Reiki is a powerful system of healing that
utilizes specific techniques for restoring and balancing the natural life force energy
within the body. It is a holistic, natural, hands-on energy healing system that touches
individuals on all levels: body, mind, and spirit.
The "Usui System" of Reiki Balances and strengthens the
body's energy promoting its ability to heal itself. Besides the obvious use in serious
illness, Reiki promotes the natural healing process in many other areas. These include
sports injuries, cuts, burns, internal disease, emotional disorders, and stress-related
illness.
Beyond the physical effects, Reiki also awakens the various vortices of
the subtle bodies known as chakras, opening the individual to higher potentials. For this
reason it is also used to aid spiritual growth.
Reiki began in Tibet over two thousand years ago. In ancient times
seers in the Orient studied energies and developed a system of 'attunements', sounds, and
symbols which allowed them to bring great amounts of universal healing energies through
them for healing.
Various healing systems, including Reiki, which crossed many different
cultures, emerged from this single root system. As with many of the spiritual practices,
and teachings of Tibet, these healing systems were a blend of both ancient oriental
knowledge, as well as the teachings and wisdom of the yogic schools of ancient India.
For centuries this body of healing knowledge was safely guarded by
monks and lamas of eastern temples, and secret esoteric schools. It was not until Master
Usui began his life long quest to discover and bring this form of healing to the world
that Reiki re-emerged as a healing art.
Reiki is taught today, as it was in ancient times through a series of
attunements, or transmissions, which can only be given to a student through a Reiki
master. Through this process, the student's energy centers, and channels are opened, and
he is taught how to bring through life force energy, to heal himself, as well as others.
Reiki Session
Reiki, as a pure form of divine life energy, flows through the entire
being. Reiki Practitioners act as facilitators for this energy, which naturally flows to
where it is most needed. For this reason, each individual's experiences of a Reiki Session
are. In general, however, most people find the following on the Physical, Emotional, and
Spiritual Levels....
On the Physical Level, Reiki balances and replentishes
the life energies of the physical body, aiding the process of healing. Reiki not only
deals with the physical illness, however, but also the state of the soul. As every
physical illness, or life condition, in some way, relates to a condition within
consciousness, as well as the physical body, and reiki session often work to bring about a
transformation in both.
On the Emotional Level, Reiki brings the higher self
into connection with the personality, releasing emotional blockages, and bringing peace
and harmony. Often deeply held emotional hurts, which color perceptions of reality are
released during or after a Reiki Session, bringing the individual back to a more balanced
emotional expression of self.
On the Spiritual Level, Reiki opens us up to the
expression of our higher self, allowing us to discover all we can be, and the deeper
meaning of life. As reiki opens the various chakras, it also opens us to a deeper
awareness of self, and often works as a catalyst for spiritual growth. Most people find
that there is a marked improvement in there intuitive abilities after several sessions.
Those who undergo reiki attunements also find that it works to awaken the various psychic
abilities and spiritual virtues that are associated with the awakening of the various
chakras.
How Often Should You have a Reiki Session?
During a Reiki Session you and the reiki practitioner are establishing
or reestablishing the energy flow in very specific ways. You will tend to take a while to
integrate the pattern and the energy, and will go through a period of adjustment.
The Energy Flow may hold for a while, and if the necessary adjustments
are not made in your life, you may manifest the same, or similar patterns. Although this
is at times frustrating, it often happens that you will need to reestablishing this flow
many times. Each time finding it usually holds longer, and it integrated faster and
easier, until it finally sticks.
In most cases, the balancing will hold for about three or for days at
first, and then the energy system and chakras will return to the habitual pattern, unless
it is re-enforced.
The Healing Process
If you are ready and eager to grow you will excel much more quickly
than someone who resists change, or is more comfortable staying where they are then
undergoing some of the transformations brought about through reiki.
Reiki never compels change, it simply facilitates it. The choice to use
the reiki energy is up to the individual choosing to have a reiki session.
Often, once you have undergone a reiki treatment, you will find issues
relating to your specific physical, emotional, and/or spiritual condition will surface in
your life, where you can begin to work on them.
This does not mean that your life will necessarily become more complex,
and this process does not need to be difficult. As reiki works with your own inner wisdom,
only those issues which you are ready to work on will surface during a session.
What Kind of Issues can come up during
or after a Reiki Session?
We tend to create energy fields that respond to the world in the way
that we perceive it, and develop different patterns to help us deal with it. Often you may
block a certain chakra because we are afraid or not ready to interact with the world in a
certain area of our life.
These blockages may be the result of anything from a current situation,
such as a difficult relationship, to childhood issues, or even issues you have carried
over from a subsequent lifetime. In extreme cases, it can even manifest as physical
illness.
We tend to hold on to these old energy patterns, that even though may
have been appropriate during certain periods of our lives, but now no-longer serve our
present situation.
During a Reiki Session, those issues which we most need to work will
often emerge as the session gently opens the various centers of your chakras and energy
field. Once a session is over, most people feel refreshed, balanced, and experience a
sense of well-being.
After entering the "real world", this pattern if often
challenge with various life circumstances. If the challenge is meet here, (in the real
world), the new energy pattern will hold, as will the individuals experience of the world
around them.
To help re-enforce specific energy patterns, may reiki practitioners
will give their client a number of affirmations, or meditations that will encourage the
new patterns. A dedicated reiki practitioner may also set aside a certain time each day to
send some clients 'remotes', a reiki technique whereby healing may be effected or
re-enforced even if the client is not present.
Sho Dan, or First Degree Reiki
The first degree focuses primarily on opening the channels of the
subtle and physical bodies so it can channel greater amounts of life force energy.
