My 10 rules for working with Reiki

Working with Reiki is a beautiful thing. You feel the energy. You sense that it moves something, changes something, sets something in motion. This is true for the person giving Reiki and for the person receiving it.

Once you have reached a certain level and feel seheal in your Reiki practice, you might think everything is settled. At least, it can feel that way.

But over time, routine can creep in. That is why these rules are worth keeping in the back of your mind.

The first rule

Allow yourself to surrender and trust, instead of wanting to understand and control everything with the mind.

Opening yourself as a Reiki channel means making yourself available. At its core, this is a receptive act. You are not the one steering, shaping or using the energy for your own purposes. You are not a “Reiki god” holding everything in your hands and deciding what must happen.

Rather, you learn that you are a channel through which the energy can flow. You are a tool for the energy, nothing more and nothing less. Whether you become a clear and reliable tool is up to you. Regular meditation and regular Reiki practice help you become that.

The second rule

Give yourself breaks.

You might imagine that someone who constantly lets life energy flow through them would never become tired. That is not how it works.

Practising Reiki is enjoyable and deeply interesting, but it can also be tiring. This applies to the receiver as well as to the giver. Even a Reiki master with many years of practice will eventually need rest.

Do not make the mistake of carrying on endlessly. The quality of your work will suffer. Make sure you take regular breaks and get enough sleep.

The third rule

Say no when something does not feel right.

I often say: you do not have to join in with everything. That means I do not have to give everything that is asked of me. This applies both to the reasons someone comes to me and to the people who want to work with me.

If I notice from the beginning that the chemistry is not right, I prefer to leave it alone. In my early days I did not always do that, and I remember very well how often I regretted it afterwards or how badly things went.

The fourth rule

Be aware that death is part of life.

This may sound uncomfortable, but it is true. If someone comes to you determined to overcome death at any cost, you cannot help them in that way. Do not try to promise it. You will fail.

The fifth rule

Become fully aware of what you are doing.

Move through the world, and especially through your Reiki practice, with open eyes. Notice what is happening.

It is like many things in life: either you do them properly, or you leave them alone. Otherwise you will always be doing things somehow, perhaps well, perhaps not so well.

Become aware of what you do, why you do it and how you do it. Try to reach the best possible expression of your own practice.

The sixth rule

Keep developing.

It is wonderful if you practise Reiki and have success with it. But you should not limit yourself to standing still and believing that nothing new can come afterwards. Look around. Read books. Watch good material from related fields. Perhaps you will notice that there are other things, alongside Reiki, that suit your abilities. If you feel called to learn them, do it. You have nothing to lose.

The seventh rule

Follow your heart.

Learn to listen to your heart. If your heart tells you that things are right as they are, then that is good. But if you increasingly feel in your heart that something is not right, take that seriously. Go inward. Find out what is going on.

The same applies if your heart keeps telling you that you need to try something new or different. Then do it.

The eighth rule

Develop rituals, prayers or practices that can guide you at any time in your life.

As children, many people learn that they can connect with God through prayer. The way this is done differs from religion to religion. But the core is clear: you ask for something, you bring your suffering, or you seek support. In the end, it is about carrying within you a higher point of orientation that gives you stability.

You can bring this down into everyday life by saying: human beings need rituals. Notice how much easier certain things become when you turn them into a ritual. Over time, they become deeply internalised, and you can do them without having to think about them. That makes life much easier.

The ninth rule

You are allowed to make mistakes.

Nobody is perfect, including you. You will make mistakes from time to time. Do not sink into self-pity and do not immediately think about giving up. Correct what can be corrected in the moment, and when you have time, look at it calmly. Analyse what went wrong and become aware of how you can do better next time.

In Reiki, it is also worth remembering that Reiki energy has its own intelligence. It flows where it is needed and does what is right for the receiver. So you cannot get everything wrong.

The tenth rule

Stay true to yourself.

Even if someone asks you to: do not do anything you do not truly want to do or cannot do. Otherwise you will fail. Become clear early on about what you want to do and what you do not want to do.

These were the ten rules for healing work. After reading them, you may notice that they should actually be self-evident. You may also notice that, over time, as you practise Reiki, you begin to follow one rule or another naturally, even without thinking about it.

There are surely more rules worth observing. I will expand this list if something new comes to mind.