THE BENEFITS OF REIKI FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Reiki reduces chronic pain and stress. (Photo by Mary Anne Romito)

This article offers a strategy for everyone, especially entrepreneurs, to deal with stress and physical pain.

In our complex society, stress is everyone’s enemy.  No one and no entity is immune to it. Chronic stress can inhibit our ability to perform at our peak capacity.  Entrepreneurs, especially, are subject to stress.  In order to do what they love to do, they have to manage many things on their own without the umbrella protection many organizations provide.  Examples are life issues, work issues, financial stability, and health care.  Making ends meet can be stressful.  

This articles offers a strategy for everyone, especially entrepreneurs, to deal with stress and physical pain.

A healing art

One of the best kept secrets in the world is the power of reiki.  Reiki is a healing art employing the transmission of reiki energy from one person to another or to an entity.  Reiki is a Japanese word that means “life force.”  In the martial arts, this energy is called “ki” or “chi” and gives the practitioner great power.

Every living thing has reiki energy in it - people, animals, and plants.  When reiki masters place their hands on another person, animal, or plant, their own reiki energy causes the subject’s own reiki energy to flow and reduce pain or stress caused by injury, illness, or anxiety.  Simply put, this creates a healing.

Reiki masters also bring about a healing through a practice called “distant healing.”  They conduct a meditation that involves focusing on the subject that needs healing.  The subject might be a person, a community of persons, an institution, or the world.

Are reiki masters dreamers?  Well, yes and no.
Yes, but the world needs dreamers.

Are reiki masters dreamers?  Well, yes and no.  Yes, but the world needs dreamers.  To quote John Lennon, “You may say I’m a dreamer.  But I’m not the only one.  I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will live as one.” (1)

No, because it works.  I’m a volunteer reiki master at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The Hands-to-Heart Reiki Clinic there keeps data on the results we get from treating patients.  We ask them for their pain and stress levels before and after treatment.  

Consider the following results:

These graphs show the average pain and stress scores of over 600 patients before and after receiving reiki treatments from 2005-2010.  Pain and stress are rated as zero for no pain or stress to ten for unbearable pain and stress (2)  Clearly, a 30-minute reiki treatment can have remarkable effects on people!

How to hold your own Reiki circle

I’m not going to make anyone a reiki master in this article.  That takes a long time and a great teacher like William Rand. (3)   In my view, though, we can all practice rudimentary but effective reiki, even without training and certification.

An effective way to do this is a meditation called a “reiki circle.”  There are many ways of conducting a reiki circle. I describe a technique I developed you can use below.

A reiki circle only requires two or more people, a quiet place, and about 15 minutes.  Everyone sits in a circle on chairs, a floor, or the ground.  A reiki master can lead the meditation, but anyone can do it, once they’ve done it once.

Here are the steps to form your reiki circle:

1.  The first step is for everyone to assume a correct position.  If seated in a chair, the tailbone is to the back of the chair.  The spine is straight.  Head is up with chin parallel to the floor.  Feet are flat on the floor.  Hands are on thighs, palms up or down, or folded on the lap.  If sitting on the floor or ground, the legs are crossed, shoulders are back and down, spine is straight, and head is level.  Sitting on a cushion or yoga block can help keep the back straight and prevent slouching.

2.  The second step is for everyone to agree on an intention.  Typically, the intention for a reiki circle is the well-being and greatest good of everyone in the circle or another subject for which the group is meeting.  Examples are maybe someone who is not present and ill, an organization that is struggling, or peace in the world.

3.  In step three, everyone focuses their attention on the subject.  Mentally and emotionally, everyone visualizes the subject being well and happy.  Try to hold that image steady in the mind.  When other thoughts clutter the mind, focus on the breathing, and those thoughts will move on, like clouds moving across the sky with the wind.  This step is distant healing.  Everyone is sending healing reiki energy to the subject.

4.  Step four occurs after a reasonable and comfortable period of time spent in this manner, perhaps ten minutes.  Now everyone holds hands and continues visualizing the well-being and greatest good of the subject.  The act of holding hands is similar to flipping a light switch in a darkened room, where an electrical circuit is completed and light appears.  Here, the reiki energy of everyone intensifies, thus helping and healing the subject.  This step can last perhaps five minutes.  Then the reiki circle concludes.

The reiki circle is a way of “connecting innovation and entrepreneurship networks.” (4)  This technique converts collaborative healing energy into wellness for the participants and the subjects of their reiki meditation.  In my view, it can be a best practice for entrepreneurs who care about each other want to maximize their personal effectiveness.

Spirit of love, light and healing

Is all this the same as praying?  Yes and no.  Yes, because anyone can invoke a divinity they worship during reiki, according to their beliefs.  No, because reiki is specifically not a religious or spiritual practice.  Nowhere in this article have I mentioned “god” in any way.  In the final analysis, I think we’re all spiritual searchers.  When I do reiki, I state an intention and ask what I choose to call the Divine Spirit of Live, Love, and Healing to bless my intention.  I explained this to a person whom I treated with reiki and she said, “That covers all the bases!”

To quote the 13th-century Afghan mystic poet Jelaluddin Rumi, “There is an excess in spiritual searching that is profound ignorance.  Let that ignorance be our teacher!” (5)

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(1) Lennon, John.  “Imagine.” 1971.  Abbey Road Studies, London.

(2) MetroHealth Medical Center.  Reiki: A healing touch technique (brochure).  2010, Cleveland, Ohio.

(3) Rand, William.  Reiki Master Manual.  2003, International Center for Reiki Training.  Vision Publications.  Southfield, MI.

(4) Morrison, Ed.  The Innovative Framework.  2007, Purdue Center for Regional Development, Purdue University.

(5) Barks, Coleman.  The Essential Rumi.  Page 274.  2004, HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY.

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Tom Romito, Facilitator, is a volunteer reiki practitioner.  He also helps organizations and communities survive and thrive. Tom writes about how organizations can build capacity with Team Building, Action Planning and Strategic Planning.  Got a question? Send me an email at thomasmromito@gmail.com

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