Reiki Newsletter- September 2018 Bringing a Reiki Community together- Part 2: 2010-2018

Bringing a Reiki Community together- Part 2: 2010-2018

I’ve previously shared how I was tempted to bring the local Reiki community together in Cincinnati in 2008 and I’ve have shared my learnings and some advice for those who are tempted to do the same in their communities.

Here are how things have evolved since 2010….

Coincidentally (wink, wink nothing is a coincidence), shortly after I had the vision to bring the local Reiki community together, I attended a Reiki Master level class with Frans Stiene in 2008 in NYC. The way Frans has approached Reiki blew me away and changed the way I practiced Reiki forever (I wrote about this many times before so I won’t repeat it here).

As our bi-annual Reiki Days continued in Cincinnati, the ties in the community got stronger. As we started to learn from each other, volunteer together, share more and more; we felt an interest in the local community for Frans’ teachings. Finally, Sundar and I have invited Frans to Cincinnati in summer of 2011.

The first time was blood, sweat and tears (literally, I have a page of my journal from that year that had all 3!). We were right, the teachings found the right sounding board and resonated with everyone.

As we started to share more of this view of Reiki and shared practices at Reiki Days with practitioners, most of the teachings resonated but also there were others who walked away from the Reiki Day (for example, someone was extremely annoyed by chanting). When setting the agenda for Reiki Day, we tried to stay mainstream but I must confess that started to become more difficult as most of us practiced Reiki as a spiritual path by then.  There is no right or wrong and I guess this was the natural evolution, but Reiki days have started to be attendee mostly by a core group. Now I’m thinking back and may be that was the purpose after all.

Also, it was amazing to see how some of our local Reiki Master’s work picked up….I won’t give names because I’m scared to leave someone out. All I can say, everyone had somewhat found their unique way for growing and deepening their path with Reiki.

Everyone but everyone in our group, without exception, took these teachings to heart and reflected on their daily work at home and at their jobs; from working on discovering the roots of Reiki, continuing training with various traditional Reiki Masters, travelling to Japan, continuing the professional Reiki practice, teaching and helping many clients; or simply sharing their light in their unique way.

When I lately updated the class roaster, I realized a total of 60 people have been trained in Shinpiden classes with Frans in Cincinnati, last class alone had 32 people (mostly re-sitters).

Sundar has started to teach a year-long Reiki class in 2012-13. Later started a bi-weekly “Deepen your practice with Reiki” gathering for his students and those who attended  Shinpiden with Frans. These gatherings have become the continuous deepening ground for all of us.

  

For me, a couple years ago, just like the idea to bring the community came to me, I realized that it was time to pass the torch. I am deeply grateful that Maria Kammerer stepped in and took the organizer role for the Reiki Days. She has been doing an amazing job in last couple years as she continues to invite different speakers, a nice mixture of teachings and practice as well as time to mingle with a delicious pot luck lunch which its prosperity reflects the heart of the people of the community.

In short, when getting the community together, I had no idea that it would lead to a close- knit community to practice Reiki as a spiritual path whose members will prosper spiritually and develop close heart to heart kinship to inspire and uplift each other to be the greatest version of themselves.

I am grateful to be part of this vibrant community which is my spiritual family.

  

By the way, our next Reiki Day is on Sunday September 30^th at Hoffner lodge in Northside. We are honored to have 2 distinct guest teachers, Andrew Anders and Frans Stiene joining us. Whooo hoooo!!

https://www.facebook.com/events/572090499859853