The Irish Reiki websites that Irishskeptic.com visited to write this article have three elements in common:1.Each website contains the words “energy” and “life force”. None of the websites define exactly what they mean by these words. 2.The websites claim to provide “absentee (distant) healing”. 3. They also feature workshops, where Reiki “techniques” are taught, usually for a substantial fee. Reiki Energy and The Life ForceOne Reiki website states:

“A Sampling of Beneficial Uses of Reiki Distant Healing Energy Reduces: Stress, Anxiety, Surgery Discomfort, Depression, Test AnxietyIncreases: Personal Growth, Relaxation, Creativity, Emotional Healing, PeaceImproves: Clarity, Relationships, Public Speaking/Presentations, Interviews, Auditions”.

In science, the word energy is defined as “the capacity of a physical system to perform work.” Energy is a unit of measurement and nothing more than that. Unfortunately, practitioners of Reiki seem unable to tell us anything specific about their use of the word energy.It is also unclear what part of the body is being “rebalanced” or how this “rebalancing” is achieved. No clinical evidence was provided on any of the websites I visited to support the “healing” claims. This is not really surprising given the fact that Reiki practitioners believe the “Universal Life Energy” cannot be detected by any scientific instruments. However it can, apparently, be felt and manipulated by those special people who pay to learn the proper techniques. Absentee (Distance) HealingNone of the Irish Reiki websites I visited provided any details of how the distant healing process might work. Prices vary for this service, one practitioner charges €20 per healing session whilst other adepts provide it free of charge. One Reiki practitioner, with no apparent medical qualification, refers to the people seeking distant healing as “patients”.If the healing fails, however, the “healer” may claim that it is because the patient is resisting the healing energy. Reiki WorkshopsWorkshops feature prominently on Irish Reiki websites. The workshops are on three levels, each with an associated cost. Reiki Level 1 “teaches self healing and confers the ability to heal family and friends on a non-professional basis.” The cost for this course is generally around €250. Reiki Level 2 incorporates additional attunement which “multiplies the healing energy that can be channeled.”Cost: around €350. Level 2 qualification allows budding Reiki practitioners the chance to recover their course fees by offering distant healing services. Reiki Level 3 incorporates Initiation into Reiki Mastership, “the final attunement to Reiki energy which multiplies healing energy by an infinite number of times. This results in more powerful healing and faster healingtimes.”Reiki Level 3 mastership is also a teaching qualification. Cost: around €500. Reiki masters are then allowed to pass on Reiki techniques by running their own workshops, presumably with a similar price structure.

I discovered Reiki almost 10 years ago when I was living a period of stress. At that time I could not believe that healing can be possible through something invisible and untouchable. Two people put their hands just over my body and after several treatments during the day I felt like a new person in the evening.
How is healing made? People use the chakras of their hands to transfer energy to the chakras of other people`s body. A chakra is a point of energy located in a specific position in our body.
We have many points of energy (points where energy comes in and goes out). The Chinese medicine reports much over these points. These points are several and energy passes through them along energy lines. Among these, there are main points that are called Chakras.
There are seven chakras in the body of each of us. It is curious but seven are the fundamental colors and musical notes. In fact all in the universe is governed by waves which are characterized by seven frequencies.
When we sing the seven musical notes we excite our chakras. This is the best method to use to identify our chakras.
Reiki has in the centuries become a sort of medicine and those who are trained can with the time become expert in collecting energy from the universe and transferring it to other bodies. This is the basic principle of Reiki: get energy and transfer to other.
One can also get the energy from the universe through his hands and transfer it to other own chakras. You get the energy in the chakras of hands and transfer e.g. to the chakra of the stomach. But this process is not easy to do. You need training and a long term exercise.
There is also another important aspect to consider. To be successful, Reiki needs that the healer and the person to be healed are relaxed. A first section of meditation is recommended.
There are some reasons why Reiki became so popular in these days. First of all anyone can do Reiki receiving an attunement. It is not needed to develop the ability as for other disciplines where the use of meditation or other techniques are requested. All Reiki techniques are passed on from teachers to students through an attunement process starting with the one who first channeled the technique. Finally there is not need to drive the energy, with Reiki the energy flows spontaneously guided and goes where needed. Moreover, thanks to all of these characteristics Reiki becomes popular because cannot provoke pain or damages.
Those who do Reiki experience a non-invasive form of healing and realise an increase in energy in the body and mine and a better state of health. Their way of living is more relaxing.
The students start their activity with an initiation to become a channel for the Reiki energy. In the initiation the action is called “attunement” and the beginner undergoes as many attunements as they are necessary to make the energy flow through his/her body. The next step for the student is to know how to make Reiki treatments.
With the first level the students is able to do Reiki with the use of hands, hands-on Reiki. With the second level the students learns how to Reiki from remote: long distance or remote healing. The final level is for those who want to become Master Reiki, i.e. Reiki teachers.

