As you grow in your Reiki practice you will, no doubt, one day start to wonder if there isn’t something more… a higher level than the Reiki Master level, a greater energetic awareness, a deeper understanding of this incredible gift to mankind, a higher use of Reiki’s awesomeness… and the answer to all this lies in Reiki Sensitivity… whether directed towards the physical. mental, emotional or spiritual aspects of Reiki, all advances lie in the ability to perceive the ever more subtle nuances that lie at the heart of Reiki. Just as you received a calling to understand Reiki to the degree you are at now, someday you will inevitably receive a calling to go further. The ability to do so lies in Reiki Sensitivity.

Reiki Sensitivity on the physical level involves the ability to sense subtler and subtler hibiki while performing byosen scanning. It also involves the ability to determine between different ‘flavors’, if you will, of subtlety. Reiki Sensitivity on the emotional and mental levels involves the ability to sense subtler and subtler variations in voice tone, inflection, verbiage, metaphorical analogy, innuendo consistency (or lack thereof) at which Reiki energies can be directed to perform those types of healings. Reiki Sensitivity on the spiritual level involves the ability to sense subtler and subtler states of consciousness, frames of being, depth in meditation, etc. and the accompanying ability to progress on whichever spiritual path you have chosen.

Reiki sensitivity in all of these areas can be grown, through effort, exercise, persistence and dedication towards doing so. Few Reiki Masters have progressed far enough on the Reiki path to be able to guide you, so your greatest guide lives within. This is not difficult, and actually makes Reiki all the more fascinating. All you have to do is set your mind to do so and allow yourself to start noticing the things you’ve been neglecting to notice. Later this year there will be another 30 Day Reiki Challenge in which we will be devoting some attention specifically towards this. In the meantime, challenge yourself to see what you’ve been missing… you’ll be surprised as you start to uncover some really neat stuff <technical term>.

Dr. Usui proclaimed himself to be about a 4 on a scale of 1 to 10 as far as his Reiki ability was concerned… its a pity so many Reiki Masters have settled on that as the bar. Dr. Usui opened the door for us and it is up to us, individually to see what’s on the other side.

For further explanation or discussion, your thoughts are most welcome and highly encouraged, please feel free to comment below!!!

Iwould like to take this opportunity to make a slight alteration to my previous reckoning of Reiki as a Spiritual Path to include one of Reiki as a Spiritual Garden. Allow me to explain…

The Reiki Path

I have long held that Reiki is a Spiritual Path. That once being initiated into Reiki you progress along this path towards either Spiritual Enlightenment or Spiritual Liberation… depending on your own Spiritual Philosophy. Other Spiritual Disciplines, such as Yoga and various forms of Shamanism, also adhere to this Spiritual Path metaphor and I’ve always kind of liked it… as no two paths are exactly the same, and there is plenty of room for individuality and creativity along the path of your choosing.

Recently I’ve started to think that the idea of a Reiki Path (or any Spiritual Path) implies that you are actually going somewhere, and this may not necessarily be so, as, spiritually speaking, there is really no place to go, i.e., you are already there (which is one of the great realizations).

The Reiki Garden

The alteration in my reckoning changes the notion from Reiki as a Spiritual Path to one of Reiki as a Spiritual Garden. The idea of a Reiki Garden implies that, since you have already found Reiki, you have already reached your destination… now all you have to do is explore and enjoy. Everything you need is here in your garden already, and there is no need to hurry… take you time and bask in the splendor.

The idea of Reiki as a Spiritual Garden also makes it organic. Gardens are living, breathing, growing entities… each with their own personality and atmosphere. They change with the seasons of our lives, they grow with us and they are places to simply be (as opposed to the idea of a path which suggests some activity or motion may be necessary).

Reiki Discipline

Of course most gardens require care. There are natural gardens (which is how my Aunt refers to the wild outgrowth that is her backyard) which is also acceptable, but I’ve never found them nearly as beautiful, relaxing and enjoyable as those that have been cultivated and cared for with the love, respect and nurturing needed to achieve that splendor.

Reiki, likewise, needs a fair amount of love, respect and nurturing in order to achieve its own degree of splendor. This, in my opinion, equates to the discipline necessary for our own Reiki to grow and evolve.

Of course you are free to choose whichever best fits your current thoughts/feelings… and give it the degree of discipline you are able to. You are also free to change your own reckoning at any time. Not that you needed me to tell you that.

For further explanation or discussion, your thoughts are most welcome and highly encouraged, please feel free to comment below!!!