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Reiki 1 2-3
- 1. Reiki
- 3. 1865 1925 1942-1975 Great Rekei Masters
- 7. Human Aura
- 17. Kirlian photos
- 53. Thought Idea Emotion Meaning / Purpose Communication
- 54. Sensory Extra-motor Extra-sensory Motor Integration Mechnism of physical communication Input Output
- 55. 1.Perception 3 5.Expression 4 2 Integration Brain & communication
- 58. ESP Center
- 60. Physical Physical Light, Sound,Vibration, Temp Chemical Smell, Taste Input for Comunication Metaphysical Thought Emotion Energy
- 61. Stimuli Physical (Light, Sound,Vibration, Temp) Chemical ( Smell, Taste) Physical Comunication Recognition Peripheral sense organs Integration Brain Expression Movement of a muscle
- 62. Pictogram Ideogram Phonogram Alphabet Object Idea Syllable Vowel Development of Language
- 64. Dynamic upward movement Fire/ Male Downward movement Water/ Female Space Equilibrium dynamic Spiritual Symbols
- 70. Sei Hei Ki
- 72. Hon Sh Ze Sho Nen
- 75. Dai Ko Myo
- 77. Tibetan Di Ko Mu
- 78. Neo Di Ko Mu
- 82. Empowering
- 84. Reiki and Animal /Plants
- 85. Healing space
- 86. Special situation and Reiki
- 87. "Just for today do not worry. Just for today do not anger. Honor your parents, teachers and elders. Earn your living honestly. Show gratitude to everything." Dr. Mikao Usui
Notes de l'éditeur
- What is Reiki? "Rei" literally means spirit, ghost, soul, in the heavens or of spirits; but also denotes universal energy. "Ki" also means spirit and, some argue, is essentially the Japanese equivalent of the Chinese description of "Chi", which means life force energy. The word Reiki, therefore, can be taken to refer to a balanced universal life force energy . Because of its qualities it seems to have a basic consciousness which, when used for healing, is able to provide exactly what is needed on all levels. Usui System of Natural Healing opens up a person to act as a pure and clean channel for healing energy, the person being healed is rarely effected by the personal energy of the healer. As one is opened up through the attunement process, the person becomes an open pathway for the energy to flow through. From that point on, the energy is constantly circulating in their body and energy field. Additionally, when an attuned person places his or her hands on something, the energy flows into whatever is being touched. It does not matter if that object is a stone, tree, pet or another person. The especially nice thing is that while it flows through them, they receive healing from the energy as well. Essentially this means that a person, once attuned, becomes a constantly flowing channel of Reiki for not only everything they touch, but for themselves as well. The Reiki energy is in most cases allowed to flow to where it chooses it can be directed but most teachers recommend that you do not do this exclusively as you may be unaware of the true cause of a difficulty and may mentally prevent the Reiki from doing the most good by focusing on where you want it to flow. There has been a great deal of debate about exactly what Reiki is. Most practitioners agree that it is a form of life/healing energy, but beyond that the various schools differ, with some being much more esoteric than others. The word itself can be broken down into the component parts of "Rei" (pronounced 'ray') and "Ki" (pronounced 'key'). The Japanese language has many different levels of meaning within it. Some levels are very basic while others are highly esoteric. "Rei" literally means spirit, ghost, soul, in the heavens or of spirits; but also denotes universal energy. "Ki" also means spirit and, some argue, is essentially the Japanese equivalent of the Chinese description of "Chi", which means life force energy. The word Reiki, therefore, can be taken to refer to a balanced universal life force energy. Because of its qualities it seems to have a basic consciousness which, when used for healing, is able to provide exactly what is needed on all levels. Between the various teachers of Reiki, a great deal of discussion has taken place on the subject of whether the Reiki energy is a direct universal ray, or a current. To answer this, we must first examine the definitions of each of these and the difference between the two. It is helpful to think of the words current and ray as simply two terms that are used to define energy, such as prayer, which can be put to practical uses. Essentially and conceptionally, the primal energy of the universe is said to be split into a series of rays, the number of which is dependent upon the school of metaphysical or religious philosophy to which you subscribe. A current is a tap into one or a blending from the energy of several rays accessed through a key, or trigger, of some kind. The key can be nearly anything. Its prime effectiveness lies in the fact that it is vibrationally attuned to the current and therefore makes its energy available to the user. The key can be on any level of one's being from subconscious to superconscious and beyond. It usually exists, however, on the conscious level in the form of a symbol to visualize, a mantra to repeat or some similar form capable of producing a resonance vibration between the user and the current of energy desired. Prayer is an excellent example of a key, with the answer coming in the form of a blending of energies that produce a net effect (a current). Through the above definition one can clearly see that Reiki, in its use of symbols and sacred names, falls under the definition of a current. In spite of this, it is still somewhat common to see it expressed as the "Reiki Ray". In reality, the true and completely pure energy of a ray is extremely difficult to tap into as no outside energetic resistance can be offered to it. In other words, you would have to become the energy to a very great extent (if not totally) in order to tap into it. Since we live in physical bodies that is not possible. Another thing which should be addressed when speaking of a current is the extent to which it is group energetic. This means simply the extent to which the energy is effected, contaminated, or blended with the energy of everyone involved (known in Reiki as attuned) with it. Many currents, whether it's traditional magickal currents like the Golden Dawn, or simply the one in your local church are highly effected by the energetic makeup of those involved with it. In essence, this means that in some way, everyone shares each other's energy and energy patterns. As there are so many different levels to reality, I hesitate to say that Reiki is a totally non-group energetic current but if it is not, it is by far the closest I have ever found. It truly does not seem to tap you into anything except the pure energy of the current. Additionally, because of the unique way in which the attunement process of the Usui System of Natural Healing opens up a person to act as a pure and clean channel for healing energy, the person being healed is rarely effected by the personal energy of the healer. Few people realize that there are many ways in which a current is much more beneficial than a ray. A current is most often a blending of many energies rather than just one pure kind. In Reiki, for example, a number of different energies are involved which give it its unique properties. In the attunements, the energy effects every energy center (sometimes called chakras) with special emphasis on the crown, heart, third eye, lower abdomen, and palms. Each of these have a different vibration or level of energy, and each is typically associated with a different ray. If not for the blending of the Reiki current, attunement and access to these individual energy frequencies would be a much more difficult and lengthy process. Because of the blending, a balanced energy exists and all of the individual vibrations are made available as they are needed. It is the unique blend of energy which makes this energy current such a powerful form of healing energy. Many feel that this combination also lends it the amazing ability to heal not just on the level of the physical body, but also on mental, emotional and spiritual levels. As one is opened up through the attunement process, the person becomes an open pathway for the energy to flow through. From that point on, the energy is constantly circulating in their body and energy field. Additionally, when an attuned person places his or her hands on something, the energy flows into whatever is being touched. It does not matter if that object is a stone, tree, pet or another person. The especially nice thing is that while it flows through them, they receive healing from the energy as well. Essentially this means that a person, once attuned, becomes a constantly flowing channel of Reiki for not only everything they touch, but for themselves as well. Some attention has been paid to the "color" of the Reiki energy. I typically hear it described as a green, yellow or blue "ray" energy. The clairvoyants that I regularly work with tell me that they can easily identify a person who has been attuned by their hands. Nearly all say that the hands of someone attuned to Reiki are much more purple or violet than those of others. Most go on to say that they can also tell if something has been touched by a Reiki practitioner because of its energetic makeup. The energy, they say, shifts its color according to the effect it is having on the object being touched. In my experience, purple or violet, gold, and silver are the colors most often seen in association with Reiki energy. They are by far the dominant colors during the attunement process, though some blue and white light is also seen at various points in the initiation. Purple or violet are also the colors seen most often on an area which has recently been worked upon by a Reiki practitioner. When used for protection, the Reiki energy casts an area of white light so thick that most clairvoyants cannot see beyond it. Whatever its color, Reiki is a powerful form of energetic healing. It does not always take the hands-on form, however. Other sections in this text deal extensively with sending healing at a distance and to other points in time, and discuss various other hands-off treatment methods. For one to understand how energy, especially a channeled energy such as Reiki, can heal, it is important to delve a bit more deeply into the current front line research which is being done into vibrational medicine and the nature of the body. Modern physics has taught us that matter, stripped down to the subatomic level, is in reality fluctuations between matter and energy. In essence, science now postulates that everything, everywhere is energy of different vibrations. The human body is no different. For the last twenty to thirty years, science has been involved in measuring the energy of the body. Many of what were once considered esoteric metaphors of consciousness, such as the energy centers (or chakra system), have now been found and mapped out by modern scientific researchers. Various schools of esoteric thought have long held that the body consists of somewhere between three and twelve primary energy layers and some systems believe there to be even more. The most common one postulates seven, which corresponds to the number of traditional major energy centers. However many there are, the important thing is that now even science has discovered that man does indeed have additional levels of, usually invisible, bodies or fields of energy surrounding and interpenetrating the physical body. With this great shock to the world of science came a considerable amount of research into vibrational medicine. Suddenly, universities began to study healing with sound, color and energy. The energy research included everything from magnetic fields to holistic healers. This research produced a belief in many healers that energetic healing works because of the principle of harmonics. In music, when a single note is played on a piano, it resonates the notes of the harmonic octaves below and above it. In other words, a change in vibration on one level creates change on other levels as well. Esoteric science has long held that by effecting the various energy levels of a person, change occurs on the physical level and vice versa. Many feel that science is just now catching up to them. As we've seen, treatments like Reiki, which work on energetic levels, produce change on many of the levels both below and above the one being healed. This is the reason for Reiki’s ability to heal well beyond the level of the physical body. Much more will be said about those levels as we work our way through the three degrees of Reiki.
- Story of Dr. Usui as Told by Mrs. Takata In the late-1800's, a man named Dr. Mikao Usui (born 1865) rediscovered this ancient science, which he called Reiki. The story, as told by Mrs. Takata goes something like this: Dr. Usui, a minister and dean of a Christian school in Kyoto, Japan, was teaching a class, when one of his students asked him if he believed that Jesus healed. His response was yes, of course. The student then asked him for a demonstration of this healing. He did not have this knowledge, so he could not comply. This one simple question changed Dr. Usui's life. It stirred inside of him the desire to know how to heal. With the knowledge that Jesus healed, he decided to start his search in America, the land of Christianity. So he enrolled in the University of Chicago. In his seven year study of theology and comparative religions, he learned about the Buddha and his healing abilities. But he found no answers. Dr. Usui went back to Japan to continue his search. He visited all of the Buddhist temples and asked the monks if they knew how to heal. All gave the same answer; they only concentrated on spiritual matters. At one of the temples, he met an old abbot who remembered that the monks knew how to heal at one time, but it was now a lost art. He offered Dr. Usui the opportunity to stay and study the Japanese Sutras, to see if he might find the information he sought. After spending many years studying the sutras and finding nothing, Dr. Usui decided to learn Chinese. Chinese is an older language and many of the Japanese Sutras were translated from Chinese. He studied and studied for many more years and still found no answers. As Dr. Usui traveled around the country teaching Reiki, he would take on especially dedicated individuals to be his disciples. One of these individuals was Dr. Chujiro Hayashi (born 1878), a retired navel officer. In 1925, Dr. Hayashi became one of the eighteen people Dr. Usui initiated into mastership. In 1926, just before his death, Dr. Usui charged Dr. Hayashi with the task of keeping Reiki alive. Dr. Hayashi opened the first Reiki clinic shortly after Dr. Usui's death. He developed a specific series of medical based hand placements, and three levels or degrees of Reiki. In the Western tradition, it is commonly thought that "Grand master" Usui, passed on the lineage to Dr. Chujiro Hayashi. Dr. Chujiro Hayashi was made a Reiki Master in 1925 and was a student of Usui. Dr. Hayashi was a retired officer from the Japanese Navy. He opened a Reiki clinic which was more along the lines of a medical model. Dr. Hayashi made some modifications in the system and most likely developed the 12 standard hand positions from in use in the west today. These hand positions allowed Reiki to be given by several practitioners at once. This group healing technique was used in his clinic and it was believed this maximized the flow of Reiki to the patient, and sped up the treatment time. In Hayashi's clinic, Students would work in his clinic treating the sick for a period of time in exchange for learning Reiki I. Those who were talented and dedicated healers were taught Reiki II, in exchange for a longer period of service and training. The most dedicated were taught Reiki III. One of Hayashi's Masters was a Japanese American woman, living abroad in Hawaii, Mrs. Hawayo Takata. Mrs. Hawayo Takata was born in 1900 on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. Her parents were Japanese immigrants. She married and had two daughters. Her husband died in 1930. Approximately 5 years later, she developed severe abdominal pains, lung problems and subsequent nervous conditions. She returned to Japan to visit family, and to receive medical treatment. According to Mrs. Takata, she was found to have a tumor and an appendicitis. While on the operating table, she reported that she heard a voice tell her that the operation was not necessary. She asked the doctor if there was another way her problems could be healed. The doctor told her about Dr. Hayashi's reiki clinic, and she decided to go there. She received treatments at Dr. Hayashi's clinic. Ms. Takata wanted to learn reiki and requested that Dr. Hayashi teach her. He eventually agreed to teaching her. In 1936, Mrs. Takata received her first degree in Reiki. At the end of a year of training she received her Reiki II. She went back to Hawaii and began to practice Reiki. In 1938, while Dr. Hayashi was visiting Hawaii, he initiated Takata as a Reiki Master. She was the thirteenth master initiated by Dr. Hayashi. Her certificate, notarized on February 21, 1938 gave her the status of a Reiki Master and authorized her to teach the system. Mrs. Takata initiated 22 masters. Most of these 22 masters are alive and still practicing and teaching Reiki today. At some point the Reiki system taught to Takata from Hayashi changed. The system became three levels from the 6 used in the Gakkai and most of the spiritual practices (that are now being rediscovered as they are released from Japan) were missing. It is unclear as to why this was done. It is unknown if she was not taught them by Hayashi, or if they were dropped because Westerners could not understand them. In any case, there were not passed along to the vast majority of practitioners in the west. Perhaps this is why so many people attempted to add spiritual practices from Tibet and other places in an attempt to "fill in the gaps" that they perceived were missing. Reiki in this Hayashi - Takata Tradition is most appropriately called Usui Shiki Ryoho. Story of Mrs. Takata On Christmas Eve 1900, a girl child was born on the island of Kauai, she was named Hawayo after her birth place, the Hawaiian islands. Her parents, the Kawamura's, were Japanese sugar cane workers and immigrants. Hawayo grew quickly, as children do, and soon was old enough for a summer job. She worked in the cane fields with the other children, but was so tiny that she couldn't keep up with the job requirements. With the help of the other children, she was able to do the job for a full summer. When August came and the job was over, she asked God that she never come back to the cane fields again. She wanted to do better things with her hands. Her wish came true. The next year, she was offered a position substitute teaching first grade at a boarding school. She would have room, board and be able to continue her education. Her father gave his blessings. Soon, a new store opened in a near town. She went to the opening and met the man who owned the store. He was so impressed with her that he offered her a job on the weekends. She took the job and began working at the soda fountain. The beautiful young daughter of a plantation owner came into the store often. Hawayo would always smile at her and bow very low. One day, the lady asked Hawayo if she would like to come to work for her in her home. She offered her room, board, and twice the salary. Such a good offer Hawayo could not refuse. She began working as a waitress/pantry girl; worked her way up to Head of Housekeeping, staying with this family for about 25 years. There was a young man named Saichi Takata who was an accountant for the plantation. Saichi and Hawayo developed a deep bond and were married in March of 1917. They were very happy together and soon had two little girls. But Saichi became very ill and went to a clinic in Tokyo for treatment. In 1930, at the age of 34, Saichi died. The next several years were very hard for Mrs. Takata. She really pushed herself to cover her grief and worked long hours to make ends meet for her family. This eventually took its toll on her health. She had severe abdominal pain and could not stand upright. Something had to change. During this time, Mrs. Takata's parents decided to go to Japan for a year's vacation. While they were in Japan, Hawayo's sister died. She knew that she had to break the news to her parents in person. She also needed an operation, and the only doctor she trusted was in Japan. So she booked passage to Japan. When she checked into the Japanese clinic, she was told she needed rest, relaxation and lots of good food. For three weeks she felt like she was in a resort hotel. She gained weight and her strength returned. It came time for the operation. When she was prepped for surgery and laying on the table, she suddenly heard a voice say "Operation not necessary". She looked around and didn't see anyone, but clearly heard the voice say again, "Operation not necessary". When she heard the voice the third time, she asked "But what other way is there?" The voice said "Ask doctor". So she pulled out the IV needles and proceeded to search for the doctor. When she found him, she asked if there was any alternative to surgery. He told her about Dr. Hayashi's Reiki clinic. The doctor's sister knew first hand that Reiki was effective, so she was appointed to take Mrs. Takata to Dr. Hayashi's clinic. Mrs. Takata received a treatment that day. She wondered how the hands of the practitioners got so hot. The next day, during her treatment, she looked all around the room for wires. Then she reached up and grabbed the sleeve of the practitioner that was working on her stomach. He was startled, asking what she wanted. She wanted to see the battery that made his hands so hot. He laughed and said "No battery; it is Reiki; very powerful". When Dr. Hayashi came over to hear what was so funny, he joined in the laughter. Three weeks of daily treatments and she was much better. In four months, she was completely cured. Mrs. Takata wanted Reiki to preserve her health. When she approached Dr. Hayashi about learning it, he refused her, say it was a closely guarded Japanese treasure. This was just not good enough; she must have Reiki. Mrs. Takata went to her doctor and asked him if there was anything he could do. She told him why she needed Reiki and that she could not remain in Japan forever. He agreed to help her by writing a letter to Dr. Hayashi. Dr. Hayashi was very impressed that an important surgeon would write such a nice letter for this little lady. He agreed to let Mrs. Takata take Reiki. After her classes and initiation into first degree, Mrs. Takata worked for a year. She spent mornings doing treatments at the clinic and afternoons at the homes of many different people. In 1937, Mrs. Takata went back to Hawaii. A few weeks later Dr. Hayashi and his daughter came to visit to help her start a Reiki clinic. For almost a year, Mrs. Takata and Dr. Hayashi offered classes, free lectures and demonstrations of Reiki. In February 1938, just before he left for Japan, Dr. Hayashi announced that Mrs. Takata was now a Reiki Master. Mrs. Takata worked for many years on Kauai, and in a clinic on the big island (Hawaii) and finally moved to Honolulu on Oahu. In 1941, Mrs. Takata received a telegraph from Dr. Hayashi requesting her to come immediately to his estate in Japan. When she arrived, Dr. and Mrs. Hayashi gave her a warm greeting and then Dr. Hayashi asked her if she would call everyone together and prepare for his death. She did this gladly. On a morning in May 1941, in front of a small gathering of his friends and associates, Dr. Hayashi announced that Mrs. Takata was now given the responsibility of keeping Reiki alive. War was about to break out and he knew he would be called to serve. He was a man of peace and could not destroy life, so he made his transition by bursting his aorta. Mrs. Takata made the long trip back to Hawaii. In the years following, she traveled extensively, teaching classes in first and second degree Reiki. It was not until the 1970's that she began to initiate masters. She initiated a total of twenty-two people into Reiki mastership and in December of 1980, she made her transition. Before Mrs. Takata died, she taught her granddaughter all that she knew, preparing her to assume the task of keeping Reiki alive, but she never formally made the announcement. Reiki Legends told by various branches Many thousands of years ago, holymen possessed an understanding of our spirit, energy, and matter, and used this knowledge to heal their bodies, balance their souls, and lead their spirits to oneness. This wisdom was found in many ancient cultures like China, India, Tibet and Egypt. The ancient mystery schools guarded and preserved the secrets of this science. It was only passed down from master to student, by a series of initiations, when the student was ready. About 2500 B.C., this secret knowledge was recorded in a set of Sanskrit Sutras, or holy papers, by Buddhist monks. When the focus of the