Pamela Miles joins Betterfly and other Reiki teachers/practitioners in a chat to discuss Reiki in the medical field AND self-initiations. Pamela Miles has been practicing Reiki since 1986 and has most recently has been seen speaking about Reiki on the Dr. Oz show.

What advice do you have on how to begin the process of collaboration in the medical field?

I am always so happy when people ask questions about medical collaboration because this is an important way for people who wouldn’t otherwise know about Reiki practice to have access to its benefits. And since I’ve been collaborating in conventional medicine for about 20 years, I have a few thoughts about this topic. The first word that comes to mind is credibility. If we want to open the door to medical collaboration, we have to be credible in our presentation of Reiki. Being credible means thinking about how what we say about Reiki practice sounds to people who do not share our world view. For example, if we can only speak about Reiki in terms of “energy,” we’re going to quickly lose a lot of health care professionals.

So you do not believe that it is not safe to send Reiki during surgery?

I have offered Reiki treatment in the operating room many times, including when Dr. Oz was the surgeon. No, it is not a problem.

What is the best way to integrate Reiki into hospices and nursing homes?

It’s very helpful to actually spend some time in institutions such as hospice and nursing homes before offering Reiki. This way you can learn about health care culture, which will help you to talk about Reiki in a way that is useful to the staff.

What do you think of the Reiki self-initiations? Can Reiki be self-activated or does it require the activation of a master?

Crucial to the question of self-initiation is understanding what an initiation does. People often think they are initiated into an “energy,” but that’s not what initiations are. Initiations are what enable us to do a specific practice. Reiki initiations enable us to practice Reiki. In fact, Usui-sensei, the founder of this lineage, never spoke of Reiki as a separate energy.

The goal of all spiritual practices is the same, to become established in Oneness while remaining responsible for one’s individual existence. There are many practices, and they each have their own in-roads. Reiki practice starts with receiving the initiation from a Reiki master. That’s the way this lineage was set up. So anyone who says they can self-initiate is stepping outside the practice. It doesn’t make sense. That doesn’t mean that people need a Reiki master to become enlightened. We just need initiation from a Reiki master to practice Usui’s Reiki practice.

You can learn more about Pamela Miles by visiting her website and blog, or learn more from her webinars.