down above her belly--thank goodness above and not directly on and slapping as was routine with me—I understood that I had been the vessel of energy for me, but what about doing this on others?

Reiki was the perfect primer for this work because it taught me to surrender, allow the flow of energy, and get out of the way of the Divine. With all that good practice and continually asking the Divine to help me to be of the highest and best service I can be, I can’t exactly refuse when growth happens. That wouldn’t make much sense, now would it? Say no to grace? Nope, not if I can help it.

In that moment it was evident to me that the woman receiving needed to clear out old patterns and energy from her sacral area and that's what was happening right then. It was her being's choice and not anywhere close to my idea. So, the time had come for me to begin activating others, but before I could dedicate myself fully there was clearly more more work to be done.

The next step was activating myself and once again it wasn't my decision. There'd been no strategy or planning on my part. My imbalance was clearly my link to the Earth (I'm someone who is naturally far more connected to the cosmos) and so quite a bit of attention was being focused on the transpersonal chakras below my feet. One night, in fact, I was awakened by that now familiar feeling of energy surging through me, and my right hand doing its thing beaming below my feet. "How nuts is this whole situation?" I wondered. Thank goodness my husband who is typically a light sleeper didn't wake up for the display. I didn't want to answer his questions about the nuttiness. I released my arm from underneath the covers and waited for the action to finish.

Around this same time during dreamtime or meditation, probably dreamtime, I had an important encounter. A group of about 5 beings approached me. In the center a man stepped forward and told me I'd be doing work and said "activations." I laughed in delight and began to rapidly spin like a top while moving upward. It was done. 

Periodically when it was decided it was time I would rev up again and energy would pour through my shaking hand, moved to different locations around my body by my arm. With all the activations I'd received over the course of many weeks I was noticing something within myself. My connection to my body was strengthening. I felt solid, boundaries were easier to maintain with others with little inner conflict, everything was clearer, and generally I felt kinda fierce. Hmm...I like this!  

After spontaneously giving activations to multiple people on my table I knew it was time to start officially offering them. So, I jumped into the deep end, created a page on my site with the minimal information I had, and began advertising my new service on Facebook. Fortunately I had plenty of takers so I could do this work. I had no idea all the fascinating information I'd gather in the process and the major shifts others would report.

there isn't somehow more. Class is class but if you want to learn Reiki you practice it. Those who leave yearning for more sometimes go off and learn types of Reiki that are touted as "advanced," "more powerful," or a "next step." I can certainly understand the allure. Getting attunements, growing in connection to Reiki, and sensing that one's healing abilities are increasing somehow is exciting. We seek growth and in our society that typically means more certificates, accreditations, and degrees.

The pull to take more classes is especially strong for newer practitioners. When we're in the beginning stages of our practice we can be hungry for that next development. The eagerness for becoming the best we can be is sometimes funneled into taking courses but without a firm foundation it's a bit like building a house too quickly. If there's a sincere desire to practice professionally then sincerely practice nonprofessionally. Lay the concrete foundation (letting it cure so it's solid), build the framing bit by bit, install the plumbing carefully, meticulously wire the electricity, then put up the drywall with great attention. It's a time-consuming process which if done with care and dedication can be strong, resilient, and last for many years. The enthusiastic rush to move forward leads to being unprepared for real life and the everyday service of a professional Reiki practitioner.

I'm not suggesting benefit isn't received from additional hours of class time. All teachers have something beautiful to teach and learning different perspectives, approaches, philosophies, techniques, and tools can absolutely enhance our practice. I've greatly enjoyed learning new things from various sources including the beginning level of a traditional form of Japenese Reiki this year, watching DVDs, taking workshops, reading many books, talking to plenty of colleagues about their methodology, and learning from my students in countless ways. All these actions have supplemented and inspired my practice. But it is a practice and that means doing. All the talking, reading, note taking, thinking, additional attunements, and questioning don't replace practicing.

Nor am I implying that the process of learning should take a proscribed route. Between Level II and Master/Teacher I spent a full year practicing as much as I could: going to Reiki circles twice a month, volunteering, practicing on loved-ones near and far, and self-treatment. For some reason I knew I had to get my hands on as many people as possible in lots of different circumstances. It helped me to grow more familiar with Reiki, get to know how it felt to treat others, become comfortable with touching strangers, and used to talking with recipients. There was lots of careful construction taking place. Of course this was just my way—I'm a doer. It's not the only correct way. It did, however, equip me with experience-based confidence and ease. So when it came time to practice professionally it wasn't such a scary proposition. I'm not a believer in specific required amounts of time between taking different levels of Reiki; if there's an urgency then honor it. No matter what there's plenty to be learned. 