monk's holy work and study shifted to spiritual matters only, this science was lost. Story of Dr. Usui as Told by Mrs. Takata In the late-1800's, a man named Dr. Mikao Usui (born 1865) rediscovered this ancient science, which he called Reiki. The story, as told by Mrs. Takata goes something like this: Dr. Usui, a minister and dean of a Christian school in Kyoto, Japan, was teaching a class, when one of his students asked him if he believed that Jesus healed. His response was yes, of course. The student then asked him for a demonstration of this healing. He did not have this knowledge, so he could not comply. This one simple question changed Dr. Usui's life. It stirred inside of him the desire to know how to heal. With the knowledge that Jesus healed, he decided to start his search in America, the land of Christianity. So he enrolled in the University of Chicago. In his seven year study of theology and comparative religions, he learned about the Buddha and his healing abilities. But he found no answers. Dr. Usui went back to Japan to continue his search. He visited all of the Buddhist temples and asked the monks if they knew how to heal. All gave the same answer; they only concentrated on spiritual matters. At one of the temples, he met an old abbot who remembered that the monks knew how to heal at one time, but it was now a lost art. He offered Dr. Usui the opportunity to stay and study the Japanese Sutras, to see if he might find the information he sought. Photo to the left above is Dr. Mikao Usui. After spending many years studying the sutras and finding nothing, Dr. Usui decided to learn Chinese. Chinese is an older language and many of the Japanese Sutras were translated from Chinese. He studied and studied for many more years and still found no answers. There was only one other place that he knew of to look; the Sanskrit Sutras. So he learned Sanskrit and began studying these sutras. Finally an answer came. In the Healing Buddha and Lotus Sutras, he found a formula for healing. He was so ecstatic about this discovery, that he took the information immediately to the old abbot. Together they decided that to discover the full meaning of the information, Dr. Usui must meditate. The next morning, Dr. Usui began the 17 mile walk to Mt. Kuramayama to fast and meditate. Upon arriving at his destination, he gathered 21 stones, sat down and put the stones in front of him. Every morning he would throw one stone away. On the morning of the 21st day, in the early hours before it was light, Dr. Usui was in deep meditation when he noticed a bright light. He wondered if this light were real. He opened his eyes; it was still there and moved quickly toward him. He was frightened, but willing to risk death for the secrets of healing. The light struck him in the third eye and knocked him unconscious. All of the information, symbols and how to use them began to float by him in millions of brightly colored bubbles, stopping in front of him long enough for him to commit the information to memory. When he came back to full awareness, he remembered everything that was shown to him. Dr. Usui noticed that he was strong and full of energy, despite his 21 day fast. "This is the first miracle", he thought. Wanting to share this new information with the abbot, he started the long journey back to the temple. On his way down the hill, he severely stubbed his toe, tearing the toenail back. He grabbed his toe and within a short while, noticed it was completely healed. "This is the second miracle", he thought. He continued his journey and soon came upon a house which offered meals to travelers. Noticing his hunger, he decided to stop and break his fast. A man came out to take his order. Dr. Usui ordered a nice meal. When the meal was ready the man's daughter brought it to him. She was a pretty young girl with a scarf tied like rabbit ears around her head. Dr. Usui asked her why she had such a thing on her head. She told him that she had a very bad toothache and could not travel the long distance to town to have it fixed. He beckoned her to come to him and placed his hands upon her face. After a few moments she said, "Oh, kind monk, you make magic. My tooth no longer hurts. Thank you". "This is the third miracle", he thought. After Dr. Usui finished his meal and was on the road back to the temple, he noticed how wonderful he was feeling. There were no ill effects of eating a large meal after an extended fast. "This is the fourth miracle', he thought. When he arrived at the temple, he was greeted by a young monk. The boy told Dr. Usui that he was glad to see that he had returned safely and that the old abbot was bed ridden in great pain. Dr. Usui went directly to the abbot's cell and sat down on the edge of the bed. He rested his hands on the abbot's body while he told him all that he had learned. In a short while, the abbot looked at him in surprise and said, "You make magic; all of my pain is gone". "This is the fifth miracle", Dr. Usui proclaimed. They were both ecstatic about this discovery and wanted to use it for the most needy cause. So together they decided to pray and meditate to find the answer. Dr. Usui went back to s cell and spent the entire night in meditation. The next morning, back in the abbot's cell, they both agreed that those who needed Reiki the most were in the beggar's village. Dr. Usui, wearing old clothes and pushing a vegetable cart, set out for the beggar's village. Very soon, three beggars approached him, asking what he was doing there. He asked to be taken to see the beggar King, as he had a gift for him. They complied very hesitantly, not wanting to anger the beggar king. When he approached, the Beggar King wanted to know about this gift and slyly asked what he wanted. Dr. Usui told him the gift was healing and he wanted to give it to everyone in the beggar village. He asked only for food each day. The King agreed to this, but first took Dr. Usui's clothes, cart and money belt. They gave him tattered, foul-smelling rags to wear and a few scraps of food to eat. Every day from dawn to dusk, Dr. Usui would work in the beggar village healing people and sent them to the temple for a new name and a job. After seven years, his work was nearly complete, so he had leisure time in the evenings. One evening, he was walking and began to notice some faces that looked familiar. He walked up to one young man and asked him if he had healed him many years ago. The young man said "Yes". Dr. Usui asked him if he had gone to the temple for a new name and job. The young man again said "Yes". "Why then", asked Dr. Usui, "are you back in the beggar village". The young man told him how he had worked long hours for little money and his family was still hungry; that it was much easier to be a beggar. Dr. Usui was so distraught, he threw himself down in the dirt and wept. He vowed never again to give this gift away; giving Reiki away makes beggars of people. So he developed these principles/precepts to live by, that if applied with Reiki, would heal body, mind, and spirit. The original principles written by Dr. Usui , in Japanese Kanji (right to left), is translated as follows: The secret method of inviting blessings The spiritual medicine of all diseases For today only, do not anger, do not worry Do your work with appreciation Be kind to all people Every morning and evening, join your hands in prayer Think these words with your mind and chant them with your mouth Usui Reiki to change the body and mind The founder, Usui Mikao The next morning, Dr. Usui got a very large torch, lit it and stood on the corner of a busy part of town. People would walk by and laugh at him. Some would stop and ask him what he was doing with a lighted torch in broad daylight. He gladly told them that he was looking for people who were healthy, happy and had enlightened hearts, that wanted to help those who were depressed or in physical pain. He would show them how to put light into their hearts at a lecture that he was giving. Many came to his lecture and very soon he had a great following of people. As Dr. Usui traveled around the country teaching Reiki, he would take on especially dedicated individuals to be his disciples. One of these individuals was Dr. Chujiro Hayashi (born 1878), a retired navel officer. In 1925, Dr. Hayashi became one of the eighteen people Dr. Usui initiated into mastership. In 1926, just before his death, Dr. Usui charged Dr. Hayashi with the task of keeping Reiki alive. Dr. Hayashi opened the first Reiki clinic shortly after Dr. Usui's death. He developed a specific series of medical based hand placements, and three levels or degrees of Reiki. Photo to the right is Dr. Chujiro Hayashi. Story of Mrs. Takata On Christmas Eve 1900, a girl child was born on the island of Kauai, she was named Hawayo after her birth place, the Hawaiian islands. Her parents, the Kawamura's, were Japanese sugar cane workers and immigrants. Hawayo grew quickly, as children do, and soon was old enough for a summer job. She worked in the cane fields with the other children, but was so tiny that she couldn't keep up with the job requirements. With the help of the other children, she was able to do the job for a full summer. When August came and the job was over, she asked God that she never come back to the cane fields again. She wanted to do better things with her hands. Her wish came true. The next year, she was offered a position substitute teaching first grade at a boarding school. She would have room, board and be able to continue her education. Her father gave his blessings. Soon, a new store opened in a near town. She went to the opening and met the man who owned the store. He was so impressed with her that he offered her a job on the weekends. She took the job and began working at the soda fountain. The beautiful young daughter of a plantation owner came into the store often. Hawayo would always smile at her and bow very low. One day, the lady asked Hawayo if she would like to come to work for her in her home. She offered her room, board, and twice the salary. Such a good offer Hawayo could not refuse. She began working as a waitress/pantry girl; worked her way up to Head of Housekeeping, staying with this family for about 25 years. There was a young man named Saichi Takata who was an accountant for the plantation. Saichi and Hawayo developed a deep bond and were married in March of 1917. They were very happy together and soon had two little girls. But Saichi became very ill and went to a clinic in Tokyo for treatment. In 1930, at the age of 34, Saichi died. The next several years were very hard for Mrs. Takata. She really pushed herself to cover her grief and worked long hours to make ends meet for her family. This eventually took its toll on her health. She had severe abdominal pain and could not stand upright. Something had to change. During this time, Mrs. Takata's parents decided to go to Japan for a year's vacation. While they were in Japan, Hawayo's sister died. She knew that she had to break the news to her parents in person. She also needed an operation, and the only doctor she trusted was in Japan. So she booked passage to Japan. When she checked into the Japanese clinic, she was told she needed rest, relaxation and lots of good food. For three weeks she felt like she was in a resort hotel. She gained weight and her strength returned. It came time for the operation. When she was prepped for surgery and laying on the table, she suddenly heard a voice say "Operation not necessary". She looked around and didn't see anyone, but clearly heard the voice say again, "Operation not necessary". When she heard the voice the third time, she asked "But what other way is there?" The voice said "Ask doctor". So she pulled out the IV needles and proceeded to search for the doctor. When she found him, she asked if there was any alternative to surgery. He told her about Dr. Hayashi's Reiki clinic. The doctor's sister knew first hand that Reiki was effective, so she was appointed to take Mrs. Takata to Dr. Hayashi's clinic. Mrs. Takata received a treatment that day. She wondered how the hands of the practitioners got so hot. The next day, during her treatment, she looked all around the room for wires. Then she reached up and grabbed the sleeve of the practitioner that was working on her stomach. He was startled, asking what she wanted. She wanted to see the battery that made his hands so hot. He laughed and said "No battery; it is Reiki; very powerful". When Dr. Hayashi came over to hear what was so funny, he joined in the laughter. Three weeks of daily treatments and she was much better. In four months, she was completely cured. Mrs. Takata wanted Reiki to preserve her health. When she approached Dr. Hayashi about learning it, he refused her, say it was a closely guarded Japanese treasure. This was just not good enough; she must have Reiki. Mrs. Takata went to her doctor and asked him if there was anything he could do. She told him why she needed Reiki and that she could not remain in Japan forever. He agreed to help her by writing a letter to Dr. Hayashi. Dr. Hayashi was very impressed that an important surgeon would write such a nice letter for this little lady. He agreed to let Mrs. Takata take Reiki. After her classes and initiation into first degree, Mrs. Takata worked for a year. She spent mornings doing treatments at the clinic and afternoons at the homes of many different people. In 1937, Mrs. Takata went back to Hawaii. A few weeks later Dr. Hayashi and his daughter came to visit to help her start a Reiki clinic. For almost a year, Mrs. Takata and Dr. Hayashi offered classes, free lectures and demonstrations of Reiki. In February 1938, just before he left for Japan, Dr. Hayashi announced that Mrs. Takata was now a Reiki Master. Mrs. Takata worked for many years on Kauai, and in a clinic on the big island (Hawaii) and finally moved to Honolulu on Oahu. In 1941, Mrs. Takata received a telegraph from Dr. Hayashi requesting her to come immediately to his estate in Japan. When she arrived, Dr. and Mrs. Hayashi gave her a warm greeting and then Dr. Hayashi asked her if she would call everyone together and prepare for his death. She did this gladly. On a morning in May 1941, in front of a small gathering of his friends and associates, Dr. Hayashi announced that Mrs. Takata was now given the responsibility of keeping Reiki alive. War was about to break out and he knew he would be called to serve. He was a man of peace and could not destroy life, so he made his transition by bursting his aorta. Photo is Mrs. Hawayo Takata. Mrs. Takata made the long trip back to Hawaii. In the years following, she traveled extensively, teaching classes in first and second degree Reiki. It was not until the 1970's that she began to initiate masters. She initiated a total of twenty-two people into Reiki mastership and in December of 1980, she made her transition. Before Mrs. Takata died, she taught her granddaughter all that she knew, preparing her to assume the task of keeping Reiki alive, but she never formally made the announcement. The History of the Usui healing system TJR Most of the stories originating from Hawayo Takata appear to have been created to make the teachings of Usui acceptable to post-war Americans. Mikao Usui was born on August 15, 1865 in the Gifu district of Japan. Around 1900 he created a system of natural healing based on established Oriental medicine. The system used symbols, had a set of affirmations and employed seven main hand positions set over important acupoints. It was based on ancient Taoist energy practices which allow the practitioner to draw in energy and pass it on to the client without depleting their own energy. He was said to have been sent at an early age to a Buddhist monastery which gave foundation to his interest in healing. He had no connection with any Christian school and never went to Chicago (the U of C Divinity School did not even exist at that time). He is likely never to have left Japan and would have done all his research in one of the many Kyoto libraries. After spending many years in his search for a way of connecting to the energy without spending years of exercises and training he meditated at Kurama Temple in the region of a ‘power spot’ where he is said to have undergone a twenty one day period of purification and meditation. Yuki Shrine at Kurama Stories regarding a spontaneously healing stubbed toe and the eating of a huge meal followed by the curing of the innkeeper's dental abscess should not be treated with much credibility. They only appear in the Western versions of the story. He then spent seven years in the poor quarter of Kyoto and in 1922 opened a school in Tokyo, where he trained many students, sixteen to teacher level, before dying on March 9, 1926 in Fukuyama. Usui was NOT a doctor. His title was 'sensei' a term meaning teacher or master. The term 'doctor' in the West of course was originally applied to academics, initially of the church. The term 'sensei' is applied to teachers of Japanese martial arts such as kara-te. The founder of a healing society of the time, Jiro Asuke, had commented that Usui was a very popular healer, and considered a pioneer in this form of healing. The names of some of these students are known. There were three naval officers: Taketomi, Hayashi and Gyuda (also known as Ushida) who studied in 1925. His principal student was named Eguchi who studied in 1923 and passed on the system to a man named Miyazuki. Ushida founded a Reiki Society but this appears to have perpetuated Hayashi's 'medical' adaptation of Usui's teachings. Chujiro Hayashi was born in 1878 and took the training in 1925. He used the knowledge to open a healing clinic in Tokyo. Hayashi developed a complex set of hand positions suitable for clinical use of the system; his clinic employed a method of healing that required several practitioners work on one client at the same time to maximize the flow of energy. Hayashi, as well as changing the focus of the system to fit a 'medical' model, also introduced a system of 'degrees' in his classes. As well as training his practitioners, Hayashi trained several people to teach the system. One of these was a man named Tatsumi who died on October 3, 1996 at an age of over 90 years. Tatsumi had kept notes of his training and allowed tracings to be made of his symbols and sketches. Hayashi also trained a Japanese American from Hawaii named Hawayo Takata who first made her appearance at Hayashi's clinic as a terminal patient. Her course of treatment was a success and afterwards she persuaded Hayashi to teach her the system. Takata has been described as a very pushy and determined woman. This, plus the fact that she was "a Westerner in a Japanese body", must have affected the way Hayashi passed information to her. A certificate notarized in Honolulu on February 21, 1938 states that she was made a teacher/master (one of thirteen) of the system; this did not confer the title of Grand Master but simply gave Takata the right to practice and teach the system in the USA. One of Hayashi's ways of getting practitioners for his clinic was to give level I attunements in return for 3 months commitment as unpaid help. After this time he would offer the better students the second level in return for a further 9 month commitment. Those who completed this had the chance of attaining level 3. After a two year's further commitment (which involved assisting Hayashi in the classroom) they were taught attunements and were allowed to teach. Tatsumi went through all this and Takata must have too. No money exchanged hands in this training - they just had to work an 8 hour shift once a week for the duration of the commitment. Tatsumi had reached the teacher level but became dis-satisfied by Hayashi's domineering way of operating (Hayashi had been a commander in the Imperial Japanese Navy), so Tatsumi went back to his village to live and work. Takata's successors spread the system throughout North America and parts of Europe. However over time the teachings have becom
- Levels of Reiki In Current Practice in America and Japan, Reiki is taught in levels, and through attunement by a Reiki master. There are three levels that are generally used, although in the Usui/Tibetan schools the level of IIIa has been added. Level I - Reiki Level I (called Sho Den in Japan) is taught to those that wish to learn to use the Reiki Energy. The class is taught by a Reiki Master, trained to pass the attunements and teach Reiki. There are various attunements for conferring the Reiki energy on a student. Traditional Usui Healing Systems use four attunements. Other systems use one attunement for level I and still others use two. Depending on the School of Reiki one takes classes in, a Reiki I class material generally includes the hand positions used when doing Reiki on self and others, information on the effect of the energy on the organs and indications of illness, and information on the chakras. Some schools teach the power symbol with level I. Reiki I is taught by some to heal on the physical level. Level I generally includes the Reiki Principles, the hand positions, Reiki History, and you receive the Reiki attunements. In traditional schools there are four attunements done at the first level. In other schools, including the Tibetan/Usui schools, there may be a combined level I attunement. Some schools teach that Reiki I heals on the physical level. Level II - Reiki Level II (called Oku Den in Japan) teaches the three Reiki Symbols and the student is given another attunement. Some conceptualize Reiki Level II as being a deepening of the Reiki experience and a greater commitment to Reiki. Reiki Level II is thought to heal on the Emotional level, while others believe that Reiki always heals on all levels. Some people add many spiritual practices to Reiki including new age practices, ascended masters, crystals, Tibetan and other practices. The Power Symbol, Mental/Emotional Healing Symbol and the Distant Symbol are taught. Their meanings and applications are taught. Some schools insist on an oral tradition (that is a western Takata based adaptation not practiced in Japan). Different schools have different time length requirements before level II can be taken. It varies from Level one and two being taught in the same weekend to mandating several months to a year between levels. Level II generally includes the three Reiki Symbols (Focus, Harmony, and Connection), Mental/Emotional Healing, Distant Healing, and another attunement. The Tibetan/Usui school adds the techniques scanning and beaming. Some schools teach Reiki II is "emotional healing". Level III (Master Level) - Third Level Reiki (called Shinpi Den in Japan) is the Master / Teacher Level of Reiki. It is and exciting step and a great responsibility. Reiki Level III is taught by some to heal on the spiritual level. The Usui Master Symbol is taught. The Usui Master Symbol completes the other three symbols taught at Level II. Some traditions require a great commitment on the part of the student, and there is a bond forged between student and master. Masters are taught how to initiate others into Reiki using the attunement process. Some have reported that in Japan, that there are additional techniques utilizing various pseudo massage practices. Level III generally includes the Usui Master Symbol (empowerment symbol) and its meaning and application, The attunement process and lots of practice in its application, and how to teach others. Some schools teach that Reiki III is for Spiritual healing. Reiki III is the unity of the previous three symbols together. It is coming back to the beginning. The Usui/Tibetan Schools and other various Independent Practitioners have added a Level IIIa in between Level II and the Master Level. Level IIIa is often called Advanced Reiki Training (ART). Some of the techniques that might be included here are: Reiki Meditation using the symbols for problem solving and for manifesting goals, Reiki and crystals, making a Reiki crystal grid, Reiki meditation to meet you "reiki guide", Reiki Healing Attunement, the Tibetan Antahkarana symbol and a meditation for its use, the Hui Yin position and the Violet Breath. Level IIIb teaches the addition of three "Tibetan" symbols, and how to perform the attunements. Level IIIa is an artificial level added onto reiki in the Usui/Tibetan schools. It consists of a number of "add-on" techniques that were not part of the Usui system of Reiki and are not necessary to do Reiki. These things were never part of Reiki in Japan and were added after the death of Mrs. Takata. There is an analogous level in Japan and in Traditional Japanese Reiki (TJR), but the material covered in Japan and TJR are spiritual practices and are not new age techniques added-on as in the Level IIIa. In level IIIa in the West, the student receives the master attunement at this level and so are capable of passing reiki except the attunement process is not given or taught on the rationale that the student must master these techniques (generally non-traditional techniques) and that most people do not want to teach so a level of personal mastery (IIIa) is more appropriate.
