It was twenty-five years ago today that I received my initial Reiki Attunements and Training! It is hard to fathom the profound impact Reiki has had on my life and on those I have had the opportunity to share it with. I am incredibly grateful for all the Reiki experiences I have had during this period. At the top of the list is having a daily Reiki practice. It’s mind-boggling to try to comprehend how a human being can spend part of their life without experiencing Reiki, and then spend the rest of their life practicing Reiki daily! Amazing! I sense that a daily Reiki practice is an aspect of Reiki that is not given enough focus.

For those who may be curious, I have received Reiki Training and Attunements from two Reiki Teaching Masters, Reverend Betsy Browder and Huyakuten Inamoto Sensei. I appreciate working with one Teacher who keeps their work “in the basement” and does not have a business card, website, or voicemail, and one Teacher who is internationally recognized and revered. Their complementary, contrasting styles and methods have been such a gift in forming my own practice with myself and others.

Today, I celebrate and acknowledge both of them and the lineages they are connected to.

Today, I celebrate and acknowledge the healing force of the Usui System of Natural Healing, known as Reiki in the U.S.A.

Today, I celebrate and acknowledge all of the students I have had the opportunity to work with directly.

Today, I celebrate and acknowledge all of the humans, animals, plants, and spaces I have had the opportunity to offer and share Reiki.

Today, I celebrate and acknowledge all of the Distant Reiki sessions I have experienced.

Today, I celebrate and acknowledge every human being, animal, or plant that has consented to allow me to place my hands on their bodies and within their energy fields.

Today, I celebrate and acknowledge the impact that the Five Usui Reiki Precepts have had on my life.

Today, I celebrate and acknowledge Mikao Usui Sensei and Mrs. Hawayo Takata. Their dedication and commitment to the practice of The Usui System of Natural Healing has created the opportunity for me and others to experience and practice Reiki. Their individual and collective contributions, and their humility in letting go of “How Reiki should be practiced and by whom,” established the spiritual foundation, direction, and guidelines for all of us to experience.

Today, I celebrate and recognize the practice of Reiki Counseling, a method of working with individuals, couples, and families through Reiki. Reiki Counseling creates opportunities to work through our obstacles and resistance through Reiki, facilitating safety and openness so we can receive healing, teachings, and insight to move forward in our lives and relationships.

Today, I celebrate and recognize all the events and experiences that brought me to Reiki when Reiki was still considered “a form of voodoo” for “quacks”.

Twenty-five years!

Michael Swerdloff, Reiki Teaching Master