HQ: uk.youtube.com The 3rd album in Akshara Weave’s award winning Healing Series…a powerful tool for healing connecting us with our deepest being, integrating our past, present and future. Composed by a Reiki master and award-winning composer who applies chakra intervals, overtone frequencies and angelic melodies to create a sound healing at its finest. Reiki has five symbols that the healer uses to focus the energy. The third of these symbols is the HON SHA ZE SHO NEN. Traditionally the …

Reiki treatments are considered as a holistic, natural way for energy healing. The direct meaning or translation of Reiki is traced back to two Japanese words. One is Rein which really means free passage and the other is Kid which means vital life force energy so together, the words mean universal life energy because it is believed that this powerful energy refers to the life force that permeates throughout the universe.
The main goal of a Reiki practitioner is to correctly channelize this positive and powerful energy through the position of the hands so that the body natural capacity for healing is triggered on. This is one of the best things about Reiki treatment because a practitioner is able to share positive energy flow with someone who needs healing on many different levels such as physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. That said, it is important to reiterate that no guarantee is ever provided to assure a person that complete cure would happen but the belief is that cure will definitely happen.
Reiki healing is a natural process that propels an awareness of wholeness, balance and inner peace so as to combat stress. This is why Reiki treatments are mostly referred to as hands on, energy giving treatment with the ability to treat a whole person body, mind and spirit in total harmony.
The Reiki treatment begins as the healer rubs both hands together. Then the hands are placed on the body of the recipient or even just above the body of the recipient so that the healing takes place without any kind of obstruction.
Be aware of the fact that the reiki healing is packed with positive energy so that it can easily heal whatever part of your body, mind, or spirit is most in need of healing. During the sessions for healing, it is natural for both the healer as well as you to experience prickly sensation or cold feeling or maybe no feelings at all. Reiki energy will adjust itself to this kind of varied intensity depending on the needs of the recipient.
Reiki treatment heals in the following way:
* It relaxes at a deep level
* Gets rid of energy blockages
* Helps to detoxify
* Offers new and positive energy that is propelled by universal life energy
* Enhances the vibrational frequency of the body of the recipient
* All kinds of stress related diseases including headache, migraine, sinus, asthma, allergy, arthritis, back pain, diabetes, blood pressure, gastric ulcer, hepatitis, menstrual problems, scleroderma, sinusitis, spondylitis, and many other diseases.
* The negative energy that is usually the result of conventional medicines such as chemotherapy or AIDS related medication can be easily avoided as there are no side effects in Reiki treatment.
Reiki healing is unique because powerful energy transmitted from a competent healer to a recipient irrespective of distance as well because telephonic healing is also possible. Note that this treatment of Reiki is not linked with any religious or spiritual path so it is effective to treat everyone.
Treatment with Reiki is a positive way to promote peace, relaxation and stress reduction. This powerful treatment can be used on other forms of life as well such as plants, animals and in earth healing.
For pregnant women as well, Reiki treatment is suitable because it helps to alleviate morning sickness and back pain without much difficulty. This treatment works really well for physical, mental and emotional aspects so it helps in overall healing.

Often what one teaches is what one needs to learn. This article clearly demonstrates the importance of trust.

A WEBSITE IS BORN

When I first conceived the idea of offering distance healing via a website, I became very excited. I knew that by using the World Wide Web, I would be able to facilitate the healing of many more individuals and situations than I could by local word-of-mouth. The path of creating the website was fraught with challenge. At that time, no other site was offering this service. The general public was unaware that Reiki energy could be directed from a distance. One challenge was creating a proper title for the site. I realized that people would need to “trust” that I would indeed follow through and actually send them the Reiki energy for the contracted number of days, hence the name “Reiki With Trust.”


