I took a 30-minute drive over to Scottsdale, AZ today to attend my first Reiki Share. My hermitic, extremely introspective, monastic days are coming to a close and to mark this transition, I decided to find great ways to engage with people (in the flesh). Uh oh.  Reiki Shares have always been an option but I was never motivated to touch and be touched by random people. I know it is weird because in-person Reiki sessions involve touch...and that is probably the reason about 95% of my practice has been distant Reiki. Not since my attunement and my first client (other than my mother) have I actively sought opportunities to practice in-person until that day.

When I arrived to the location, I first took a drive around to survey the area. Since I would like to have my own center one day, I wanted to know what kind of environment a successful center would be surrounded by. Much to my delight, it was in a old school looking strip mall/small town commerce area. I also needed to know all the exits in case these people were a bunch of loons - they weren't. When I entered, I learned that the organizer was a hugger. Awkward. I went along with it for her, but gave a clear gesture to the middle-aged men that the hugging session was over by promptly sitting in a chair a good distance away.

As people came in I started to smell the familiar scents that some spiritual, natural, folks like to have: funk with essential oils. I used my magic to make sure I wouldn't have to work with them and it worked (I have a sensitive nose). It was fairly large group of 15 people and everyone was all smiles. It seemed like 2/3 of the group were regulars and the rest were first-timers (like myself) and new-combers. The majority of the group were so-called Reiki Masters as I learned as we introduced ourselves. The term "Reiki Master" never sounded so silly until that moment and I expressed this sentiment to the group as I introduced myself. It was received with laughs and I was called a comedian, but I was serious.

To begin we were asked as a group to send love and energy to places in the world that need healing. Syria was heavily on the minds of most or least it was implied that it should be. I don't like participating in group energy sending efforts but I also wanted to be open to something new. I decided that I would send energy to the hearts of all children who have to witness violence, destruction and turmoil. It wasn't necessarily a geographical location but it worked for me...and I love children. After that part was done, we all wrote down our healing intentions on a peice of paper and were separated into groups of 4 or 3.

I was in a group of three of women and the first to lay on the table. It was nice because I hadn't received Reiki since my classes and it helped me get a feel for the environment. Usually after a session it is nice to talk to each other and share your experience but these women were very quiet. I thought it was odd, but then I quickly realized one was shy and the other simply had issues. The lady with the issues was next and her session was fine. I did notice that she was heavily attached to the Reiki Symbols. I don't use them in my practice but I could feel that she did as I was working on her. After her session, she refused to look at me. It was weird but I went with it and made a mental note to clear my energy really well. I went to the bathroom and literally washed her off. The last woman's session was awesome. While working on her, I saw a White Tiger appear and work with me. We had so much fun together, the tiger and I. He was playful and guided me. There were a few times I had to catch myself from breaking out into laughter. At one point he got on the table and ate out her insides. In real life that would have been horrible, but from a spiritual, energetic perspective it was so nice of him to do it (since she was working on releasing fear). After the session she told me that she felt and extra set of hands next to where I was working and when she peeked to see what was going on, she saw no one. I told her about the tiger and how I wasn't alone. It was a nice moment.

One thing I noted was how dramatic people were when they were giving the sessions - lots of heavy breathing and arm waving. I am inherently very child-like so I am very giggly, lighthearted, playful, and almost nonchalant when I do this work. How else would I be playing with a Tiger during a session? I can even get a little pouty, but that is rare and is usually followed by laughter. It was very interesting to see such seriosness. One lady would even go into this trembling trance thing. Another man would work on people like he was Gollum and they were his "precious".

The sessions were over but people were still around. I wanted to leave, but I also wanted to get the full experience. The owner of the center took a liking to me and showed me around. We even went to the crystal room and I played with a few of the crystals. I spoke to a few people and drank some water. "Gollum" said he wanted to work on me the next time and I have to admit I was curious about that experience. Everyone had the look of joy on their faces and all was good with the world until the organizer asked us to conclude by standing in a circle.

