The Role of the Ego

Shamanism and the path of light are both about service to others. A shaman works to assist others with their personal problems and healing. It is a path of love. Shamans raise the issue to make it visible in the spiritual world where spiritual helpers do all the work. As needed, key animals, angels, or assorted spiritual beings will appear to do the healing task.

Reiki is about becoming a clear channel for healing energy (rei-ki) to pass through to another. The reiki energy stimulates the body’s own natural healing ability. The reiki practitioner does not do healing, just provides the way for the person in need to gain access to the energy. The practitioner is simply a conduit for the energy.

Spiritual work is not about fame or glory. It is actually devoid of both. Successes do not result in boosts for the ego, especially because it is about the service to others, not the healer.

I don’t talk much about my healing work. I get strange looks. I don’t feel love when I do. Guys on the dock have asked, “What other weird stuff are you into?” and I am afraid to ask about what they might be asking or referring.  A boss teases me about doing voodoo.

 I work near a dock where men lift and move heavy things all day. Occasionally, one gets hurt but can’t afford to stay home. It is hard to watch a big strong guy dragging himself along in utter agony. I have been driven to offer to do reiki just to end their suffering. This results in an awkward explanation of what reiki is on my part and, “Huh? Don’t think so!” on their part.

Despite this, one guy let me try doing reiki.  He’d been tensing up so much that one shoulder looked higher than the other as he walked. I did reiki as he sat and he said he could not feel anything. Despite this, he relaxed. Suddenly, he sank into the chair as if comfortable. After fifteen minutes, he said he felt better.He started to get up to go.  Really, twenty to twentyfive minutes of reiki is not long enough to do much good, but he had been in pain. Said he, “Man I feel great. That muscle relaxer that I took an hour and a half ago must finally be kicking in.”