LAYERS OF TRUST

During the year it took in the creation of the site, I came to realize that the word “trust” had multiple layers of application to what I was trying to create. The recipient of the distance Reiki energy also had to “trust” the Reiki energy. This means that the recipient had to understand that the Reiki energy I channeled would be sent to the “highest and best”. As much as my ego wanted to have the Reiki remove a client’s source of pain, I had to continuously remind myself that the recipient’s soul was the healer, and neither I, nor the client’s conscious mind, would know what their “highest and best” would be. Without this intention for the “highest and best”, lessons that needed to be learned in this lifetime might be avoided. By avoiding the lessons of one’s path, they are bound to return with a vengeance.


SPIRIT KNOWS BEST

To help me combat my ego need to want to specify precisely what the Reiki was to do, I recall an article I read a long time ago. It was about a Reiki Master whose friend was suffering from cancer. The friend was about to receive chemotherapy and was very concerned about the impending loss of hair. Her request to the Reiki Master was to direct the energy to preserving her hair. The Reiki Master knew the dangers of second guessing the intentions of spirit. She sent the Reiki energy to the friend’s “highest and best”. After her friend had received the chemotherapy, she did lose her hair as expected. In her friend’s quest to purchase a wig, it just so happened that the salesperson at the wig store knew of natural cancer remedies. These remedies did lead to a healing. I cannot remember the details of the healing, but I did learn the lesson of the story.


FEET AND DOUBT

A few years ago I had a painful bone spur and serious joint damage to my left foot. The surgery that followed not only removed the bone spur, but also removed a section of my big toe bone. I had faithfully sent Reiki to the future events surrounding the surgery. The surgery went well. I had minimal pain, and the healing was atypically fast. After my post-op visit, the surgeon admitted that I had the “most excruciatingly painful” surgical procedure he performs. I was tickled to realize the power of Reiki worked for me as well. Two years later, I started to have significant pain under the ball of my driving foot. I frequently gave my hurting foot Reiki treatments. From my extensive experience of successfully channeling Reiki energy to cancer patients and other seriously ill recipients, I knew that a little bone problem should be a piece of cake to heal. My assumption was that I had another bone spur. I directed Reiki to this foot problem just about every day. There was no change! How could this be? I have witnessed Reiki perform much greater healings! What followed was a plunge into doubt. I doubted myself and gave little credence to the many healings I had facilitated. I felt like a Reiki failure. I made the decision to have the surgery during the summer. I was a teacher, thus the summer decision for the surgery. I had far too few sick days to spend on this foot. My retirement medical benefits are tied to the number of remaining sick days. It would have been unwise to have the surgery performed during the school year. A second problem would have been transportation to my school. Not one other teacher was conveniently located near my home.


ANNA LISTENS

Then, it happened. I just snapped one day and was absolutely driven to have the surgery the week prior to my February vacation. I had less than two weeks to make a multitude of arrangements. I insisted on reserving the surgery date prior to the actual appointment with my foot doctor. I was happy to have found a teacher substitute who had a degree in Biology. I began running off the reams of papers the substitute would need for the students’ lessons. I found two colleagues who would go greatly out of their way to pick me up and drive me to school. I was learning how to ask for help. As I found myself in this fury of activity, I kept asking myself “why?” It appeared that my decision was terribly illogical. Yet, I just had to do it NOW.


REIKI’S WISDOM REVEALED

After many phone calls, the day for the meeting with the podiatrist arrived. I felt as if I was going to my death. As I sat in the over-crowded and uncomfortably hot waiting room for over two hours, I kept wondering “why am I doing this?” The meeting with the doctor revealed all. His attention went immediately to a mole I had under my foot. I have had it my entire life. He insisted that it be removed as soon as possible. As it turns out, moles in areas that take punishment are very prone to becoming a melanoma. due to it’s location I would have never noticed a change in its appearance. The actual bone pain was due to the loss of padding under a tiny bone, in addition to inflamed ligaments. An injection was all that was needed. I left the office delightfully relieved.


THE LESSON

I know that everything happens for a reason. I am glad I have learned to trust powerful drives to do some normally illogical and seemingly stupid actions. I was willing to take a huge risk. Now the lesson. If the Reiki had healed my foot pain, I would have had no need to see the doctor. I know, in the deepest recess of my being, that my lifetime conversation piece, my mole, was about to turn into a life-altering nightmare. It is clear that I should have trusted the Reiki. Even when it seemed that the Reiki energy was not working, it certainly was, for the “highest and best”.

