I took my first Reiki classes in 2004. Every Reiki class does and should contain a "practicum" component to it (where the students get to practice doing Reiki on each other). In our very first one, I was to give Reiki to young woman I'd never met who was complaining of back pain. We had her lie on abdomen and as I put my hands on the area of her back where the pain was, I immediately had a vision and received guidance that she had fallen off a step ladder. I had never ever experienced anything like that before and was compelled to ask her, " did you fall off a stepladder?" She immediately twisted around to face me and said "how did you know that, I fell off a step ladder weeks ago and come to think of it that's when the pain started!"
That, my friends is called "Intuition", "Guidance", whatever you want to call it! After that I began to have more and more of these of experiences: seeing or knowing an Angel or Angels were around, seeing someone in spirit in my home, receiving information about my clients health issues.
Since then I've come to almost expect all of these things and more to happen when I channel Reiki for someone and so do many others including many of Reiki students and Reiki friends.
Reiki enhances any gifts you have brought in with you this lifetime be it musical, mathematical, writing, gardening, good with children, cooking, IT skills, etc. It works like this: the more levels you go up in Reiki (Reiki training is usually done in several increments or Levels - I, II and III or as in my lineages: I, II and IIIa and IIIb), the more styles of Reiki you are trained in, and the more Reiki you do on yourself and others, the more they are enhanced and continue to be enhanced.
For more information on Reiki and intuition, I highly recommend Amy Z. Rowland's book " INTUITIVE REIKI FOR OUR TIMES". I cried my eyes out when I read this book because it validated everything I had been experiencing and feeling about Reiki for years but was being told that I was playing with fire when I allowed these things to happen (like I had a choice) and knew that to be just bunk!
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
More Myths About Reiki
Just like everything else, there are a lot of myths surrounding Reiki or do's and don'ts. You can't do Reiki on someone with Diabetes, has a Pacemaker, is schizophrenic or has seizure disorder. Well I've worked on 'em all, no problem! But just the other day I heard about a new one - the 21 day self-treating rule.
The attunement (sacred ceremony that a certified Reiki Master Teacher performs on you that connects you to the Reiki energy so that you can channel it for yourself), elicits a 21 day cleanse or detox in the body. This cleanse clears out any old negative, stuck energy in your energy field or body for the purpose of making you a clearer channel for the energy, in essence.
We instruct all of our students to began performing daily whole body self-treatments with their now "Reiki hands" as soon as they become Reiki. Some teachers are telling their students that you only have to do this during the 21 day cleanse/detox, hence the confusion possible. NOT SO! A Reiki practitioner is expected to perform this daily ritual for themselves EVERY SINGLE DAY for ever, especially if they are doing a lot of Reiki on others or sending a lot of Distant Reiki Healing to others, or going through a particularly rough cleanse (that's pretty rare).
I think this myth about only doing a daily self-treatment for the 21 days you are going through your cleanse has more to do with our crazy western lifestyle (on the go all the time, little time for self) so when you tell someone they have to perform this ritual on themselves (a one hour or more process) every day they freak out. So maybe some teachers thought they might be able to convince more of their students of the necessity of doing it if they shortened it. (Just a thought - I know lot of my students do!). Others think it got confused with the 21 day cleanse/detox.
Doing a daily Reiki self-treatment removes negative energy from your energy field and recharges your body, as well as opens, clears and balances your chakras and much more. So you can see it is very beneficial and of course, if you are having some kind of issue other than just your daily stuff (a cold, flu, allergies, injuries, surgeries, major stress,etc.) it will help you recover faster and maybe get sick less often.
The problem with Reiki and myths is twofold. We bombed the holy H word out of Japan in WW II and a lot of records were destroyed that possible could have given us a better picture about it's origins and history and it's founder Dr. Mikao Usui. The memorial society that some say was formed after Dr. Usui's passing (the Usui Reiki Royho Gakkai), is a very secret and secretive society. Reiki had to go underground after the war as the United States forbid anyone in Japan from practicing it. The Gakkai is still in existence today and they teach and do Reiki exactly as Dr. Usui instructed them to over 100 years ago. It is a closed society and not really interested in sharing it's secrets with us. Can't say as I blame them.
