You’ve had an incredible career spanning both academia and philosophy. Can you tell us about the intersection of academic studies and philosophy in both your own life and in the world around us?
Plato wrote “Wonder is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins in wonder.” That’s my life story in a nutshell! Fascinated with philosophy since elementary school, I have a Masters and Doctorate in Philosophy and, over a long life, have engaged people over several continents in philosophising. What interests me most are not the questions and concerns I share with philosophical experts but those I share with ordinary people. Such as? Wonder, inquiry, the meaning of life; what is good, evil and in between; “big pictures” and small joys; authenticity, integrity, the demands of community life. Over the millennia Philosophy has posited many “Big Answers.” But, along with so many people across cultures and over time, the Big Questions, not the Big Answers, call to me.
In your opinion, is there room for more intuition, creativity and spirit in the University experience? What do these things have the potential to add to a student’s overall learning experience when studying?
Too often we stereotype. “Creative” people are in the arts; they’re impractical, flamboyant. “Intuitive” people wear hippie beads; they’re “out there.” “Spirit” is for the religious or Oprah addicts. Not so! It takes creativity to make a human life – to parent, for example, to navigate a treacherous work situation or to re-fashion ourselves after serious setbacks. Increasingly sophisticated psychology research shows that intuition is part and parcel of our basic human operating systems – not the domain of a gifted few. With respect to education, consider the popularity of TED Talks! Most speakers are academics but how exciting they are! How full of life! As TED reveals, intuition, creativity and spirit are not exclusive to the Arts or Occult. They equally animate “practical fields” such as Architecture, Engineering, Medicine, the Sciences, and Politics. Not to mention nuclear physics and human communication. I earnestly wish that we would “mix it up” more in higher education! Experience radically different things! Go beyond silos and information transmission to acknowledge, unleash and reward the varied skill sets with which we humans are so amply endowed!
What originally drew you to Reiki Healing?
Before I moved to New Zealand, I taught at the University of Arizona (U.S.A) both in Humanities disciplines and as Philosopher-in-Residence at their innovative Medical School. There first year, medical students learned from healers about a wide variety of complementary traditions – among them Native American, Indigenous Mexican, Oriental and Mind/Body disciplines – exploring both theory and practice. During my tenure, the Medical School inaugurated a well regarded Integrative Medicine Department founded by Dr. Andrew Weill. So Reiki was “around,” you might say. I first experienced reiki from a quietly remarkable young massage therapist who would occasionally give brief, invariably wise intuitive messages. I left feeling emotionally, spiritually and energetically cleansed and uplifted; surprisingly, the gentle, loving “afterglow” infused me for days. It was Reiki, she said. I was hooked!
Can you explain to us what intuition is and how it plays out in your treatments both as the Healer and the client?
Intuition is an inner sense, a subtle knowing. A “hunch.” Reiki induces a deep state of relaxation wherein pressures of the day tend to fade; busy minds can take a needed break. Research shows that this is fertile ground for intuitive insights to arise – insights we may have been too preoccupied to notice. During sessions, I clear my mind. If I receive messages, I ask the client if s/he wishes me to share. With Reiki, there is no Healer – only healing. Reiki fosters a healing-positive state where recipients’ own holistic resources can replenish and inform.
You’ve said that an Intuitive Reiki Treatment can be full of unexpected insights. Do these have the possibility to be confronting and scary?! And if so how do you managed these with your clients?
This has not arisen for me. Reiki is a gentle modality. The Japanese word Reiki has two parts. Ki is equivalent to chi – the energy that flows in and through everything. In Western traditions, we distinguish between physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual functions and prescribe different forms of healing for each. But in the East, these are not separate; they are all ki – holistic and interwoven. Rei is the Benevolent Energetic Source, beyond words, theories, cultures. and religion. When clients experience reiki energy flowing through their entire energetic system, things on physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual levels can subtly shift, gently opening pathways to self-development and more joyful living. To follow those pathways – to assist, where needed, to deal with deep seated problems and patterns – I refer clients to relevant specialists – counselors, homeopaths, acupuncturists, nutritionists, bodyworkers, other energy workers, medical practitioners, and others.
Tell us about your Intuition Workshop Series, who is this for and what can participants expect?
With intuition there is no “One Size Fits All.” People get intuitive input in various way. It makes no sense to teach “The One Right Way to Be Intuitive” because there isn’t one. There are general patterns and common concerns. I start by asking people to reflect on their own intuitive history and, from that, to identify their intuitive strengths. We build on those. I have small classes of friendly people who work together to bolster fluency and comfort with “inner knowing.” We have a lot of fun actually!
https://www.annkerwinreiki.com/
