Confused re Reflexology etc been told it's a no no! Western!

[lavender37]

Hey everyone

I hope this finds you all well and your having a wonderful time on your journey!

Several years ago I done courses on Reflexology, Body Massage, Indian Head Massage & Reiki and never really practised them. Think I was lacking abit of confidence re the Reflexology and not sure if it was my ideal path as I didn't really enjoy working on feet. Was feeling abit stuck in life hence not doing any therapies.

Anyhow, recently I'm thinking I'd love to help people and been thinking of getting back into Alternative Therapies again and had been for some healing myself to a Christian lady who basically said all those are Western and it's a 'no no'. I said I also love Yoga and it was also not recommended. She also advised me to throw out my new age books (ie law of attraction etc) and I'm left abit confused, illusioned by it all and not sure what to think!

She's a Christian and was a lovely Lady and I'll be honest I believe in God, say my prayers but I'm not a Christian. I said to her I like to do meditation as well and she said as long as it's a Christian Meditation.

I'm left abit confused by it all and yes I wasn't sure if Reflexology was my ideal path but as for Indian Head Massage, maybe Reiki I feel abit drawn to getting practising again on family/friends but am left confused and thinking will this be so wrong now for me as she said it's all Western!

I welcome any views and advice, thanks in advance.

lavender37

[sparklekaz]

Hi Lavender,

It's lovely to see you posting here again.

Oh dear, where do I start. Many, though not all christians are very suspicious of anything that is considered to be 'new age'. And do have a certain amount of prejudice about it.I don't know if it's any good pointing out that reflexology and the different healing therapies are 'age old'. I would say that her opinion about reflexology, yoga and Reiki comes from her religious beliefs then that practicing any of the above mentioned therapies is wrong or harmful. Did she say why she believed that it was wrong and why you shouldn't be doing them? I'm guessing not. It's sad really, and one of the reasons why I don't belong to a church or religious community. I would not like to be told what to do or think.

You haven't said what the circumstances were Lavender, about how you came to meet this lady and talk about these things. Ultimately it is up to you. As a Reiki practicioner myself of many years, I can only say from my own perspective that there is nothing whatsoever harmful in practicing reiki. Reflexology is working with pressure points and energy flow of the body. You did the course, you will have had to spend a lot of time and money I'm guessing learning this technique. Do you honestly think it is harmful or wrong to practice this? I am a great believer in taking all that is good and wise from different belief paths into myself. I am not religous, but do believe in God and like to think I am a spiritual person. Anything that is done in the spirit of love and healing to me is of God. This lady is adhering to her own religious beliefs. She should not try to force those beliefs on to you.

It's entirely up to you Lavender. Go with your what your own heart and common sense tells you.

Love and light
Kaz

[gruntal]

One of the most useful and fundamental "gems" I received from the Masters is in the beginning there was NO religion. First came the fraternities or brotherhoods and then after that we had religion. Does that mean no one was "saved" in the old times? Of course not! It is all one. That and that alone is all that matters. Those that think otherwise are more often then not just forgetful of where this all started. It began with LOVE and/or the desire to be with the "One". When you know this to be true you will naturally want to be of service. But do not expect everyone you meet will appreciate this at first ....or recognize what you are doing.

[sparklekaz]

Very well put George, I agree

[sparklekaz]

Hi lavender,

Just to let you know I got your message, but am unable to reply the same way as the function for messaging members has been disabled. I can receive, but not reply.

You are very welcome. I'm so glad you felt comforted by the reply. It's interesting that you received hands on healing from the lady, and yet, she is against the use of Reiki. Healing energy all comes from the same source, God, Universal healing energy. Reiki is just a word that describes the same thing isn't it.

You made me smile when you said you don't like working on feet. I guess that does make doing the reflexology hard as feet is it's primary way of applying this technique. Though I have heard it can be done on the hands also. I would not worry, if it's not right for you then don't do it. You'd never have known, unless you'd tried, would you.

I look forward to hearing what response you get from your friend.

Love and light
Kaz

[lavender37]

Hi Kaz & Gruntal,

Thank you both for your kind replies & help. I've asked her why she felt the therapies are wrong & here's her reply...