We have made contact with one of it's President's and one of it's members defected in a sense and has shared information with us, and more and more information is being uncovered about Reiki, thanks to the efforts of people like Reiki Master Teacher and author of many books on Reiki "Frank Arjava Petter, and many others.
It is very unlikely that we will ever know the complete history of Reiki and all there is to know about it and it's founder, so we just have to trust that it works and not get too hung up in the whys and wherefores, and try to clear these myths as they come up.
The attunement (sacred ceremony that a certified Reiki Master Teacher performs on you that connects you to the Reiki energy so that you can channel it for yourself), elicits a 21 day cleanse or detox in the body. This cleanse clears out any old negative, stuck energy in your energy field or body for the purpose of making you a clearer channel for the energy, in essence.
We instruct all of our students to began performing daily whole body self-treatments with their now "Reiki hands" as soon as they become Reiki. Some teachers are telling their students that you only have to do this during the 21 day cleanse/detox, hence the confusion possible. NOT SO! A Reiki practitioner is expected to perform this daily ritual for themselves EVERY SINGLE DAY for ever, especially if they are doing a lot of Reiki on others or sending a lot of Distant Reiki Healing to others, or going through a particularly rough cleanse (that's pretty rare).
I think this myth about only doing a daily self-treatment for the 21 days you are going through your cleanse has more to do with our crazy western lifestyle (on the go all the time, little time for self) so when you tell someone they have to perform this ritual on themselves (a one hour or more process) every day they freak out. So maybe some teachers thought they might be able to convince more of their students of the necessity of doing it if they shortened it. (Just a thought - I know lot of my students do!). Others think it got confused with the 21 day cleanse/detox.
Doing a daily Reiki self-treatment removes negative energy from your energy field and recharges your body, as well as opens, clears and balances your chakras and much more. So you can see it is very beneficial and of course, if you are having some kind of issue other than just your daily stuff (a cold, flu, allergies, injuries, surgeries, major stress,etc.) it will help you recover faster and maybe get sick less often.
The problem with Reiki and myths is twofold. We bombed the holy H word out of Japan in WW II and a lot of records were destroyed that possible could have given us a better picture about it's origins and history and it's founder Dr. Mikao Usui. The memorial society that some say was formed after Dr. Usui's passing (the Usui Reiki Royho Gakkai), is a very secret and secretive society. Reiki had to go underground after the war as the United States forbid anyone in Japan from practicing it. The Gakkai is still in existence today and they teach and do Reiki exactly as Dr. Usui instructed them to over 100 years ago. It is a closed society and not really interested in sharing it's secrets with us. Can't say as I blame them.
We have made contact with one of it's President's and one of it's members defected in a sense and has shared information with us, and more and more information is being uncovered about Reiki, thanks to the efforts of people like Reiki Master Teacher and author of many books on Reiki "Frank Arjava Petter, and many others.
It is very unlikely that we will ever know the complete history of Reiki and all there is to know about it and it's founder, so we just have to trust that it works and not get too hung up in the whys and wherefores, and try to clear these myths as they come up.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Do You Really Need To Ask Permission?
A hotly debated question in the world of Reiki Practitioners is whether or not one needs to" "ask permission" before sending Distant Reiki Healing. Many feel we need to ask permission of the persons "higher self" or soul/spirit, but others object to this saying that there is an "unfairness" about it or it is unethical. That we are somehow bypassing their free will by going straight to their higher being. I'm on the fence about this, so I just say at some point during the process, "with their permission."
There are those who feel that before you perform an "in person" Reiki session on someone you need to verbally ask their permission also. If you perform Reiki sessions on the public and charge a fee for it, it is standard operating procedure to require your client to fill out a "permission to treat" or a release form. I personally feel that if they read and signed it, I have their permission, making it a moot point.
