When pain strikes, our first instinct is to lay hands on the painful area. Whether it is a sudden onset of a painful headache, a child who has scraped their knee, or a stomach ache from the cheap food we ate that morning. Our first action is to touch, hold, or rub that area. What if those touches actually healed?
What if you could access the power of healing through touch?
Introducing, the healing power of Reiki. To start our journey we must first answer; what is Reiki?
Reiki derives from two words: Rei, which is spirit, and Ki, which is life. Reiki is thus a spiritually guided life-force energy, an energy that flows through all things living.
Now, what is reiki healing? Reiki healing or Reiki therapy is the applicable practice of moving and manipulating this energy. Reiki encompasses all three aspects of self in its healing; mind, body, and spirit.
Developed by a Buddhist Monk named Mikao Usui in 1992 and have had several spin offs of this healing art since then, such as palm or hands on healing. It was only introduced to the West, specifically the USA and Canada, in the 1970s.
This healing practice has become more than just a therapy or practice, but a lifestyle. Mikao Usui also created the Principles of Reiki lifestyle. All practitioners are to follow its creeds and principles of what is Reiki.
The Principles of Reiki are as follows:
Now that we have answered, “what is reiki?” it’s time to find out how it works. Quantum physics has now shown that all matter is a matter of vibration (if you get the vibe). There is research that shows that our very intentions can affect this field of vibration.
So, how does Reiki work? The practitioners and healers of Reiki manipulate the vibrations of the body using the intention and gestures of the hands to shift this energy and vibration around in the body. If energy or Ki is not moving flowingly in the body it creates a blockage in a certain area. This blockage then creates itself in the physical by producing ailments or pain.
It is important for the Reiki healers to have a firm grasp of Reiki and the feeling of energy inside their own body’s before being able to manipulate energy in others. It is by allowing energy to flow through Reiki healers and into the body of others that manipulate the vibrations or Ki of the body is possible.
Hand gestures and the intentions of the healer move energy around in the body. When energy is flowing strong again, the ailment of that area disappears. Reiki is closely linked with the energy Meridians of Chinese Traditional Medicine, as well as the 7 Chakras of the body.
Reiki is a holistic healing practice and as such does not work symptomatically. Instead, the practice works on the whole body and aids the already magnificent healing powers of the body by placing it back into alignment.
So enough about other healers and practitioners. Where can you learn to unlock the power of healing with your bare hands? Where can you learn Reiki?
Reiki is accessible to all, through either practicing Reiki on yourself by yourself or having a Reiki treatment done by a Reiki healer. If you want to take it a step further and become a true student of Reiki and eventually a Reiki Master, you will have to go through a certain process to Learn Reiki.
To learn Reiki, you have to go through classes split into different levels; level 1, level 2 and level 3. To attain a level a student needs studying about Reiki, gain a readiness and proficiency in the use of Reiki and go through a ceremony called an “attunement”.
Reiki Masters are the ones who perform these attunements. This process is a transference of power between master and student and opens up the crown, heart and palm chakras of the student. This allows the student to access the flow of Ki much easier and creates deeper understanding on how Ki works in the body.
There can be a period of purification before doing an attunement. This entails the student following certain guidelines to purify the body before the process of attunement. This is often followed by twenty-one days of cleansing, so commitment is paramount.
When a student feels ready they can begin their level 1 training. There is no prior knowledge or experience required for this level.
The training is commonly done over a weekend whereby the student goes through four attunements. The aim is to get the flow of energy active in the student’s body and teach them the fundamentals of Reiki healing.
For this level, the student requests to advance to the next level. However, it will depend on the Reiki master if they accept that request and start the training for level two.
Requirements of starting level two is having a firm feeling of Ki in the body, making use of Reiki practice on a regular basis, being knowledgeable about the art and practice of Reiki, and having a clear reason why you want to advance in your journey to learn Reiki.
Level two is setup into three-hour-long classes that are often broken up into two separate days. In these classes, you will receive two attunements and begin to learn some of the Reiki symbols.
This level will require a great deal more dedication than the other two levels. Eight hour day classes once a week, every five to seven weeks is the usual set up for this level. A fair amount of time divides each class so that students can review the knowledge given to them.
A student is usually chosen by a master to train in level three and is not by request. You will learn the final Reiki symbols, a better grasp, and knowledge of Reiki and lastly how to do an attunement on others in this level.
Some teachers of Reiki don’t differentiate between level 3 and a Master Reiki practitioner. They grant the title of Master to anyone who becomes level 3 certified. As long as a Reiki Master gives you this title other Reiki practitioners will accept it.
You may have noticed that the last two levels of Reiki involve learning the Reiki symbols. These are powerful tools in the art of Reiki and were for a long time only known by Reiki healers.
Based on the Japanese system of Kanji the Reiki symbols aid in teaching students of Reiki the culture and power of this healing art. Each symbol represents a certain power or value within Reiki. Though it does not possess any power on its own, the symbols allow access to certain powers.
The Reiki symbols focus the intention and mind of the practitioner or healer in a specific area, creating a greater intensity of healing. Reiki symbols also allow access to other forms or ways in which healing can take place.
A student, practitioner or healer would either draw or visualize these symbols when training or applying Reiki to others or themselves, to connect to the power of that symbol.
The symbols are:
This symbol is otherwise known as the mental and emotional Reiki symbol or the light switch symbol. Used to activate the power of manifestation, accelerated healing, and protection.
You can use this at any time during Reiki treatment but it is more effective at the beginning and end of the treatment.
This symbol is often used outside of Reiki treatment and you can place it under desks, telephones, computers or doormats at work or home. You can also drawn or visualized this symbol over food, plants, and animals to protect, cleanse and heal things around you.
The symbol will increase or decrease power based on the direction you draw or visualized it.
Know as the connection Reiki Symbol or the distance symbol. This symbol represents timelessness, distant healing, karma healing and spiritual connection. This symbol gives access to the Akashic records of a person which are the life records of the soul.
It mends scars of past trauma, improve the future, prepare you for upcoming events and heals from a distance in time and space.
The Emotional Healing Reiki Symbol, used for balancing the right and left brain, is the connection between a balanced mind and heart.
This symbol is mostly used in people who suffered from anger, depression, mental illness, drug or alcohol abuse, and difficulty memorizing or focussing.
Used in the final attunement of Reiki masterhood. Often called the completion Reiki symbol or the fire serpent.
This symbol creates grounding in Kundalini healing, establishes the Hara connection and aligns the chakras. Overall it grounds and seals the healing energy of Reiki in the newly established Reiki master.
So, the next time you fall prey to an agonizing stomach ache or a mind crippling headache and instinctively clutch your head or stomach, know that the power of healing is at your fingertips.
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