Scanning the Body Before a Reiki Session

Scanning the aura or energy field before a Reiki session was actually a very big part of the original system as created by Usui.  Neither of my teachers taught us this.  It appears to have become lost in the Western way of doing things.  Intuitively letting your hands guide you to work on areas of need was much more the norm in Japan, not just going through a system of rote hand positions, although doing so will cover whatever areas are in the most  need and will bring about a very real sense of balance to the client, but will take longer and waste a lot of time.  Time better spent on concentrating on the areas of most need.  

To start with, you'll need to learn a few simple techniques to sensitize  and open your palm chakras.  One method is using a T'ai Chi and Qigong technique called "pulling taffy".  Bring your hands up in front of you, palms facing each other about 3-4" apart and begin bringing the palms closer (but never touching) and then away (about 4-5") going out too far does something called "drops the ball" in T'ai chi/Qigong.  Do this for a couple of minutes until you clearly feel energy between your hands, similar to what it feels like when you have two magnets and you push them together or pull them apart.

Another method is to take your right thumb and push it into your left palm and turn it clockwise with gentle force several times.  This opens up the minor palm chakra.  Repeat on right hand using the left thumb. The last method is to put a drop of lavender oil into the palm of each hand - again this opens the palm chakras.  After doing this, you can starting scanning or do the "pulling taffy" technique for a minute or two until you feel the sensations as I described above.  Now you are ready to scan.

I personally like to use this method - I am right handed, I bring my hand into a this position - palm facing out to the left vertically over the body at the feet. My left hand is palm up  to my left side and out just a little ways from my body.  Then you begin running your right hand through the person's energy field starting about a foot away from the soles of their feet.  Only scan up the top most part of the thigh first on each leg.  You are looking for feelings of heat, tingling, or resistance. 

Areas of resistance can be explained ascongestion in the energy field - grey, brown or black smoke (this is what a clairvoyant would see).  Congestion in the energy field is indicative of pain, blockage or dis-ease in the area.  When I encounter resistance in the energy field of my client when scanning, I ask them "what is going on here , is there pain here, did you hurt yourself here or does anything else come to mind that could be going on in this area."  Nine times out of ten, they tell me about an old energy, pain in the area or possible having had surgery of some kind there, or just a feeling of being blocked there. After you have scanned both legs, begin scanning the torso, starting at the root/base chakra, and move up past the crown to about a foot away from the top of the head.  Make note of any areas of resistance, checking in with your client about each one (sometimes I receive information about what stuck, negative emotion is in that area).  Then begin the session, focusing on these areas first.  Treat the area and then re-scan.  If after you've treated the area with Reiki for several minutes, you re-scan and still find the resistance, continue to treat and repeat the scanning, until you no longer feel the resistance. If, after you've treated all the areas you found congestion in, you still have some time left in the session, focus on the remaining chakras and all the hand positions for the head.