To paraphrase the writer I mentioned earlier, if you want to be a Reiki practitioner and you're not practicing Reiki, you should probably ask yourself why you aren't because that's what Reiki practitioners do and you'd better enjoy practicing Reiki. What better way to know? Another question to consider: are the added levels without the support of dedicated practice not only an attempted substitute for practice but also a way to hide that maybe practicing professionally isn't really for you? I've had multiple students over the years who took Level I and Level II classes in pretty quick succession who from the outset believed that professional practice was for them. Once in the thick of practicing at circles and volunteer community service many realized that professionally practicing Reiki wasn't ultimately their path. Class was one thing, doing was another, and the doing taught them everything they needed to know to make a choice. 

So take the classes if you must, but never stop practicing. Reiki is all the teacher we require to grow. 

center front of my body I was slapping myself hard tracing the route of the front side of my chakras. Then the smacking hand travelled back up to my crown, then one more time back down. Weird. There wasn't just slapping though, some serious energy was fueling the engine in my hand and arm, different from other energies I've experienced previously, and being transferred into me at each collision. 

This kept happening to me at each Oneness Meditation on average of 2x per and while I had broken blood vessels on my forehead—ow!—the physical hurting wasn't my biggest concern. What the heck was happening with me? I talked to some trusted friends who I suspected would have insights. Nope, no one had ever heard of or seen this form of self-awakening, but most everyone who did have some ideas suggested a kriya experience. Ah! So this was a form of kundalini-induced movement. Yes, of course that was exactly it. It wasn't the first time flowing with this energy. Over time I began to recognize when it was about to happen: a huge rise in energy within my body like my whole being was about to sneeze, my hand starting to shake more than usual...and here we go. It even happened one time while I was driving. Imagine that scene.

Since that time even though the movement hasn't ever stopped (in fact, it was a precursor to the Activations flowing through me) they've transformed from the very vigorous, task-master Shakti expression to something far more physically gentle. There's no more super hard slapping I'm happy to report. But now I'm activating more than just me and that's when things have gotten extra interesting. 

Every piece I've seen published out of India and from many other countries ties Reiki to the chakras. How Reiki works is explained by the interaction with and influence on them. These systems, while frequently woven together, are completely unrelated, however. Chakras are from a yogic tradition and Reiki's origins are Japanese.

While reading the thorough and scholarly (it is written by a Ph.D after all) book The Subtle Energy Body by Maureen Lockhart I was tickled to see Reiki as a topic right alongside discussions of kundalini, Kabbalah, spiritual alchemy, meditation, and the auric field. But then I noticed it was smack dab in the "New Age" chapter. Reiki isn't new age—Mikao Usui, a Japanese Buddhist, discovered it in 1921. Clearly, he wasn't a new-ager. Where the footnote demonstrating the source of this conclusion?

About a year ago Reiki was on the Ellen Degeneres show. Guest Kellie Pickler was treated to a spa experience (super silly video here) which includes Reiki given by a practitioner. Ellen looks like she's having a great time goofing around. But why does the practitioner, who's not performing any physical manipulation, keep calling it "Reiki massage?" Reiki and massage can be combined, but they're distinct things. Oy.

When a Reiki Master was highlighted as part of Oprah Magazine's recurring column on real women finding their dream careers (article here), of course I was thrilled. Hey, that's me too! Then it started out by describing Reiki as "an ancient healing art." Wah wah. 1921 doesn't even qualify a sofa as antique, let alone ancient.

After thinking about all the niggling, incorrect references one day I finally got it. First, for some people these are truths. For example, some practice "Reiki massage" and even when there's no direct contact with the body they still call it that out of habit or because it's what they're taught. Additionally, the connection can be made between new age practices and Reiki because lots of practitioners combine it with new age techniques. And second, who cares if it's slightly "incorrect?" Reiki is being represented which is enough to get people to find it. 

So, I can choose to continue to be slightly annoyed or disappointed, work diligently to rectify the references, or I can see any and all representation as a gift. I'm going with door number 3.

Question: What other ways do you see Reiki incorrectly described in the media?

reactions, I’m much more than a smiling face and an open heart. Trust me.