They are of Eastern origin. False Gods Hinduism, Buddhism, and Chinese phycology etc. We are Christian first by birth then by faith. Jesus said "you shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve". to my understanding and i have been down the road of searching, these rituals etc are not tools of healing used in the bible as the way taught by the son of God, Jesus. But you are off free will so its your call, i suggest you read the bible to find the answers you seek they are all in there. So God bless now.

I then said was it not reiki or energy healing you done via the hands on healing? She said... No not Reiki, Healing through the most Holy name of Jesus Christ the Lord amen.

She then said .... "read the bible". The philosophy of believing in God and not keeping His commandments or word is a world view that is steeped in paganism, it is not off God. If you truly want to move forward lift up the book and be refreshed be awakened truly awakened you will fall madly in love with Jesus if you do. There is no quick fix. There is No healing session that answer's all the Question, or eases the discouragement of being separate from God, only Jesus can truly hold your being and soul. Jesus is the son of God and the eternal healer. But you have to seek him, and you have to do the work by reading his life story, in the bible that way you know who he is . God loves you so come back to him with all your heart he will heal your hurt's he will because he loves YOU!

I still really don't get why the therapies are wrong but suppose she's entitled to her opinion & that's her belief. However I'm not sure she should have charged for the healing but I did pay her as requested but I'll just leave it now!

The whole experience has left me a little confused still & am questioning whether I should do these therapies or not!

[sparklekaz]

Hi Lavender,

Well from her perspective, you cannot fault her logic can you, and why she believes as she does. From a non traditionalist point of view, I personally would not try to tell someone that I think they are wrong or rigid in their thinking, for it would be disrespectful. As I said in my previous reply, I believe in God, but do not follow a traditional religious path. I'm guessing pointing out to her that Christianity compared to other religious beliefs in 'the new kid on the block' in terms of format, would be a waste of time and offensive.

My personal belief system is that their is one God or one source of Divine Inteligence. And that we all know this, but people choose to worship, connect or follow the religion/belief/philosophy that resonates with them the most. Let's face it, there are many to choose from. And it's this that's been the source of so much conflict. My fervent hope is that this time of higher awareness and tolerance, we are supposidly moving towards will help or cause to dissapate that conflict. Spiritually, aside from a few enlightened people we are a very immature species. The whole debate about the authenticity of the bible - pointing out that much information/gospels were left out, that it was put together by christian men who came from a wide spectrum of christian beliefs, that even they could not agree and were forced to co-operate and compromise by a Roman Emperer called Constantine, who himself was a Pagan and only recently converted to Christianity for political purposes, is a waste of time too.

The bible is full of contradiction. But it is also full of love, caring and helpful ways of encouraging people to lead selfless and helpful lives. With strong moral guidelines. Which was needed in days of old, and still needed today. But if you look at the Koran, and other holy books from different spiritual traditions, they also do the same. Within them all the foundations are of love, truth, being of service to your fellow man and self responsibility. They also all speak of re-birth, reincarnation, healing etc. I see it as each way is a man, but the clothes a man chooses to wear only speak of the outward appearance being different. But underneath, all made of flesh and blood, heart and soul.

You said she charged you for healing. In the church, the 'laying on of hands' through Jesus Christ our Lord, is given freely. In the spiritual church, they do not charge for healing. Some ask for a donation, but that is purely for running costs of the building. The training is free, and in the church, the healing ministery is free. I know this as I used to be on a parochial church council, many years ago. People who practice reiki and other healing modalities charge a fee, because they too have paid to be trained and attuned. But also because it is part of the reiki tradition. It's seen as an exchange of energy. It does not have to be money. Many practicioners myself included will accept an exchange of service, or some small item, such as a crystal or a candle. Many also charge nothing if they can see someone's circumstances would make it difficult for them. I have given healing for free far more times then I've received any payment for. I find it strange and a little hypocritical considering her beliefs, that she charged you lavender. Did you know beforehand there was a fee? And may I ask how much you paid her?