If you are sending someone Distant Reiki (also called Absentia Healing or Long Distance Reiki) and they did not ask for the energy to be sent to them (the request came in from a family member or friend), then yes, you need to energetically ask their permission. When sending the Reiki energy to someone under these circumstances, after you have gone through whatever procedures you were taught to use when sending Reiki and have stated their name, location and why you are sending Reiki to them, you can simply add that you are sending it with their permission and for their highest and greatest good.
My feeling about the debate is that Reiki, being spiritual energy and coming from the Divine (whatever the Divine means to you) asking permission from their higher self, spirit/soul whatever you want to call it, makes perfect sense. But as not everyone is in agreement on this issue either, best to just do what you personally feel is right.
Monday, April 20, 2015
More On Crystals and Reiki
In my last post, I talked briefly about the synergy between crystals and Reiki when combined. As it happens,since then I've read a book entitled " REIKI WITH GEMSTONES' by Ursula Klinger Omenka. I have a Reiki Facebook group and it is the latest book we are reading in our "Reiki Book Club".
I found out many things about the world of Reiki and crystals/stones I didn't know before, which is quite remarkable considering that I am certified as a Crystal Healer by two different teachers and have taken innumerable crystal healing courses.
One of them was "less is more" meaning it isn't desirable nor a good idea to load a body up with crystals/stoens (moderation!) when combining them with Reiki, (or probably when just doing Crystal Healing period), as this could elicit an "overactivation" causing the recipient to "close up" or even to experience a reaction such as tiredness or exhaustion.
Also it's a good idea to have both the recipient of the session and the practitioner remove any and all jewelry as any type of jewelry emanates and can have an impact on the session. This includes watches, but especially any jewelry that has any kind of crystal or stone in it.
One of my favorite quotes from Ursula's book is "The stones are activated in their light vibrations through the concentrated light energy and the love from the divine, universal source that radiates on it's own from our Reiki hands. In this way, the emanations of the gemstones are not only cleansed but also brought into the powerfully healing, harmonizing vibrations that correspond to the energy flow of Reiki. It is only when they are touched with light and love that concealed, subtle powers of light are highlighted in the gemstones. Reiki hands do this on their own in a completely simple and natural way". (page 38).
I found out many things about the world of Reiki and crystals/stones I didn't know before, which is quite remarkable considering that I am certified as a Crystal Healer by two different teachers and have taken innumerable crystal healing courses.
One of them was "less is more" meaning it isn't desirable nor a good idea to load a body up with crystals/stoens (moderation!) when combining them with Reiki, (or probably when just doing Crystal Healing period), as this could elicit an "overactivation" causing the recipient to "close up" or even to experience a reaction such as tiredness or exhaustion.
Also it's a good idea to have both the recipient of the session and the practitioner remove any and all jewelry as any type of jewelry emanates and can have an impact on the session. This includes watches, but especially any jewelry that has any kind of crystal or stone in it.
One of my favorite quotes from Ursula's book is "The stones are activated in their light vibrations through the concentrated light energy and the love from the divine, universal source that radiates on it's own from our Reiki hands. In this way, the emanations of the gemstones are not only cleansed but also brought into the powerfully healing, harmonizing vibrations that correspond to the energy flow of Reiki. It is only when they are touched with light and love that concealed, subtle powers of light are highlighted in the gemstones. Reiki hands do this on their own in a completely simple and natural way". (page 38).
According to Ms. Klinger Omenka, long after the treatment and subsequent cleansing of the stones/crystals, they continue to radiate the Reiki energy out into the room where they were used, or if the practitioner is guided to do so, given to the recipient to take home to continue the healing process. So it is a good idea to leave the stones you used during a treatment in the room because they are imparting a beneficial, pure and lovely atmosphere there.
Just as you can gift the recipient with a crystal/s as described above, you can also do the same for yourself. So if you laid a particular crystal/stone/s on yourself during a Reiki self-treating session, just tuck it into your pocket for the day (or longer afterwards), or pop it into one of those little silver cages and wear it around your neck (close to your heart center is best I am told).
