At age fourteen I met this guy (let’s name him P) at some fair in Opmeer. I was there with my boyfriend Kris at the time and he knew some people who knew my boyfriend. So we chatted a bit, and I commented on his necklace, which had a pendant that said ‘reiki’. He told me about Reiki in a very roundabout way (about energy and healing), and when I was intrigued he offered to demonstrate. Sure, I said. So he laid his hands in my neck, closed his eyes and said: “You’re sporting a minor headache. Right here.”
And he indicated at the place that had been giving me a bit of a headache all day. I think I said something along the lines of “wtf” and he asked me if I wanted him to take away that blockade of energy, so I’d feel better again.
Well, duh, I said yes of course. And his hands got warmer; I could feel that. It didn’t do anything immediately, but half an hour later I was surprised to note that this minor headache I didn’t tell anyone about earlier that day because it wasn’t enough to REALLY bug me, was gone.
This guy was also the first & only one who took a good look at me and my then-boyfriend Kris and said honestly and bluntly to me that I didn’t love Kris as much as he loved me. And I realized with a start that he was right; I didn’t feel that much for Kris apart from friendship – I was 14 years old and I had no idea wtf I was doing in this or any relationship anyway (way too young, way too egocentric adolescent back then. I still feel sorry about that). Now how that resolved is a completely different story, but this was my first introduction to Reiki. This guy P had a remarkable insight in people, he read me like a book like no one had ever done before. Also, the thing he did with the energy; it really worked. Very weird.

Anyway, flashforward four years, until age 17-18, when I was dating ex boyfriend Remko. Remko’s mother is a reiki master. And talk about your canny insight in people. She and Rem were pretty spiritual anyway, into growth and everything. I was very impressed by her, but she’s also just honestly a great woman. I’ve met up with her several times during my life and we always had great chats. She’s a great person.
We did talk about reiki, and I told her about the experience with P.; she smiled when I asked how she and P did that reiki thing anyway, because I wanted to do that, too. “Why?” she asked me. 
“Well, to help other people of course.”
She just shook her head at that. “To help others, first you have to want to help yourself. You have to do it for YOU, not for them.”
I didn’t really understand that at the time.

I do understand now. And now I want to help myself.

It came on my path again the other day and I realized that throughout all the stories I’ve ever told, energy has been a major issue; next to love. You write about what you want, and what you fear. So energy and love have maybe even been a theme throughout my life. And I thought… what the hell. Why not. Maybe this is something for me. If I don’t do this, I’ll wonder all my life what this is really about. So 23 November Wendy and I are going to be initiated into Reiki.
I’m terribly looking forward to this.