If you understand these concepts, then distance reiki healing will be within your ability to both practice for a client, as well as accept healings yourself. A very good way to practice the ability and reality of this unseen yet more “real” power, is to close your eyes and put your hands together; then you slowly pull your hands apart one fourth of an inch and move your hands slowly in opposing circular motions. As you concentrate on seeing and feeling light and heat between your hands, you will begin to tangibly feel the heat and the light, and also a power- this power is the power that heals in Reiki.

As you become more adept at practicing this power manifesting exercise, you will be able to incrementally move your hands a fraction of an inch apart more each week. Still feeling the power, you will be able to then administer Reiki healings at even great distances. This is how a man, woman or child can become a master distance reiki healer. Practicing each day and adding to that practice, the actions of meditations or prayers will open up higher power plants, if you will, for your ability to have a positive influence for great change on others and the Earth.

Reiki Healing Do We Need The Symbols Or Just The Intent & Belief?

Healing with Reiki is a natural process, open and available to all that require it. This natural life force energy is administered in many ways and the use of sacred symbols is believed to enhance the healing power/energy. But are these symbols really necessary?  Are the sacred symbols just a tool used to implement the Intent and Belief that healing will take place? Intent and belief in any natural healing system is alone a powerful tool, regardless of additional equipment. Whether the additional equipment is, in this case, sacred symbols. 

Lets look at Intent and belief within Reiki healing. Belief; with Reiki the belief by the practitioner/healer is in the use of secret symbols, generally speaking, that are said to enhance and intensify the flow of energy. With the client, the belief is that healing will take place and help. Putting the client to one side for a moment lets look at the practitioner/healer. Their belief is in the symbols, but will healing work/take place without any reference to these symbols?

Well, the answer is “Yes”. In several experiments at the TSL Holistic Centre, I carried out Reiki healing sessions without refereeing to or thinking about any of the Reiki symbols. I must point out that the actual clients were not aware of the experiments, as we had to maintain and respect their personal beliefs in the Reiki healing.

Clients were booked in the normal manner for a 30-minute Reiki healing session. After the client was settled the session proceeded. Remember although I was not going to use the reiki healing symbols in any way I still had the Intent and Belief that healing would take place and that there would be an energy transference. For the experiment I was going to substitute the healing symbols with “Pot Noodle” flavours. Yes, you read right, for the healing session I was going to think about pot noodles…

Throughout the healing session I thought and concentrated on Pot Noodles. For each different flavour I thought about and imagined and believed that the healing energy was flowing freely. The client was totally relaxed and believed that they were receiving Reiki healing in the normal way, i.e. through the use of symbols.  After the session had finished all clients that were involved in these experiments remarked how they felt different to how they normally did.  Ask in what way, they are commented that they felt more relaxed and more energised. They thanked me for the healing session and left. We chose not to tell them about the pot noodle experiment so not to alter their personal beliefs in Reiki.

A question that was asked by other therapists at the TSL Holistic Centre, was “Was the thoughts of pot noodles really that powerful” Well I’m afraid not, for it was not some hidden power of pot noodles that helped, but the Intent and Belief that healing would take place, Intent and belief from both the client and myself. One of the clients telephoned the following day; following her session, and commented that she had had the best nights sleep in months and again thanked me for the Reiki healing. In a light and humorous way I asked them if they thought healing with pot noodles in mind, might work?  There answer “Don’t be silly, how could that be possible”. To this day the client does not know about the pot noodle experiment.

So with Reiki Healing Do We Need The Symbols Or Just The Intent & Belief?

You decide.

David Vickers – www.tslholistic.co.uk  – info@tslholistic.co.uk

 

 

 

BARIN MEHTA, a Reiki Grand Master from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Barin Mehta is a Healer and Teacher of USUI SHIKI RYOHO, and is a Master of Crystal Healing, Karuna Reiki, Pendulum work, Stress management and Counselling. He also has knowledge and insights into Yoga and Yogasanas and methods of spiritual development. Barin Mehta is available for Reiki Healing and Attunements, including distant healing and Attunements. www.reikiholistichealing.bravehost.com