Placing crystals/stones on the energy centers (chakras) the light powers of the stones will be intensely activated and the recipient will take in their energy more thoroughly during the Reiki session.
So as you can see there is A LOT more about working with crystals/stones while doing Reiki then meets the eye
Just as you can gift the recipient with a crystal/s as described above, you can also do the same for yourself. So if you laid a particular crystal/stone/s on yourself during a Reiki self-treating session, just tuck it into your pocket for the day (or longer afterwards), or pop it into one of those little silver cages and wear it around your neck (close to your heart center is best I am told).
Placing crystals/stones on the energy centers (chakras) the light powers of the stones will be intensely activated and the recipient will take in their energy more thoroughly during the Reiki session.
So as you can see there is A LOT more about working with crystals/stones while doing Reiki then meets the eye
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Tuesday, April 7, 2015
REIKI AND CRYSTALS & STONES - A POWERFUL COMBINATION!
Many Reiki practitioners use crystals and stones in their Reiki practice, either for their own use or healing (placing them under their tables or setting up crystal grids under them, or just laying around in the office, or on their person), or for their clients healing as in Crystal Chakra Balancing. However, incorporating crystals and stones into Reiki is not a part of Reiki. Dr. Usui, Dr. Hayashi and Mrs. Takata (to my knowledge) did not do this. It is a "New Age" thing and what I like to call and "add on" to Reiki.
Whether it came about as practitioners of Crystal Healing or other alternative healing modalities that used crystals in their practices already began experimenting with the combination or some other way/s, I don't know for sure but suspect that is how it happened. Those already experienced in Crystal Healing probably just added it in to their Reiki practice and found that it worked and it worked very well.
If you consider that most crystals and possible most stones contain some amount of water and that water is an excellent conductor of energy, then it's a "no brainer. " Apparently it's common for quartz crystals to contain varying quantities of water that (becomes) trapped within the crystalline structure, most commonly as water vapor which gives quartz its misty hue, or in other cases as in Enhydro, an actual pocket of water is encased within the crystal. In the case of the Enhydro formation, sometimes a small amount of air also ends up in the same space occupied by the water and as a result you have these wonderful specimens of quartz with bubbles inside them" (says one very adapt crystal lover).
Using Crystals/Stones with Reiki is quite the rage, well in my area at least it is. There is even a book out titled "Reiki with Gemstones" by Ursula Klinter-Omenka Many Reiki Practitioners become Crystal Healers (like myself) so that they can speak intelligently about them and have a good working knowledge about which ones do what and what to do with them. The world of crystals and stones is just a big as the world of Reiki - so much to know and so little time.
I tell my clients and students that the Reiki energy is enhancing what the crystals are doing when we place them on our clients bodies or our own , and the crystals/stones are enhancing what the Reiki energy is doing during a session. Most definitely a very powerful combination!
We typically see crystals/stones placed on the body during Reiki in several ways: l) Being placed on each of the seven chakras in the corresponding colors of the chakras for the purpose of bringing the chakras into balance. 2 ) We may receive guidance from "our team" (the Reiki Spirit Guides, Angels, and other Divine beings who are working with us at any given moment when we channel Reiki) to place a certain crystal or stone here or there on our clients body, or that they need to be working with a particular crystal/stone for their healing, either wearing it or carrying it on their person, or other ways (making gem elixirs, etc.).
In the more advanced levels of Reiki training, I teach my students how to set up a particular kind of crystal grid for sending Distant Reiki Healing and how to set up individual crystals that have been cleared, programmed and charged with Reiki to send out distant healing, empower affirmations and more.
Whether it came about as practitioners of Crystal Healing or other alternative healing modalities that used crystals in their practices already began experimenting with the combination or some other way/s, I don't know for sure but suspect that is how it happened. Those already experienced in Crystal Healing probably just added it in to their Reiki practice and found that it worked and it worked very well.
