Creating Reiki community

Holiday Reiki Share, 12/19/2010
photo by Amber Johnston

By Kimberly Fleisher

For the last 12 years I’ve had the privilege of practicing Reiki in Philadelphia, PA at The Reiki School + Clinic. One of the most rewarding, sweetest fruits of my practice is being a part of a thriving Reiki community. When I first began my Reiki journey, I did not know many Reiki practitioners. Aside from wanting to expose others to the practice, one of my main reasons for teaching was selfish- I wanted to talk about and share my practice with like-minded people! I had no idea just how rich my experience of spiritual community, through the practice of Reiki, would become. I learned quickly that community was both supportive and challenging; eventually, I learned to see both as precious gifts that deepened my practice. Now, every time I reflect on the Reiki precept of gratitude, I remember how valuable my Reiki community is to me.

The beauty of connection

Each Reiki treatment or class establishes connections. Kinship is created. My experience of Reiki practice is that it breaks down unneeded boundaries and resistances, and softens us to the compassionate place inside each one of us. As we move back to our own inner balance, we are more open to finding harmony and kinship with others. My Reiki practice has brought me a wealth of people who value spirituality. It’s brought me a safe space to talk about my movements toward wellness, as well as a supportive network of people that nurture the notion of ‘handle with care.’ No pun intended. I’ve gained dear friends, listening ears, nurturing hands, loving text messages, and distance Reiki treatments. I’ve been able to give those same gifts to others. I’ve felt the beauty of witnessing connections form. Through the community of The Reiki School + Clinic I’ve had the privilege of seeing new matches made - long term friendships, work connections, romantic partnerships, love, marriage, babies, business partnerships, and innumerable connections.

Openness to others
Through my Reiki community I’ve also been exposed to new traditions and practices that previously were unfamiliar or sometimes, uncomfortable to me. My Reiki practice has helped me become softer and more open to different ways of being. One might think that being a part of a group makes you less open, yet I’ve found the opposite – I am a part of a club that helps me become less and less exclusive. My community has opened me to wisdom teachings, beautiful practices, and ways of thinking and being I didn’t know were possible. I’ve been able to take in those experiences fully, and use them as a means of self-reflection and growth.

Learning from challenges

Being in-community doesn’t always feel like a smushy, warm bed of goodness. Sometimes it’s frustrating, or challenging. It can bring out the worst feelings in us. Isn’t it wonderful, then, that we get to use our Reiki practice to help us learn from those challenges? We can return again and again, to our hands-on practice, and to the precepts. The co-founder of The Reiki School + Clinic, the late George Barrick, used to say, “To become more human is to become more divine.” My Reiki practice has helped me accept my humanness, my perfect imperfections, and to see their divine reflection in all others. My Reiki Community creates more opportunities for me to use my Reiki practice. What a gift! When we practice daily self-Reiki, we explore the landscape of our internal practice. We see the benefits and lessons that come from showing up daily. We practice when we think things are happening, and we practice when it doesn’t seem like anything is happening. Over time we learn lessons that only come from commitment and dedication. We see the growth that arises. Isn’t it the same with being part of a Reiki community? Sometimes it seems we like it, and sometimes we don’t. Either way, we continue to practice and we grow. As a Reiki community, locally or globally, we all have, at least in theory, a commitment to practicing and applying Reiki in our daily lives. Doesn’t this mean we have a commitment to each other, to use our practice of Reiki as we relate to each other? Community is one of the most valuable components of my Reiki practice. It has helped me in innumerable ways. I am so grateful.

Kimberly Fleisher is a Reiki Master Teacher and holds a Masters degree in Education. She is Director and Co-Founder of The Reiki School+Clinic in Philadelphia, PA

Editor's note: For those who are not familiar with the Reiki precept about gratitude, many versions of the Reiki precepts include a reference to gratitude, and sometimes "be humble" is translated as "be grateful".