The woman was indignant when she confronted me at a book event Q & A. “My Reiki lady told me I’d get better, and I still have acid reflux!”
Hooboy, how does one inform without admitting that the Reiki therapist appears to be a dolt? And, wait a minute, why should I care? The therapist is a dolt.
What brought on this whole line of questioning was my story about how Reiki freed me from the symptoms of attention deficit disorder. The Ritalin that had fired the synapses in my brain for so many years was now too strong, and I couldn’t tolerate it. After stopping the meds, my brain fired all on its own. Talk about ultimate balance. I got so balanced that I also couldn’t tolerate taking hormone replacement therapy after a complete hysterectomy ten years prior. My doc is still completely and utterly confused as to why.
I looked at the lady and plunged in. “Look, I have no idea why I no longer have ADD or why I don’t need HRTs,” I explained. “I went into Reiki for research and had no expectations of what it would do for me. In fact, I was an ardent skeptic. However, since taking the journey with Reiki, I realize that the energy balanced out whatever was creating these manifestations. But what worked for me doesn’t mean it’s going to work for everyone. I have a very good friend who’s been a Reiki Master for seven years and suffers terribly with ADD.” I shrugged. “Go figure.”
“So how does that fly in the face of what my Reiki lady told me?”
I took a breath and impeached her therapist. “Unless we’re talking about a doc and meds, no one can or should tell you that they can cure anything. Reiki is a divine intelligent energy that works on its own schedule and intent. Therapists are merely the conduit. Reiki works in spite of us. To promise anything more is irresponsible and potentially dangerous.”
She rested her elbows on her knees and stared at me. “So why did you get better?”
“Maybe on some cosmic level I no longer needed ADD.” I held up my hand to stave off the expected throwing of verbal knives. “I know, I know, you’re about to cut my throat for suggesting that disease comes into our lives because we need them, and that’s not what I’m saying at all. I’m suggesting that it’s possible my body or my soul was ready to give this up. It’s like a car that’s has a misaligned wheel and drives like a knock-kneed donkey. The mechanic realigns the wheel so it’s in synch with the rest of the car, and the result is that we have a smooth ride. But, unlike the mechanic, we aren’t the director of the energy, merely the purveyor. But like the mechanic, we can put our hands on the source of the problem and give it our direct attention – NOT intention. Thar be a difference. It's possible that my body and Reiki were in the same place at the right time. I've seen amazing and startling recoveries from some serious diseases. But can I say it works for everyone all the time? No way.”
The woman sat back and appeared deflated. “So my Reiki lady can’t fix my acid reflux?”
“Your Reiki lady can’t fix anything. She can transfer energy from her hands to your body and let the energy do its thing. To take ownership of the promise to healing someone is arrogant. The true credit for healing goes to the Reiki, in whatever form that healing takes place.”
The poor woman was visibly deflated. “I feel like I’ve been sold a bill of goods.”
“I think your therapist” – and yes, I choked on the words – “has allowed her ego to get in the way. You might think about finding another Reiki therapist who can better explain Reiki and attend to your expectations.”
I then proceeded to offer a quickie treatment to her after the Q & A – which she took me up on.
As I rested my hands on her shoulders, I could feel the tension welling up inside her. She was a bundle of nerves. My hands burned, she had her “Ahhh” Moment, and the tension eventually melted.
She turned to me with glazed eyes and smiled. “I’ve never felt that good. Thank you." She held up a copy of my book. "Will you sign your book for me?”
Heh, do I look like an idiot?
I signed her book and gave her a hug. I then made a mental note to seek out her “Reiki lady” and tie her to a fence post and make her listen to “I’m An Oscar Meyer Weiner” from dawn to dusk.
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2 comments:
A well-written post. Agree with you. I didn't know that attention deficit disorder can be cured untill i came across www.attention-deficit-disorder.net. It took me quite some time, but I've finally overcomed it.
Good grief...the individual who wrote this article certainly never suffered from ADD. Otherwise he would have offered something thoughtful and reasonably intelligent. The very title, "Easy Ways to Deal with ADD" is oversimplified and condescending. There is nothing easy about ADD. For example:
Being unable to focus or pay attention can be an annoying trait, but it is not difficult to deal with.
Annoying? Who are they kidding? My GOD, they make this sound like I have a boil on my nose. It was damned debilitating, and it was impossible to deal with. I wasn't the only one who suffered - my whole family suffered.
Nothing can be more comforting that facing up that you have a problem, and that you are normal.
Sorry, but this sounds like an AA meeting meets The Stepford Wives. ADD sufferers already KNOW they have a problem.
Your mind and body are restless because they find the tasks at hand too boring, or a lack of a challenge.
This is an overgeneralized statement that makes a lot of assumptions. Math was as tough as nails for me, and I was far from bored.
If you are aware that your job is too boring for you, find ways to make it interesting and challenging.
This isn't about boredom due to a lack of challenge. It's the inability to focus, and that invariably translates to impulsive behavior.
What's irritating and plain wrong about this article is that it sounds as though ADD sufferers are lazy and they simply need a nice little rap on the knuckles and they'll be as right as rain. Sorry, but I found this insulting.
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