“Why didn’t Reiki heal my problem?” That can be a tough question to answer. A lot of Reiki practitioners fall back on the “highest good” argument and talk about esoteric factors that the person is working through. And sometimes that is the reason, but sometimes they are just more obvious.
Master Stephen Co talked about the Seven Factors that influence healing in my Basic Pranic Healing class. These Seven Factors are
- Receptivity of the recipient. Often we say a person doesn’t need to believe Reiki will work, but the truth is, their belief helps. The more receptive the person is, the better the energy flow and the more effective Reiki will be.
- Skill of the healer. Kind of a no-brainer; the better the practitioner is at moving energy, the better the energy will flow, the more energy will go where it is needed, and the better the results. This is why it is important for practitioners to connect with Reiki often. Joshin Kokyu Ho and Seishin Toitsu are great techniques for that. So is performing self healing and healing on others.
- Severity of the problem. The more severe the problem is, the more energy it will take to resolve it.
- Age of the subject. Younger subjects tend to have better energy flow and less built up “junk” energy.
- Environment. The environment that the recipient lives in is a very important factor. This not only includes their domicile, but also their work environment, recreation environment, etc… Included in all of these is the people that are present. Negative people are going to weigh down the energy of the recipient.
- Emotional factors. The emotions the recipient regularly experiences are a big factor in their healing. Someone who is regularly stressed, angry, anxious, afraid, or experiencing other negative emotions will have a lower energy vibration and be less receptive to Reiki.
- Karma. This is that “highest good” one. Past karma will definitely impact your ability to receive healing. And you don’t have to believe in reincarnation; karma generated from actions in this life has a very real effect on your current energy.
As I looked at the Seven Factors, I realized that the Reiki practitioners have control over exactly ONE of them; they can control #2, the Skill of the healer, and nothing else.
Reiki practitoners can do things to influence #1, Receptivity. This includes things like setting the environment of the treatment space to be relaxing, having the recipient visualize appropriate healing imagery, and recite prayers, phrases, or mantras to help open up their energy flow.
If seeing the recipient regularly, a Reiki practitioner can influence #3 Severity of the problem, #5 Environment, and #6 Emotional Factors. Seeing a client regularly allows the practitioner to catch new issue early, as well as, provide guidance to help the recipient improve their environment and emotional life. Again, these three can really only be affected if the practitioner has regular contact with the recipient.
So why doesn’t Reiki always work? The truth is Reiki always works, at some level and to some degree. But a person shouldn’t go to a Reiki healer and expect that the healer is going to do all the work. They are accountable for their own self, and they are responsible for six of the seven factors of a successful Reiki treatment. There is a reason Richard Gordon says the healer is the person who is sick and gets better. The sick person controls their fate.
And for the Reiki practitioners who ask “Why should I go to so much trouble to hone my skill when it’s only a small part of the results?” We do it because it’s the part we can control, and we do not want to be the weak link in the healing process.