Reiki, a gentle and non-invasive healing technique, has gained popularity worldwide for its ability to promote relaxation, reduce stress, and facilitate physical and emotional healing.
Join us as we explore the world of Reiki with Rob Fellows who was happy to share some information about his personal journey with Reiki, how he teaches this ancient healing modality, and the profound impact it can have on your life.
What is your personal journey with Reiki?
Way back in 1999, I was suffering with lower back pain, and a colleague suggested I try some Reiki. To be honest, at this time I’d not heard of Reiki before. Nonetheless, soon after this, I took up her offer and attended a Reiki healing share, she was holding at her home. I found myself lying on a therapy bed with 4 people gently laying their hands on various parts of my body. The feeling was amazing; I felt so relaxed, and when I got off that therapy bed, the pain in my back had subsided and my mobility had improved. It was incredible.
At this time, I had a springer Spaniel dog, named Joe, and Joe was living with arthritis in his front paws. It was so sad to see him gone from a lively dog, (and if anyone has owned a Spaniel, you’ll know just how energetic they are), to now hobble around, unable to properly lift his paws without dragging them on the floor.
I thought “Hmm, the Reiki session I’ve received has helped me so much, maybe I can help Joe too!”. I know that nothing cures arthritis, but my thought was perhaps I can ease his suffering, as the Reiki did for me.
It didn’t take me long to seek out a Reiki Master I felt drawn to train with, and soon after I completed my Reiki Level 1 training, followed about a month later my Reiki Level two practitioner training.
Naturally, I started offering Reiki to Joe on a regular daily basis and I noticed how his mobility seemed easier too.
Other people started approaching me and asked if I could help them, or their pets with some Reiki too, which I was more than happy to do.
In late 1999 I started offering a Distance Reiki service, which I still do today, and I have had clients from all over the world. It is so lovely to be able to offer this gentle healing to so many people.
Later in 2008, I trained as a Reiki Master and Teacher in order to complete my training, but it wasn’t until 2011 that I started training other people so that they too can offer this gentle healing. Since then, I’ve trained very many people through my range of specialist home learning training programmes, many of which focus on offering Reiki to animals, i.e. dogs, dog groomers, horses, cats, and I have a course aimed at veterinary professionals too. And a training purely for humans aimed at ways of lowering stress.
I get great joy from receiving feedback from my students on the successes of their work.
How do you approach teaching Reiki to students?
Initially, I only offered live Reiki training courses primarily to fellow dog owners, who, like me, wanted to help their dogs. On every course I found that there was at least 1 or 2 dog groomers. It was apparent that dog groomers are interested in supported the dogs they groom, especially those that are anxious about being groomed.
This led me to provide Reiki talks and seminars at a variety of dog grooming events, and I’ve been providing regular live Reiki training and qualification days aimed at dog groomers since then.
Every student receives the Reiki Level 1 qualification, including a colour manual giving guidance on Reiki for people, self-Reiki, and Reiki for dogs, plus how Reiki can be incorporated in their grooming salon.
I don’t only serve dog groomers, as dog owners, dog trainers, canine massage experts have all taken my training.
Of course, not everyone is able, or wishes to attend a live training. And so, many years ago I developed a range of Home Learning Programmes, with courses including the generic Reiki qualification and have a special module depending on their animal interest whether that is a dog, cat, horse or indeed any animals!
The Covid Pandemic give me the opportunity to completely re-develop all of my Home Learning Training Programmes which now include a personal remote attunement to Reiki (this is the ‘process’ that enables a person to connect to Reiki energies), a detailed manual, two qualification certificates, and a series of videos which they can watch on any device. These are available to anyone, anywhere in the world!
After their training, they are welcome to contact me afterwards if they need any further help and guidance. I want all of my students to be the best they can.
Students are then able to continue their training with me to Reiki Practitioner Level (Level 2) and Reiki Master/Teacher too.
What are your thoughts on the integration of Reiki with other modalities?
Reiki works extremely well with other healing modalities and is something that I’m particularly keen to support.
For example, a number of my students were already canine massage specialists before completing my Reiki training. Reiki now gives them another ‘tool in their toolbox’ and they are able to combine both modalities during their treatments, giving more options to help their client. This is the same with my human massage and reflexology students too.
Fairly recently a human nutritionist has completed all levels of Reiki training me, so that she can include Reiki alongside her core work.
