When Reiki Isn't Working

Reiki is a wonderful technique that has brought				might say.
about many amazing changes in my life and the				Another example is a friend of mine who has
lives of my clients and students but there times				been a smoker for over twenty years. When I
when Reiki seems to be completely ineffective,				asked her if she would like to quit, she said she
even after multiple sessions. What is going on				yes. I gave her Reiki for a several weeks with no
when Reiki isn't working?				progress at all. Finally, I asked what the downside
I've noticed over the years that many people				to giving up smoking might be and she said she
think that, because they are Reiki practitioners,				would gain weight if she stopped and the weight
they can fix or heal other people. For a while, I				gain was a big concern for her.
held this belief, too. However, I came to notice				I know someone who was addicted to pain
that no matter how successful my practice was,				medication after being prescribed pain killers for
there were instances where nothing I did seemed				her migraines over a ten year period. Most of the
to make any difference. Reiki simply wasn't				time, Reiki would lessen or eliminate her
working. Slowly, I realized that the changes taking				headaches but there were times she would get
place in my clients were not of my doing, nor				one and no amount of energy work helped. Again,
were they decisions made by the "Reiki Source".				Reiki wasn't working. It was only after she had
Instead, my experiences were showing me that				gone to the emergency room and gotten more
the client is the one in charge and that he or she				pain medication that she would allow the Reiki to
determines the level and extent of transformation				soothe her headache.
that occurs.				I could go on and on but the point I wish to make
When Reiki isn't working, we need to ask				is that our clients either allow us to help them or
ourselves if something might be going on below				prevent us from doing so, based on their
the surface. In many cases, conditions are				willingness to let go of the core reason they have
supported by underlying benefits or secondary				whatever condition they have. As Reiki
gains. These are belief patterns the client holds				practitioners, we must recognize that we only
that cause him or her to think, on some deep				assist our clients in changing and nothing we do
level, having their condition is better than not				can force them to go in a direction they don't
having it. If the client has a secondary gain that is				wish to go.
not addressed, no amount of work you do will				Ultimately, it is changing the client's perception that
provide lasting change. This is a point that I feel all				will enable our work to be beneficial. My personal
Reiki practitioners must be aware of.				experience has indicated that releasing limiting
A few examples of secondary gain:				beliefs that lead to secondary gains is easier,
Many of us learn at an early age that we get				quicker and more reliable with methods other than
special attention when we are sick. I have seen				Reiki. If you would like to learn more about the
more than one instance where a wife had an				methods I prefer, see the author information box
illness and reveled in the amount of extra				at the end of this article.
attention she was getting because of it. "It's so				I hope this article has shed new light on an aspect
nice. My husband takes such good care of me. He				of the work we do as practitioners and given you
brings me breakfast in bed, cleans the house,				some things to consider when you encounter an
washes the dishes and checks on me every half				instance when Reiki isn't as effective as it usually
hour. I wish he would be like this more often", she				is.