“I believe that we learn by practice. Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same. In each, it is the performance of a dedicated precise set of acts, physical or intellectual, from which comes shape of achievement, a sense of one’s being, a satisfaction of spirit. One becomes, in some area, an athlete of God. Practice means to perform, over and over again in the face of all obstacles, some act of vision, of faith, of desire. Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired.” ~Martha Graham
We are accustomed to hearing about the importance of practice in areas of music, dance, and sport. Practice, though, is vital in all areas of our life. In many ways the act of daily living involves practice. We practice how to relate to others — family, friends, coworkers. As parents, we practice how to parent with mindful words and actions. At our workplace, we practice our craft over and over again through the repetition of the tasks that we complete on a daily or weekly basis. Even driving or walking is a practice — we do it repeatedly and gain greater skill in it by doing it over and over again. Keep thinking about this — anything we do is a practice and we gain skill through the act.
Reiki is no different than any of these other aspects of your life. The practice of it intensifies and hones our experience of it. With practice we gain skill and mastery. This however is not a physical skill, it’s a spiritual skill. Your skill with Reiki is a skill in a spiritual healing practice. It is not something that can be measured with a stop watch or a more complicated musical piece being played. Reiki practice leads to mastery. It starts with daily self-Reiki and moves to Reiki for others. These must be done consistently and frequently.
As Martha Graham stated, “Practice means to perform, over and over again in the face of all obstacles, some act of vision, of faith, of desire.” A musician, dancer, or athlete must practice his or her craft, so too must a Reiki Practitioner practice Reiki because of his or her desire for the highest healing good.