It is my view that just because you practice some other modality, you should also consider introducing Reiki and equally just because you are qualified in Reiki it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t add in other modalities too.
In other words, Reiki will work alongside, support and enhance any other modalities and, traditional medicines too. Afterall, no harm can be done with Reiki, only potentially ‘good stuff’.
Can you share a personal experience where Reiki has significantly impacted someone’s life?
It is difficult to highlight just one example where Reiki has had significant impact, as there have been many over the years.
If I may, I’ll pick two, the first where the benefit has come from my Reiki and the second being feedback from one of my students.
This is a feedback email I received from one of my distance Reiki clients; I was directing Reiki to the members of the family, including their dog, Max:
The ‘D’ Family, Channel Islands
“What an amazing gift from the universe this reiki is! Mega thanks for the healing. My dog is so laid back it’s incredible. A friend came round last night, and she said it was the first time Max had actually let her pat him. I hadn’t noticed she couldn’t before, but she said he usually spent the whole-time pacing. My husband is really getting the benefit which has changed the whole atmosphere within the home.
When I really stopped to think about it the whole process of distance healing is quite mind-blowing. Such a gentle way to help family live their lives with a little bit of help.
Jess is doing really well thanks to you. She is so much calmer and more relaxed about things and starting to enjoy life a lot more. It is wonderful to see.”
I recently received the following message from Tracy, one of my Reiki students, which I think sums up rather nicely how she, and her dog grooming clients are benefitting from Reiki:
“All my grooms are done by using Reiki and I always have a waiting list for bookings for my grooms. I’ve always said this .. Most of all Reiki helps me! I’m calm and so are the dogs, they love it, never had a negative response from a single dog’.
Actually, maybe I can also share what student Cheryl has just shared with me:
“I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you so much. This course (Animal Reiki) has taught me so much. Everything is explained so well. I first qualified as a complementary therapist 26 years ago, & always wanted to learn Reiki, as I felt something was missing. it’s taken me until now to be in the right frame of mind to do so. I have already started practising on friends & family & cannot believe how much stronger the energies are since being able to use the symbols. I hope to bring reiki into my business as I know so many people will benefit from it as I have! I look forward to progressing to the Reiki Masters course ..”
What do you consider to be the most important qualities for a successful Reiki practitioner?
I teach all of my students the importance of following a professional code of conduct, whether or not they choose to belong to any Reiki association. This includes maintaining confidential records of their clients Reiki sessions, and to respect their client’s dignity at all times.
I also encourage all of my students never to state that Reiki can, or will, cure any client’s health condition and never to offer a diagnosis, unless they are a qualified doctor or vet. It can be very tempting to try and give a diagnosis, but it can be very dangerous, unless suitably qualified to do so.
Reiki is a wonderful complimentary therapy, which can support all sorts of medical and veterinary interventions, but it shouldn’t be the Reiki practitioners place to tell a client not to continue with their prescribed meds.
Reiki Practitioner is a title given for anyone who has completed both Reiki training levels of both One and Two. During the training at Level Two, students are ‘given access to’ and shown how they can utilize powerful Reiki symbols with their Reiki sessions. It is my view that they should harness their training, learning how these symbols can benefit their clients, and therefore make sure they use them!
I believe that all Reiki practitioners should take time out to perform self-Reiki, i.e. give Reiki to themselves, on a regular basis, so that the practitioner is in the ‘best place’ they can be, again to the benefit of their clients.
How do you maintain your own spiritual growth and connection to Reiki as a teacher?
I have some connection with Reiki every single day!
Every day, I send distance Reiki to a number of people and situations. Some are paying clients, and others are family members and friends. I also send Reiki daily to life events such as the planet, to bring an end to wars and conflict, and similar things.
I include sending Reiki to myself too, asking that the Reiki I send will bring about healing to all of the recipients.
Daily, I also either write, post socials, reply to messages or emails, read about Reiki or attune others to enable them to bring Reiki into their lives.
All of this keeps me ‘tuned in’ to Reiki, and I believe keeps my own Reiki energies in full flow.
Also, I regularly give myself a self-Reiki session three times a week, and additional ad-hoc self-Reiki when I feel I need it.
If any readers has any questions about Reiki or would like to explore how they can learn Reiki themselves, they are welcome to contact me.
To learn more about Rob and his work, please visit: www.RobFellowsReiki.com