As humanity moves into new territory away from being defined by the ego we’re refining authentic living. Part of that means we’re not sure to how to express who we are now while experimenting with who it is we want to be. Here’s my call to us about the risks of the current Love & Light culture:

• It’s shame producing. This impossibly high standard can lead us to believe there’s something wrong with being angry, impatient, sad, and depressed. And while it doesn’t intentionally come from judgement, it sure does feed into it. We can be openhearted and feel and express a full range of emotions. 

• It’s shallow. Relying on safe, don’t rock the boat messages feels like a belly full of marshmallow fluff. Sure, it may feel good going down but it doesn’t nourish, satisfy, or feed us. We intuitively want “stick to our ribs” fare. Love & Light is a pleasant, smiling mask to wear. The wearers don’t have to look deep within for wounds, nor do they have to acknowledge the hurts of others.

• It prolongs suffering. When we recognize and feel into every emotion we give ourselves a chance to really move on. Of course we suffer and by denying all but a few emotions Love & Light language and attitudes encourage repression and denial, only putting off healing. 

• It’s confusing and not true. My favorite measuring stick for the nature of being is babies. Babies feel and express every emotion fully and honestly. There’s no shame, reservation, self-judgement, or criticism from others. No one’s going to give a crying baby the stink eye accusing it of dwelling in the darkness. 

• It’s disempowering. Those of us who derive power from places considered dark shouldn’t stop working their version of light because it doesn’t fit into Love & Light. Darkness is sacred space. It’s where hope, prayers, and fighting spirit go during especially tough times. It’s also the home of roots--to hold up, gather food, and support all else. We miss out on this juiciness when focused on Love & Light.

• It doesn’t allow us to see lessons and opportunities. Try to imagine the blues, the work of Emily Dickinson, mythology, and any Renaissance painting if only Love & Light were acceptable. All of us have gone through soul-crushing times. Did we wail, curse, and gnash our teeth? Hell yes. Would many of us trade these experiences? Hell no. These times teach us to protect a sliver of ourselves; give us a chance to see our strength and clarity of character like no other; and provide us with sources of song, ode, poetry, and art: new life. 

• It strips power from history. Dark times have borne potent fruit: Martin Luther King, Jr., Joan of Arc, Gandhi, Anne Frank, and Nelson Mandela are instant examples. It’s not weak to remember. While inhabiting the dark we look back to brave martyrs, revered saints, and everyday role models for real-life solutions, inspiration, and comfort in knowing that others have experienced the same and even much worse.  

• It’s culturally specific. Throughout time people from all over the world have prayed to, honored, invoked, and worshipped dark divinity. Kali, Osiris, Pele, the new moon, Hades, and the Black Madonna are just a few who we’ve turned to in times of death, harvest, change, and the desire to be heard by One who walks in two worlds. When we only connect to Love & Light beings we shortchange ourselves.

If you’ve read this far, clearly you care. Thank you. Those of us who come from the perspective of love are now being called to be ourselves fully and honor the fullness of all others. Compassion allows us to grow and learn. A few resources I’m grateful for in showing us the way through these times of change are Brene Brown, Anne Lamott, and Mary Oliver. Let’s all help each other move toward who we want to become. 

It's time for us to look at what we've been taught about Reiki. Not only is everything changing so it's appropriate to examine the teachings to see if they still apply (do we follow tradition for tradition's sake even when it no longer holds true?), but it's also time to gauge what's reflective of our own experience as well as to authentically honor variation in practice and viewpoint.

There are some people who personally do not perceive Reiki as channeling. Plain and simple. Instead, their perspective is no separate, external Reiki energy exists. Their sense of Reiki is one of reconnecting with one’s original nature. This outlook is highly appealing to atheists—yes, Reiki really doesn't require any kind of belief system. Some people don’t recognize Reiki as “energy” at all, even though it is often described as such, and for these people Reiki is indivisible from who we are at our core.

Perhaps some of the push against the idea of channeling is to reject the concept as “new age,” or to separate Reiki from all that might be considered as woo-woo and therefore ungrounded in verifiable fact. There is a prominent Reiki movement in the U.S., championed in my opinion by Pamela Miles, which seeks to legitimize Reiki as a medical modality. Those in the movement distinguish Reiki as completely separate from all things new age, but still spiritual. Of course it’s a valid position and approach. Can we openminded, spiritual people embrace those who reject what we consider real? Isn't this true spiritual work and exactly what Reiki teaches us?