- There is a life force energy that permeates our bodies. Our bodies use this energy for maintaining itself or for healing itself from injuries or illness. When there is a shortage or blockage of this energy our bodies become ill, possibly resulting in death. It is also believed that there is an unlimited supply of this energy available in the universe. Reiki practitioner learned how to channel this energy from the universe through his body and into people who were ill. When someone who is ill receives this energy, it can accelerate the natural healing process. As a Reiki practitioner, one can transfer the Reiki energy into another person by laying-on of hands, even from a distance. The interconnectivity of these energy fields is at the heart of understanding "psychic phenomenon." The universal energy field permeates all space...hence, one who is sensitive can "connect" with another person’s energy regardless of physical separation. How do you know who is on the other line when the phone rings? Their energy connected with yours before your physical hand picked up the phone. We survive physical "death" in some form, then it is merely a matter of our energy connecting with the energy that survives.
- Human Aura The energy field, which surrounds all things, is known as the Aura. This force field may be seen psychically as a fluid, pulsating, oval-shaped ring of light; or it may appear as a swirling pattern of light with several colors shimmering through it. For some it will not translate into visual terms but will be sensed or felt. Animals and babies can sense the Aura very easily. As we grow older we ‘learn’ to not listen to those instincts, but our auras are as present as the clothes we wear. Science has verified its existence, and it has actually been photographed through the use of Kirlian photography, named after the Russian scientist who discovered the method. Kirlian photography has captured the color, intensity and motion of its mysterious luminescence. The disease can be detected before it manifests in the physical body. But science has yet to provide answers to many of the unsolved mysteries of the aura. Where this energy fields originates. How it affects health and appearance. The real significance of its colors, how it influences behavior, success and relationships. Metaphysics teaches that the Aura consists of seven interwoven rings of light, each revealing a different aspect of the person. 1. Health 2. Emotions 3. Intellectual make-up 4. Higher Mind (Imagination & Intuition) 5. Spirit (Link between the individual and the cosmos) 6. Cosmic Aspects (Not usually Visible) 7. Cosmic Aspects (Not usually Visible) Since the Aura is a reflection of our emotional, physical and spiritual self; we possess the ability to change and control our own Auras. Maybe even more surprising, is the fact that we must learn to protect ourselves using our Aura. Once we realize the enormous energy potential of our Auras, we must learn to protect that energy from misuses, by ourselves as well as other people. Our Auras change with our mood swings, our physical health, our spiritual growth, and the environments we are in. Every emotion leaves its trace in the Aura, so the colors fluctuate with our moods; often, however, one or two colors will remain predominant. Although color is usually thought of as an absolute, it is really very subjective. Therefore, two people observing the same person may pick up different colors. The color itself is not as important, as is the colors meaning to the person doing the reading. With that in mind, here is some common color associations: Brick red - anger Red - energy, strength, courage Deep red - sensuality Crimson - loyalty Pink - cheerfulness, optimism ROSE - self-love ORANGE - joy, vitality, balance of mental &physical YELLOW - wisdom, creativity, spiritual GREYISH YELLOW - fear GREEN - ingenuity, compassion, growth PALE GREEN - healing power GREYISH GREEN - pessimism, envy BLUE - spiritual,idealistic, imaginative, intellectual GREYISH BLUE - melancholy ICE BLUE - intellectual PURPLE - spiritual power ORCHID - idealism WHITE - highly spiritual (rarely seen) BLACK - depression, death (rarely seen) BROWN - earthy DULL BROWN - low energy GREY - fear, boredom, repressed anger GOLD - pure knowing and intuition SILVER - similar to gold, very developed psychically The Aura The Colors of Life Aura: au|ra - A particular atmosphere or quality that seems to surround a person or thing. From Webster's New World Dictionary (3rd College Edition) ‘ Matter is energy, Energy is Light, We are all light beings.’ Albert Einstein. What is an Aura All living things (people, plants, animals, etc.) are made up of a complex combination of atoms, molecules and energy cells. As these ingredients coexist, they generate a large magnetic energy field that can be sensed, felt and even seen around the physical body. This energy field is often called an Aura. Auras are commonly associated with people. Sometimes we even use them to describe people, "He has an aura about him." or "She just has a glow about her". But in fact all living things generate this field of energy. When associated to a person, the aura can provide insight into the spiritual, emotional and physical aspects of the individual. The same can be said for animals and plants, as they too have emotions and a physical well-being. But let's first focus on the human aspects. The knowledge and acceptance of auras has existed in various religions around the world for thousands of years. From Buddhist priest to Native American Shamans, many civilizations have practiced translating and incorporating the use and interpretations of these energy fields into their culture. Today there is a resurgence of these ancient beliefs. Due in part to the increased interest in 'New Age' or Metaphysical studies. But perhaps some influence has come from individuals turning toward more natural ways of living. Many people are looking for new and less intrusive ways to care for the health of their mind and body. People dissatisfied with the high cost of health care and over dependence on chemical drugs in traditional medicines, are also turning to various "Alternative" healing methods. Since the early 1980’s there has emerged a variety of alternative health practices. Some are just new ways of thinking about traditional approaches, others go back to the country doctor and prescriptions from the old wives tales. But many go even farther, such as hands on holistic healing, aroma therapy, color therapy, and massage therapy. But one thing many of these “new” practioners have in common is an increased awareness of self and an understanding of how the mind/body/spirit connection determines good or bad health. For this and other reasons, many healers turn toward aura reading as a means of adding to their diagnosis of the whole person. The Aura’s Recent History Traditional sciences could not prove and therefore would not acknowledge that such energy fields existed. Thus the value of aura interpretation as a tool for diagnosis was often discounted. Over time the mere idea became preposterous and those who believed they could see an aura around a living object were often thought of as mentally ill or just a little weird.. Then in 1939, two Russians, Semyon and Valentina Kirlian accidentally discovered a camera that could capture the aura on film. In the late 1040’s, the Russians began serious research into the auric field and how it pertains to the physical body. But it wasn't until the 1970’s, that Kirlian photography began in the United States. Kirlian photography uses a high voltage camera which provides a method for converting the non- electrical properties of an object into electrical properties. These converted electrical fields are then captured on film by means of high-voltage spark discharges. Kirlian photography became the first real scientific method of capturing the glow or energy field surrounding a living subject. In it's infant stages, this method of measuring the aura could only capture a small portion of the energy field. Although, proving the aura existed, was in itself a big step in the right direction. But the medical sciences were not ready to use this 'newly' discovered energy as a tool or insight into their patients' health. And the search and study of auras continued. Until recently, scientists were only interested in proving or disproving the existence of such fields. Even when Kirlian photography proved the aura does exist, many of today's scientists scoffed at the results. But for some open minded researchers the development of better photographic sensors to capture the depth and/or color(s) within the field became a high priority. Now work is being done by mainstream science to examine auras and to use their signatures to understand people, plants and animals. The Benefits of Knowing Your Aura. So how can the average person use this information to benefit their own lives? Well, first you don't need a fancy camera to see an aura. You don't need to study for years as a Buddhist priest or Native American Shaman. Auras can be seen by anyone who spends the time and effort to develop, practice, study, and understand this forgotten sense. You can use a 'reading' on yourself to benefit your everyday life and health. You can generally discover an injury or illness before it manifests in the physical body. You can then use preventive solutions upon yourself or make an appointment with your doctor to advert the condition. Aura interpretation can also be used to improve your interaction with others. By determining the current emotional state of someone, you may prevent a negative or stressful encounter. Finally, if you desire, you can learn to provide this service to others. Helping family and friends live in greater peace and harmony with themselves,with those they encounter and with nature as a whole.
- The Anatomy of an Aura To make accurate interpretations, you must first understand the inner workings of what an aura is. Simply put, an aura is made up of 3 sections of energy. Each section serves a specific purpose and relates to a particular component of a persons life. These sections of the aura are divided further into energy layers which appear in color. Within the context of the section, each layer of color displays a characteristic of the subject. The size of an aura can vary depending on the subject, a human will have a larger auric field than the average house plant. A complete aura for a human can be between 6 to 25 feet or more all around the body. The inner-most aura extends only a few inches from the subject. This first section is usually a thin white light that outlines the entire body. Because this section is closest to the body, some people believe the compact intensity of energy generates the white color of this layer. Still others believe this is the bodies protective shield, sort of a natural force field. Like any force field it can be drained or weakened in one area, or over charged in another, thereby creating slight color or shape distortions in the aura. The mid-section generally begins 3-4 inches from the physical body and can extend outward several feet. These layers of color reflect recent emotions, personal characteristics or traits, as well as, the current well being or health of the subject. The inner section of the aura is generally the easiest to perceive. The mid-section of the aura is a little harder to see within a short amount of time. The energy can be seen, however the perception of colors may take a little longer. You can use these 2 inner sections of the aura in your every day life. Perceiving and interpreting the colors of these sections can help you deal with people at any given moment, increasing your ability to get along with others. Or by allowing you to avoid a negative or stressful situation that maybe out of your control. If you see someone with a red lightening bolt dashing from their body, you can be fairly sure they're angry or anxious about someone or something. Perhaps now is not a good time to confront them with an issue. You can examine their aura later in the day and determine if they have calmed down from the earlier encounter. Moving farther out, the third section reflects the more long lasting emotional and mental nature of the subject. The events of past lives and early memories from this lifetime are generally stored in this area. This outer section can be distinguished from the others by the lack of intensity in the color of each layer. They appear as more translucent colors and therefore are more difficult to see. Because this last section generally contains the 'hidden' history of a person, it should not be read or interpreted without permission of the individual. Just as you wouldn't prod someone into telling you secrets of their life or to discuss painful memories, the same courtesy should be extended to this outer fringe of their aura. The inner and mid-sections of the aura provide generalities that most people would not considered as too personal. But if you feel uncomfortable with treading on someone's 'space', by all means ask their permission. They may find your interest exciting and ask you to explain this second sight further. As you become proficient in your ability, these types of interpretations can be applied to your interaction with animals, plants or any situation that may arise. As long as you keep a positive intent to your 'readings', the right interpretations of these energy fields can increase your quality of life and help your interaction with others. In addition to the inner workings of the aura around living beings, some people believe objects (non- living objects) also have an aura. There is some debate concerning the cause or origin of these energy fields. Some practitioners believe the molecular structure of these objects have an energy of their own and therefore the object, such as a table, has a real aura. Others believe, the object is simply being surrounded by an energy residue from a person, animal or plant that has recently come in contact with it, such as a dog sitting in a chair. Still others believe the only non-living objects that may have an aura are electrical appliances, such as a lamp or computer. What a practitioner sees in those cases is the energy field of electricity that travels through the appliance and not the appliance itself. The aura or energy field is usually invisable to the physical vision but most people can learn to perceive it in one way or another with practice. The aura is densest close to the body and becomes finer moving away from it . Most human Auras extend from 1 to five feet out around the body. though in more spiritualy developed individuals it is said that they can extend outward up to 50 feet from the body. and even further in some cases. There are many more layers of the energy body or aura than the seven most often listed I have been told there are actually 32 but I am not in a position to count them. These aura layers are not segregated in the way the use of the word layer might seem to imply . Each layer of the aura interpenetrates the others and begins at our center. The vibration of each level becomes finer and higher as we go from the inside out. The aura levels do not correspond directly to the esoteric planes which is a whole other increadibly complex and obscure area of study. There has also been considerable confusion about the names given each of the seven most well known aura levels. These descriptions are of common ways the aura is perceived but are by no means the only or definitive description. when trying to see the aura please remember that this is subtle energy and is not a light show .While aura viewing is not a strong ability of mine I discovered that I had been seeing them fairly often but had been dismissing them as optical effects or heat waves and such ,though I am better able to feel the energy layers than to see them .The aura changes constantly it may have a predominant color in the emotional and causal layers. The way the aura is perceived can vary greatly from person to person so remarks about the layers are based on a general consensus but are by no means absolute. Size also varies greatly largely depending on the energy level of the person and the way they use that particular part of themselves. Stress, trauma and emotional pain can show as distortions and blocks in the aura long before thay manifest as illness in the physical plane. Each layer is related to the chakra of the same number. From the inside out: 1.Etheric: lower astral,root chakra, a bluish or greyish layer that extends an inch or two out from the body most associated with the phyisical body is the easiest to see . some people are able to see the etheric outlines of the internal organs . Some people see a light blue on dark blue grid. Survival issues the physical body function and physical sensation of pain, pleasure, automatic functions etc. 2.Emotional:Sacral Chakra, the emotional aspects of our lives and being. soft multi colored clouds of light visible from one to six inches out this is the layer most often described by aura readers it will show dark spots or cloudy area and stagnant areas where emotional blocks and pain etc exist 3. Mental:golden grid ,Solar Plexis Chakra, the mental body reflects the thought processes ,linear thinking. these three bodies are the lower astral and together are said to make up the personality these are said to begin to be created at conception and disolve at death. 4. Causal: multi colored clouds heart chakra ,this is the level also called the higher astral assocated with the heart.this connects the lower three level with the higher three virtualy all healing energy comes through this layer it is the layer of love both specific and universal, and the first of the spiritual layers. 5. Atmic: (Etheric template)throat chakra, the higher aspects of the will more connection with the divine will, speach and communication, listening, taking responsibility for ones own actions seen by some as a blue grid light ball around the body extending about 2 and a half out from the body. I actually saw it once long before the Book "Hands of light" came out. it has been very rare for people to be really aware of this layer but it produces a bliss and a feeling of being moved by the divine. and is becoming more open at this time.power of word, manifesting 6.Intuitive:(monadic)Brow chakra, multicolored threads of light associated with the brow chakra spiritual communication Divine Love nurturing awareness of oneself as an aspect of what is called, By some, God Love of all life and union with the all. 7.Cosmic: ball of golden or white light threads, Crown chakra, Higher mind connection with the divine and spiritual information and the integration of the spiritual and physical aspects of being.