Fiction
Some people say that Reiki was re-discovered by Mikao Usui. Reiki is not a re-discovered healing art. There were many different forms of healing prior to Reiki and there continue to be many different forms of healing today. Reiki as we know it was a gift given to Mikao Usui because of his path in the universe. Reiki uniquely uses symbols which allow you to match the frequency of a condition with the frequency of the energy you use to heal.Fact
Reiki is a healing art that was discovered by Mikao Usui in the early 1900s, we do not have an exact date but we do know that Mikao Usui embarked upon a retreat of fasting and praying upon Mount Kurama in Japan. On the 21st day he was given Reiki by God or The Universe (whichever terminology you prefer). In his own handwritten documents, Usui Sensei has said “The Usui Reiki Therapy is something no one before has discovered and bears no comparison with any other treatment in the world.Fiction
It is often announced that Reiki has origins in various different countries and that the symbols have been found on Tibetan walls or in China or India. Reiki is Japanese. The Tibetans have denied all knowledge of Reiki and Reiki symbols. Tibetan Reiki originates in the United States. All that is needed are the symbols provided by Usui, which work perfectly as they stand. When you are healing someone, sometimes you will be guided to use new symbols, but these are specific to the person you are treating and should not be used on everyone else as well.Fact
Reiki is a Japanese healing art and the Reiki symbols are of Japanese origin. Fiction
Many claim that the Reiki symbols are just a focus for intent. They see them as training wheels to give the student something to focus on which once they become proficient at healing can be respectfully discarded.
The Reiki symbols are an integral part of the healing process. Without the symbols all the healer will be doing is passively channeling energy into their clients without regard for the conditions that need treating.
If you have practiced Reiki for a long time and you can vary the frequency of the energy intuitively without using the Reiki symbols and their colours, then you can work without them. However for most people they will need to use the Reiki symbols to ensure that they are meeting the client’s needs and using Reiki to it’s full potential. If the symbols are not used properly you will merely be offering spiritual healing which works at a much slower rate and is not really Reiki at all.Fact
The Reiki symbols have a specific frequency allowing you to channel energy at the correct frequency to treat specific conditions. The shape and colour of the symbol you use defines the frequency and amplitude of the energy you use to heal. It has been demonstrated scientifically that various body parts and functions operate at a certain frequency as they work on electromagnetic signals, so it makes sense that when we heal we should use the correct frequency to counteract a condition.
A student of Hayashi explained this very same thing in an article written in 1928 “I have experienced/researched some treatments but Reiki is the best as far as I know. Reiki is the most unique and the most effective, it can really heal any disease………when my hands with activated blood are put on the patient’s body, I think my blood vibration may promote the patient’s blood vibration. Blood current, vibration may become the same” (“A Treatment to Heal Diseases, Hand Healing” by Shouoh Matsui in the magazine “Sunday Mainichi”, Mar. 4, 1928). It is also worth noting that the frequencies of the symbols may clash so they should always be used separately unless guided for a specific healing by intuition.Fiction
Some say that you can show the Reiki symbols to anyone and it does not matter who sees them because no harm will come of it. As mentioned before the symbols and their mantras invoke a certain kind of energy. Although in Reiki we use energy for good others may use it for harm so the symbols need to be protected. You should always treat the symbols with respect.Fact
The Reiki symbols have a sacred geometry and should be respected and not shown to anyone who has not learned Reiki level 1 and 2. The symbol’s geometry evokes a certain kind of energy. If someone untrained in Reiki attempts to use the Reiki symbols they may damage themselves or someone else by playing around with them. Out of respect for the founder of Reiki Mikao Usui and to protect yourself and others you should not show anyone the Reiki symbols, unless they are a qualified Reiki practitioner.Fiction
Some Reiki healers and Reiki teachers say that Reiki simply allows the body to heal itself. It does not matter where they place their hands because the energy is intelligent and will go where it needs to. They also say that Reiki can do no harm.
Using Reiki in this way is not making effective use of this amazing healing art. By claiming that the energy is intelligent it takes the responsibility away from the practitioner, so that they can do as they please without any liability.
It is your responsibility as a Reiki practitioner to treat your clients most urgent conditions and get them healthy and back on their feet as quickly as possible, within your remit. People may well say the energy is intelligent but as intelligent individuals we are given the gift of healing and intention for a reason and that reason is to help people. Logically it makes sense to use all your healing abilities whilst using Reiki on your clients and that strongly involves using Reiki in an active way.Fact
Reiki uses variable frequency energy to heal conditions directly. The most effective way to use Reiki is to use intention, visualisation along with the Reiki symbols to treat whatever condition you are treating specifically. If someone comes to you with cancer then treat the cancer. The other problems they may have can be dealt with in good time but the most serious issue should be handled immediately and by using active Reiki you are enabled to do this. Fiction