If you consider that most crystals and possible most stones contain some amount of water and that water is an excellent conductor of energy, then it's a "no brainer. " Apparently it's common for quartz crystals to contain varying quantities of water that (becomes) trapped within the crystalline structure, most commonly as water vapor which gives quartz its misty hue, or in other cases as in Enhydro, an actual pocket of water is encased within the crystal. In the case of the Enhydro formation, sometimes a small amount of air also ends up in the same space occupied by the water and as a result you have these wonderful specimens of quartz with bubbles inside them" (says one very adapt crystal lover).
Using Crystals/Stones with Reiki is quite the rage, well in my area at least it is. There is even a book out titled "Reiki with Gemstones" by Ursula Klinter-Omenka Many Reiki Practitioners become Crystal Healers (like myself) so that they can speak intelligently about them and have a good working knowledge about which ones do what and what to do with them. The world of crystals and stones is just a big as the world of Reiki - so much to know and so little time.
I tell my clients and students that the Reiki energy is enhancing what the crystals are doing when we place them on our clients bodies or our own , and the crystals/stones are enhancing what the Reiki energy is doing during a session. Most definitely a very powerful combination!
We typically see crystals/stones placed on the body during Reiki in several ways: l) Being placed on each of the seven chakras in the corresponding colors of the chakras for the purpose of bringing the chakras into balance. 2 ) We may receive guidance from "our team" (the Reiki Spirit Guides, Angels, and other Divine beings who are working with us at any given moment when we channel Reiki) to place a certain crystal or stone here or there on our clients body, or that they need to be working with a particular crystal/stone for their healing, either wearing it or carrying it on their person, or other ways (making gem elixirs, etc.).
In the more advanced levels of Reiki training, I teach my students how to set up a particular kind of crystal grid for sending Distant Reiki Healing and how to set up individual crystals that have been cleared, programmed and charged with Reiki to send out distant healing, empower affirmations and more.
Monday, March 23, 2015
THE NEED TO BE RE-ATTUNED AND RE-TAKE SOME CLASSES WHEN YOU WORK WITH A NEW TEACHER
Many people ask to be trained in the higher levels of Reiki who have been initially trained by someone else and are are surprised to hear that they need to be re-attuned and retake any previous training before that can happen. One of the main reasons is that in my lineage (the way I trace my connection back to the creator of Reiki Dr. Mikao Usui through my teachers) in both of my lineages (I took Reiki from two different teachers) we give 5 Reiki symbols at Level II, 2 more at Level IIIa (Master Practitioner), and 1 more at Level IIIb (Master Teacher.
A lot of the students from other other teachers wanting to move up a level or two in training but were initially only given 3 Reiki symbols at Level II and 1 at the Master Level (some not offering the separate Reiki Master Levels like we do). Because we give and use these other symbols we attune people differently using these symbols thus creating the need for the re-attuned in order for them to train under me or anyone else in my lineage.
Another reason one would need to re-take the training (audit the classes they've already taken and be re-attuned) is because each teacher does things just a little bit differently according to who taught them and how. I've also had many students tell me their teachers only gave them a few poorly xeroxed copies of pages out of a book as a manual and no diagrams of hand positions for either self-treating, treating others, or proper explanations of how to send distant Reiki. I've also recently heard of a teacher who does not even give certificates for each level of training, something that would be a definite deal breaker for me. You should be given a certificate of completion of training for each level of Reiki you take.
These kinds of teaching practices tarnish the reputation of Reiki and it's practitioners. Teachers like this are only in it for a fast buck and have been either poorly trained or not trained at all possibly just read a few books and poked around a bit on the internet, therefore we have no way of knowing if the student was even properly attuned.
It is very important to find an accredited and experienced teacher to train with. Word of mouth is probably your best source of finding one, but there are many ways you can tell if the person you are thinking of taking your training with is really accredited, trustworthy, and knows what they're doing. I'll be talking about that in my next post!
It is very important to find an accredited and experienced teacher to train with. Word of mouth is probably your best source of finding one, but there are many ways you can tell if the person you are thinking of taking your training with is really accredited, trustworthy, and knows what they're doing. I'll be talking about that in my next post!
