Surprise Reiki Camp in the Slums!

By Kamal Tolia

About four people of Mukuru slums in Nairobi had missed the Reiki level 1 training that was held for them in July 2012. I was asked by Martina of the Mukuru Outreach Programme if I would teach them? Of course I agreed. We set aside 29^th September for this training session. Seeing that these people had experienced Reiki healing, had been explained all about Reiki and Chakras and I had even gone over the manuals with them a month before, I expected to finish the training in 3 hours, i.e. from 1.30 – 4.30 pm.

A couple of days before 29^th, Martina called me to say that the numbers had increased to about 10 -11, which meant that ‘new’ people had registered, new in that they had not had any experience of Reiki before.  So on the day, I put a few Reiki manuals in a bag, and Martina and I set off for the Mukuru slums.

Well, little did I know that a surprise awaited me! They started coming slowly, well past the start time of 1.30 pm. When there were about 8, I started to introduce them to the concepts of energy and chakras. During the 15 mins of the introduction, they kept trickling in …….. At about 2.10, I decided it was time for their attunement. As the room was being arranged with mattresses, Hannah, the nursery teacher at the Outreach programme did a wonderful job of filling in the late comers with what they had missed. By now we had 19 of them all eagerly awaiting the Reiki training!

I carried out the attunement, and was just setting up my mobile phone for the relaxing attunement music, when I was informed that there were 4 more waiting outside who would like to be included. Would I please agree? My initial reaction was ….. NO ……. It was an hour after the scheduled starting time ……. The introduction was finished …. Even the attunement was done …. There wasn’t any place left on the floor for them to lie down for the attunement ……. How could I fit them in? I looked at the four, waiting patiently outside the door …… they had such a look of ‘please, please, please’ on their faces …… something moved in my heart ….. how could I refuse them?

So, very quickly and quietly, they were ushered in, into the small computer room at the back. One lay down on a vacant wooden shelf (for computers!), chairs were placed in 2 rows for two others to lie down on, and the fourth person spread a sheet on the floor and lay down on it. They were ready! ….  And so was I! The attunement followed.

After 10 minutes, they were collected together in the main room. They shared their experiences during the attunement …. Feeling light, relaxed, etc. Then it was time to show them self healing which they did perfectly! And then healing others, which also went very well! This was followed by a quick browsing through the Reiki manual. Browsing is all that could be done in the short time left. But I did go over in detail the meaning and features of Reiki, so that they would leave with a firm understanding of Reiki.

A question and answer session in Kiswahili followed, in which Racheal, manager of the programme and Josephine, in charge of the hairdressing section, were of great help. The new Reiki healers were asked by Rachael and Josephine to come back next week to practice Reiki at the centre and for any clarifications they may need. All 23 present showed interest in going further and learning Reiki Level 2.

By 4.45 pm it was over. Conducting a Reiki camp in 2 hours 45 minutes! It was a first for me! There was no break for at all, even for refreshments! Is it the ideal way to carry out a Reiki training? Probably not. Was it the right thing to do in the circumstances? Definitely yes! These were not your regular middle class people or even low middle class, or even the poor. These were people from the slums, the have-nots, whose life could best be described as having ‘no-things’. Some of them could be classed as  destitute. If I did not ‘go by the book’ in training them, so what? The important thing was that they received the Gift of Reiki, which would enrich their lives from now on. The important thing is that it did not cost them anything. The important thing was that some people had loved them and cared enough for them to provide the space and spent three hours teaching them a skill for life.

And so, with gratitude in my heart to the Universe, who through Martina, had given me an opportunity once again, to share my Love and Light with others, I bid goodbye to my new Reiki Channels! I could not have asked for a more fulfilling way to spend my Saturday afternoon!

Since I had not carried a camera with me, I had to depend on my mobile to take out pictures. They are not of the best quality, but do have a look at them.

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