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Thursday 13 August 2015

A Milestone Celebrated

On August 13, 1995, I got my Reiki Level 1 training and attunement.  My life changed that day, even though I didn't know it yet.  I would not be aware of it for, well, about 20 years!

I met my Reiki teacher via a friend.  I never heard of Reiki before and all anyone could tell me was "It's energy healing" as if I should have know that and obviously since I didn't I must be from another planet.  Well, that is true and that story is for another day.

My Reiki teacher was so calm and peaceful, such a beautiful soul.  I was bouncy and scattered. I didn't think I fit in the spiritual world no matter how much it was calling to me.  How could I?  I was not calm and gathered like everyone else I met.  However, she accepted me as a student and off I went to her class that beautiful Summer day.

There were at least 12 other participants.  The day was packed with information and a new way of looking at healing.  I was fascinated. I was hooked.  I wanted to heal the world!  Except the world did not want to be healed.  At least not my world.  Whenever I mentioned Reiki, you know, energy healing, I was met with looks that clearly showed they thought I had three purple heads...and slowly backed away.....   So I spent the next few years healing animals.  I saved a stray cat that was hit by a car with Reiki.

I intended to get my Level II Reiki as soon as I could - within the three months that I was allowed to. But it did not happen.  Each time she scheduled a class. I was not available, did not have the money, etc, etc. etc.  Seven years passed and then.....

I met an Intuitive Healer and Reiki Master at my corporate world job one day.  He walked in, sat down in front of my desk and said "It sure is busy in here".  I replied "Yes, this is a very busy office". He looked straight at me, smiled and said "No, I mean busy in "here"..."....meaning my cubicle space, meaning...ME!  He then proceeded to tell me a whole bunch of stuff - about me!  After 15 minutes, he left and I was in tears.  I knew then and there I would be studying with him.

Roughly 6-8 months later I saw a class he was teaching and I immediately signed up.  It was called Intuitive Living.  I had so much fun!  I left that class with three new friends and a new Reiki teacher.  I took my Level II from him a month later.  I felt guilty for not going to my original Reiki teacher as I felt since I started with her, I should continue with her.  I soon realized why I never did get to a Level II class with her.  My new teacher saw the potential of Intuitive Healing in me and proceeded to tutour me for the next six months.  This is something my other Reiki Master did not do, she kept to traditional Reiki treatments.  This is not a negative thing, this is just not, apparently, what I needed.

Eventually I also obtained my Level 3 and then my Master Teacher Level.  I did not intend to be a Reiki Teacher, I loved doing healing sessions and that is all I wanted to do.  One day my Guides said to me "You will become a Reiki Master and teach Reiki to others!"  This totally took me off guard and all I could do was say "Ok" in a sheepish voice (in my head that is).  And so I did.  That was in 2004.

So I began teaching Reiki to others in 2004.  My student list was growing steadily.  Then one day I started to hear from people that were attuned Reiki Level I from another teacher and they wanted to take their Level II from me. They heard I was an Intuitive Healer and they wanted to learn that from me (you see, in Level II I throw out the hand positions and introduce intuitive healing).  At first I felt awful "taking" students from other teachers. I had to remember that students have the right to choose their teacher.  (No doubt some of my students made their way to other Masters too).  And then it hit me - I found myself working with another Master because I needed the Intuitive Training, so others would feel the same call! Once I had that realization, then I was okay with it.

Then something else started to occur,  I heard from people who had Reiki training but did not feel anything, or think "it took" and asked me about it.  This I found to be odd.  I never heard of that before nor did I understand how that could happen - everyone can be attuned to Reiki.  I soon learned why.

Almost the same time, I began hearing of other Reiki types.  Honestly, I paid little attention to them. They did not jump out at me as something I would want to learn.  Then I made the connection between people not feeling anything and these new types of Reiki.  Many of these were taught distantly, the attunements were not done in the students actual energy field.  So again, I stayed away from them.

Jump ahead several years...  I have been teaching Reiki for about 11 years, giving healing sessions for 12-13 years and still Reiki was not accepted by medical insurance companies - unless you were a massage therapist.  I felt insulted by that!  I took Reiki seriously and abided by a code of ethics, took time to learn anatomy, etc. I did not feel that was fair.

In talking with several other Reiki teachers and practitioners about this, it became clear as to why. The evolved Reiki forms had changed Reiki so much over the years, there was no standardized training, as other energy healing modalities had.  This was ruining the reputation of Reiki!

So, one day a year ago, a friend and I decided we should create a professional association for Reiki and that evolved into an association for energy healing in general. We want to show the medical world and the general public that Reiki  (and I mean the traditional Usui Reiki) does work and that there are teachers and practitioners that take Reiki and their businesses seriously.  We had other energy healers join us to create the association, to create the by-laws, Code of Conduct and.....standardized teaching.  And we are making great headway!  We are not even a year old yet and we have already made great strides!

Reiki has most certainly changed my life!  In addition to the personal and spiritual growth it brought to me, Reiki was the first class I taught - and I am now a full time healer and teacher.  And the co-creator of this association which will help the businesses of all energy healers grow and give people in our community faith in - and a new way of looking at - energy healing!

So, as I celebrate this 20 year milestone and reflect upon the past 20 years, I must express gratitude to my Guides for "nudging" me to become a Reiki teacher.  I would not be where I am today, if they didn't push me beyond my comfort zone.  So Guides - thank you!

Angela Jeffreys

P.S. Now, I do want to add something.,  I have since explored some of these new Reiki forms. What I have discovered about some of them is that they do not have anything or have very little to do with original Usui Reiki.  That does not mean they are not good healing modalities in themselves.  They just are not Reiki.







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