Yes, I agree with this. Yes, there is this, too. In the New UU classes, it's usually described as a stage that converts go through, when they are angry at whatever religion they were raised in / practiced previously. Understood. I've seen this too. I try not to hang out with those people, whether their faiths are similar to mine or not. In my experience, many of them are self-taught and/or ungrounded. I would not have followed my path if I had not found faithful people within it. I understand you will probably have to know me better to believe this, but I also am a person of faith. My faith is not yours, nonetheless it calls me to integrity and service. And this is definitely important. Energy work is useless if you don't do the legwork, the physical labor. Kinda like Henry David Thoreau: "If you have built castles in the air, the work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundation under them." Energy healing is no substitute for medical care, I agree with you there. I also agree with you that what we do needs to be rooted in the real world, present moment, here and now. Beyond that, can we agree to disagree?
"cleanse and let the wealth in" - my auntie Alice. She told me this after she saw me cleaning my car. Sometimes she is a bit a fruitcake though. It's an interesting concept, take care all.
Ooh - I should just add that I don't think "Energy Healers" should ever charge for their services though.
I used to believe this. And I don't quite disbelieve it yet, either. The argument is similar to the argument on martial arts training. Some people think that martial arts training should be free, or at least dirt-cheap. That can work if someone has a (different) full-time job, and chooses to teach M.A. in their spare time. It doesn't work if teaching M.A. is their job, their business. As for the viability of an "Energy Healing" business? I wouldn't try it.
I charge as little as I can for teaching martial arts and reward more dedicated students by only charging per week instead of per class - then they can train several times if they wish for the same price as one class. I know for a fact that I don't earn anything like as much money as all the people who do all the qigong and "energy work" here in the UK though. They often charge a fortune for their workshops and executive qigong sessions. They drive around in 4x4s (SUVs) and live in big houses. We've currently got a TV show on UK TV called "Trust Me, I'm a Healer" which is all about shamanic healers, energy healers and self-appointed re-incarnations of Saints. They seem to be raking it in. I think affluent white UK residents (in particular) are currently experiencing something of a religious vaccuum. They are so spiritually hungry that they are vulnerable to the unscrupulous. Down to earth martial training is a pretty menial job, but my integrity is intact. Please don't feel at all got at, emberKSW - you have assured me that you are sincere and while I don't agree with energy healing, I have no reason to doubt your motives.
I don't. I've very much appreciated the opportunity to think through these issues a bit. Thank you for the conversation, and I wish you well in your martial arts business.
Just for the record, I've only had a few clients so far, as I'm not making a business of my reiki, only doing it for family and friends who need it.. But nobody's reported anything unpleasant. My mother and father (mother had massive surgery so wanted some to help her heal and fight the infection, my dad had cancer and wanted all the help he could get) found it amazingly peaceful, saw colours and colourful orbs, felt absolutely wonderful afterwards. In the case of my mother, she didn't need morphine until the next morning. My dad said his head felt a lot clearer and he could see things with better perspective. Perhaps it depends on the individual, and how spiritually open they are, or something. Perhaps it IS all power of suggestion, I'm not sure, don't understand it. I just wanted to say that anyway, one more reiki person who's not had anybody say they had any bad results from a treatment
Hi Everyone, I think that this is one of the most mature and responsible comments on this thread. Energy work in general is a challenge to describe without having the benefit of direct experience with an AUTHENTIC practitioner. Unfortunately, just as in the martial arts, there are many charlatans and wanna-bes out there who profess to have expertise with energy healing who do not. I am an experienced martial artist AND Master level energy worker, and have had enough authentic experience to observe that most people in general have at best a severely misinformed understanding of energy and the real basis and mechanics of our existence. I don't mean to sound judgemental - this is just where the human community at large is at with regard to having an accurate understanding of the more subtle aspects of Life, so the general tone of this thread does not surprise me. The unknown or unfamiliar is usually feared, and that fear comes through loud and clear in this discussion thread. I think that as far as determining the authenticity of a Reiki healer or any other energy worker, you can use the same criteria that would would for determining the authenticity of any of your martial techniques. Does it work in practical application? Has the healer healed anyone? Has this person made a positive impact on the health of another human being? As a martial artisit, I invite anyone onto the mat who would question my ability. As an energy worker I offer the same opportunity of direct experience. I love that quote "by their works you shall know them". An authentic healer (energy or otherwise) always emanates an energy and feeling of Love, and positive results always follow. Let your intuition guide you, and put your fear and judgement aside. There are subtle aspects of Life that are wonderful to experience if you can keep your mind and heart opened. I hope that all of you experience such insight and positive experience. Peace, Mike C.
