Sexual intimacy and Reiki practice

HEllo to all. I recently started paying for Reiki from a level 2 practitioner. Two sessions ago, we began to talk and our interaction became sexually intimate. The next time we were sexually intimate immediately following the session. They were intense and enjoyable experiences, i am just wondering if this as legal/ethical for him to do? I do not wish to get anyone into trouble, i am merely curious about what your community thinks.

Hi Chakrabot,

This question came up before here i think. I'd say if the session had ended it may be said there is no issue. A practitioner does sometimes carry on being a practitioner, by even talking/counselling. Although not strictly Reiki per se.

It ain't illegal for two adults to consent. Ethical? It's hard to say with so little detail to be honest. We'd need to know more of the situation.

warmest wishes

Wayne

I am listening to the lectures on Vedas now. They are read by Dr. Torsunov. I feel real deep knowledge behind every word of him. There are lots of materials in the lections which contradict to the habits and traditions of modern civilization. I wouldn’t have accepted this knowledge without years of my practice.

According to Vedas when people have sex with each other they exchange their karmas. They become connected till the end of their lives. The more sexual partners a person has the more negative karma he collects from them as all heavy energies are gathering in the low chakras, especially in Muladkhara.

According to Vedas people became relatives after they had sex. If their sexual relations last more then a year they are wife and husband. They can tell whatever they want, “It’s just a civil marriage; we are not married, we are just partners; I haven’t met my real love yet…” But they are wife and husband in front of the face of the God.

Modern society claims that sex is an ordinary physiological need like eating or going into the loo. Try to think of sex from the sacral point of view.

Anyway, if you are not satisfied with my words just think that a bored lady is telling ancient fairytales to you.

Is your relationship with this practitioner more like a therapist/client relationship, or more like a peer relationship? Do you regard him as a social equal, or as something of an authority figure?

When a sexual relationship is unethical, it's unethical because it's not a relationship of equals, but a relationship where one person has some authority over the other--either actual authority, like a boss over an employee, or the other person can easily perceive them as an authority figure, like a patient would perceive a doctor. In that case, the person with the authority could all too easily coerce a sexual relationship--whether or not what they're actually doing in this situation is coercion. That's why most workplaces forbid supervisors from sleeping with employees, and universities often forbid relationships between professors and students (even though the students are adults), and professional ethics prohibit any kind of romantic relationship between a psychotherapist and a client.

In much of the world, reiki is too new and too far out of the mainstream to be regulated the way more traditional therapies are--so there may be no explicit rules saying a practitioner can't have sex with a client immediately following the session. But this does sound like it's pushing the limits--like this situation is a little bit like having a therapist turn a session into sexual activity, which would be a huge no-no in regular therapy.

The other thing that could make this unethical, of course, would be if you and/or your reiki practitioner is married or otherwise committed to a monogamous relationship with someone else. In that case, it's cheating--enough said.

I would guess that what you need is some clear boundaries. If this reiki practitioner you've been seeing is someone you want as a lover, why not start dating each other? Many reiki practitioners give reiki to their loved ones, including spouses and lovers, if not necessarily in a formal, paid setting--so you wouldn't even necessarily have to stop receiving reiki treatments from him. If you date, that takes your personal relationship outside the context of the professional relationship, so that there's a clear boundary between the two.

if the person was someone you didn't know, and you went and paid for a reiki session as though he is the practitioner, and you are the client and it evolved into a sexual experience - in that situation i personally would wonder how many others this happens to. if the attraction is clearly there, then meeting outside of the session seems like the next natural step for me (whether the relationship remains purely sexual or not). if the practitioner belongs to a registered association or society, then i suspect his behaviour will certainly be frowned upon (rightly or wrongly).

if the person was someone you did know, and you were paying for the reiki and it evolved into something else - then i see no issue, except to remind you to keep yourself safe.

i endorse the post of Osamenor and just given a contribution point.

adding to the points discussed, i wish to say that the reiki session is a unique environment of composure and mindfulness (it ought to be so). it presupposes some concentration during the session (at least from the practitioner). it is not uncommon that practitioner and client feel sexual or emotional attraction during the rapport that builds up in the session. that would be said natural. but if the attraction is two sided, i think both parties should sit discuss this aspect expressly, openly and honestly. if it is decided that they would explore the pleasure side of the said attraction, its best that they arrange a separate gathering for that and there is some time gap between the reiki session and such gathering.

it seems difficult for me to assume that they would be giving their due attention to the reiki process if they have an agreement of mind that immediately after the session, they will be going for their pleasure moments.

about the aspect that whether the practitioner has an edge of authority/influence over the client, it is natural, but it is the practitioner who has to train himself and then the client that both the parties within reiki process are equal. Reiki works best if client feels himself equal and active within the process. after all, it is the client who heals himself during the session, we are only helping him to achieve that thing.

whether sexual relation between practitioner and client will be called 'illicit', i think it is difficult to generalize. it depends on cultural conditioning, social norms and personal beliefs. it is the individuals who have to decide where they will be heading

take care
salman