- The physical body needs no introduction. It is of course the material body of flesh and blood; the only part of our being one whose existence is accepted by reductionist Materialism. It is the outer you, the part that is obvious to all From one perspective, the Physical body is an extraordinarily complex machine that allows all the higher levels of consciousness to manifest within the physical plane of existence, while at the same time not actually being those higher aspects of consciousness. It is like a television set; a TV-set picks up electromagnetic signals and translates them into sound and pictures of people, scenary, etc on the screen. Yet no-one believes that those people etc are actually inside the TV-set. It is the same with the physical body and consciousness. From another perspective though, the Physical body itself has its own consciousness, distinct from the mind and emotions. This is the consciousness of the body as a whole. Moreover, each organ in the body also has its own consciousness, and each tissue in each organ, each cell in each tissue, and so on. So there is a whole hierarchy of physical consciousnesses, although these are usually beneath the level of the normal waking consciousness. Thus, in the physical body, as everywhere else, there are varying degrees of consciousness. You can go right down into the consciousness of the cells and even the atoms, which is a very constricted consciousness; what Sri Aurobindo calls the Inconscient. This is the consciousness of inanimate matter itself. On a level closer to our ordinary experience, there is the biological or Organic Physical Consciousness of the physical body; the automatic organic functioning and reflexes of the body. Left to itself, the body follows its own instinctual wisdom, transmitted from the spiritual physical consciousness level. Unfortunately, human neuroticism tends to interfer by imprinting negative emotions in the body, at the level of the Emotional Physical, thus producing muscle tension, bad posture, and disease. Although permamnet cure requires going deep into the Spiritual Physical Psyche, techniques like rebirthing, body work, and primal screaming, can temporarily clear out emotional-physical blockages. Hence their popularity in the New Age movement, which is very much orientated to a gentle sensation-feeling state of consciousness. The next level further in is the Mental Physical, which involves habits and abilities the physical body learns to do by itself, without the need of supervision by the conscious ego. An example of this is touch-typing, or, on the level of the whole body, martial arts. The next level of consciousness - the Psychic Physical - is the subtle consciousness of each organ, cell, etc. This is is a natural, wholesome consciousness; what could in New Age parlance be termed a "devic" consciousness. This "devic" consciousness exists in all things, animate and inanimate. It is possible to project love to the body's devic consciousness, via the Psychic Body. ----------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------- Fig.5: Each organ has its own individual consciousness [From Itzhak Bentov, A Cosmic Book , p.19] ----------------------------------------- The higher or Spiritual Physical consciousness frequencies are increasingly transpersonal and universal in nature. They pertain to actualising spiritual and divine consciousness within the physical body itself. In addition to the "outer" physical being, there is also an Inner and a Transpersonal Physical, which are experienced through a feeling of oneness with nature and with one's surroundings. This is very much the consciousness of the modern New Age movement. It is the same physical reality as is experienced ordinarily, but in a more expansive, holistic, and intuitive manner. The attainment of Transpersonal mundane consciousness involves the extension of your consciousness (through empathy or guided meditation) until you becomes one with your surroundings, other people, creatures, and things around you, nature, planet Earth, even the whole universe. Physical Consciousness type Individual Lifestyle Secular: Hedonism, Materialism, enjoyment of material commodities Sacred: Adherence to the dictates of the Church Interaction with Environment Strength and power through belonging to loyalty to the tribe, church, state, king, etc; passive acceptance of the mass media infomation. Strength and power through being a part of a gang, clan, army, social majority (WASP etc) Physical orientation: survival instincts, and to our sense of grounding and connection to our bodies and the physical plane; health, prosperity, weath, security, and dynamic presence. Psychological orientation: Physical identity, oriented to self-preservation
- Energy-field body: The Etheric Body Expression of Consciousness: Physical sensation Statement Consciousness makes: "I feel physically" Consciousness is expressed in terms of senstations like physical pleasure or pain. Health: Natural metabolism of of energy, which maintains structure and function of etheric body; yin/yang balanced, "we're OK" Disease: Physical pain - Tangles, breaks or disruptions in the etheric layer (imbalance of yin/yang, overcharge in solar plexus Plane: Physical Plane Chakra: Base (Coccygeal) (or Muladhara) colour: Blueish Barbara Brennan on the Etheric Body The Etheric Body (First Layer) "The etheric body (from "ether" the state between energy and matter) is composed of tiny energy lines "like a sparkling web of light beams" similar to the lines on a television screen. It has the same structure as the physical body including all the anatomical parts and all the organs. The etheric body consists of a definite structure of lines of force, or energy matrix, upon which the physical matter of the body tissues is shaped and anchored. The physical tissues exist as such only because of the vital field behind them; that is, the field is prior to, not a result of, the physical body. This relationship has been supported in the observations of plant growth by Dr. John Pierrakos and myself. Through the use of High Sense Perception, we observed that an energy field matrix in the shape of a leaf is projected by the plant prior to the growth of a leaf, and then the leaf grows into that already existing form. The web-like structure of the etheric body is in constant motion. To clairvoyant vision, sparks of bluish-white light move along its energy lines throughout the entire dense physical body. The etheric body extends from one quarter to two inches beyond the physical body and pulsates about 15-20 cycles per minute. The color of the etheric body varies from light blue to gray. The light blue color has been connected to a finer form than the gray. That is, a more sensitive person with a sensitive body will tend to have a bluish first layer whereas a more athletic, robust type of person will tend to have a more grayish etheric body. All the chakras of this layer are the same color as the body. That is, they will also range between blue to gray in color. The chakras look like vortices made of a net of light, just like the rest of the etheric body. One can perceive all the organs of the physical body, but they are formed of this scintillating bluish light. As in the leaf's energy system, this etheric structure sets up the matrix for the cells to grow; i.e., the cells of the body grow along the lines of energy of the etheric matrix, and that matrix is there before the cells grow. If one were to isolate the etheric body and look only at it, it would look like a man or woman made of bluish lines of light in constant scintillation, rather like Spiderman. By observing the shoulder of someone in dim light against a plain white or plain black or dark blue background, you may be able to see the pulsations of this etheric body. The pulsation rises, say at the shoulder, and then makes its way down the arm, like a wave. If you look more closely, there appears to be a blank space between the shoulder and the blue hazy light; then there is a layer of brighter blue haze that slowly fades as it extends from the body. But be aware that as soon as you see it, it will be gone, because it moves so fast. It will have pulsated down the arm by the time you take a second look to check yourself out. Try again. You will catch the next pulsation.
- Energy-field body: The Emotional Body Expression of Consciousness: Personal emotions Statement Consciousness makes: "I feel emotionally" Consciousness is expressed in in basic emotions and reactions like fear, anger and love. Most of these emotions relate to the individual self. Health: Natural unblocked flow of feelings corresoonding with Divine Reality, creates: love Disease: Dark blocks of energy; stagnated or depleted energy, fear, anger, grief Plane: Physical Plane Chakras: Sacral and Pubic colour: Rainbow Barbara Brennan on the Etheric Body The Emotional Body (Second Layer) The second auric body, or next finer after the etheric body , is generally called the emotional body, and is associated with feelings. It roughly follows the outline of the physical body. Its structure is much more fluid than the etheric and does not duplicate the physical body. Rather, it appears to be colored clouds of fine substance in continual fluid motion. It ex- tends one to three inches from the body. This body interpenetrates the denser bodies that it surrounds. Its colors vary from brilliant clear hues to dark muddy ones, depending on the clarity or confusion of the feeling or energy that produces them. Clear and highly energized feelings such as love, excitement, joy or anger are bright and clear; those feelings that are confused are dark and muddy. As these feelings be- come energized through personal interaction, body psychotherapy, etc., the colors separate out into their primary hue and brighten. This body contains all the colors of the rainbow. Each chakra looks like a vortex of a different color and follows the colors of the rainbow. The list below shows chakras of the emotional body and their colors. Chakra 1 red 2 red-orange 3 yellow 4 bright grass green 5 sky blue 6 indigo 7 white In general, the body appears to be blobs of color moving within the matrix of the etheric field and also extending beyond it a bit. At times a person may throw off color blobs of energy into the air around him. This is especially observable when someone is releasing feelings in a therapy session.
- Energy-field body: The Mental Body Expression of Consciousness: Thinking Statement Consciousness makes: "I think" Consciousness is expressed in terms of rational thinking. Health: Clear thinking used to implement love and will Disease: Disturbance of form of mental body, dissociated thought-forms Plane: Physical Plane Chakras: diaphragm and solar plexus colour: Yellow my interpretation: Mental Body Barbara Brennan on the Mental Body The Mental Body (Third Layer) "The third aura body is the mental body. This body extends beyond the emotional and is composed of still finer substances, all of which are associated with thoughts and mental processes. This body usually appears as a bright yellow light radiating about the head and shoulders and extending around the whole body. It expands and becomes brighter when its owner is concentrating on mental processes. It extends from three to eight inches (7.5 to 20 cm) from the body The mental body is also a structured body. It contains the structure of our ideas. This body is mostly yellow. Within this field can be seen thought forms. They appear to be blobs of varying brightness and form. These thought forms have additional colors superimposed on them, actually emanating from the emotional level . The color represents the person's emotion that is connected to the thought form. The clearer and more well-formed the idea, the clearer and more well-formed is the thought form associated with that idea. We enhance these thought forms by focusing on the thoughts they represent. Habitual thoughts become very powerful well-formed forces that then affect our lives. This body has been the hardest for me to observe. This may be partly caused by the fact that human beings are really just beginning todevelop the mental body and are just beginning to use their intellects in clear ways. For that reason we are very conscious of mental activity and consider ourselves an analytical society.
- Energy-field body: The Astral Body Expression of Consciousness: I-Thou emotions Statement Consciousness makes: "I love humanly" Consciousness is experienced as strong emotions that extend beyond the self and other to encompass humanity. Health: loving: I love humanly Disease: Desires to be superior; Blocks in Astral, dark forms, stagnated energy Plane: Astral Plane (equivalent to Psychic Etheric Plane) (" Objects have fluid form, light is radiated from objects rather than reflected off them; to travel, one has to concentrate on where one wants to go and stay focused on that place. ") Chakra: 4th ( Anahata ) colour: Rainbow my interpretation: Psychic Emotional Body Barbara Brennan on the Etheric Body The Astral Level (Fourth Layer) "The astral body is amorphous and is composed of clouds of color more beautiful than those of the emotional body . The astral body tends to have the same set of colors, but they are usually infused with the rose light of love. It extends out about one half to one foot (15 to 30 cm) from the body. The chakra are the same octave of colors as the rainbow of the emotional body, but each is infused with the rose light of love. The heart chakra of a loving person is full of rose light on the astral level. When people fall in love, beautiful arcs of rose light can be seen between their hearts, and a beautiful rose color is added to the normal golden pulsations I observe in the pituitary gland. When people form relationships with each other, they grow cords out of the chakras that connect them. These cords exist on many levels of the auric field in addition to the astral. The longer and deeper the relationship, the more cords and the stronger they are. When relationships end, those cords are torn, sometimes causing a great deal of pain. The period of "getting over" a relationship is usually a period of disconnecting those cords on the lower levels of the field and rerooting them within the self. A great deal of interaction takes place between people on the astral level. Great blobs of color of various forms whisk across the room between people. Some of it is pleasant and some not so pleasant. You can feel the difference. You may feel uneasy about someone across the room who is apparently not even aware of your presence; however on another level a lot is happening. I have seen people standing next to each other in a group pretending not to notice each other, when on the energy level there is a whole communication taking place with lots of energy forms moving between them. You have no doubt experienced this yourself, especially between men and women. It is not just body language; there is an actual energetic phenomenon that can be perceived.. For example, when a man or woman fantasize about making love with someone, say in a bar or at a party, there is an actual testing in the energy fields to see if the fields are synchronous and if the people are compatible."
- Energy-field body: The Etheric Template body Expression of Consciousness: Higher Will Statement Consciousness makes: "I will" Consciousness expressed itself as higher will, with which we will things into being through naming and defining them. Plane: Spiritual Plane Chakra: Vishuddha Barbara Brennan on the Etheric Template Body The Etheric Template Body (Fifth Layer) "I call the frfth layer of the aura the etheric template because it contains all the forms that exist on the physical plane in a blue-print or template form. That is, it looks rather like the negative of a photograph. It is the template form for the etheric layer which as was already stated is the template form for the physical body. The etheric layer of the energy field derives its structure from the etheric template layer. It is the blueprint or the perfect form for the etheric layer to take. It extends from about one and one half to two feet (45 to 60 cm) from the bodu. In disease, when the etheric layer becomes disfigured, etheric template work is needed to provide the support for the etheric layer in its original template form. It is the level at which sound creates matter. It is at this level that sounding in healing is the most effective. To my clairvoyant sight, these forms appear as clear or transparent lines on a cobalt blue background, much like an architect's blueprint, only this blueprint exists in another dimension. It is as if a form is made by completely filling in the background space, and the empty space left creates the form. The etheric template is the template for the etheric body, which then forms the grid structure (structured energy field) upon which the physical body grows. Thus, the etheric template level of the universal energy field contains all the shapes and forms that exist on the physical plane, except on the template level. These exist in negative space, creating an empty space in which the etheric grid structure grows and upon which all physical manifestation exists.
- Energy-field body: The Celestial Body Expression of Consciousness: Higher Feelings Statement Consciousness makes: ""I love universally" Consciousness expresses itself as higher feelings like universal love; love that goes beyond human beings and friends into a universal love for all life. Plane: Spiritual Plane Chakra: Ajna Barbara Brennan on the Celestial Body The Celestial Body (Sixth Layer) "The sixth level is the emotional level of the spiritual plane, called the celestial body. It extends about two to two and a half feet (60 to 75 cm) from the body. It is the level through which we experience spiritual ecstasy. We can reach it through meditation and many forms of transformation work. When we reach the point of "being", where we know our connection with all the universe, when we see the light and love in everything that exists, when we are immersed in the light and feel we are of it and it is us and feel that we are one with God, then we have raised our consciousness to the sixth level of the aura. Unconditional love flows when there is a connection between the open heart chakra and the open celestial chakra. In this connection, we combine the love of humanity, our basic human love for our fellow humans in the flesh, with the spiritual ecstasy found in the spiritual love that goes beyond the physical reality to all the realms of existence. Combining these two creates the experience of unconditional love. The celestial body appears to me in beautiful shimmering light, composed mostly of pastel colors. This light has a gold-silver shine and opalescent quality, like mother of pearl sequins. Its form is less defined than the etheric template level in that it simply appears to be composed of light that radiates out from the body like the glow around a candle. Within this glow are also brighter, stronger beams of light.
- Energy-field body: The Ketheric Template body Expression of Consciousness: Higher Concepts Statement Consciousness makes: "I know. I am" Consciousness is expressed in higher concepts of knowing or belief systems. This is where the initial creative impulse begins; not just linear knowing, but integrated knowing. Plane: Spiritual Plane Chakra: Sahasrara Barbara Brennan on the Ketheric Template Body The Ketheric Template or Causal Body (Seventh Layer) "The seventh level is the mental level of the spiritual plane called the ketheric template. It extends from about two and one half to three and one half feet (75 to 105 cm) from the body. When we bring our consciousness to the seventh level of the aura, we know that we are one with the Creator. The outer form is the egg shape of the aura body and contains all the auric bodies associated with the present incarnation an individual is undergoing. This body, too, is a highly structured template. It appears to my vision as composed of tiny threads of gold-silver light of very strong durability that hold the whole form of the aura together. It contains a golden grid structure of the physical body and all the chakras. When "tuning" into the frequency level of the seventh layer, I perceive beautiful golden shimmering light that is pulsating so fast that I use the term "shimmering!' It looks like thousands of golden threads. The golden egg form extends out beyond the body some three to three and a half feet depending on the person with the smaller tip beneath the feet and the larger end about three feet above the head. It can expand even more, if the person is very energetic. The outer edge actually looks like an eggshell to me; it appears to have a thickness of about a quarter to a half inch (6 to 13 mm). This outer part of the seventh layer is very strong and resilient, resistant to penetration and protects the field just as an eggshell protects the chick. All the chakras and body forms appear to be made of golden light on this level. This is the strongest, most resilient level of the auric field. It could be likened to a standing lightwave of intricate shape and form vibrating at an extremely high rate. One can almost hear a sound when looking at it. I'm sure a sound could be heard if one meditated on such a picture. The golden template level also contains the main power current that runs up and down the spine and is the main power current that nourishes the whole body. As this golden power current pulsates up and down the spine, it carries energies through the roots of each chakra and connects the energies that are taken in through each chakra. The main vertical power current induces other currents at right angles to it to form golden streamers that extend directly outward from the body. These in turn induce other currents that circle around the field, so that the entire auric field and all the levels below it are surrounded and held within this basket-like network. This network shows the power of the golden light, the divine mind that holds the whole field together in its entirety and its integrity. In addition, in the ketheric template level are also the past life bands within the eggshell. These are colored bands of light which completely encircle the aura and can be found anywhere on the eggshell surface. The band found near the head-neck area is usually the band containing the past life that you are working to clear in your present life circumstance. Jack Schwarz speaks of these bands and how to tell their meaning by their color. The ketheric level is the last auric level in the spiritual plane. It contains the life plan and is the last level directly related to this incarnation. Beyond this level is the cosmic plane , the plane that cannot be experienced from the limiting viewpoint of only one incarnation.
- Black : Indicates hatred, negativity, depression and miserly. When this appears in an aura, it is usually localized or appears as wisps floating through the aura. Red : Can indicate fear or anger. Vibrant Red: When seen in a clear, vibrant and constant state, it represents fear or strong anxiety. Dull Red: Generally represents anger. The deeper the red, the stronger the emotion. A Consistent Red: A consistent dark red indicates a violent nature, a selfish and deceitful attitude. A Red Spike: A spike of red, either vibrant or dull in appearance, indicates the same meanings as above. However instead of representing the consistent nature of the subject, the spike indicates the sudden emotion in the current conversation or situation the subject is engaged in at that moment. Yellow : Success, creativeness, jealousy, selfishness. It has been my experience that a person with a thin line (1-4 inches) of yellow takes on the characteristics of this color in either their personal or professional life, but not both. A yellow aura wider then 5 inches, indicates characteristics in both aspects of the subjects life. Vibrant Yellow: Clear yellow denotes intelligence, wisdom, and success. Dull Yellow: A dull yellow indicates jealousy, a selfishness and negative outlook. Green : Healing Light Green shades , indicate the onset or potential for injury and the subject should be cautious for the next few weeks. Darker Green shades , generally indicate the injury has already occurred and is in the process of healing. Blue : Spiritually searching. A dissatisfaction or a feeling that there's something more. Vibrant Blue: Pride, adoration, dedication. A subject with any shade of the lighter blues is generally beginning their spiritual quest. (This does not mean a metaphysical quest, but rather a journey that will fill the 'missing' pieces of their current existence. This can just as easily be accomplished through any fundamental religion). Darker blues typically indicate the subject has found their spiritual path and is continuing their education in the chosen realm. Dull Blue: Taking life for granted, being too content, can appear to be selfish, narrow minded, arrogance, or self-righteous. There are many traits which accompany religious zeal, such as self-righteousness, dedication, pride, adoration and worship. These wide variations are usually indicated by some shade of blue. Purple: Heightened spiritual awareness, self-esteem, and high ideals. Light Purple: People with lighter shades of purple are refining or polishing their spiritual nature. They are actively working on the balance of each aspect of their lives (personal, spiritual, professional), their attitudes and acceptance of others, and their existence with other life. Mid-Dark: Teachers of their chosen spiritual path. They maybe working on a few issues of balancing, but for the most part, they are patient, kind, and willing to go out of their way for people. White : Indicates purity and/or protection. When detected in the outer layers of the aura, can indicate an area of the body which has been over energized, or is over active. The following are not primary colors, but each is associated with very strong and consistent emotions. Unlike other combination colors, these have meanings of their own and can stand on their own merits. Pink : Affection, love, enjoyment, pity, guilt. Vibrant Pink: Indicates love, affection and a resilient temperament. Dull Pink: Denotes 'care with caution', pity or guilt. Orange: Confidence, ambition, pride. Vibrant Orange: Indicates ambition, pride, self-sufficiency. Dull Orange: A lack of warmth, but a strong desire for success and popularity. Brown : Selfishness, deception, confusion or discouragement. Light Brown: Indicates confusion or discouragement. The lack of confidence in ones self, the present situation or in the subject being addressed. Dark Brown: Indicates selfishness, fault finding, and a tendency toward deception.
