Just heard

[gypsywitch]

Someone from my classes has been told they don't think our teacher taught us all we should know. This person is her personal Reiki Master who she has been going to for treatments since before our classes. The RM wants to see us a few times to bring us up to speed, and tonight is the first of these meetings. I am going along to see what her thoughts are but I feel terrible because I have been reading books and the only things I can think that she left off are actually mentioned in her handbook, but all I can think that this Reiki Master has picked up on is
a) her pronunciation of the symbols (I pronounce them as I think they should be, as the teacher said them differently to the guide notes she handed out) and
b) just found out Diane Stein says for the Power symbol that clockwise is best (and this goes with my spiritual learnings anyway) when attracting, anticlockwise when doing the opposite. Our teacher only taught us anticlockwise.
So tonight I will see, and decide if I think its a good idea to see this other reiki master again. She's cutting it a bit fine because the third degree is next week!

I'm also of the feeling that as our Reiki Master/teacher is successful in her own life and career, who is this other Reiki Master to say her methods are wrong? It is surely right for HER if she was taught that way, and therefore right for US?
What are your thoughts folks? I might possibly bring up any concerns or subjects tonight at the meeting if they seem urgent enough

[reikienergyheals]

In my eyes, the only thing that is important is intention. If you say the symbol in a different way or draw it in a different way or whatever...if your intention is Reiki and healing, that is what will happen. I was channeling Reiki through my hands and feet before I knew what Reiki was or had even heard the word Reiki. The important thing is intention. My advice is to do what feels right to you. I actually find it a bit offensive that someone would say another is doing it "wrong". Good luck!

[yogagurl]

I agree with Karen that intention is all that matters. And as far this person saying someone is doing it wrong, I think people get alittle stuck on themselves and think that their way is the only right way! That is ridiculous, every single one of us practices Reiki a little differently, and it works because asking for healing from universal life force energy is all we need to do. The rest is just technique and opinion. Trust yourself, if you feel right about what you have been taught and are doing then, everything is just fine. Sometimes ego gets in the way, and people think that they are actually doing the healing themselves, rather than just passing energy through themselves. If you feel bad about going to these meetings, then why go? You know what is best for you, and if what you have been taught feels right, then why let someone's personal issues give you self doubt? Either way, trust yourself, and you will know what it is the right thing for you.
Good luck!
Kristi

[gypsywitch]

Thanks ladies, and I agree with you both - the only reason I am going to this first one is because I somehow feel I owe it to my Master to find out what is going on behind her back! Not that I want her to know, because I think it will be really hurtful for her. This colleague whose Reiki Healer it is was quite closed to the whole thing at first I seem to remember. Maybe she felt it was not working for her as it should be, and voiced her concerns to her lady - I know there can be a lot of snobbery in some Reiki people. ANd what you said about ego sounds spot on.

I too have been channelling energy for years in my own spiritual practices, but I always felt it to be a different form of energy, the Reiki seems to come instantly whereas I used to work at forming the energy before, which confused me at first when I was Reiki I. I didn't get straight away how the channel is open to being used instantly and that I won't necessarily feel the same sensations as I did when I formed energy my way with my spiritual awareness etc. That energy began in my solar plexus and well, was just different.

Oh and Diane Stein also says that if you draw a symbol wrongly on the occasional use that Reiki will correct it for you and you can't go wrong, because as you also said the intent is there.

Well I'll go tonight because I can't cancel now and will see what this person is thinking. I'll report back if you like

[Christine]

I am getting a bad feeling about this second Reiki Master...definitely operating out of ego here.

I generally distrust anyone who claims their way is better than other peoples and that others are wrong.

Also, the lineage of Reiki I teach uses both directions of the power symbol. They're both correct but mostly we use the counter-clockwise. I do know some people who mostly use the other direction and of course it works--still acts to empower.

I'm going to call in Archangel Michael for you! Hope this meeting goes OK.

Blessings,
Christine

[gypsywitch]

Thanks Christine!
I chatted to the other colleague in the car on the way to the meeting, we agreed that we were going with open minds and felt protective over our own Reiki Master, and would make sure not a bad word was said about her.
The meeting started off very friendly, and it became apparent immediately that the lady had put a lot of work into planning and printing out weekly session notes for us all. I felt a bit defensive at the start because she asked "in what ways do you feel "cheated" with regard to your previous workshops?" nobody really had much to say at this point but the fellow student who was this lady's client said she felt the whole thing had been rushed because we only had two days per Reiki Level (9am-3pm). She went on to say that she had noticed we had not been taught about Protection. She told a story of how one of her clients had an absent healing session from a man on the phone who usually worked with his spirit guide, but one day a completely different guide entered his space and something was wrong, then he later committed suicide. So it seems she was mostly worried about our safety. She said we need to have a Protection Ritual and affirmation that we use each day. This is fair enough, rituals are very useful and we can incorporate this if we want to - but I don't think this means we were taught wrong.

