Many years ago, when I had just learnt Reiki, I found a custom-made Reiki table listed for sale on Facebook Marketplace. After asking all the usual questions, I kept pressing for more assurances than I probably needed. The seller, *‘Barb’, eventually cut the negotiations off abruptly telling me: "You already know that this table is right for you but you're approaching it from your head, not your heart. I don’t feel like you are the right person for this table."
Her words caught me off guard. At first, I was shocked by how suddenly she withdrew the offer to sell to me. I was a little offended too. But then, after a moment, I recognised that she was right. Deep down, I did have a feeling that this was a good table—I just wasn’t trusting my instinct.
I apologized and pleaded for her to reconsider and offered to pay the full amount upfront, even though I hadn’t inspected it. Strangely, it didn’t feel like a risk. I trusted it would be fine.
Barb accepted the offer (although curiously didn't want the payment upfront) only then to surprise me by telling me that the table wasn’t in Melbourne where I lived (and where the table was listed)—it was in fact in storage in Daylesford, an hour and a half away. She also informed me that she was living in Melbourne, that she didn't have a car and that in order to collect it, I would have to pick her up first (which wasn’t on the way). That meant driving to Daylesford together and then taking her home afterward, turning the trip into a nearly four-hour round journey.
My first thought was ‘no way!’ Picking up a complete stranger I only knew from Facebook Marketplace and spending hours in a car together? There were a million reasons to say no to that. But after some pause, something in my gut told me to throw caution to the wind and just do it. Something in me really wanted that table and I felt like it would all be alright.
Of course, my Mum saw it differently. She begged me not to go, even offering to buy me a brand-new, much more expensive table instead. But I urged her to trust my instinct (which of course she didn’t, but she didn’t really have a choice! :) ).
.....And so I went.
What unfolded on that drive turned out to be one of the most incredible experiences of my Reiki journey! At the time, I was still new to Reiki, but had some really extraordinary early experiences with it, and Barb had been a Reiki Master for decades. We spoke non-stop about Reiki the entire way—about the energy, my experiences, her catalogue of stories about Reiki's capacity to heal and transform her clients, her experiences as a Teacher and with students, an abundance of advice, wisdom, guidance for me and discussions about the possibilities of what Reiki offers, about surrender, trust and about working from the heart rather than the head.
She took this time in the car together to explain to me, with love and compassion at the heart of her words, why she had initially stopped the negotiations—she knew I knew that table was destined to be mine, she knew I felt the calling to it, but that instead of following that instinct, I pursued more questions and required assurances for her to satisfy my mind not my heart. She explained that she didn’t feel that I was ready yet for that table because I wasn’t following that inner knowing. I wasn’t honouring the ‘Reiki Way’. This was the first time I was to hear this phrase. In that moment, I understood what she meant when it came to this one particular scenario, but it would take me much longer and many years later, to experience Reiki in a way that I was able to fully, deeply and truly understand it. The Reiki Way.
Whereas initially I wondered what I would speak about for four hours with a stranger, there wasn’t a moment of silence between us - we had so much to talk about. It was the most extraordinary and impactful four hours I had spent with a stranger.
By the time I dropped her off home, the table now in the boot of my car, she handed me a small tealight candle, almost ceremoniously and said: "This candle was blessed by the Dalai Lama—it holds a sacred energy. I only give these to those I truly believe in. By passing this to you, I offer not just my blessing as I hand over this table to you, but also my trust. You are meant to have this table. This is my gift to affirm that I now entrust this table with you because I believe in you, and I know you will honor the path of a true healer," and we hugged.
That moment has stayed with me ever since.
Just the other day, almost 7 years later, I reached out to her again because I needed to know a small detail about the table’s custom-made construction.
In that message, I shared that I was now a Reiki Shihan (Master) in Japanese Reiki and that I was still practicing Reiki on clients as well as teaching.
I shared that although I’ve since purchased fancy new tables, I still use hers as my preferred primary table for clients and that candle remains in the healing room. I told her that I often share the story with my students, as well as the wisdom she passed on during that car ride, and how grateful I am to have crossed paths with her at such a vital stage of my Reiki journey.
What I received in return moved me deeply.
This was her response:
"It means so much to know that the journey was so worthwhile for you.
The lady I was staying with at the time gave me such a hard time about asking you to pick me up—but I knew I wanted that table to end up in the right hands. That table had been a part of so many powerful healing experiences for my students and clients. If the person inheriting it wasn’t yet ready to handle the gifts it held, then the table may have had the reverse effect. It was very important to me that I spent time with its new Master...”
She continued on:
“...It was the power and love of Reiki that put us together. And Reiki, to this day, never lets me down.
I knew, as you drove away after dropping me off, that the table would continue its service to Reiki in very good hands. And now, knowing that it is still serving in the highest levels of Reiki love, I am even more grateful today."
What in incredible experience for us both.
When people ask me what Reiki is about, it’s hard to put into words. I can say things like, Reiki is about love and compassion, it’s about trust and surrender. Reiki connects us to our true, loving, compassionate selves. That it connects us to something deeper within ourselves and others.
But it's stories like this one about the Reiki Table that truly brings Reiki to life...it is Reiki in action.
Reiki isn’t just something we practice, we embody it....it flows through us. It moves, guides, and shapes us, calling on us to lead from the heart centre. It speaks to us through instinct and invites us to trust. It shapes how we connect, how we give, and how we receive. Reiki is love in action—within us, around us, between us.
The story of the Reiki table isn’t just a story—it is Reiki.
Warmest wishes,
Fiona x
Fiona Phillips
Certified Reiki Shihan (Teacher) and Practitioner
Komyo ReikiDo & Jikiden Reiki in Melbourne
Within The Space
NB: The name *Barb has been used to ensure anonymity.
Ps. If this story has sparked your curiosity and you have questions about Reiki or if it has ignited a desire to experience Reiki for yourself, please contact me and we can arrange a time to chat. If you would like to book a Reiki session in Melbourne (or distance Reiki worldwide), you can book an appointment here or if you would like to learn Reiki yourself, sign up for a Reiki course here. I look forward to connecting with you for Reiki!
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