- Right upper hand shows aura during treatment and left before. Below two thumb photograph shows aura change before and after therapy
- Major Chakras There are seven main energy centers in the body that control the flow of energy to a being. These energy centers are known as Chakras, a Sanskrit word for wheels. They are called wheels because they rotate or spin. Each Chakra spins at different frequency, they are each represented by a different colour. The function of the Chakra is to collect energy and transform it so that the body may use it physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. The Chakra runs parallel to the spine. Each Chakra has a gland or organ associated with it. Root or base Chakra (Muldhara) Location: Base of the spine or coccyx Colour: Red Element Earth Mantra Lammmmm Plexus Pelvic Gland Adrenal Organ: Physical body, Kidney, Spinal cord Desire Physical comfort, security, biological needs and shelter Function It gives you physical vitality, will to live, instinct for self preservation Malfunction Physical diseases, weakness, low resistance, as in old age Pubic Chakra (Swadhisthan) Location: Pubis Colour: Orange Element Water Mantra Vammmmmmm Plexus Hypogastric Gland Gonads Organ: Sex organs Desire Procreation and sexual urge Function Vitalizes sexual organ Malfunction Sex related malfunction Spleen Chakra (Manipur) Location: Naval Colour: Yellow Element fire Mantra Rammmmmmm Plexus Solar Gland Spleen Organ: GIT, Liver, Desire Immortality, longevity, name, fame, power, authority, acquisition of wealth, emotions, Function Assimilates prana from atmosphere and vitalizes all organs Malfunction GI disorder, Diabetes, Mood disorders, depression Heart Chakra (Anahat) Location: Precordial region Colour: Green Element Air Mantra Yammmmm Plexus Cardiac Gland Thymus Organ: Heart, Vagus nerve Desire Love, devotion, selfless service, compassion Function Heart and circulatory system Malfunction Circulatory disorder, Anxiety, Throat Chakra (Vissuddha) Location: Base of the spine or coccyx Colour: Blue Element Akash Mantra Hammmmmm Plexus Carotid plexus Gland Thyroid Organ: Throat, Lung Desire Knowledge, creativity Function Vitalizes the lung and vocal apparatus, Malfunction Respiratory disorders Brow Chakra (Ajana) Location: Root of nose Colour: Indigo Element Mahat Mantra Ommmmmm Plexus Pineal Gland Pituitary Organ: Lower brain , left eye, nose, Desire Self realization and enlightenment Function Intuition, perception of higher frequencies Malfunction Lack of foresightedness, needs base Chakra to implement vision Crown Chakra (Sahastra) Location: Vertex Colour: White Element Plexus Neocortex Gland Pineal Organ: Upper brain , right eye Desire Spiritual will Function Unite with universal energy Malfunction Lack of spiritual development Ethical Principles of Reiki " Just for today do not worry. Just for today do not anger. Honor your parents, teachers and elders. Earn your living honestly. Show gratitude to everything." Dr. Mikao Usui
- Pubic Chakra (Swadhisthan) Location: Pubis Colour: Orange Element Water Mantra Vammmmmmm Plexus Hypogastric Gland Gonads Organ: Sex organs Desire Procreation and sexual urge Function Vitalizes sexual organ Malfunction Sex related malfunction
- Spleen Chakra (Manipur) Location: Naval Colour: Yellow Element fire Mantra Rammmmmmm Plexus Solar Gland Spleen Organ: GIT, Liver, Desire Immortality, longevity, name, fame, power, authority, acquisition of wealth, emotions, Function Assimilates prana from atmosphere and vitalizes all organs Malfunction GI disorder, Diabetes, Mood disorders, depression
- Throat Chakra (Vissuddha) Location: Base of the spine or coccyx Colour: Blue Element Akash Mantra Hammmmmm Plexus Carotid plexus Gland Thyroid Organ: Throat, Lung Desire Knowledge, creativity Function Vitalizes the lung and vocal apparatus, Malfunction Respiratory disorders
- Brow Chakra (Ajana) Location: Root of nose Colour: Indigo Element Mahat Mantra Ommmmmm Plexus Pineal Gland Pituitary Organ: Lower brain , left eye, nose, Desire Self realization and enlightenment Function Intuition, perception of higher frequencies Malfunction Lack of foresightedness, needs base Chakra to implement vision
- Crown Chakra (Sahastra) Location: Vertex Colour: White Element Plexus Neocortex Gland Pineal Organ: Upper brain , right eye Desire Spiritual will Function Unite with universal energy Malfunction Lack of spiritual development
- A Sample Healing Session This chapter will provide an excellent framework for you to follow in your healing sessions. We will systematically look at a sample session and cover exactly what is happening in each step of the process. 1. WASH YOUR HANDS IN COLD WATER. Always wash your hands in cold water before you begin a session. Your hands are the only part of you that will be touching the client. Aside from good hygiene, washing them in cold water also helps to eliminate any negative energy that may be sticking to them. Cold water has an excellent cleansing effect when it comes to energy. For applications like this, always use cold water. The Taoists have known for centuries that warm water will drive the negative energy deeply into you. Cold water, however, removes it. Your client will notice the energetic cleanliness of your hands, and it will help them to be more at ease and relaxed. 2. TAKE A MOMENT AND SAY A PRAYER OF INTENTION. Another thing many Reiki practitioners like to do before beginning a session is say a meditative prayer. This serves several purposes. First, it relaxes you which will allow you to better communicate with your angels and intuition. Second, it raises your vibration. These two, combined with relaxation, will help the energy to flow much more freely and powerfully through you. Third, it lets all of your angels, all levels of your being including your low and high selves, and the consciousness of the energy itself know what you are intending to do so that they can assist. It also allows time for your client and their angels to prepare and become more receptive to the healing. Your prayer can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it. During an attunement or an especially active healing session, many ask for the assistance of all angels, archangels, angelic choirs, ascended masters, Reiki angels, personal angels, angels from the Great White Brotherhood, and all beings of positive integration, and love and light vibration. They further ask their low (or subconscious) self to open up and assist them and to join with them in asking their higher (or superconscious) self to assist in every way. They also ask for the assistance of the angels, low, and high selves of the other's present. As you might expect, this makes for an incredible amount of manifest healing. Don't forget to thank everyone when you're finished. There are many intents which you may incorporate within your prayer. It is usually a good idea to offer the energy to the person's higher self for use in effecting their highest and best good, or positive integration. This is just another way to make the intent that the energy express itself in the way most beneficial for the person being healed. (If you are a second or third degree practitioner, trace the symbols out in your desired method before proceeding to step three.) 3. BEGIN TO TREAT WITH THE RECOMMENDED HAND POSITIONS AS OUTLINED BY YOUR INSTRUCTOR. 4. ALLOW YOUR INTUITION TO GUIDE YOU. Intuitively allow yourself to move your hands to any other areas you feel need Reiki. Please remember that this can and often does occur throughout the healing session. If you are working on a recommended position and feel that you should place your hands elsewhere, do it! It is best, however, to return to the standard positions after you have done so. CLEANSING THE LOWER LEGS Another thing some healers like to do is cleanse the person's lower body of energy after a session. Energy seems to have a way of building up from the knees down during a session, and it is often best to get rid of it before ending the session. This is done by lightly placing your hands around one of the person's legs, and pulling the energy down and out of them. Actually touch them for this exercise. Pull the energy down from just above their knee and continue pulling until your hands have gone off the bottom of their feet. Then, rapidly shake your hands, much as if they were wet and you were shaking water off of them. Next, do the other leg. Some healers do both legs at the same time, and many have an intuitive sense of when this energy is building up and perform this cleansing throughout the healing session. In some cases, people I have worked on have felt their angels performing this procedure and asked me about it. I strongly recommend using this method, especially after long and intense sessions. The energy builds up in the lower areas of the body because of the energy centers at the back of the knees and the soles of the feet. The centers at the knees are often said to relate to resistance to change. In order to keep the healing environment and the client's energy field as clean as possible during the healing, many practitioners choose to place a clear quartz crystal at each foot’s energy center to collect the energy expelled there. If you choose to adopt this method, remember to cleanse the crystals after every client you use them on. BALANCING THE ENERGY CENTERS The following is an easy method to use in balancing the energy centers. Place one hand over one center and your other hand over a different one. Don't cross your hands or arms over the top of each other during this exercise. Shortly after your hands are in place, you will most likely begin to notice that there is a stronger "pull" in one hand than in the other one. You will also notice that this will balance out if you leave your hands in place. It is not uncommon for the pull to reverse and become greater in the other, formerly "quiet" energy center, before the two are balanced. Energy centers form an interdependent system. This means that you can't effect one without effecting the others as well. Use this method to treat each center until there is an equal pull regardless of where your hands are placed. When treating two centers at a time you will occasionally find that emotional issues arise in the person you are working on. This is especially true when working on what is commonly referred to as the second chakra (the sexual chakra) in combination with the heart, solar plexus, or root chakra. To better understand what is happening and what to do, refer to the chapter on emotional healing. 5. ENDING THE HEALING SESSION. Keep in mind that when you are working on someone their energy field is being extensively manipulated. After a session be sure to smooth it out. There are several methods to use in doing so. I find that it works best to simply smooth it out like the sheets on a bed. This is done by moving your hands all around their body from the top of their head down to their feet with your hands about five inches off of their skin. Make sure you are thorough. Some people like to use swirls to smooth out an aura after a session. This process is often called "sealing", and is most commonly done in small counterclockwise motions. I do not recommend this procedure because often it brings the energy centers back out of alignment. This occurs because during the process, the practitioner's hands move directly over each center and can change the rotational pattern of centers which are vortices. 6. "CUTTING THE CORD" Anytime that you work on someone, you create a "cord" or "fiber" of energy which connects you to them. If you leave it in place after a session, the person will continue to draw energy from you. By this I don't necessarily mean Reiki. More often than not, the energy they draw will be your personal energy. When you were working on them, you had established a harmonic resonance between them and the Reiki energy. That resonance, however, slowly dissipates as they return to their normal chores, though it can last for hours after the session depending upon their specific energetic makeup. Because that resonance is gone, however, they are no longer in tune with the Reiki energy. The cord that connects you is a harmonic of your personal energy and theirs. Because of this, they are more likely to draw your personal energy "through" it if you don't take the time to "cut the cord". Massage therapists, and others who deal regularly with touching the public, often report drains of personal energy which I and many others feel are attributable to this effect. It is always best to break this cord at the conclusion of a healing. The simplest way is to wash your hands in cold water. Not only will it cleanse your hands of any personal energy you may have picked up from them, but it will effectively break the link that has been created between you. It is also a good idea to visualize the cord between you and your client strongly in your mind and cut it either by visualizing a knife cutting through it or by doing so with your hand. See your end of the cord dissolve back into you, and the client's end go back into them. Make sure no trace of the cord remains. If it does, simply do the visualization again until the cord is completely gone. Other ways to ground the energy and break the cord include: placing your hands on wood (especially live trees), placing your hands on the earth, and pressing your hands together in a prayer type fashion for thirty seconds to one minute. BEFORE THE CLIENT LEAVES Make sure that you do your best to respect the client after the session. Some clients will want to talk, others will want to be left alone for a few minutes. Give them the time and/or space that they need. It's often nice to have a warm cup of caffeine free tea waiting for them. Remember that they have just been through a powerful healing experience. Be certain to tell your client what to expect before you send them on their way. Inform them that healing will take place long after they leave your office. Also be sure to tell them that their feces may smell quite a bit more than usual so that they will not be alarmed if this is the case. If you followed the recommended hand positions, you spent quite a while in the area of their intestines and colon. This will tend to clean those areas out and in the process will eliminate things which have been there for some time. Those things tend to smell. Also make certain that you tell them to drink plenty of water. Their body will want all the water it can get as it purifies and heals itself. AFTER THE CLIENT LEAVES When the client is gone, take a few moments for yourself. Allow time for your consciousness to process the experience and become centered. Also, make sure that you drink plenty of water as your body will want it, too. As a healer, it is important that you take time for yourself. I know that it can be difficult to turn down sessions when people really need them, but if you don't remain centered, rested, and charged, you won't be able to help anyone. Always take care of yourself, the healer, before you take care of your clients.
- Treating without Touching Some Reiki practitioners and masters give complete treatment sessions without ever touching their clients. The effects of this kind of treatment are very powerful as Reiki effects the person's energy field first, circulates through them removing negative blocks, and then enters the physical body to heal on its level. Because of the effectiveness of this method, I've listed the primary techniques below, in order of use, so that you can integrate them into your own sessions. THE AURA SWEEP This is a very common technique to use in balancing someone's energy field as well as in cleansing the surface of their aura of negative energy. Have the person stand a few feet away from you (this is best done outdoors, on the bare earth). Now, sweep your hands from above the top of their head, to the ground beneath them, and back several times. Do this by stretching your arms out in front of you with your fingers together and pointing at the person you are working on. As you sweep them from head to toe, visualize beams of energy coming from the tips of your fingers and passing through the person, removing all negative energy as they do so. When you are done, shake your hands, as if you are shaking water from them, and ground the energy by cleansing yourself in one of the ways mentioned in the chapter on conducting a session. The easiest ways to ground yourself are washing your hands off in cold water, pressing them together in a prayer type fashion for a minute or so, or placing them directly on the earth for a thirty seconds to a minute. PROJECTING This procedure goes by many different names and there are, likewise, many different styles and techniques of practicing it. It is primarily an Eastern technique which is very common in both individual and group use in Chinese methods of healing with energy. The Reiki energy makes it very simple to use. Essentially, it involves sending your client energy by channeling or projecting it through your hands, while standing several feet away from them. In the Eastern systems which use methods like this, the energy has traditionally been sent through the tips of the fingers, but in Reiki the palms of the hands may also be used. Intuitive research has indicated that a slightly larger beam of energy is emitted from the tips of the fingers, rather than the palms, during this technique, but a difference in effectiveness has not been ascertained. Personally, I prefer to use the palms. If you are a first degree practitioner, simply hold your hands out in front of you with either the finger tips or palms facing toward the client and intend to send energy to them. Although you will be outside of many levels of their energy field, their aura is a vast system and you will still be well within its outer layers. Because of this, the energy you are sending will be circulated throughout many of its levels and will concentrate where needed, often in several areas at once. When used in this fashion, Reiki energy often fills nearly all of the person's energy field. If you are a second or third degree practitioner, you may use the above method as it is written, or add the symbols and their energy to it. This can be done by actually tracing them out before you send the energy, or by simply visualizing them as you do so. As always, I recommend using the symbols so that as wide a spectrum of energy as possible is available during the session. It is often true that the more energy you can make available, the more successful the healing will be. You may also wish to experiment with visualizing the distant symbol while you are projecting energy to the client. This is not necessary, but may add some additional power by helping you to focus your intent more clearly. I do recommend using a mantra such as, "I am a channel of pure Reiki (or healing) energy for _____." This will also do wonders for assisting you in focusing on the healing being performed. Finally, you may also wish to consider actually doing a distant healing on your client before beginning the sessions. This can even be given to them as they are on their way to you. It will greatly assist in preparing them energetically and psychologically for the healing session. In this application it will have a similar effect as projecting. SCANNING The physical portion of this procedure is more commonly called "sensing" or "cool-cleansing". This is because through a combination of intent, intuition and sensitivity to energy, "cool" spots are located in a person's body and energy field, and are removed. These spots are often places of blocked energy or manifested illness and are usually among the first areas treated in a "hands-off" healing. Removal of these blocks will often increase the client's ability to draw energy and integrate it during the session so that later the energy can be focused in other places where it is needed. Needless to say, as with most techniques in this book, you can use this procedure on yourself as well. The actual procedure is quite simple. First, state your intent clearly. Tell your angels, as well as all levels of yourself that you are looking for the places in the person's body and energy field which need healing the most. Tell them that you are also looking for areas which would be beneficial to work on before the rest of the healing takes place. Next, while standing on the person's right side, place your left hand 1-6 inches above the person's body. I recommend using your left hand, simply because in most people it is the one which is the most receptive. The left side of the body is noted for drawing external energy into the human energy field. You may begin this procedure from either the top of the person's head, or from the bottoms of their feet. In either case, slowly and systematically move your hand to the other end. As you do so, pay very close attention to the sensations in your hand. In different areas, you may feel the aforementioned coolness, but I also commonly feel tingling, heat, drawing sensations, etc. Like projecting, scanning is a very common procedure (also closely tied in origin to Eastern energetic healing, though now used extensively in the Therapeutic Touch type methods of healing) and there are a number of sources on it which list the above sensations, along with many others. Any irregularity in the person's energy field is a sign that you want to stop scanning for a moment and work on that area. The treatment can be done by either placing both hands together (side by side) and holding them 1-6 inches above the suspect area, or by placing your hands directly on the person's body in that area. Use your intuition to determine which you feel is right to do. When the area is finished drawing energy, remove your hands and continue to scan from where you left off. Again, treat with this method systematically from head to toe. If you choose to simply bring your hand down (or up) the center of the client's body instead of zigzagging all over it, two additional things become necessary. First, you must be much more sensitive to the energy in your hand, and second, when you feel the slightest distortion, you must move your hand off its central track and attempt to "hone-in" on the block you are sensing. Unless related to a specific chakra, the blocks will rarely be located in the center section of the body. Be certain to pay careful attention to all sections of the intestines and colon. Though many of the people attracted to a healing system such as Reiki have hands which are very sensitive to energy, there are quite a few who are not. There are many other ways of scanning the body other than with the hands. Another very common method used the pendulum. If you plan on using this method and have not used a pendulum in the past, I recommend that you go down to your local holistic book store and browse through the titles that they have on the subject. Pick a favorite book, or two, and dig in. To use the pendulum in scanning, simply replace the sensing hand with it. Hold the pendulum so that its tip is 1-6 inches above the surface of the body and systematically test the entire body. This is not the recommended method because it takes much longer than hand scanning. Time is needed to calm the pendulum in each location and it can take quite some time to hone in on all of the areas you are searching for. Still, it is a very effective alternative to hand scanning. Another effective alternative is visualization. This takes a great deal of trust, however it is an excellent tool to use in developing inner vision. Simply allow yourself to become relaxed, hold your palms out towards the person you are working on, and allow the visualization of their energy field to come into your mind. Now, ask to be shown the areas which should be treated first. Allow your intuition to guide your visualization, and pay careful attention to any spots in the body and energy field visualization which change. In time, it may be possible to develop clairvoyant vision using this method. Often times, the problems will be revealed to you in colors and shapes which depict great meaning, so be sure to watch every detail carefully. The final scanning method is by far the easiest, but is limited to second and third degree Reiki practitioners. It is done by casually tracing the power symbol out over the client. I love to use this method and its accuracy is astounding! Stand a few feet back from the client, or at their feet if they are laying down. Now, close your eyes and in a fairly rapid manner, trace out a power symbol over the client. Allow it to have as many spirals as it likes, and then when it is done being traced, open your eyes and look down your arm to see where it is pointing. This is where the center of the vortex ended up, and it is also an area which is in need of attention. I commonly do this three times before a healing, asking where I should begin, then where to work as the second position, and finally where to work at for the third. From there, I either follow the hand positions in order, or go by intuition. "HANDS-OFF" TREATMENT The roots of this method, as well as the projecting method of treatment, are found in the healing traditions of many cultures world-wide. Huna, Chinese energy medicine, traditional magick, and the increasingly common Therapeutic Touch type techniques all contain a wealth of information about this method. Hands-off treatment involves giving a full session without ever actually touching the client. To use this method, simply hold your hands 1-6 inches above the client exactly as you would if you were giving a traditional "hands-on" treatment, and proceed to allow the energy to flow through you. In doing so, you are treating with your hands in the client's energy field. As previously mentioned, this allows the Reiki energy to flow more freely and easily to the areas where it is needed and may give it a greater ability to work on many different levels and places at once. Allow your intuition to guide how high above the body you place your hands in each position. Traditional theory has said no more than three inches. This is because within the 1-3 inch range, you are still working primarily on the etheric body, which is the mould of the physical. By working on this level, you can easily prevent illness before it manifests, and more readily heal the physical body. Energy healing has come a long way in recent years and although major emphasis is still placed on healing the physical body, an expanded understanding of what lies behind the manifestation of disease has also began to come about. Because of this, other (such as the mental and emotional) levels of the energy field are now given attention with the understanding that healing on these levels will produce great change on the etheric and physical levels as well. Needless to say, because of the harmonic principles involved in energetic healing, higher levels such as the spiritual bodies will be effected as well. By extending treatment to projecting, much more of the energy field is worked on. Likewise, recent research has found that the area of 1-6 inches above the body produces tremendous mental and emotional healing as well as powerful physical and etheric level healing. As always, listen to your intuition. If it tells you to place your hands two feet above the person, DO IT! You are still well within various levels of their energy field. Note Traditional hands-on Reiki healing works on all levels of a person as well, though many feel that "hands-off" treatment is a faster and more direct means to the same end. Additional studies, research, and discussion is currently being conducted into these questions.