In the circle we were asked to hold hands. Next we were asked to send OUR energy to the next person. I wasn't down with that so I protected my energy and blocked theirs. Oh yes, I did that! I didn't know these people well enough to exchange MY energy or to receive THEIRS. Eww! Then after that ridiculousness was finished we were asked to look into each other's eyes and feel that we are really one. This was so awkward and uncomfortable! I would meet someone's eyes and they might smile, but most of these eyes look desperate, hungry, and creepy to me. "Gollum" winked. My eyes darted quickly as I tried to prevent my body from noticibly jerking and twitching. It was horrible and I truly felt I was surrounded by starving insane zombies and that in fact we were not one. I did my best to make sure my demeanor didn't betray my feelings and my feet didn't spill the water of truth from my soul. I left the Reiki share with grace and smiles, but knew in my heart I wasn't down with the full program. Nice people though.

With all that being said, I do encourage people to try out a Reiki share. Hahaha! It is definitely an experience worth having. I did experience profound healing after this session and a greater shift away from Reiki (a Japanese practice) and a deeper journey into a greater knowledge of energy healing and working with Divine/Primordial energy. The entire experience forced me to dig deeper into what I feel my soul is calling me to do. My knowledge and experience of Reiki helped me open the gateway, but I have only just begun.

Please note that this post is in the case that you are working with an experienced, knowledgeable and professional Holistic Energy Practioner or Reiki Master.

It isn't that rare to hear a story about an Energy healing or Reiki session gone weird. The practitioner works on the client, the session is awesome, they part ways feeling great, and later the practitioner gets a phone call or text from the client about the sexual connection felt. "It felt like sex," or "Did you feel what I felt?" or the lingering hug after the session that makes you raise an eyebrow.

When you work so closely in someone's energy field it should be expected that both people will feel something. A practitioner will feel the imbalances, blocks, sources of discomfort in the client's field while the client might just feel tingly and relaxed. We are so used to our physical senses that when we feel the sensation of divine energy mingling and merging, it becomes hard to interpret. Sex is about union, merging and even if you have never experienced it when you have been bumping and pumping, it doesn't mean it isn't happening on some level. Sometimes we can be so closed and self-absorbed that physical sex is only about release or stress-reduction. Conversely, when you get an energy healing session you are asked, expected to open up and receive as the practitioner is sending loving, healing energy into your field to promote well-being. So there you are, on that rare occasion, open to feeling what you have been missing. It's that feeling when love reintroduces itself to love, that can be misinterpreted as a lusty, burning fire of sexual desire. And because the only other person in the room is the practitioner, the client can easily feel like this is something that they are sharing together. They aren't.

My advice is to have a deeper understanding about sex and move away from the way it has been greatly perverted through media, religion, pornography, and the likes. You can gain this awareness by going within to learn about sex, through meditation, and by studying Tantra, Taoism, Song of Solomon (Bible), electricity, biology, physics, chemistry, the life of a tree, and sex magick to name a few. The next time you feel full of fire in a session or even after meditation, know that you are becoming conscious of divine energy flowing within, loving, purifying, and cleansing you. The practitioner is feeling that loving energy pouring into you and they may even sense your interpretation of it (I know I have), but they are not getting sexually aroused for your hot body or sparkling soul.

To summarize:

• In a healing session, you do kind of have sex, but it isn't exactly with your practitioner; you feel a profound merging with divine/primordial energy.
• Sex is about union and love revealing itself to love. Physical sex is just one way for this to happen.
  
• Yes, the practitioner feels something, but understands the nature of energy...so they are not interested in physical sexy time with you.
  
• Bring that tingling feeling in your loins up to your heart, spread it all around with healing intentions, and you will stop fantasizing about your practitioner...and probably will have a deep emotional release.

Much love and healing vibes to you all!