The rest of the meeting was more like a discussion among friends who share an interest, we chatted loads and did a group healing on one of our group. I did feel a little like she was testing our abilities at one point when she wanted us all to see if we were connected with one another - we did a distant healing list type experiment with the person sat next to us. In all 4 cases (we were a small group) it worked and the connection was felt by all.
She said that next time she wants to take us through a Meditation on each of the symbols because she says that when she did this on her courses she felt the different energies like never before and this should be interesting for us.
I'm not entirely sure what else she thinks we don't know, because she had printed out stuff about the aura and all the different physical, astral and spiritual bodies that there are, and said we can colour it in for homework! To be honest I think she wants to get into teaching and is using us as guineapigs. She said we could give her just £5 but now I am left thinking hmm if she wants that every week she can whistle! I won't go if she thinks she can charge each time.
In all I felt it was great to have a host's house for us all to meet and talk about Reiki stuff, and hopefully by now the woman will have realised it's not the Reiki we practice which is a problem, it's the opportunity to share with likeminded people and discuss the extra things that were not essential to our learning or our practice when we took our courses.

[reikienergyheals]

Wow, this woman seems like a real manipulator. She tried to instill fear in each of you, in an attempt to make you feel insecure about your ability to do Reiki. Then, she asked you for a small amount of money? I am curious to know if each of you knew you had to pay her anything at all before agreed to go to the meeting, or if it was an on-the-spot request.

I am glad you found some positive moments during the meeting, though. I agree with you in that this woman is probably trying to get into teaching. In my opinion, she's got a lot to learn herself. As a classroom teacher, I can assure you that making students feel secure and confident is always the right thing to do. Making them feel insecure is not only counter-productive to learning, but is unethical.

I will send this woman Reiki as she clearly needs it. She is operating out of a place of fear.

I hope you don't mind my two cents worth.

Karen

[gypsywitch]

Thank you Karen, no I don't mind at all and I agree with you. It turned out this colleague of mine was confused about her Reiki Healer only working on the front of her body and never turning her over and asked our Class reiki Master her opinion. Our Master told her that his woman should be doing both sides since she is charging £25 per treatment and should be giving her the full treatment. In turn, she asked her Healer lady about this and she replied that she is guided to only work on one side of the body and of course this works for her. We are all different after all. Then it transpired that her lady always speaks several affirmations aloud before a treatment, and my colleague asked the class master if she should be doing this too and the teacher replied that no this is not necessary because she communicates them silently in her mind. Again, her methods are different and work for her. So I believe the whole thing is tit-for-tat and this new Reiki woman from last night has issues stemming from being doubted in the first place.

Incidentally, I was told the first session was free and that she did not want to set a charge but maybe something small like £5 would suffice. I assumed this was for the whole thing, so if it's a weekly thing I will be very put out. I don't mind the £5 because by the very nature of Usui's teachings one should invest something of oneself albeit however small, that and she also bought us all folders, tea and biscuits, and is giving of her time. Also her own Reiki Master is apparently going to do the 6th session! Actually it also transpired that my colleague's Healer/Master only did her own Reiki III and IV a month or so ago. So I prefer to see her as a kindred spirit or one on the same path (even though she is Christian and I am not) rather than any authority on the subject.

Yes, it was a valuable experience even though it drew on our group's insecurities - and thank goodness it did not put fear into me, I hope she didn't scare my friends. I'll certainly think twice before entertaining anyone else's doubts about our teacher/Master. Phew all this talk of this person, that person and the other person is confusing to type, I hope it isn't confusing to read!

[reikienergyheals]

It sounds like you learned and grew from this experience. Cool!

[Sloan]

Wow, sounds like an interesting experience to say the least. And I agree with the comments here that it sounds like the other teacher is coming from a place of ego and is playing on the fear of others to get people to come to her. And as Karen has already stated it sounds like you have learned and grown from this experience. It was just another short path you had to go through as a learning thing. I makes me think of a saying and I think it goes like this :

"I have heard it said that we are often lead to those who help us most to grow if we let them and we help them in return..."

[gypsywitch]

Thanks ladies
Sloan that proverb sounds spot on! Would be nice if she learnt something too!

Ooo it's my third degree attunement tomorrow, think of me when you guys wake up on Tuesday morning! It'll be happening about 11am my time and we are on BST (british summertime/daylight savings) at the mo!