An important eye-opener is the fact that the familiar translation of the word Reiki is problematic and this is yet another reason to question what we've been taught. In fact, the translation can lead we practitioners to assume it works in a certain way. The words Rei and Ki both have many different meanings in Japanese even when written using the same characters (kanji). The most common way to translate Reiki is Universal (Rei) Energy (Ki) but neither of these translations is completely accurate. Rei can mean spiritual, divine, or mysterious and Ki can be an atmosphere, feeling, essence, or awareness. When put together we are lead to an idea of Reiki being a mysterious, spiritual, or divine essence that creates an atmosphere we can feel or become aware of. Isn't this different from the popularly held "spiritually wise life force energy" definition we typically encounter? 

Since absorbing these alternate ideas I've even changed the way I describe the process of doing Reiki. I no longer feel limited in my language. Now I offer, provide, do, give and practice Reiki. Being imprecise gives me comfort and helps me to detach even further from meaning about what is happening and expectation of how it works. I can get out of the way even more now. Ah!

than a year he physically, emotionally, and mentally abused me. No one knew at the time, not family or friends (he'd forced me to alienate myself from everyone else in my life before the physical abuse started, so I didn't really have anyone to confide in), and not many people know about it today more than 20 years later. I don't hide it. I have no shame or concern over how I might be perceived. Perhaps I don't bring it up because I don't see the incident as particularly important or maybe it's because I've moved on.

Just because I've survived, learned, and healed doesn't make me brave or even special. According to the 2000 UN Study On The Status of Women somewhere in this country a woman is battered, usually by her intimate partner, every 15 seconds. 

So, all we throngs of women have a choice. We can identify as victims and live in fear. We can hold onto anger and let it erode our connection to joy and satisfaction (of course anger can be potent fuel for change, but at a high cost). Or we can look at the event(s), see the lessons, and learn them. 

Of course I can only speak about my experience. Surprisingly I didn't harbor anger, fear, or pain long. When I was done receiving what I needed to from the relationship I moved on in every way. Truly, I can't claim finding solace in a spiritual practice or working through the events with a therapist. I received grace. It's as simple and remarkable as that. When I learned what I needed to, I was done. Really done--well dry, covered up, with no mold or lingering residue.

Virtually immediately after I left I recognized a huge change within myself, a strength and fortitude which had never been there before. Ever since then I refuse to accept anything less than respect and I am grateful for that.  

I'm sure that many people would call the young man who abused me some pretty choice names. I call him teacher.

First, there's nothing that says you MUST move forward at all. Yes, it's helpful to know what's possible for you to gain at each level of Reiki education to make a brain-satisfying decision. For example, a huge draw to learn Level II for current Level I students is obtaining the ability to send Reiki through space and time. From the big picture, though, there's really no reason to move forward unless doing so is something that feels absolutely right from a gut level. It's important to know that it's perfectly fine to remain at Level I for the rest of your life if that's what you sense is correct. Being able to treat yourself and your loved-ones (anyone you hold in your heart) in the present moment is pretty big stuff.

Second, how quickly you advance is up to you. Truly, there are NO requirements about time spent practicing between levels. Any guidelines are simply that and are created by humans. For some people it seems comfortable to move slowly while others are so eager that moving through the levels can't happen quickly enough. Each person has different needs, availability to the energy, desire to honor tradition, and rhythms. Although it's nice to have suggestions about how long to wait, I really don't like to do so because I'm not you and I don't know what's taking place within you at every moment, observing your changes, sensing what's opening up, and having awareness about what you might be ready for or what your life is asking of you. The best gauge is always your heart.

Lastly, hesitation over readiness might just be hesitation about a teacher. Of course there is no need to stick with the same teacher for every level of study. Here are two points to consider 1. every teacher has something beautiful to teach and 2. the power of the student comes not from any inherent "superiority" of the teacher's, but in the student's devotion to practice. So, go with someone you feel comfortable with, trusting your heart instead of your doubting ego. There's nothing wrong with interviewing the teacher and any of his/her students to see if your mind and heart can be in agreement. However, give the vote from your heart way more weight than your brain's. Please, don't pull back because the teacher doesn't have as many years teaching under his belt as you think he should, for instance, and don't worry about offending a teacher. Overall I do not feel cheated on if a student continues her studies with another teacher and I don't feel rejected if a prospective student chooses someone else. Students bless their teachers with the gift of bringing Reiki into their lives and that's a huge honor.

