Why Do I Think It’s Important to Learn Reiki?

I am deeply passionate about Reiki.

Not simply because of what Reiki can achieve as a healing practice, but because of how it has evolved, how much there is still to explore, and the many different ways in which people experience and understand it.

Reiki has a fascinating history, from Mikao Usui and the development of his teachings in Japan, through the work of Chujiro Hayashi and Hawayo Takata, to the many different lineages and expressions of Reiki that exist around the world today.

It has travelled, evolved and been interpreted through different cultures and traditions. And I find that fascinating.

I also love teaching Reiki.

Perhaps because, in teaching, I learn so much myself.

I read. I research. I listen. I observe. I learn from other teachers and practitioners, from my students, and from the people who come to me for Reiki therapy. Every person brings something different. Every experience teaches me something new. And all of it helps me become better. To go deeper. To question. To remain curious. And, importantly, never to fall into the trap of believing that I know all there is to know. This is one of the reasons I don't personally refer to myself as a Reiki Master.

The terminology has become so commonplace that we can forget what the word master actually implies. I am uncomfortable with the idea that anyone should think they have mastered all there is to know about Reiki, let alone every style, lineage, interpretation and expression of the practice. How could we possibly know everything? I certainly don't. And, as I don't speak Japanese, the language of Reiki's traditional origins, I am happy to acknowledge that there will always be more for me to learn, understand and explore.

Hence, I prefer to remain a student, as well as a teacher.

This is an important part of what I want to say about why I believe it is important to learn Reiki.

There are, of course, the obvious reasons.

Self-healing. The ability to support others. The opportunity to offer something meaningful to another person. All of these are important. But for me, there is something much deeper.

We are living in a world that feels increasingly ego-driven, divided and confusing. We are exposed to an extraordinary amount of information, misinformation, fear and contradiction. Things we once took for granted about governments, institutions, businesses, the media and individuals are being questioned. We are witnessing wars, suffering and injustices on a scale that can be difficult to comprehend.

Whatever our individual beliefs or perspectives, I think it is fair to say that we are living through a time of profound change.

And it’s time to wake up!

Waking up, however, does not mean living in fear; quite the opposite.

For me, waking up means becoming more conscious. It means doing the inner work. It means taking responsibility for the energy, attitudes and choices we bring into the world, rather than simply reacting to everything happening around us. Because if we want to counter darkness, we cannot become consumed by darkness ourselves.

I am determined, as far as I am able, to exist in a space of love, compassion, kindness, fairness and forgiveness.

I certainly don't claim to get it right all the time. I am a work in progress. But I have a choice.

My choice is to remain positive. To look for the light. To see the glass as half full, and preferably, three-quarters full! For me, this is where Reiki becomes so much more than a healing technique.

As we deepen our learning and understanding of Reiki, we begin to realise that we are not simply learning about something outside of ourselves. We are learning about what we really are.

Rei-Ki.

Universal life energy.

I am Reiki.

You are Reiki.

The energy we call Rei-Ki is not separate from us. It is the life energy that flows through and around us, and Reiki can become a pathway towards developing a deeper awareness of that connection. This is why I believe Reiki can be for anyone. Any age. Any background. Any walk of life.

You may already work with energy, or this may be completely new to you. You may consider yourself deeply spiritual, or you may simply be someone with an open mind who is curious to explore. You don't have to have all the answers. For me, as a Reiki teacher, the only real prerequisites are an open mind and, ideally, an open heart.

The qualities we cultivate through Reiki can extend far beyond a treatment table. They can influence how we approach life in general, as well as our attitudes and our behaviours: respecting someone else's way of life, even when it is different from our own; respecting another person's opinions and belief systems, without feeling the need to convince them that ours are right; respecting another person's skills and the way they choose to offer them, particularly when they are giving freely; choosing compassion over judgement; choosing discernment over gossip; choosing to find out for ourselves rather than forming opinions based on hearsay, assumptions or what amounts to a modern-day game of Chinese whispers.

These choices may seem relatively small. Collectively, they are not.

I believe that humanity needs more people who are prepared to make choices such as these that are for the good of others, and, if possible, bring light into the world. Now more than ever, we need more lightworkers.

When I use the expression lightworkers, I don't mean people with special powers or some kind of mystical superiority. I mean people with truly warm hearts. People who genuinely care. People who recognise the value and sentience of all living beings. People who are willing to share, to serve, to encourage and to spread loving kindness.

And sometimes, people who are prepared to put themselves out there, speak up and stick their necks out when something is not right.

That doesn't mean becoming a naïve, unquestioning or “woo-woo” walkover. There is enormous strength in refusing to become a sheep. There is strength in maintaining boundaries while remaining compassionate. There is strength in questioning rather than blindly following. There is strength in choosing kindness when fear, anger or judgement would be the easier response.

For me, Reiki helps us develop that awareness.

It helps us become more conscious of ourselves, of others and of the energy we contribute to the world around us.

And I should add something important here.

I don't believe Reiki has a monopoly on any of this.

The qualities I have described – compassion, kindness, awareness, discernment, connection, service and a desire to contribute rather than cause harm – can be cultivated through many different energy practices, spiritual traditions and paths of personal development.

Reiki is simply the path I have chosen. It is the path I love. It is the path I continue to explore. And it is the path I feel privileged to share with others. Perhaps that is why I believe learning Reiki is important: the more of us who consciously choose awareness over ignorance, compassion over judgement, love over fear, and light over darkness, the greater the possibility of creating a more peaceful, conscious and loving world.

This isn't about changing the whole world overnight.

It begins with us.

With the way we think.

The way we speak.

The way we treat others.

The way we respond when it would be easier to react.

The energy we choose to bring into the world.

And perhaps that is one of the greatest gifts of Reiki: not simply discovering how to channel energy, but becoming more conscious of the energy we ourselves bring into the world.

For me, that is one of the most powerful reasons to learn Reiki.