I was lucky enough to be asked to write about my writing process for Women Writers, Women('s) Books - booksbywomen.org.
At the time, I had no idea that writing this article would make me see how actually writing the book, Reiki's Highest Potential, had a really positive effect on my personal healing journey. It was quite the eye opener for me. I hope you enjoy the article below.
The Process of Writing Reiki’s Highest Potential
Writing Reiki’s Highest Potential was an idea that I had had for a few years, but I hadn’t made the time for it. Then the first Covid lockdown began and as most of my clients preferred one-to-one treatments, my work completely slowed down. Having already compiled the three Reiki degree manuals which I gave to students for my Reiki courses, I naively assumed that I could just put the three manuals together and that would be the book. However, writing Reiki’s Highest Potential became a journey of re-discovering my roots with healing and establishing in a way, my healing foundations.
The title, Reiki’s Highest Potential, comes from the angle I wanted to take with this book. When I was much younger, I read somewhere about waking up each morning and seeing the potential in each new day, and it became a part of my routine. Seeing the potential of what Reiki healing can do, allows you to open yourself up to that potential. I found the title inspiring, and I hope it inspires others.
As I had the basic manuals, bringing them together into one book was easy enough but I wanted it to be more than just a manual. Reiki isn’t something you learn just from a manual and having the attunements. It’s experiencing the healing, a journey that takes time, and takes you through everything you’ve been through. For some of us, it’s a roller coaster ride and for others a paddle in a warm pool. To show this, I knew I had to make it personal and honest, and that is hard for someone who is quite private.
One difficult thing to contend with was what image do I want to give out? I wanted this book to be personal, to reflect the real me, but I was unsure how to balance that. Do I show myself as a sunny happy spiritual Reiki healer? What about my inner witch, which isn’t so sunny all the time? Then there’s the very logical side of me which constantly fights with my peri-menopausal side? Often confusing and conflicting character traits. The thing is, Reiki is all. It’s light and dark, emotional and peaceful, and so am I. As are we all.
The hardest parts were writing about my cleansing experiences, and my journey through the Reiki degrees. Thinking back, I remembered what I was going through during each degree and saw where I am now, how things have evolved, how I have evolved. This book did not start as a personal journey through healing for me, but it ended up being that way.
For the reader to feel a connection to the journey of my growth, to find that common ground, I felt that I had to be honest with myself about my journey before I could really be honest with the reader. And so, it became more than a manual. Writing through the Reiki Degrees allowed me to remember, feel, relive and process trauma that I thought was dealt with. It opened wounds from my past and gave me an opportunity to heal them from an older, more experienced me.
I re-wrote many parts because I had left out details and somehow the words felt false, like I was hiding a manner of flaws from the reader. It feels right to be honest about who I am now and who I was in the past. It shows how I’ve evolved without even realising it. I began to find my direction and felt more comfortable about giving details about my life and healing journey that were personal and important to me.
Another stumbling block was, who is the reader? Who am I writing for and who will want to read it? I knew I wanted to keep the manuals simple and easy to follow, each Reiki degree having its own chapter, with just the basic knowledge and a few good pointers. It was important to me that the book was practical and useful for Reiki Practitioners, and to other healers or novices. I decided that I wanted this book to be open to all who want to learn about healing themselves and even if they don’t want to be Reiki Practitioners, they will still learn how to meditate and maybe learn more about themselves by using The Five Principles of Reiki to guide them. Putting in the kotodama and symbols with explanations on how to use them seemed like the natural thing to do. I know this goes against what many Reiki Masters believe, but I really believe that the world needs more healers, and my book may inspire some people to find their inner healer.
I wanted to find a balance between the spiritual and science elements of Reiki, so readers don’t feel like they need to take a particular path which is not true to them. Reiki is both spiritual and scientific, the readers should take what feels right to them. Most of all, I wanted the reader to be given a foundation which they will build on, somewhere to start their own healing journey.
Now to me, the book is more. I read my book when I’m looking for guidance or when I’ve forgotten something due to brain fog. I read my words, remember and find inspiration to pick myself up and carry on. The process of writing this book took me on an unexpected journey and ended with a little friend in book form.