In advancing in Reiki whether, when, and with whom are all up to you and what you sense is best for you. There is no greater advice you can receive than that which is available within.

radical shift coming in very regularly, perhaps even once a week for several weeks in a row is a good idea. By coming in repeatedly with only a short time in-between it's much easier to stay in touch with what's taking place within, returning to yourself. Larger gaps of time between sessions allow more opportunity to get away from a focus on self-care and get caught up in life. To make sense of this idea it might be easy to think about what happens with art restoration and conservation. Art in disrepair receives regular care in order to remove the grime and bring back the original luster. The preservation efforts happen as quickly as possible, without gaps in time, to prevent further deterioration. The stress, self-abuse, fears, and demands of daily life in between treatments can lead to plenty of wearing down. We all know that.

If sense you're generally in good shape but are still looking to make a pretty big change in your focus (away from being stuck, out of negativity, or towards your spiritual self), coming in every few weeks for a while might be a good approach. The receiving of Reiki at first can be a gentle stripping away of built-up layers of unhelpful energies, with each successive session going a little deeper until you're able to ready to experience who you truly are, giving you a new vantage point. 

Feeling pretty good, take pretty decent care of yourself, and wanna keep feeling good? Reiki is amazing preventative care. Coming in about once a month helps you to stay that way.

One of my clients makes an appointment with me whenever she wants to work on something in particular. She arrives with an intention to address an issue that's popped into her field of awareness. This thoughtful approach helps her to receive assistance with releasing habits, shifting perspectives, or dealing with old wounds.

Another approach is to use your inner guidance. This is the one I encourage the most. Maybe it's my aversion to the idea that I would pull out a prescription pad and tell people what to do--projecting my truth onto them--but I just don't enjoy giving this kind of advice. Of course I understand the desire to seek counsel on a new approach from the "expert," but the way I see it no one is more expert about you than you. In fact, by keeping the focus inward you can continually observe what kind of impact life is having on you and be able to discern when you'd benefit from getting support. 

Ultimately Reiki will take you to the same place whether your approach is strategic or one of flow. You'll end up coming back to yourself, your true self, the only source of guidance you'll ever need.

losing our workspace, lacking confidence, breaking up with a partner, becoming sick or injured, falling off the wagon, running out of money, feeling completely uninspired, having no one seek our services, or getting fired. 

Instead of looking at these situations as if we’re being targeted it can be empowering to view them as receiving self-imposed commitment tests. Switching our perception from the external victim to the internal choosing can change everything. In fact I’ve learned through all the readings I’ve given, as well as through my own life, that’s precisely what’s happening. We create perfect-case scenarios to test our resolve to a project, job, spiritual path, relationship...anything that may mean a great deal to us. In the big picture it’s amazingly clever and strategic. What takes place is often exactly what we need to in order for us to choose to commit or to quit. 

These tests can be quite painful when they fall into the realm of our heart’s desire--who we want to be or what we want to do. Because they’re the places we feel the most vulnerable, they’re the most fear-inducing, and the commitment tests are the most difficult to endure.

Giving readings has been that for me. I was pushed into doing them by the Universe. Ugh, there were plenty of nights and meditation sessions during which I was not-so-subtly nudged--encouragingly themed movies played showing me giving readings, visions of the Akashic record, seeing the words “readings” and “go” in my mind’s eye. It was all pretty relentless until I finally surrendered. Then everything eased up. But that doesn’t mean that it felt easy or natural. The very idea triggered a deep sense of unworthiness within, who am I to be doing this kind of work? 

These feelings became so strong that I had to keep praying and expressing my surrender. For me it went--and every once in a while still goes--something like “OK God, you want me to do this. I’m counting on your support in every way in order to do this work. I’ll keep working and you keep supporting me, leading me, helping me, teaching me. That’s the deal and I’m depending on you.” The keys for me in this equation are (1) I don’t put energy into worrying (2) I keep working. I don’t say no and stop just because a reading doesn’t obviously result in a remarkable revelation or I receive any feedback from the recipient. The wondering or questioning can either be doubt-producing (was that helpful at all?!) or can cause me to stand even stronger in a position of faith. It’s a whole lot easier to feel full of faith when the reading ends with big smiles and kind words. True faith is built and commitments are solidified in the face of doubt. Fortunately for me doubts don’t creep in too often because of my trust in my contract with the Divine--I keep working and support is ever-present. 

Next time a commitment test comes your way stand your ground. If what you’re being tested on is your truth then overcoming the test will only make you stronger. Truth is always supported.