Head, Heart, Hands

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Head, Heart, Hands

Kate Jones • 25 May 2023

How the anointing of King Charles III had similarities to Reiki initiations

I was interested to hear about some aspects of King Charles III’s Coronation that had similarities to Reiki initiation. In particular the anointing part of the ceremony which, like Reiki initiations, was held privately, out of public view, because it was a sacred moment for him. By the way I loved the screens they used that incorporated the reassuring words from Julian of Norwich (All shall be well and all manner of things shall be well), the tree covered with leaves mentioning the names of many lands, embroidered by many hands, both experienced and novice. This reminded me of the Reiki Alliance, whose members are Reiki masters from all over the world. Here’s a song I learned from my friend and fellow Reiki master Plinio Cutait called Many Hands, Many Lands .

I always ensure Reiki initiations happen in a way that they cannot be observed by anyone else. It’s not that it has to be secret – Queen Camilla’s anointing happened in public view. It’s more about making the moment sacred and personal. During my theatre training we were shown some masks from around the world that belonged to our teacher, Jaques Lecoq. The Noh mask from Japan was kept in a silk bag and he told us that in Japan the most sacred (and powerful) things are kept hidden. When I became a Reiki master seven years later, this helped me understand why the Reiki initiations and symbols are ‘kept hidden’.

Another thing that resonated with me about the anointing was that the oil was placed on the King Charles’ head, chest and hands. In a similar way these three places are also addressed during the Reiki initiation, through touch or breath, as they are on other sacred ceremonies around the world. The inter-relation of these three places is explored in many spiritual traditions, including Buddhism and Christianity that Reiki evolved from. The kanji (Chinese/Japanese calligraphy) for heart is more accurately translated as heart-mind, suggesting the balance between intellect and emotion, or mind and body, that leads to a happy and healthy life.

So where do the hands come in? It’s through our hands that we do things in the world, like giving Reiki or me typing this article. This can also be a symbol for service to others, another aspect found in many spiritual traditions. I found the Coronation ceremony full or references to King Charles’ commitment to being in service, such as the beautiful recognition of this by representatives of different faiths at the end of the ceremony as he was leaving the cathedral.

I enjoyed the way different faiths and races were integrated in the Coronation, in a similar way to what happens in Reiki community. There’s a lovely book and programme with the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu talking about Joy and they are in agreement that the greatest source of joy is when we act kindly towards others, especially by doing some form of service. In the film each clearly represents his own spiritual practice, but they find a great deal in common and their inspiring mutual respect and sense of fun is clear.

So perhaps both the anointing and Reiki initiations invite the receiver to remember that the head needs to work in balance with the heart and that both can benefit our world by being in service through our hands to connect with and support others.

You can see me chatting about the quality of 'Service' with Swiss Reiki master René René Vögtli here

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Guest Blog by Gulara Vincent: How Reiki Taught Me Trust

by Kate Jones • 6 December 2024

How Reiki Taught Me Trust by Gulara Vincent Reiki found me one Tuesday evening in late February 2009. I saw a leaflet on the windowsill of my Tai-chi teacher’s class at the Buddhist Centre in Birmingham. There was a taster session the next evening and on an impulse I decided to attend it. The next evening, I walked in the vicinity of the Health Centre in King’s Heath without any luck. I couldn’t find the right building in the dark. Disappointed, I came home. Wasn’t meant to be, I decided. Except when I saw leaflets advertising Reiki 1 a week later, I was drawn to it like a moth to the light. I had no idea what Reiki was, but couldn’t resist signing up for the class anyway. I remember the night before my Reiki 1 training, a housemate who had Reiki initiation a few years earlier said: ‘Are you sure you’re ready for this?’ ‘What is there to be ready for?’ I felt puzzled by her concerns. It didn’t take me long to find out. Reiki seemed to have created some energetic sweep clean in my whole system, helping me to release some outdated beliefs and offering comfort and nurture at a time in my life when I often felt lonely and lost. It also unlocked my gifts as a healer. I was so enthusiastic about sharing the Reiki magic that I wanted to put my hands on anyone who was willing to receive the healing. One day, I was with my friend in my office. At the time I was a PhD student in law at the University of Birmingham. My friend was a complete non-believer in any alternative therapies. I put my hands on her temples and the energy flowed and pulsed with heat and intensity. After a few minutes, she removed one of my hands and checked its temperature. ‘But your hand is not hot,’ she looked puzzled. ‘I tell you this works!’ I felt so excited that she could feel the flow of energy that when I put my hands back on, I willed even more energy to come through. I was very keen to convince her. A few days later, I shared this incident with Kate Jones, my Reiki Master. ‘Gulara, you can’t command Reiki to flow stronger,’ she said smiling, ‘whatever needs to be given will be given, and whatever needs to be received will be received.’ Those words have become my mantra for over 15 years now. I apply it to everything I do, including my healing sessions with clients. When I teach healing methods, I always quote Kate to support my students in surrendering and trusting the process. When I write my books and worry about what to include and what to leave out, I often say to myself: ‘Whatever needs to be given will be given. Whatever needs to be received will be received.’ I didn’t know that what this mantra taught me was to trust. I’m forever grateful for Kate’s teachings and her Reiki treatments, especially in relation to my writing journey. Reiki helped me to heal so many of the stories I have included in my second memoir Fragile Freedom. You can find out more here: www.gularavincent.co.uk/blog/fragile-freedom