This is the basic level of Reiki Training. It includes four energy
activations, as well as complete training in methods of applying life forces energy to the
entire physical emotional mental spiritual dimensions of being.
Oku Dan, or Second Degree Reiki
The second degree focuses on the astral and etheric levels of being,
and special techniques for treating deeply rooted emotional and mental blocks.
The Level II attunement concentrates on open up our abilities to work
with astral and spiritual levels.
How Reiki Works
Reiki is an energy system. It uses energy from the Universal Life Force to
effect healing within the mind, emotions and bodies of patients. It can be used to heal
the self as well as other people. As mentioned earlier, Reiki is totally safe and will
never do any harm. It has built in safeguards to prevent this from happening.
During a treatment, the practitioner acts as a conduit for the Reiki energy, much the same
way a hose carries water. There are several benefits to this method compared to
traditional Western psychic healing methods, which use the personal energy of the healer.
The first is that you don't wear yourself out doing a healing. This can be a problem,
especially when the condition being treated is a serious one. Secondly there is not a
problem of picking up illneses from your patient as you work on them, as can happen using
your own energy. One big advantage of Reiki, is that as you give a treatment, you are also
receiving a treatment at the same time
Another side benefit is an increase in psychic awareness, as a result of the attunement
process. This can be helpful in diagnosing patients.
In doing a treatment, the Reiki energy is activated and is allowed to pass into the
patient. Various hand placements have been developed to facillitate this process. With
Reiki I, the practitioner simply places their hands on the patient with the intent to
heal, and the energy begins to flow from the palms. With Reiki II and III, symbols are
invoked that turn on the energy. Symbols are also used to fine tune and direct the healing
procedure. I have been experimenting using other symbols such as the Norse Runes. I feel
Runes can be a big benefit to one's Reiki practice.
Attunement Process
One cannot simply sit down and learn how to do Reiki. It is not a skill
like math that can be learned from a book. It is more like a talent that is bequeathed to
others. This is what the attunement process is for. Simply speaking, the Reiki attunement
gives people the ability to do Reiki. It does this by opening up the upper chakras and
prepares you to channel Reiki energy. This is also where the heightening of psychic
abilities comes from, as a side effect of the attunement process.
Each of the three Reiki attunement levels offers something different. Reiki I attunements
gives you 25% access to the Reiki energy. Reiki II attunements gives you the full Reiki
energy access as well as the ability to work with the Reiki symbols. The Master level
attunement adds an energy boost and allows you to give Reiki attunements.
There are many schools and individuals offering Reiki and the fees for these attunements
can vary wildly. Traditional teachers will charge the most, at least for the Master's
level. Others charge much less. But overall, I have to agree with the idea of charging
something for the attunements. Our society places value on things we pay for, and takes
advantage of things that are free. There are many people who recieve attunements for free
and then neglect this gift, ignoring it completely. But this does not mean that the prices
for attunements needs to be so high. I feel that everyone should be able to gain Reiki, if
they desire it. I have this dream that as a species we evolve as healers, where one day
everyone practices Reiki, much like how people have driver's licenses today. And that when
we eventually meet species from other worlds we will be known as a race of healers.
Reiki is a Japanese word that means Universal Life Force Energy. It is a
healing method that works by having the practitioner channel Reiki energy into the
patient. The Reiki energy does all the real work since none of the energy comes from the
practitioner directly. Reiki is a wonderful healing method and will never do any harm. It
has many built in safe guards to keep the patient as well as the practitioner safe. It has
many advantages over other energetic healing techniques. There is no risk of being drained
of energy, or picking up the illness of your patient with Reiki. Plus at second level
Reiki can very easily be used over distances.
Reiki is not something that is really taught. It is given to others through a special
attunement process. Without an attunement, you cannot do Reiki. There are three levels of
Reiki. The first level gives you a basic access to the Reiki energy. The second level
gives you full access to the energy, plus enables you to use Reiki symbols, that include
distance healing. The third level allows you to give Reiki attunements.
The Reiki energy will give what is best for the patient during the treatment. Thus
guarantees cannot be made as to the results of any individual treatment. I have seen near
miraculous healings after only one treatment, and I have seen milder ailments gradually
disappear over many treatments. What can be certain is that the patient will feel more
relaxed and peaceful after a treatment.
Symbols
The Reiki symbols play a very big part in Reiki. So much so that the
symbols are kept secret until the student goes through the required attunement. Of course,
Diane Stein, in an effort of making Reiki accessible to all, published them all in her
book, Essential Reiki.This has caused quite a stir among Reiki practitioners and
the feedback has ranged from joy to condemnation.
Traditionally, the symbols were only shown to the students when they received their
attunements, where they would practice making the symbols. The symbols are viewed as
sacred and that they would lose something vital if they were to be made public and
commonplace. However the students would never see the symbols again and they had to
destroy their notes to keep the symbols out of the hands of the profane. The problem with
this is that the students were not learning the symbols properly and over time the symbols
would get distorted. If the symbols are published you have easy access to them whenever
you need, thus assuring uniformity in how the symbols are formed.
Reiki symbols can be drawn out with the hand, visualized being drawn, or seen in the mind
fully formed. The name of the symbol is repeated (either mentally or verbally) three
times. This activates the symbol. Reiki II and III energy is started by the activation
symbol. Without this activation symbol you are only working with Reiki I energy. The
symbols are used to fine tune and help direct the healing. One exception is the distance
symbol. By using this the practitioner can transcend time and space to do distance
healings.
New symbols have been discovered, usually during the course of an attunement. These new
symbols should be incorporated into the Reiki practice as they perhaps represent missing
symbols that have been lost.
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