The Reiki Digest's first ever focus group starts today!

By Beth Lowell, Managing Editor

The Reiki Digest is conducting its first ever focus group starting today! Reiki practitioner participants will use a mandala to see how art influences their practice.

The idea for the focus group blossomed after Pam Turczyn commented on Deborah Flanagan's December 14, 2010 article about Reiki in healtchcare settings.

A conversation ensued and we discovered that Pam is a Brooklyn based artist whose work is inspired by her desire to help the greatest number of people possible and also to discover how art can assist the healing process.

We decided to help Pam, a level 2 Reiki practitioner, in her quest and announced the focus group back in March. 

The response was immediate and enthusiastic. Here's what some of our participants had to say: 

This is wonderful! I am so excited about participating and seeing the results of the study!!
--Jenny G.

Very excited to participate in this study. You've assigned me to the Meditation group which is so fantastically fitting being the organizer on the local level for a global, meditation event that is held monthly. Your time line will encompass two of those events.  

I will say in my first view, this lends itself to a journey effect, it pulled at me within the first few moments of looking at it, moving indeed.
-- Michelle C.


Reiki practitioners from around the world will practice with the mandala in four categories: Self care, Treatment of others, Distance treatments and Meditations. They will use the mandala a minimum of five times over the next eight weeks and answer a survey. At the conclusion, they will also have the opportunity to comment on their experience overall and after compiling the results, we'll share them here. 

One lucky participant in each group will win an archival print of the mandala valued at $200.00  

Due to the overwhelming response, some practitioners have been placed on a waiting list. We thank them for both their enthusiasm and patience.

Also, thanks to all our participants and Pam. We look forward to sharing the results here at The Reiki Digest later this summer.