How Do You Explain Reiki to Someone Whose Never Heard Of It?

I started reading a new book (for me) on Reiki and it occurred to me how interesting it was that each author or practitioner of Reiki described what Reiki is just a little bit differently. So, I thought it would make a good topic for a newsletter or blog post.

So, when you meet with new clients, or you are trying to explain Reiki to family members or new friends, do you stumble over your words, trying to find just the right way to tell this particular person all about your greatest passion? Or are you very well versed on the subject and can just shoot our your spiel at the drop of a hat, no problem?

Here are some of the most common questions people ask me about Reiki:  Is Reiki connected to any religion?  Do I have to believe in it for it to work?  Do I have to take off my clothes like for a massage?  Is it like a massage? Where does the energy come from?  How many Reiki sessions do I have to have before I am cured?  Can Reiki heal my problem?  What kinds of issues can Reiki heal?  And so on and so on.

Do you know the answers to these kinds of questions?  If not, where would you go to find out the answers? A book, ask your teacher, look it up on Google?

So to back it up a bit, many years ago, I made a contract with myself to read every book I could get my hands on about Reiki - I'm on like almost 60 right now.  I wanted to know EVERYTHING I could about Reiki - EVERYTHING!

Let me be the first to tell you, THERE IS A LOT OF CONFUSING AND OPPOSING views out there about it it all.  A lot of books do overlap and generally speaking, everyone nowadays is up to speed with the real story of the origins of Reiki and it's founder Mikao Usui, not the fabricated Christian one.  But there is still of a lot of stuff out there that is just plain bunk.

So do your research!  Read lots of Reiki books, check out lots of Reiki websites, join a couple of Facebook or Yahoo Reiki Groups and ask a lot of questions.  Ultimately though, Reiki will be your teacher.  Doing Reiki,  receiving Reiki,  and especially teaching Reiki, will answer all your questions, eventually.