- Energy Flow The first thing a healer needs to know is how to hold her hands. Both hands, held palms down, are always used in Reiki. Fingers and thumbs are extended and held together. They are placed on the Reiki positions, and rested gently there, completely relaxed and with no exerted pressure. The life force energy, or Ki, that produces the healing flows through the Chakras in the centres of the palms and the tips of each finger. If for someone both hands cannot be placed in position, place one hand on the position and the other somewhere else on the body. Both hands must be on the receiver’s body, or held just above it, for the energy to activate and come through. Though the hands are always used in Reiki healing, they are not the only place Reiki energy flows from. Once you have had the Reiki 1 attunement, it is a surprise to find that the energy can flow through any part of your body. If the soles of your bare feet are resting against your dog and you have the intent to use the Reiki the energy flows through the soles of your feet and the dog receives the benefit. Resting your feet in bed on your mate's leg or back also brings forth the energy in this way, if you intend to do healing. Shiatsu therapists may find the energy flowing as they use their elbows to create massage pressure. Energy through the hands can happen at other times than in healing, too. My artist friends with Reiki tell me that the energy turns on when they are doing their art. New Reiki I's often report their hands growing hot at odd times, and this may happen for the first few weeks. If you are sitting close to someone who needs the energy, your hands may heat up, also. This can be somewhat embarrassing in movie theatres, but unless you tell them, they never know. If it happens with friends, ask if they'd like a healing-they will swear that you are psychic. Reiki can activate when your hands are resting on your own body. Take advantage of the suggestion.
- Sensation of channelling Reiki Reiki is almost always accompanied by some sensory change in the body, which would not arise if one were not channelling energy. Initially the most common sensation experienced with Level 1 Reiki is tingling in the hands and fingers, or soreness around the neck or shoulders. This is caused by the channels open ing and more energy coming to these parts of the body. You may also notice energy in other areas of the body. You may also pick up other people’s aches and pains for a few seconds. In the beginning it is difficult to differentiate between which sensations belong to the practitioner, and which sensations belong to the client. However, once the practitioner has given three or four Reiki treatments he/she will be able to identify how the energy affects him/her and those sensations that are not normal or familiar to the practitioner are symptoms that he/she is picking up from the client. When a practitioner first starts channelling, Reiki for example, the energy could concentrate in the stomach area. This could last for two to three months. For roughly the next two months it could concentrate in the head. Therefore, if energy goes to other areas of your body, you can be confident that this is information being receiver from the client. The energy moving through the arms and hand create physiological changes resulting in a change in temperature. Sometimes the arms get hot, sometimes very cold. Sometimes the hands can seem very hot to the practitioner but icy cold to the client. This happens mainly when treating the back of the head. Reiki can often appear cold when the client’s energy is very low and often warms up as his/her energy improves after a few Reiki sessions. The most common effect of Reiki is to induce relaxation and sleep. This is felt not only by, the client but also by the practitioner as the energy is drawn into the client through the practitioner. A certain amount of the Reiki energy will remain in the practitioner and will have a relaxing and healing effect on the practitioner. Often the only difference between giving and receiving a Reiki session is that the client receiving the Reiki energy can go off to sleep while the practitioner/ for the most parts must remain alert. It is a mutually healing and relaxing experience for both the practitioners as both receive the Reiki energy. During a Reiki session a practitioner can become one with the-spiritual, physical, emotional and/or mental state of the client for brief moments. It is very important to become aware of one's own state on all these levels so that the practitioner can differentiate between his/her own processing and that of the client. It is a great help to experience the client’s symptoms both from an academic and a humanitarian point of view. The practitioner should thank the energy for bringing this information and, if it does not leave quickly, ground it through their grounding cords. If the symptoms persist, then they are usually that the practitioner is healing within himself or herself. During the Reiki session the energy within the client the practitioner become one. This means that if the client’s mind is overactive, the practitioner mild will also have a tendency to become overactive. Should the client be depressed, the practitioner may also feel depressed. Should the client have a heart problem, the practitioner may notice his/her own heart behaving strange. The only those symptoms that the energy feels is important for the practitioner to be aware of will pick up not every single symptom. Sometimes symptoms are felt by the practitioner that the client is unaware of it. The process of the practitioner feeling the client’s symptoms is called melding . The practitioner cannot pick up long term disease or dysfunction. For example, if a client comes to the practitioner with arthritis of his or her back, the practitioner may feel the pain in his/her back for a few minutes during the treatment, but will not go on to develop arthritis as a result of giving the treatment. There is an array of sensations you can feel in the hands, and you soon discover that a certain sensation very often means a particular condition is present in the client tissues. If you sense that nothing’s all is happening, this generally means that the client’s tissues are not taking much energy. This is especially true if you notice that Reiki is not flowing through your body. Sometimes the practitioner may not notice much energy flowing in his/her own hands, but will notice energy flowing in his/her body. This means that the client is receiving energy The temperature of the practitioner’s hands may change giving rise to either a sensation of warmth or coldness. This is an indication that energy is flowing. There may be tingling in the practitioner’s fingers and hands. This usually occurs in the first few months following Reiki training and this indicates that the practitioner’s channels are opening up and becoming more available. Sometimes a pulse is felt in the client's tissue beneath the practitioner’s hands. This indicates that the tissue here is healing and that the client’s energy pathways are re-opening in that particular area of the body. This is known as the therapeutic pulse. Sharp pains, either in the hands themselves, or shooting up the practitioner’s arms that exit at the elbow joint or shoulder joints indicates the release of swelling in the client’s tissues. This is mostly felt when there is a swelling of the nerve tissue. Sometimes the energy oscillates in a continuous motion from one of the practitioner’s hands to the other. This usually means that a large area of tissue is affected, and trapped energy is releasing. Occasionally a practitioner will feel nauseous treating a client. This usually means that toxins of some kind are Present throughout the client's whole body. The practitioner may want to treat such a client for shorter periods. Nausea can also be an indication of emotional blockages in the client, especially in the abdominal area. The practitioner should be aware of his/her own emotional mental and spiritual states so that he/she can distinguish between those, which belong to the practitioner, and those, which belong to the client. ENERGY SENSITIVITY When some people are first attuned, they may feel nothing at all in their hands. Others are very sensitive to the energy and notice it immediately. If you are one of the prior, remember to leave your hands in each position for five to ten minutes when performing healing. Again, listen to your intuition. Many people who cannot feel the draw of energy in their hands are told in other ways where to place their hands and how long to leave them there. If at first you're not as sensitive to the energy as you would like, ask your angels for assistance in increasing your sensitivity to the energy. In time, nearly everyone becomes sensitive to it in one way or another. As you begin to notice how the energy draws, you will most likely notice that it does so in a kind of a bell curve fashion. As you place your hands in position, there goes from being no draw, to a slight draw which typically builds up to a substantial draw, and then slowly back down to a trickle again. If you keep your hands in place it is likely that the cycle will repeat itself many times in succession. Some healers prefer to ride it out, while others remove their hands after the first draw is over. To me this experience suggests that when you first place your hands on a position, a harmonic resonance is created between the energy of the person you are working on and the Reiki energy. The draw begins in earnest as they become more attuned to its vibration. When the area has taken in most of the energy it needs, a decline begins. This is the time when balancing occurs in the person's energy field. It is interesting to note that sensitive people often say that the flow continues and even in many cases grows stronger after the healer's hands are removed. This happens, most likely, because a harmonic resonance has been created between the person and the Reiki energy. Reiki is everywhere and it is likely that they continue to draw it for a period of time directly from the space around them. You are in one sense making the space your hand occupied on their body a magnet for the energy. When your hands are removed they continue to attract it. The space you are healing in becomes very charged with Reiki energy so there is a great deal of it for them to draw from. Reiki also does wonders for developing your intuition. Before long you will be relying far more on your inner knowing than on the information contained here or anywhere else.
- Chakra Balancing Placing your hand about 12cm above each Chakra and silently saying the appropriate affirmation does balancing the Chakra. Start from base Chakra and move up one by one as energy moves upward in Chakra system. Placing both hand over sole after end of session is also a good way to balance Chakra and energize whole body.
- The Benefits of Whole-Body Reiki A Reinforcing Effect The whole body Reiki is used to treat the whole body to achieve the relaxation and with it the removal of blockages in energy flow and the dispersal of toxins. Long-term whole-body Reiki will restore the general condition of the body. The energy channels are opened to allow the body to deal properly and naturally with both stress and the build-up of toxins. It will help you to cope with anxiety and depression. Reiki therapy is also useful if you are recovering from an illness. Reiki will provide the additional energy to bolster recovery and will reinforce the effects of any other method of natural healing. It can be used as a supplementary therapy as it is a truly complementary system of treatment . Reduction of Side-Effects Reiki therapy can be a very useful adjunct for anyone taking a course of drugs. It can help reduce some side effects and generally aid the body in recovery when the course has been completed. Post-operative recovery will benefit from Reiki and it can also help after chemotherapy. In all these cases Reiki therapy supplies that extra life energy, enabling the body to bounce back more quickly from the burdens of surgery and chemicals. In some cases, use of Reiki therapy after an operation will lessen pain. It will accelerate the natural healing processes. The key to success is that the therapy be undertaken on a regular basis. When a person is enjoying good health, the regular therapy increases the body's built-in defences, which manifests itself as a confidence and outward harmony in dealing with everyday events. It bestows a greater ability to deal with stressful situations. You will gain a positive outlook on life. Once the blockages and toxins have been removed from the system, the scope for personal advancement and growth becomes available. In general, the better metabolic functioning afforded by Reiki therapy means that benefits and improvements may be experienced in many ways.
- Group Healing In Dr. Hayashi's clinic in Japan, the practitioners worked in teams. Group sessions involve several Reiki practitioners working on one client all at the same time. This has the benefit of allowing many people to be treated more rapidly. It is also a blissful and pleasant experience. Groups generally consist of 2 to 8 practitioners. To organize a group, designate someone the leader. That person does the head positions. Divide up evenly the remaining positions with the other practitioners. Have people change positions at the same time as instructed by the leader. This way everyone starts and finishes about the same time. Reiki "Shares" is times when a group of Reiki practitioners get together and share Reiki group healing sessions together.
- Duration of treatment Generally speaking, the longer a pathology or condition has existed, the longer it takes to correct it. When Reiki is given immediately after an accident has occurred, for instance, provided no bones are broken, it alleviates the condition immediately. However, when the condition has been there for six or seven days, it will take approximately six treatments to heal. When chronic conditions are treated i.e. those conditions that have existed in the body for longer than three months, they will take longer to heal. In such instances it is recommended that the client receives four consecutive sessions, preferably one each day, then two sessions per week for four weeks, and then, if the client needs further treatment, once a week. At this stage he/she may decide to do a Reiki course and treat him/her self or continue to visit the practitioner on a weekly basis as well as treating him/her self-daily. For chronic conditions, it is impossible to say exactly how long it will take to alleviate the symptoms. For chronic illnesses, it is better to treat the hole body For localized aches and pains it is sufficient to treat the affected area alone. When there is a localized condition, e.g., a broken ankle, it is appropriate to work on that area only. At other times the practitioner may work at three or four different areas, e.g., for sinus problems,, use the head, positions. You should always remember that pain could be referred. This means that the cause of pain and the experience of it may be in two different places in the body. This is one of the main reasons why a medical practitioner should always see the client before being treated by a Reiki practitioner. The most common sites of referred pain are: Origin Site of referral Heart Chest and left arm Abdominal pain Left shoulder Neck Arms, head or lower back Lower back Pelvis, hips and legs When pain is referred, it is best to treat P0th the site of the pain and the Origin of the pain.
- The Result of treatment Reiki works as long as the person is willing to draw it in, and if, on a soul level, it is time for healing to take place. However, Reiki works on four planes of existence: the physical; mental; emotional, and spiritual. It may sometimes take an apparently convoluted route in healing, and this is something that the practitioner cannot control. For example, if a client were treated for whiplash, he/she may feel, after four se sessions s, that his/her pain has not diminished but that he/she is sleeping better, has more energy and feels that he/she can cope with life more easily. Typically, after four more Sessions the pain improves and the neck movement increases. In this case it seems that in order to release the physical blockage, the shock needs to be released first from the emotional body. If methods other, than Reiki are used a client quite often has the physical ability to move his/her neck, for example, but is reluctant to, do so. 'This is possibly because the shock has not been removed from the body. Conversely Reiki may work on the 'Physical level from the start, but on an area of the body other than that where the symptoms are located. Quite often when client comes with knee problems, the energy will work on the lower back. This is because the cause of the knee problem animates from the back, and the effect is experienced in the knee. Reiki will always go to the cause of the problem. When treating clients with Reiki you should notice some response to the treatment after four or five sessions. The first three treatments may make the symptoms more pronounced, but this is quite normal with any treatment technique as increases blood flow to the damaged area. However, after four or five treatments the client should notice some improvement. Once improvement is experienced it is an indication to carry on with further treatments. If the client is not happy with the results, discontinue after five sessions. If the condition has existed in the body for longer than three months, it may be necessary to give six treatments before the client can experience any improvement in his/her condition. When in doubt, continue treatment for up to six sessions before discontinuing it.
- Best time to Reiki myself. The body is most receptive to Reiki when it is warm and relaxed. The body takes in more Reiki just before you get out of bed in the morning than at any other time. It also takes in considerable amounts of energy when you wake up during the night. Every time you wake up, place your hands on yourself wherever you feel energy is needed. You can Reiki yourself anywhere sitting in a chair, chatting, reading a book, watching television or a video or at a concert. The more energy you have the more you can achieve in life. During holiday, you can Reiki for longer to make up for the years of not doing Reiki. For most people Reiki has a relaxing, sedative effect and assist in promoting sleep. Some people find that Reiki acts as a stimulant and those people should Reiki themselves in the morning only.