It is quite common for Reiki healers and Reiki teachers to say that they are merely channels for the energy and that Reiki has no contraindications.
You were put on this earth with many abilities and you have every reason to take an active and responsible role in healing, you are much more than just a channel for the energy. Of course you heal with the highest good of all concerned and God or The Universe will always retain control of what ultimately happens. You have to remember though that we have much within our power if we decide to use it. If you decide to learn Reiki, use Reiki to it’s full potential and accept that as discussed below Reiki must be used wisely and carefully because there are contraindications.Fact
Reiki does have contraindications. Part of being a Reiki healer is taking responsibility for your client’s welfare while they are under your treatment and accepting that Reiki does have contraindications in the same way as other therapies.
As a Reiki practitioner you have a responsibility to establish what medication your client is taking and to not treat those people that are on medication, which might affect the outcome of the healing. For example, if you are treating someone who is diabetic and taking insulin if you go ahead and heal their diabetes, making them naturally produce insulin again, they will overdose on insulin when they inject themselves.
You must be aware of everything when you are treating clients, such as doctor’s instructions, medication, the law along with other contraindications of Reiki. A Reiki healer is not just an inert channel a Reiki healer is an active participant in the healing.Fiction
There are some Reiki practitioners and Reiki teachers that specify a fixed time gap between level 1 and level 2 Reiki courses. This time delay is totally unnecessary. Level 1 Reiki teaches you to use Rei healing which is spiritual healing for yourself. It will not allow you to heal physical or emotional problems.
The Reiki teacher needs to explain to the student that Reiki Level 1 is purely spiritual healing and it is Reiki Level 2, which enables healing on a much deeper level. A student of Reiki can become very disillusioned if they are misled to believe that they can walk away after their Level 1 course and heal anything. The Reiki attunement at Level 2 is much more powerful, raises the student’s frequency much higher and brings a greater connection with God or The Universe. It is in most cases preferential to learn the Reiki Level 1 and 2 courses over two days, one following the other. This way the Reiki student leaves with a practitioner’s qualification and the ability to heal themselves and others in the best possible wayFact
The Reiki symbols have a specific frequency allowing you to channel energy at the correct frequency to treat specific conditions. The shape and colour of the symbol you use defines the frequency and amplitude of the energy you use to heal. It has been demonstrated scientifically that various body parts and functions operate at a certain frequency as they work on electromagnetic signals, so it makes sense that when we heal we should use the correct frequency to counteract a condition.
A student of Hayashi explained this very same thing in an article written in 1928 “I have experienced/researched some treatments but Reiki is the best as far as I know. Reiki is the most unique and the most effective, it can really heal any disease………when my hands with activated blood are put on the patient’s body, I think my blood vibration may promote the patient’s blood vibration. Blood current, vibration may become the same” (“A Treatment to Heal Diseases, Hand Healing” by Shouoh Matsui in the magazine “Sunday Mainichi”, Mar. 4, 1928). It is also worth noting that the frequencies of the symbols may clash so they should always be used separately unless guided for a specific healing by intuition.Fiction
There are some Reiki practitioners and Reiki teachers that specify a fixed time gap between level 1 and level 2 Reiki courses. This time delay is totally unnecessary. Level 1 Reiki teaches you to use Rei healing which is spiritual healing for yourself. It will not allow you to heal physical or emotional problems.
The Reiki teacher needs to explain to the student that Reiki Level 1 is purely spiritual healing and it is Reiki Level 2, which enables healing on a much deeper level. A student of Reiki can become very disillusioned if they are misled to believe that they can walk away after their Level 1 course and heal anything. The Reiki attunement at Level 2 is much more powerful, raises the student’s frequency much higher and brings a greater connection with God or The Universe. It is in most cases preferential to learn the Reiki Level 1 and 2 courses over two days, one following the other. This way the Reiki student leaves with a practitioner’s qualification and the ability to heal themselves and others in the best possible wayFact
You can move onto the next level of your Reiki course whenever it is right for you. Everyone has a different higher path and will move along that path at differing speeds. For some people learning Reiki is something very natural to them and they can quickly progress from one level to another for others it will be a much slower progression. It really depends on how enlightened you are, how much self-healing you do and your lifestyle after your Reiki training.
There needs to be a gap between becoming a Reiki Practitioner and teaching Reiki but it does not have to be a year or 6 months or any other given time. It is always the time that is right for you as an individual with a particular path in life.

