a little lesson on REIKI

Seven years ago, I was asked if I would be interested in learning Reiki. My friend's teacher, a Reiki Master, was coming into town from Hawaii for three days and would take a handful of students. I jumped at the chance, thankfully, and in one evening and two days, received the Usui history through the oral tradition, trained in the proper hand placements and obtained my first degree attunements, which include permanent symbols placed in the auric field. My instructions were to use it on myself every night, extending to friends and family if I felt so moved, and waiting until the end of a year before even considering the 2nd degree attunements. I used it on myself diligently. Five years later, I decided to get my 2nd degree attunements, which would not only expand my ability as a conduit of the Reiki energy, but also enable me to perform distance healing.

At this moment, no doubt, some of you may be asking what is Reiki, and so I will explain: Reiki is an ancient healing art which involves the laying on of hands. It was really "discovered" and brought to the people by Dr. Mikao Usui around 1914, following many years of spiritual study, meditation and solitude, seeking an alternative method of healing that he knew the body was capable of. Dr. Usui was endowed with this "energy" during a mystical experience. With the understanding that all of us are capable of being conduits of Reiki, he began attuning others with the symbols he received, and spreading his knowledge through teaching. Despite his Buddhist training, Dr. Usui insisted this energy was not to be compared with any religion or spiritual path, as it is absolutely original in nature. Nor does the "healer" use the Reiki. Rather, Reiki uses the "healer" as a conduit.

Reiki involves a method of placing the hands over the chakras, or the energy centers of the body. There are 7 main chakras in direct proximity to the physical torso, neck and head, as well as others throughout the body and in the aura (extending electromagnetic field). These 7 main centers correspond to the colors of the rainbow, prism or color spectrum and are constantly spinning and drawing energy. Each also corresponds to the organs of the physical body. When they are no longer spinning, there is no life. As we age, the revolutions tend to slow down to a great extent. When they stop, the body dies.

Throughout our lives, these energy centers can become clogged, blocked, leak energy and/or become sluggish to the point of shutting down due to various levels of mental and emotional trauma, which translate to the physical body as illness. Each chakra corresponds to the body on specific physical, mental and emotional levels. Therefore, depending upon the chakra that is involved, which is likely more than one if not all, the ailments may include mental illness, cancer, liver dysfunction, skin problems, migraines ... they run the gamut. All illness begins at the level of mind, therefore has often long begun it's transference to the body before we are ever aware. Catching it at the etheric level, we can enable healing at the root cause. Unfortunately, most illness is never even considered until the body is effected, at which point conventional healing modalities are usually required. Even then, Reiki can bring relief, initiate healing, and even bring about miracles of remission.

Using Reiki does not require that one learn about the chakras, their colors, their correspondences, nor their signatures. All that is required to use Reiki is receiving the appropriate attunements, learning the appropriate hand placements and possessing a clear desire to help, even if you are only using it on yourself.

If you are interested in a Reiki treatment but have put it off because you don't know what to expect, here's how it works. First, the cost of the treatment will fall around $60. One treatment is usually 40 minutes to an hour and sometimes a little longer. You'll be asked to lie down on a massage table face up, to remain fully clothed, and to remove your shoes. Sometimes you may be asked to remove jewelry, but I honestly don't feel that is necessary. A blanket will be placed over you and perhaps a soft pillow under your head. From there ... RELAX, close your eyes if you like. The surroundings are usually very therapeutic including calming music, candles and sometimes aromatherapy. This is not a time for chatting to dissipate nervous energy, the practitioner expects you will relax and be peaceful, so be comfortable in your silence. At the same time, feel free to ask questions if you like.

The practitioner will begin at your head, placing her hands lightly over your crown chakra. I've found this to be the only time you might feel discomfort ... such as a pressure on the top of the head with varying degrees of intensity. The practitioner will move her hands to a new location after about 5 minutes unless she feels the need to remain longer. Her hands will move over your eyes, your ears, your throat, your upper chest (never the breast area), the diaphragm and naval. She will lift her hands and hold them in proximity to the groin area to affect the base chakra, but will not physically touch the groin. She will move down both legs and finally to the bottom of the feet. You may be asked to turn onto your stomach so that she may again work down the back of your body. Men sometimes become sexually aroused during treatment of the sacral and root chakras. Don't be embarrassed. The practitioner expects this and will silently continue with her work.

You will often lay quietly when she is done and be allowed to have ten minutes or so to assimilate the experience and rise when you feel ready. A Reiki treatment is usually deeply relaxing, nurturing, and often stimulating in that you may feel renewed energy. Often clients report a buzzing or fuzzy sensation at a particular place on your body. This is a chakra that has been stimulated. Some people respond with headaches, faintness or nausea the first time, due to the stirring up and cleansing of toxic energy from the chakras. If this is the case, it would do you well to set up a treatment plan with the practitioner until you feel only clear, relaxed, renewed energy.

Most people want to know what's the most amazing thing Reiki can do. I can't really answer that question, because I don't know, except for my own personal experiences. For me, aside from boosting my energy, ridding me of migraines, totally dissipating joint pain and even removing the pain of an abscessed tooth, I have received at least one miraculous healing experience that to this day, I still marvel over. But even at that ... the most amazing thing it can do across the board is bring about a profound sense of well-being.

~L