- Self Treatment with Reiki With Reiki it is quite possible to treat oneself as well as others. Treating oneself is simply placing your own hands on yourself and intending for the energy to run. By treating oneself you can more quickly know what the experience of receiving Reiki is like. Comfort is sometimes harder to arrange depending on where the energy is needed. Being inventive most of the places in ones body can be reached. For those body parts, which cannot be reached one, can try the remote healing techniques to do a remote healing to you. You should work on yourself for a minimum of 2o minutes each day five minutes on the pelvis, five minutes on the abdomen, five minutes on the chest and five, minutes on the head. This treats all the main organs and glands in the body, However, if there is a weakness in, any particular area of the body, it is preferable to stay working on that area until the energy here balances with the energy in the rest of the body. The longer you spend Reikiing yourself, the healthier you will become. There is no danger of over-treating yourself Though information about self healing is scattered throughout this text, I thought that at least a few additional words should be dedicated to it. Quite a bit about this has been said in the sections on second degree Reiki, especially in relation to the expanded tools it has to offer. This chapter, however, is meant to address something far less commonly discussed within the Reiki community. Anytime that you work with Reiki, the energy pours through you and heals you on many levels. It does not matter if you are in meditation, working on yourself, another person, or giving or receiving an attunement. One of the nicest things about Reiki is that it isn't necessary for you to do anything special as you channel the energy. And, deep relaxation is very common when giving treatments, which is excellent for those needing stress relief. During this time it is quite normal for practitioners to experience all the things which clients report, including recall of past lives and significant emotional imprints from the past. It is important to realize that these things arise because they are being healed. There is no need to worry about the client you are working on during these moments. Concern yourself with the self healing you are experiencing and allow it to fully manifest. This is one of the greatest things about practicing this system. You are healed every bit as much as those who come to you for treatment. Keep in mind that you cannot heal anyone, you can only allow and assist people in healing themselves. In many ways, you are simply the part of themselves that they need to access in order to heal themselves. The universe is a giant interconnected web. Because of this, you will receive as much healing from the sessions as your clients do. It is simply the flow of energy in the universe. There is an interesting theory which states that the most effective healer for an individual disease is someone who has beaten that very disease themselves. This theory also holds that it is very unlikely that someone can fully heal someone else that has a similar disease to their own. This theory suggests that people do not have a certain disease state because they have access to the correct energies which keep it at bay. Therefore, someone without the disease can be a stronger channel for the energy a person needs, as they have no (or fewer) blocks to the needed energy in their system. Likewise, someone who has beaten that specific disease state may have an even stronger ability to draw the energy in and be more powerfully attuned to it because they have already powerfully manifested it in their own life. This may be one reason why some of Reiki's most traditional teachers stressed the importance of healing yourself before working on others. Most healers take time each day to work on themselves, as well. When you do this, again, be very receptive to what arises. Also, pay careful attention to any sensations you feel in your body. By this, I mean both where your hands are and other places in your body where you feel the energy working. You will learn far more about healing by working on yourself, and carefully observing the flow of energy and how it manifests, than by working on others. When strong emotions arise while working on yourself, you have the opportunity to notice what parts of your body are effected by them. This can be of great benefit in self-healing, because it gives you the opportunity to notice where, and how you store energy. It also allows you to see which emotions you have problems dealing with, where they go after you've suppressed them, and how they effect your body, mind, and spirit.
- How will Reiki I affect life The following are the change experience following, Level I. a. Increased sensitivity to alcohol, drugs, sugar and medication as much smaller amounts of the substances now achieve the same effect as a larger amount would, bland Positions in Reiki have previously b. Increased intuition. Heightened dream life more colour, shape and information in dreams than previously experienced. d. Greater physical safety, even to the extent that inanimate objects, such as cars, behave in such a way as to keep the practitioner safe. e. A greater feeling of oneness with children plants animals and nature. It, as it were, cracks the code on life and reduces separation. f. A tendency towards vegetarianism. Greater impact in life, both personally and professionally. Some changes in heartbeat may be noticed since the Reiki strengthens the heart as it passes through to the hands. These changes can occur even when the practitioner is not practising Reiki.
- The 21 Day Cleansing Cycle When you receive your Reiki attunements you may experience some cleansing. Cleansing can be emotional release, your body purifying itself of toxins, illnesses healing, or letting go of problems. I have known some people to report dark heavy urine or loose stools following and attunement. It is my understanding that "Cleansing" was not taught as a part of Usui's original teachings. Some people do experience cleansing to some degree. My experience is that most people might experience mild symptoms, while others experience no cleansing at all. Some schools teach that the cleansing occurs in a 21 day cleansing cycle. Other masters teach that there is a "healing crisis" that can occur. Presumably implying that the attunements are so powerful that they can precipitate a severe emotional release in some people which can be a "crisis" Cleansing is nothing to worry or fear. It is unique for each person. It has been my observation that people tend to cleanse based on their expectations to a certain degree. People told that it is a mild process tend to have mild experiences. People told they might have a crisis mat live up to those expectations. Since Reiki can do no harm, and always works for the highest good of the person receiving it, then it must follow that whatever happens must be what you need and appropriate for you. What most people experience following an attunement is feelings of joy, relaxation, bliss, some spaciness and euphoria for a day or two. Knowing that his might occur is important for people to know. That way if they experience some of the cleansing they are not unaware of what is occurring and are prepared for it.
- First step of any communication is formation of thought , idea or emotion which has a meaning or purpose. Evolution of human being from animal is due to our ability to communicate. We are superior to any animal due to this unique quality. Communication , the process of sharing ideas, information, and messages with others in a particular time and place. Communication includes writing and talking, as well as nonverbal communication (such as facial expressions, body language, or gestures), visual communication (the use of images or pictures, such as painting , photography , video, or film), and electronic communication (telephone calls, electronic mail, cable television, or satellite broadcasts). Communication is a vital part of personal life and is also important in business, education, and any other situation where people encounter each other.
- Mechanism of intelligent communication Communication needs input from 5 senses and probably extrasensory receptors. Next step is integration of information and expression can be emotional or meaning full ideas. Physical expression can be verbal language, music or gesture, dancing . Symbolic expression can be writing or drawing. Expression can also be imaginary Visual symbolic or Yantra and verbal counterpart or mantra. Upper half of communication is physical communication. Lower half is metaphysical.
- Communication takes several steps before we express meaningfully. Left brain of human being has evolved to do this function. It
- First step is a formation of stimuli with some pattern which is recognized by sense organs and interpreted by brain and expressed by our motor system.
- First step is a formation of stimuli with some pattern which is recognized by sense organs and interpreted by brain and expressed by our motor system.
- Early forms of communication We can trace humankind's use of pictorial symbols, or pictograms as they are often called today, to abstract prehistoric markings inscribed on rocks and the walls of caves. By 2,000 B.C., the Egyptians had created simplified images that eventually led to the replacement of symbolic pictures with phonetic writing. Over the centuries, languages evolved, adding enormous variety to the communication process. With over one hundred languages and six thousand dialects in the world today, international communication has become overwhelmingly complex Pictures and meaning. In a pictographic system of writing, what you see is what you get. Thus, a picture (pictogram) of a house means "house" whether one reads it in English, Turkish, or any other language. An ideographic script extends the meaning of selected pictures (ideograms) to concepts that are either impossible or very difficult to present with the help of a simple drawing. For example, a picture of the sun in an ideographic system might be also read as "heat," "hot," or "white." To read such a system, one does not have to know the language but must be familiar with all symbolic values. Only with the phonetic (a syllabic or alphabetic) system is knowledge of the language necessary to read the script. While Americans have no problem understanding a sign reading "MORE 4 LESS," the same sign makes little sense to those who do not know English well and translate it word by word (i.e., "MORE number four LESS"). Here, 4 actually stands for a preposition, "for," not for the number, "four." Both words are pronounced the same way, so using 4 on a sign saves space and is visually attractive. Something similar happened with the Sumerian introduction of syllabic signs to the pictographic/ideographic script. Due to the nature of their language, pictograms and ideograms of many short words were used to form phonetically dissimilar words unrelated to the pictures. To understand this, consider the three illustrations in the diagram on page 000. The first illustration shows a pictogram for EYE (pronounced "I") added to a pictogram for DOLL to produce a word: IDOL. That is, I plus DOL[L] equals IDOL. Similar reasoning applies to the second example, a pictogram for CAT added to a pictogram for CHAIR, producing CATCHER. Some new words can result from a combination of pictograms with ideograms, as in the third example. A pictogram for CAR is combined with an ideogram for MUSICAL NOTES to produce CARTOON. Since a picture for MUSICAL NOTES is an ideogram, it can be read as music, song, and "TUNE," and so forth. Thus, CAR + TUNE = CARTOON. Once syllabic signs were developed for the purpose of writing, each and every thought could be recorded and transmitted over long distances, both in terms of space and time Symbols and Alphabets Most languages also have a written form. The oldest records of written language are about 5000 years old. However, written communication began much earlier in the form of drawings or marks made to indicate meaningful information about the natural world. The earliest artificially created visual images that have been discovered to date are paintings of bears, mammoths, woolly rhinos, and other Ice Age animals on cave walls near Avignon, France. These paintings are over 30,000 years old. The oldest known animal carving, of a horse made from mammoth ivory, dates from approximately 30,000 years BC and was found in present-day Vogelhard, Germany ( see Paleolithic Art ). Other ancient symbol-recording systems have been discovered. For example, a 30,000-year-old Cro-Magnon bone plaque discovered in France is engraved with a series of 29 marks; some researchers believe the plaque records phases of the moon. A piece of reindeer antler approximately 15,000 years old was also found in France, carved with both animal images and “counting” marks. The ancient Incas in Peru, who lived from about the 11th century to the 15th century AD, used a system of knotted and colored strings called quipu to keep track of population, food inventories, and the production of gold mines. Perhaps the earliest forerunner of writing is a system of clay counting tokens used in the ancient Middle East. The tokens date from 8000 to 3000 BC and are shaped like disks, cones, spheres and other shapes. They were stored in clay containers marked with an early version of cuneiform writing, to indicate what tokens were inside. Cuneiform was one of the first forms of writing and was pictographic, with symbols representing objects. It developed as a written language in Assyria (an ancient Asian country in present-day Iraq) from 3000 to 1000 BC. Cuneiform eventually acquired ideographic elements—that is, the symbol came to represent not only the object but also ideas and qualities associated with it. The oldest known examples of script-style writing date from about 3000 BC; papyrus sheets (a kind of early paper made from reeds) from about 2700 to 2500 BC have been found in the Nile Delta in Egypt bearing written hieroglyphs , another pictographic-ideographic form of writing. Chinese began as a pictographic-ideographic written language perhaps as early as the 15th century BC. Today written Chinese includes some phonetic elements (symbols indicating pronunciation) as well. The Chinese writing system is called logographic because the full symbols, or characters, each represent a word. Cuneiform and Egyptian hieroglyph eventually incorporated phonetic elements. In syllabic systems, such as Japanese and Korean , written symbols stand for spoken syllable sounds. The alphabet , invented in the Middle East, was carried by the Phoenicians (people from a territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, located largely in modern Lebanon) to Greece, where vowel sounds were added to it. Alphabet characters stand for phonetic sounds and can be combined in an almost infinite variety of words. Many modern languages, such as English , German , French , and Russian , are alphabetic languages. Origin of Language Mythological Origins Among many ancient societies, writing held a extremely special and important roll. Often writing is so revered that myths and deities were drawn up to explain its divine origin. In ancient Egypt, for example, the invention of writing is attributed to the god Thoth or Tehuti (Dhwty in Egyptian), who was not only the scribe and historian of the gods but also kept the calendar and invented art and science. In some Egyptian myths, Thoth is also portrayed as the creator of speech and possessing the power to transform speech into material objects. This ties in closely with the Egyptian belief that in order for a person to achieve immortality his or her name must be spoken or inscribed somewhere forever. In Mesopotamia, among the Sumerians the god Enlil was the creator of writing. Later during Assyrian, and Babylonian periods, the god Nabu was credited as the inventor of writing and scribe of the gods. And similar to Thoth, Mesopotamian scribal gods also exhibit the power of creation via divine speech. Among the Maya, the supreme deity Itzamna was a shaman and sorceror as well as the creator of the world. (In fact, the root of his name, "itz", can be roughly translated as "magical substance, usually secreted by some object, that sustains the gods"). Itzamna was also responsible for the creation of writing and time-keeping. Strangely enough, though, Itzamna isn't a scribal god. This duty falls on usually a pair of monkey gods as depicted on many Maya pots and is also preserved in the highland Maya epic "Popol Vuh". Still, in one rare case, the scribe is a rabbit . In China, the invention of writing was not attributed to a deity but instead to a legendary ancient sage named Fu Hsi, who also invented divination of the future by using turtle shells (hence the oracle bones ). He's also an amazing marketing guru too. Next time you visit a Chinese household, look up when you're at the front door, and you might see a little circular mirror surrounded by eight multi-line symbols. These symbols (trigrams) are used to communicate with spirits, and together with the mirror they serve as evil repellent too. Just imagine how many of these have been sold in the past 4,000 years! Move over Bill Gates! If Fu Hsi had filed for patents he would have owned the whole world by now! Ahem ... anyway, in these ancient cultures, the creation and use of writing was closely tied to divine creative powers. By uttering or writing down a word, objects get created or people get immortal. They reinforced the notion of writing as supernatural and therefore enforced the exclusivity of the "scribe" class. Monogenesis? Evolution?! Okay, let's jump ahead in time to the 19th century. Overzealous and Eurocentric (I'm using euphemisms here), scholars held that writing was invented only once in Mesopotamia, and all subsequent writing systems were offshoot of this original. They claim that Chinese and Indus writing were evolved from Middle Eastern prototypes, and they completely treat Maya not as a writing system but as a purely calendrical and mnemonic system. What's worse is that they started abusing poor Darwin's theory of evolution. They separate writing systems into functional types , which is okay and still scientific. But then they assigned "evolved-ness" to each group, with alphabet being the most evolved and inherently the best system. Logographic systems like Chinese are considered primitive, archaic, and much inferior, and syllabic systems fall somewhere in between. Their rationale is that alphabets have a small number of signs (easy on your memory) and allow the writer to specify every phonetic value in the language down to the most minute detail. The biggest problem with this monogenesis and evolution of writing system is obviously that of culturally tinted views. It easily placed Europe as the pinnacle of civilization, relegated the rest of the world to the "primitive" and "unevolved" nature of all other continents of the world, and helped to justify Europe's imperialistic age. This whole thing started to crack when the evidence for the indigenous origin of Chinese became very strong with the discovery of the oracle bones and the lack of any earlier text in the vast space between the Iranian plateau and the Yellow River. Modern Day Views Nowadays there is more-or-less consensus on these points: Writing was invented in parallel in at least three, or four, places: Mesopotamia, China, Mesoamerica, and possibly Indus. No type of writing system is superior or inferior to another, as the type is often dependent on the language they represent (unless it's English). Writing system is not a marker of civilization, as many major urban culture did not employ (full evolved) writing such as the Incas. Some Topics Cuneiform Chinese Writing Mesoamerican Writing
- The art of writing is clearly one of the most important intellectual tools discovered by man. Writing enables people to keep records, codify laws, and transmit knowledge from one generation to another. We do have evidence of some earlier attempts at writing but it was the Sumerians who developed the art in an efficient form. Their language was pictographic -- each sign was a simplified picture of an article that the scribe had in mind. Eventually the scribes reduced the complexity of a pictographic system by combining several pictures into one. Sumerian texts were written on clay tablets by using a reed stylus pressed into wet clay -- the resulting wedge-shaped marks are called "cuneiform" (from the Latin cuneus , "wedge-shaped"). Cuneiform The ancient peoples of Western Asia used cuneiform, a system of writing into clay or stone tablets that probably originated in Sumeria. Cuneiform consisted of up to 600 characters, each of which represented words or syllables. Scholars learned to decipher cuneiform after finding inscriptions dating from about 3000 BC on the Behistun Rock, a cliff in western Iran. The Behistun Inscription was written in three languages: Persian, Babylonian and Elamite, all of which used cuneiform as a system of writing. Translation of the inscription was helped by the resemblance of Persian and Babylonian to modern languages, and by the fact that all three inscriptions contain the same text. .
- An important feature of Reiki is the symbols. The symbols are used to access the Reiki energy both in performing healings and the attunement process . Reiki is not unique in that it uses symbols, some other systems also have the practitioners draw symbols to access certain abilities. The Reiki symbols bring to the practitioner certain "flavors" of the Reiki energy, tuned to specific uses. The Symbols themselves There are three symbols in Level II Reiki and another in Level III or Master. These are as follows, with names obfuscated so you don't see the name but get the idea of each symbol (see below on protecting the symbols). The Reiki Symbols Symbol Purpose Meaning Body Increase Power "Put the power here" or "God is here" Mind Emotional, purification, protection, clearing "Key to the universe" or "Man and God becoming one" Spirit Distant healing, Akashic Records, past-present-future "The Buddha in me reaches out to the Buddha in you to promote enlightenment and peace" Master Passing attunements Reiki mastership; "man-woman-universe = whole energy" The system, then, contains the same trinity which appears in all spiritual systems. The Body/Mind/Spirit trinity which can be read many ways (Ego/Subconscious/Superconscious, Self/Family/All, Father/Son/Holy-Ghost, etc). The fourth symbol is used to attune someone to the Reiki energy. Attunement means that this new practitioner now has been granted access to the energy. In healings the practitioner, of level II or above, paints the symbols in the air with his/her hands. Sometimes the practitioner might draw the symbols on paper, though it must then be protected from non-practitioners seeing the symbols. The symbols are drawn near the person who is to receive healing. Protecting the symbols These symbols are to be shown only to those attuned for Reiki Level II and higher. Keeping the symbols secret is done to prevent misuse. Not direct misuse of the symbols to access the energy, since the symbols themselves do not access the energy. Instead the misuse to be prevented is people claiming to know Reiki when in fact they only know the symbols. Reiki is not the symbols, Reiki is the energy. As we have seen, the symbols can be discussed without revealing their form or name. The form is relatively unimportant, and the function is more important. If the symbols were widely known then some will take Reiki to be only the symbols, calling themselves Reiki Practitioners simply because they've seen the symbols in a book. This is analogous to someone calling themselves a Tarot Reader simply because they've memorized a book of Tarot card meanings. Just as reading tarot is much more than memorizing a set of predetermined meanings (namely, being intuitive about what the cards mean in this reading), there is more to using Reiki than drawing symbols (namely accessing the energy). Even a fully attuned Reiki practitioner can fail to access the energy if s/he gets confused here. The symbols have been published in a book entitled Essential Reiki. So, then, why continue the secrecy? It was unnecessary for her to publish the actual symbols in the book. By publishing the symbols she brings to herself the karma associated with some readers of her book into presenting themselves as Reiki Practitioners without the proper training. This karma is for her to experience, not for me, or so my spiritual guidance suggests.
