The Reiki Practitioner
A Reiki practitioner is someone who has agreed to become a conduit or channel for Reiki energy; someone who allows this healing, balancing energy to flow through him or her primarily for his or her own use. As practitioners, we can also offer this energy to others – people, animals, plants. However our first responsibility is to ourselves. As we restore balance within ourselves, we have a great deal more to offer those around us, even if we never put our hands on them. Imagine for a moment that you have never had any Reiki. You are not "full" of Reiki – your body is like an empty vessel. Now, you begin to receive Reiki regularly and/or take Reiki training and do your own daily Reiki treatments. Your vessel begins to fill. You have much more to offer others when you come from a place of fullness rather than one of emptiness. It is both our right and our responsibility to do our own healing – first. Then, if we choose, we can offer it to others; it is our choice – not our duty.
Whenever we place our hands on anyone (ourselves or others) we are acting as funnels or channels for energy; we are not "doing" the healing. The innate intelligence within the recipient's body determines the flow of energy and also where and how this energy will be used within that body at that time. The willingness and acceptance (conscious and unconscious) of the recipient determines the amount of Reiki received and the progress made in the healing process. This relieves the practitioner of a great responsibility. We couldn't manipulate or direct the healing process even if we wanted to; we can do no harm – we can’t screw this up – what a blessing!