I've only received Reiki once; it had no effect whatsoever (except a mild irritation that I'd just forked out 25 quid for someone to wave their hands over me). Obviously I am not "spiritually open" enough to benefit from it. My bad. I am also interested that, as I understand it, the Reiki practitioner goes on a weekend course, becomes a "master", a further weekend course bestows the title "grand master", presumably a third weekend and you become "supreme wizard of ultimate power" or some such. These are just my opinions, no doubt I am wrong.
I've encountered many people for whom the term "Master" has left a bad taste in the mouth, whether in connection with Reiki or martial arts. I agree that it's often an abused term in MA, but I don't think the reiki folk use it in quite the same sense. Think about it - the entire structure of reiki is based on "God-energy" - why would the practitioners use the term Master to denote supreme powers? Wouldn't that be an insult to "the One God"? I'm sure there's another explanation, but not being a reiki practitioner I'm not familiar with it. Perhaps our reiki brethren and sistren could enlighten us on this point...
It's those Japs. They mooshed up everything with their silly belts. Give a guy a black belt and he thinks he's the shizznut. Tell him he's a Sockie GrandMaster.. He thinks he can take Bluce Ree.
To me the term "master" infers someone who has spent years researching, practicing and perfecting an art (or profession). For someone who has zero knowledge of something to go on a weekend course and come out a "master" is ridiculous. I know it is just a word and in the grand scheme of things of no great significance; but I believe language is important and to use the term "master" in this context is just wrong. Again, this is only my opinion.
No, I understand, Wuming. I had the same viewpoint for many years. Then I discovered a very important thing... ...I just didn't CARE anymore! So many 12-year-old Masters teaching classes at their own school that Mommy and Daddy bought for them, as if it were a new toy to play with... Masters who demand that you literally bow down to them and carry out their wishes without question... I can't really fault the Reiki practitioners for the use of the term Master, no matter how misleading it may be - I can only fault the person who decided on its usage in the first place. And who knows - they probably had an entirely different idea of its meaning than you and I...
Disclaimer up front, I've never had a reiki attunement. I do practice energy work, but I wouldn't call what I do "reiki". I have worked with and learned ideas from reiki practitioners, but any mistakes in what I write here are my own. There's three levels of reiki attunement, and only the third is considered "Master" level. Level one I've heard considered similar to starting a stream running. Level two becomes more like a river, and at that level practitioners learn the symbols for reiki-at-a-distance, emotional healing, and maybe one more? The third, I've heard compared to more like opening the floodgates, and that's where the symbol for giving attunements is taught. Although I've also heard of people that are given their level three "master" attunement, without being given the "teacher" aspect. I've heard of weekend courses that do the 1st level on Saturday and the 2nd on Sunday. My sister did that, at the encouragement of her Tai Chi instructors. As did one of the reiki master/teachers that I've met. But I haven't heard anybody recommend the two-in-one attunements like that. Nor have I heard of anything that does the third attunement in the same weekend. Considering that each attunement begins a four-week cleansing cycle in the body of both the teacher and the student, the one-two punch can really be intense and/or traumatic. And I wouldn't think any reliable master/teacher would give someone a level three attunement while they were in the middle of that. But beyond that, I'm not sure if there are any further pre-requisites for the level three. It seems to depend on the master/teacher offering the class. My mentor got his level three master/teacher attunement shortly after I started learning from him. When he gave attunements, he usually recommended quite a bit of time and practice between the level 1 and the level 2, something on the lines of at least a year. And I think he'd want to work with and check out a level 2 practitioner, make sure they were solid in what they knew, before offering a level 3 attunement.
The only side effects I've noticed with Kiatsu are sleepiness which happens as people relax (I've had people actually doze off to sleep while working on their backs) and a fit of the giggles which happened with a particularly ticklish person.
laughter is the best medicine ? But hey was relayed a funny(ish) story.. Dude goes to Mantak Chias' retreat and training centre in Thailand. First thing he gets served with is an hour long testicle massage by a pretty young Thai lady.. there may have been side effects, no joke! probably worked nicely on his feel good chi. DIY energy massage gong just isn't the same..