You are confused and unsettled by this Lavender. No one can tell you what to do or what to believe. If it were me, I would see this as a learning opportunity. To discover for yourself what you believe. What resonates with you. What you are comfortable with. I don't think blind belief is a demonstration of devotion or faith, because it's based on the thoughts of others. For something to be right, it has to be, because we feel it to be right in our deepest core. If you doubt what you are doing is right, you will not be effective as a healer or practicioner. There is no hurry, take this time to study, reflect, pray and meditate on the matter. Then and only then will you be ready to move forward. I hope this has helped you Lavender, and has not been too longwinded a reply lol. These are only my thoughts on this. I'm sure others will have their own opinions and I do hope they join in on this debate.

Love and light
Kaz

[mojomojo]

While everyone can give their take on the matter, as has already been stated, you, yourself, need to be comfortable with your own decision.
Having said that I went through the same dilemma myself been raised Catholic, and the Catholic Church does seem to be making some noise against the new age thing, and seemingly are including Reiki, yoga and even Tai Chi and Qi Qong in that.
The most annoying part in this, was several Catholic institutions in the states and probably in other parts of the world, which ran Reiki workshops and openly gave Reiki treatments, sorry I don't recall the names of these, but the advertisements on their websites were only taken down recently, after some big noise started giving out against Reiki.
My wife the first time around, did Reiki 1 in Ireland, half the people attending the course were nuns.
I will finish with this, while I was battling in my mind where the power of Reiki came from, my wife asked her deceased grand mother to give me a sign.
Doing a Reiki treatment on my wife this vision came,
I saw a pair of hands, long and slender, definitely feminine, palms facing down, the light coming from these hands was incredible, but the feeling of peace I have never experienced before, I remember saying to myself so this is what peace really feels like, to say it was strong would not describe it accurately, it's power lay in its purity, if that makes sense, it was and still is the most profound spiritual experience I have ever had. Then the vision of the head of a nun came, but I knew it was not a nun, I could not believe what I was seeing, I had to ask, who are you, what I saw next removed any disbelief, have you ever seen a statue of Our Lady, with the high crown, that's what came next and the light that shone from the centre was incredible.
I could put it all down to imagination, but that sense of peace was present throughout, plus I would not have the audacity to imagine such a happening, that vision left me shaking and in total awe, stunned, and even now I ask myself, did that really happen, knowing full well it did.

[lavender37]

Thank you again Kaz for your reply, have to say I enjoyed reading all of that! Thank you mojomojo as well and for sharing your experience with us. Yes I do need to decide what to do really and I'm just going to chill, take time out and think about it all. I do respect her beliefs etc but it's not nice being told that my doing's as such are wrong but as she said I've free will. So will take some time over this and decide what I'm going to do. I knew there was a fee before hand but I wasn't sure at the time what kind of healing she done and she charged £40.
I'm going to follow my heart on this and I'm sure I'll come up with the right path!

[sparklekaz]

Glad you enjoyed it Lavender it.. I was worried I'd gone on a bit too long. She charged you £40 wow.. that is more then you'd get charged for Reiki. And if you had a reiki session, you'd have definitely known about it. I just can't reconcile in my head this lady and her beliefs, charging so much. Charging for what she herself says is a gift of the spirit, in the name of our lord. To charge for this gift from God was something I struggled with when I first became attuned to reiki. I understood the ethos behind it, but knew I would never turn someone away who needed healing, just because they couldn't pay for it. One thing I am absolutely certain of, is that the church would not charge someone for healing.

I am sure you will do what is right for you Lavender. Your not the first to struggle with this, as Mojomojo has pointed out. I was raised as a Catholic, and even though I didn't go to church anymore. The teaching about spirit and healing and being wary were very ingrained. I came to see and believe that anything done in the spirit of love and with pure intention is of God. I have my own relationship with God, I don't have to go to church to have one. I have to say though, being brought up as a catholic, gave me a wonderful spiritual foundation. I've noticed, So many lapsed catholics, turn to other spiritual beliefs. They don't just become athiests or agnostics. So people are not rejecting God, just some types of traditional worship. Good luck with whatever you do lavender. It's good to see you here on the forum. Don't be a stranger.

Love and light
Kaz