Monday, March 9, 2015
Why Reiki Doesn't Work Sometimes
There are several reasons why Reiki doesn't work sometimes - yes, there are times when the magic just doesn't happen.
l) The expectations of the client are just too high.
A practitioner should never claim that Reiki can make miracles. If a client comes to you thinking they will be instantly cured of what ails them and they aren't here's why. Reiki doesn't work that way. Multiple applications are required, probably some life style changes or emotional and attitude changes need to be met like stop smoking, drinking, leave job or relationship that is not working for you anymore, etc. Other healing modalities may need to be happening simultaneously like massage, Acupuncture, Herbs, Psychotherapy, Medication, Chiropractic, etc.
2) The client is closed off, unreceptive, super skeptical.
I've seen this happen many times, people will come to you for treatment claiming they want to get well, to heal, to feel good, but when they get on the table, there is just not much going on. They are literally blocking the energy. They don't trust the practitioner, they don't trust Reiki and they don't really want to make the changes necessary to heal their life and circumstances.
l) The expectations of the client are just too high.
A practitioner should never claim that Reiki can make miracles. If a client comes to you thinking they will be instantly cured of what ails them and they aren't here's why. Reiki doesn't work that way. Multiple applications are required, probably some life style changes or emotional and attitude changes need to be met like stop smoking, drinking, leave job or relationship that is not working for you anymore, etc. Other healing modalities may need to be happening simultaneously like massage, Acupuncture, Herbs, Psychotherapy, Medication, Chiropractic, etc.
2) The client is closed off, unreceptive, super skeptical.
I've seen this happen many times, people will come to you for treatment claiming they want to get well, to heal, to feel good, but when they get on the table, there is just not much going on. They are literally blocking the energy. They don't trust the practitioner, they don't trust Reiki and they don't really want to make the changes necessary to heal their life and circumstances.
3) Not doing or having adequate practice:
Just like everything else, practice makes perfect. If you are new to Reiki, don't do self-treating on yourself daily, and work on very few Reiki others, then the Reiki you channel will reflect that the more Reiki you do on yourself or others and the more levels of training you go up in Reiki, the more energy you will feel coming out of yours hands because you will be a purer channel for the energy. This is one of the main reasons why I am very against a Level One or Level Two practitioner doing Reiki on the public and charging for it. They are not channeling the full flow of the Reiki energy that their system can handle (you only do that at the Master Level) and lack experience.
4) Too attached to the outcome:
Have you ever heard the phrase - it's about the journey, not the destination"? Healing brings many revelations and lessons with it, it's said thta your greatest pain/challenge is your greatest fuel for reinvention. When you want a specific outcome and you don't get it, then you're disappointed. Garth Brooks wrote the song "Thank God for Unanswered Prayers." The outcome you think you want may not be in your best interests and the lessons from whatever you have going on in your life will not be learned. Life is all about learning lessons for your soul growth, the evolution of your soul.
Just like everything else, practice makes perfect. If you are new to Reiki, don't do self-treating on yourself daily, and work on very few Reiki others, then the Reiki you channel will reflect that the more Reiki you do on yourself or others and the more levels of training you go up in Reiki, the more energy you will feel coming out of yours hands because you will be a purer channel for the energy. This is one of the main reasons why I am very against a Level One or Level Two practitioner doing Reiki on the public and charging for it. They are not channeling the full flow of the Reiki energy that their system can handle (you only do that at the Master Level) and lack experience.
4) Too attached to the outcome:
Have you ever heard the phrase - it's about the journey, not the destination"? Healing brings many revelations and lessons with it, it's said thta your greatest pain/challenge is your greatest fuel for reinvention. When you want a specific outcome and you don't get it, then you're disappointed. Garth Brooks wrote the song "Thank God for Unanswered Prayers." The outcome you think you want may not be in your best interests and the lessons from whatever you have going on in your life will not be learned. Life is all about learning lessons for your soul growth, the evolution of your soul.
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