 

In this short article I want to talk about the best way to approach working on other people, whether giving treatments or carrying out distant healing. I want to talk about our state of mind and our intent when channelling the energy.

The first thing I want to say is that we are just a channel for the energy, not the source of the energy. This seems an obvious thing to say, but we need to remember that we are not healers. We do not heal. We do not have that power. What we do when we treat someone is simply to create a ‘healing space’ that the recipient can use to move more into a state of balance. The recipient is responsible for their own healing, for what they experience or don’t experience; they are responsible for how they react to the treatment. They are healing themselves. We are just necessary bystanders in the process: we do not direct the energy and we do not determine the outcome.

So I am not so happy with the title “Reiki Healer” because it suggests that the Reiki practitioner has the power to heal; they do not. I don’t think that the title “Reiki Necessary Bystander” is going to catch on, so I prefer to use the title “Reiki Practitioner”. It describes what we do: we practise Reiki and it does not imply that we have the power to heal others.

This article is called “Get out of the way” because I believe that this is the best thing we can do when treating someone or when sending distant healing. We are not the source of the healing; we are not the source of the energy, so we do not need to be there, directing and controlling. We can stand aside and if we do so then the energy can flow strongly and clearly, without interference from us.

When we treat someone we are not ‘cheerleading’ for a particular end result: we do not give Reiki to get rid of someone’s head ache, or back ache, or to resolve their Gall Bladder problem, though of course these things may result from channelling Reiki. End results are out of our hands and to focus strongly on a particular purpose for the treatment is not helpful. Reiki will not be controlled by us in terms of end results and attempts to control the energy in this way just puts up barriers that prevent the energy from doing what it needs to do. Rather like the well-meaning amateur who gets in the way and prevents the professional from doing their job properly, our attempts to focus the energy to produce a particular end result will hinder the process for the recipient.

So our intent when treating someone or sending distant healing is that the energy should do whatever is appropriate for the recipient. We are neutral, we are detached, and we do not focus on outcomes. Ideally we should drift into a gentle meditative state when treating or sending distant healing, and this can be best achieved by our ‘disappearing’ into the energy, feeling ourselves merging with or becoming one with the energy. We merge with the energy and we merge with the recipient; we are empty. We do by not doing.

Though some people are taught that it is ok to talk and chat to people, or bystanders, when giving a Reiki treatment, to do such a thing is neither professional nor does it lead to effective treatments. If we are distracted then the energy flows less strongly, so if we want to do the best for our clients then we need to keep quiet, and encourage the client to keep quiet too. You can try an experiment for yourself if you like, to prove to yourself that distraction lessens the strength of your Reiki. You could try this at a Reiki share, for example. Start by resting your hands on someone’s shoulders and allow the energy to flow for a while. Then deliberately start up a conversation with someone sitting near you: take your attention away from the recipient and fully engage in the conversation. Do this for a few minutes. Then bring your attention back to the recipient, be still and quiet, and allow the energy to flow. How has the recipient’s experience of the energy varied?

Now, we do not need to be in a perfect meditative state in order to be an effective channel for Reiki, but it certainly helps to cultivate a still and empty mind. We are all human and it is perfectly normal for unwanted thoughts to appear in our head. But we should pay them no attention. If we pay the unwanted thoughts attention and try to get rid of them we then have two lots of thoughts: the thoughts we did not want and all the new thoughts about the need to get rid of the first lot of thoughts. We have made things worse!

The best approach to unwanted thoughts, then, is to allow them to drift by like clouds: pay them no attention, do not engage with them. They will leave. Some more may come, but pay them no attention either. In time you should find that your busy mind starts to quieten and some of your treatments will become beautiful meditations, with your mind emptying with the energy, and staying empty. Some treatments will not be like this, of course, but we do not need to be perfect. We can cultivate a more meditative state over time, moving in the right direction, and without worrying too much about individual occasions when our untamed brain kept on talking to us. This is a work-in-progress!

So Reiki is simple: you empty your head, you merge with the energy, do you not direct, you do not control, you do not try; you empty yourself and merge with the recipient, standing aside to allow the energy do what it needs to do, without interference from us.