I’m recovering from COVID-19 and have been since the end of January. I’ve therefore had a lot of time to sit at home in quiet, think, and re-evaluate. When I say “quiet,” I mean I’m quiet. Talking is exertion with my lungs in the state they are in and my voice is still strained much of the time without reason. (It has good days too). But it’s given me plenty of quiet time to reflect — and that’s a good thing.

One of the things I’ve reflected on is my relationship with Reiki as a whole.

I’ve been writing about deeper issues surrounding Reiki like how boundaries are necessary for practitioners and how it’s important to decolonize Reiki. But it’s time to take the decolonization a step further.

“Distance Reiki” is Enkaku Chiryo in Japanese

For nearly a decade, I’ve been referring to different aspects of Reiki by their English names (as I speak English as my first language, was taught Reiki in English, and am based in the USA). For example, I’ve been calling it “Distance Reiki,” which isn’t exactly wrong — but still erases the traditional Japanese words to describe what Distance Reiki is.

But if I merely call it Enkaku Chiryo online, no English speakers who want Reiki will find it unless they already know it’s called that. Plus, this tearing away of the Japanese words has been reinforced by Western Reiki practitioners has gone on for decades, so these words aren’t widely known.

What I am going to do going forward is incorporate the proper Japanese names of different parts of my Reiki practice. You can ask for “Distance Reiki,” and I will serve you with that — but I am also going to see it as an opportunity to make you aware its traditional Japanese name is Enkaku Chiryo.

Yes, my Reiki teachers taught me the traditional names of everything and it’s time I carry that forward to those who become interested in this traditional Japanese art that promotes healing, relaxation, and meditation. Reiki can become a way of life that helps you — if you let it. But we have to respect it.

It’s time to honor Reiki’s roots and history. It’s almost time to celebrate Usui Reiki’s 100th birthday and yet it’s become unrecognizable in the West. Some teachers have created “new kinds” of Reiki with new names — and it’s unnecessary. Sometimes, it’s even disrespectful.

Reiki didn’t need makeover.

Whatever changes Westerners have made to it has been for their own egos and greed. I have a hunch that has weakened their Reiki just as much as it would have if they were to publicly share the Reiki symbols. Intention is everything in Reiki and much of metaphysics, naturally. If you intend to use it to serve your ego and greed, Reiki won’t continue to serve you.

More on this subject to come...

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