- he first symbol is called the Power Symbol or the ChoKuRei. This symbol is sometimes nicknamed "the light switch" as it connects us to the energy, like a light switch being turned on. It is thought to turn up the energy, and opens us as channels of the reiki energy. The ChoKuRei symbol can help start the reiki flowing, and most practitioners use it at the beginning of sessions by drawing it on the palms of their hands. It can help overcome negative resistance patterns. Using it on an area can help reduce pain. It is also used in space clearing. To cleanse a room, Draw it in the corners of a room intending it be cleansed. Draw it on objects in your environment intending they be cleansed and operate for your highest good. Draw it on objects and send reiki into them to empower them with reiki. The ChoKuRei has as many uses as you can think up! You can use the ChoKuRei at the start of a healing session to feel the energetic connection to the reiki source. You can use it to focus power at each hand position and on any problem areas. Draw it over the person at the end of a healing session to seal in the healing energies. It can be used to clear a room of negative energies. To do this, draw it in all the corners of the room intending it be filled with light. It may also be used for protection. For protection, draw it on a piece of paper and place it on or under things you wanr filled with reiki. Draw it on food and water before you eat and drink them so that they are filled with the love that is Reiki. You can also draw it over your head during meditation and meditate on the symbols themselves. Draw the ChoKuRei on the shower head prior to taking a shower so that the water is filled with reiki as it cleanses you! Experiment and above all have fun! The first of the three symbols for Reiki second degree is the power symbol. It is generally held that once you are attuned, you always channel First Degree energy, unless you consciously communicate that you wish to channel Second or Third Degree energy. This is the symbol which assists with that communication, and increases the vibrational level of the Reiki from first to second degree. It can be used alone or to enhance the other symbols. It is the only symbol that can be traced again and again on top of itself without having to clear the space first. In fact, you may trace it as many times as you wish. It is a good idea not to do so with the other symbols. Each time you trace out the Power Symbol, it can increase the amount of energy going to that area. When using other symbols, except at the master level, it is usually a good idea to trace this one first. This is simply because it lets your angels know that you want to access second degree energy. When you use it, the Power Symbol provides access to a much wider bandwidth of energy. It even gives a great deal more access to the higher spiritual energies of the master level. Many people use it both before and after they have traced the other symbols. As is always the case, feel free to use whatever feels right to you. Notice that the symbol is comprised of two halves split down the middle. When you are tracing this out, both in front of you and in front of others, do your best to pay attention to how symmetrical the halves are. Many believe that if the left side is larger than the right side, it means that there is an imbalance in the person and the right hemisphere of the brain is more dominant than the left half. Of course, the opposite is true if the right side is larger. The left side typically controls rational, logical thought. The right side contains our more artistic and intuitive side. It is always nice to know a bit more about the person you are working on, especially when it comes to imbalances. Needless to say, the larger the swell to one side, the larger the imbalance. Many practitioners use this method towards the end of a session to check the client’s state of balance. Another thing to keep in mind and experiment with is the number of circles or levels in the spiral. The spiral as it is traditionally drawn has the minimum number of levels in it and can be used as it appears very effectively. However, many people prefer to continue adding circles beyond that point. This can also be indicative of various degrees and qualities of energy within the second degree level. The meaning of more or fewer circles is much more subjective than the meaning of balance between the two halves of the symbol. To some, more circles means a greater need for the emotional qualities of the second degree energy. To others it means more mental or physical level healing. You will need to experiment to find out what it means to you. It is easiest to experiment with yourself at first, then expand to others. As with the colors, just let the symbol trace itself. If you are not comfortable with experimenting, simply trace the symbol exactly as you were shown by the master who attuned you. Many do and that is perfectly fine. A third thing you may want to pay attention to while tracing the symbol over someone is exactly where the center of the vortex in the symbol falls. Many practitioners have found that it often zeros in like a bull's-eye on areas containing problems. Quite a few practitioners choose to determine this by tracing one or several additional power symbols over their client while allowing their intuition to guide them. They usually do this at the end of their symbol empowerment (also called "charging up") procedure. More can be found about this in the section on Treating without Touching, under the subheading of scanning.
- Techniques for using the First Symbol Drawn or visualised under the hands to 'switch on' and 'switch off' the reiki flow. [Matthew] Drawn or visualised over individual chakras to energise them. [Matthew] Drawn or visualised to dispell negative energy in a room or anywhere. [Matthew] Drawn visualised or stirred into food or drink to energise it. [Matthew] I literally "throw it around" to clear rooms [Karen] I offer it to people, often on a sub-consciuos level, if it looks as if they need it. [Karen] I also use it to seal any distant healing and attunement. [Karen]
- The second symbol is called Sei Hei Ki. It is pronounced "say hay key". This symbol is known as the mental/emotional symbol, but also as the harmony symbol. It is used to heal mental and emotional habits that no longer work for you, and emotional and mental distress. It is also used to bring up and heal the emotional issues underneath physical problems. It helps reinforce and support positive behavior changes. It is also used to help release negative conditioning from past experiences by changing reacting to responding. Buddhists believe that ego is conditioning. The Zen sages knew that to be free of suffering was to end desire. It was only by removing the conditionings of life (ego), that one could be free and experience harmony and oneness. This symbol is for healing and releasing those feelings, desires and conditionings. It is also known as the Harmony Symbol. Healing with the Sei Hei Ki can be as simple as using the symbol while doing a healing using the regular hand positions. It can also be used as part of an emotional meditation to help release and heal these conditionings and patterns that underlie problems. REIKI EMOTIONAL HEALING MEDITATION There are many ways to use the Mental/Emotional Symbol for emotional healing. This meditation works on the issues behind physical problems. It can help bring into conscious awareness so they can be dealt with and healed. Below is a method that I use as an emotional healing meditation. Feel free to experiment with this and to tailor it to your specific needs, or the needs of your reiki clients. To begin get comfortable, sit in a comfortable chair, and relax. Do some form of systematic muscular relaxation to increase relaxation. One that I use is: Allow the relaxation to come into the soles of both of your feet at the same time. Feel your feet relax. Let the relaxing sensation move up the legs into the ankles, letting the muscles and bones relax. The relaxing energy moves up the legs into the calves, relaxing them, and then up through the knees into the thighs. Allow the legs to totally relax, and then let the energy move up into the hips, relaxing the hips. And your legs and hips are totally relaxed. Now let the relaxing power move up the spine, and a warm feeling of energy moves up the spine as it relaxes the muscles of the back. The energy moves into the shoulders, and you allow your shoulders to relax. The energy now moves down the arms, and into the hands, relaxing your upper arms, fore arms, and hands. Now the energy moves up the neck, relaxing the muscles in the neck and up the head, into the scalp and the head and scalp are relaxed. The energy moves down over the forehead, and into the jaw, and you are totally relaxed and now ready to start the emotional program. (The symbols used are Cho Ku Rei, Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen, and Sei Hei Ki. If you have not yet memorized them, have a picture of the three of them together.) Try to bring the emotional issues to be worked on into awareness. If you cannot get a good handle on the issue, then concentrate on the feelings that you have regarding this matter. Draw the ChoKuRei in front of you and on your palms, and above the crown. Then do the same with the Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen. Draw the Sei Hei Ki in front of you. Again connect with the issue, either the feelings of it or create a visual picture of it in your mind. Draw the Sei Hei Ki and visualize it over the problem. Meditate on the symbol, and feel it bring healing into you. Know that it is working for your highest good bringing healing to your emotions. Next draw again the ChoKuRei, Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen, and again the Sei Hei Ki and connect to the issue. Concentrate on sending emotional healing to yourself at the point that this problem occured, healing within you the past that continues to hold on and create the issue in you. Use an affirmation. "I am healed and whole", "I release this for my highest good", or anything that you think of that will help the healing process. Repeat the affirmation three times. Meditate on the harmony and universal love that the Sei Hei Ki is a representation of. Allow the symbol to be part of your consciousness and let it flow over you. When done, draw the ChoKuRei in front of you. Do this every day for a week and pay close attention for the changes that will occur in your life. Alternative Emotional Healing Method This above method is one method that can be used. Another is to do a treatment using all the hand positions, and draw the Sei Hei Ki symbol at each position, asking that whatever patterns and conditionings are being held are released. Again be creative and use your intuition and experiment! This is a very special and powerful symbol within the Usui System of Natural Healing. When using this symbol it has traditionally been taught that it is especially important to keep your thoughts and emotions as pure as possible. This is because it is thought to create a bridge between your consciousness and your client's subconscious mind. The subconscious is the level of one's being that hypnotherapists use to effect change in people, usually by enabling them to release old and deep seated emotional and thought patterns. For this reason, I strongly recommend that, upon obtaining second degree, you go down to your local library and check out a good book or two about hypnosis. The insight you gain will be very valuable in your healing work. There are many different ways to use this symbol, most of which are covered in various parts of this book. One way that this symbol can be used is to gain access to the subconscious mind of the person being worked on. This gives you the ability to be a great deal more effective in your capacity as a healer because it allows you to implant suggestions in much the same way that hypnotherapists do. You, however, do not have to say them out loud. They can be simply held in your mind. This may seem like a tremendous advantage, but it is good at this point to remember the law of karma. What you put out will return to you many fold. Never abuse the abilities that your Reiki attunements give you. Ethics aside, the price is far to high. A good rule of thumb to use when giving suggestions is to always make them positive. Statements such as: "you will not be sick" or "your problems will not effect you from now on", should be changed to something more along the lines of "each moment you grow stronger and more healthy" or "any problems you have melt away effortlessly leaving many opportunities in their place". It is important to make your affirmations as positive as possible because many believe that the subconscious mind will not recognize negative words such as "not" and "can't". You don't want to plant a suggestion that the subconscious hears as "your problem will effect you from now on"! THE DOOR TECHNIQUE This technique was developed when I began to discover people who's first Reiki Master had given them instructions for this symbol that were so difficult that, since the students couldn't follow them, they were afraid to use this symbol and its energy. To plant suggestions, I visualize a channel of light extending between myself and the client. In that channel, I picture a door comprised of the mental/emotional symbol. In my visualizations I see this door as being comprised of a kind of neon frame (similar to an open or beer sign) of the symbol. Most of the time, I leave the door closed during a session. I open it only when I wish to meditate on what a client is experiencing or to plant a suggestion in them. Keeping it closed for the majority of the session will allow you to more freely use your intuition and mental capacities without it effecting the subconscious mind of the client. Simply open the door to establish the link, and then close it to break the connection. Using the door method will allow you to continue to channel untainted mental/emotional energy into your client throughout the entire session. Anytime this symbol and its energy are used, it floods the person's subconscious mind and mental/emotional energy levels with Reiki. A natural result of this is the release of emotion, often in the form of memories and their accompanying emotions that were buried a long time ago. All of us have undergone times when we could not consciously process and understand what was happening to us. When this occurs, more often than not, the memories and accompanying emotions are stored in the body and the subconscious mind. It is natural for these to be released during a healing session and this can lead to the different kind of healing crisis which I alluded to earlier. Before beginning a session during which you plan on using the emotional symbol, talk to the client about what may happen. Let them know that it is OK and in fact desirable for them to bring up, process, and release the emotion and energy from past events. It is possible that some of their physical problems stem from manifested emotional issues. During a powerful session, memory patterns can be released from every level. Even cellular level events from evolution to animal instincts may be called up to be released, dealt with, and integrated. Always do your best to be in tune with what your client is experiencing. Don't be afraid to ask if they are doing all right and, if they say no, to ask them what they are experiencing. EMOTIONAL CORD CUTTING It can be important to have them "cut the cord" in a situation like this one. Purifying the screen is an excellent method. Another is to have them blow up a balloon, which is attached to their wrist, with the problem and it's emotion. When the balloon is fully inflated, have them cut the string and watch it drift away. If it is just an emotion, with no concrete visualization, the balloon method is excellent to use, or you can have them create an imaginary figure with a collar around its neck and an attached leash which they hold in their hands. Have them strongly imagine the shape, color, size, smell, texture and even the sound the imagined figure makes. Then, tell them to begin surrounding themselves with divine love, white light. When they do so, have the notice how their creation begins to struggle to break free of the leash and flee from the light. Continue to build this visualization up in their mind and at the peak moment of the white light's power, have the person let go of the leash and literally feel the figure rip it from their hand and speed away afraid and never to return. Allow the white light to fully permeate and seal up the person's aura, before letting it fade. Then, simply continue the session where you left off. HOW TO HANDLE UPSETTING EMOTIONAL RELEASES When a person begins to get upset during a session, be certain that you call attention to their breathing and help them to regulate it. No matter what they are experiencing, deep relaxed breaths will help to calm them, even if only a little. Any level of relaxation will allow them to draw the energy better, thus assisting the healing taking place. If necessary, you can always remind them that what they are experiencing is not occurring now, it is in the past. Take them to a position of neutral observance if necessary. During emotional releases, you may also wish to surround (through visualization) your client with divine white light for protection as well as divine love, or with a soft pink light for a more integrative and unconditional personal love. This can work wonders in calming your client down, and helping them to heal and integrate the arising emotions. It is also a good idea to have some soothing music which can be played either during the situation or after it, as well as to have a calming (caffeine free) tea standing by. An aromatherapy diffuser with any number of the scents designed to provide relaxation may also be used. WHAT YOU CAN TELL BY HOW THE SYMBOL IS TRACED As with the power symbol, it is also a good idea to pay attention to how you intuitively trace this symbol. Specifically, watch where the two bumps are placed on its right side. Though it is perfectly fine if they are drawn where they are located in the illustration you received when taking the second degree class, before long you will probably notice that you are tracing them in different positions, which you will want to take note of. Typically, their positions will correspond to an unbalanced energy center, though it may also show a troubled area in general. The size of the bumps can also tell you a great deal about the areas in question. Larger bumps often indicate over energized or "blown" center. Smaller bumps typically show that the center is closed up or more restricted than it should be. Also pay attention to how the line which the bumps rest on, on the right side of the symbol, is traced. This can also be very telling if you are receptive to it. The angle of bend often shows the extent to which someone has difficulty with their back, and where. Many practitioners can easily pick out those in a second degree class that are massage therapists simply by looking at the way in which they draw the mental/emotional symbol. Many will draw it in a way which makes it look as if it is bending over a table. The ability to spot little details like this can be of great benefit when you are working on the person later. MEMORY ASSISTANCE This symbol can also be used to assist you in remembering a name, or idea which you can't quite come up with. Simply ask for the name, or idea, then strongly visualize the Mental/Emotional symbol. Allow yourself to be relaxed and receptive, and you will be amazed at how well this works. The energy which this symbol represents can be of great help in accessing anything stored in the subconscious mind. All you have to do is
- Techniques for using the Second Symbol I interpret the second symbol to be a stylised sillouette of a head looking left. The third and fourth strokes I see as the crown chakra, and the rear of the third eye chakra respectively. [Matthew] I will often draw it on myself if I am distressing about things. [Karen] 1] Mental Treatment - method submitted by [Matthew Berry] Right hand over the person's crown and left hand over their causal chakra [behind the head, covering the occipital lobe of the brain]. Only the right hand draws the following symbols. Draw and name #1, wait for reiki build up draw and name #2, repeat recipient's name three times, and say three times 'i send this reiki mental treatment to the cause of fred's.....' Visualise a wave of intense white light flowing from your hand into their skeleton from their head down to the toes and back up to the head. Then a second wave fills their entire body, before flowing back to the head. Then a third wave fills the body, and expands out until it encompasses the entire universe. Visualise and name #1 under you right hand stay in position for about ten minutes. Draw and name #1 to close the treatment.
- Techniques for using the Third Symbol Have you tried using your body to represent the person...either you put your hand on that bit and so you would put your hand on your knee and say 'this knee is Karen's knee in Ipswich and i send reiki to her at a time that is appropriate for her own highest good....etc...' [Karen] 1] Distant Treatment - method submitted by Matthew Berry I find that it is easiest when I don't use a doll or anything, just visualisation, as it allows me to grow or reduce and turn the recipient. For example if I know that they have a kidney stone, I will visualise them getting bigger until they're about twice life size, and literally put my hands around the stone. Over a pillow, doll, picture, or just a bit of air name and draw #1.Wait to feel Reiki. When you feel it then visualise the recipient between your hands/as the doll etc.... Draw #3 over them, name it three times, and say three times 'i send this distant reiki treament to jeff in london to be received at a time when it is safe for him to do so' Visualise #1 over the recipient and name it. Begin the treatment. If you want to send a distant mental, then visualise the recipient lying in position and follow the instructions exactly as before. at the end of the treatment draw and name #1 2] Distant Mental Treatment - method submitted by Matthew Berry It is imperative that you ensure that they will receive this treatment when it is safe to do so because even a distant mental can knock a person for six! Follow the instructions above up until 4. Visualise #1 over the recipient and name it. Enlarge the recipient to life size, imagining their head in your lap. Place your hands on their crown and back of head respectively and follow the instructions for a mental [click here] 3] Sending Reiki to Issues - method submitted by Matthew Berry Have your hands resting on a cushion on your lap, palms facing each other. Visualise #1 between them, feel the Reiki build up. Visualise the issue or situation [eg an interview] between your hands. Draw #3 over it and name it three times, and say three times 'I send this distant reiki treatment to the issue of my job interview tomorrow'. No need for the 'for my highest good' stuff because reiki only does things for your highest good. Visualise #1 over the issue and name it. Continue giving reiki for about ten minutes or until the flow ceases. As your energy grows and you develop more and more, you will find that issues take less and less Reiki because your life is on track! 4] Distant Treatment - method submitted by [Colin Powell] Here is a technique that I use for sending distant Reiki: If I have a photo, I draw the symbols over it. If not I try to visualise the person or think of something that reminds me of that person. If I do not know the person, I say their name and their location. Visualise CKR (repeat the name x3). Visualise HSZSN (repeat the name x3). Visualise CKR (repeat the name x3). Feel the energy begin to flow. Intend that Reiki flow to "Joe Bloggs in Anytown, Anywhere, for the Highest Good, to be received when it is safe to >do so, and continue to flow until he has what he needs". I have several methods of doing the actual treatment, including: a) Using a surrogate (a cuddly chimpanzee, called Reiki *lol*) b) Hold the whole person in my cupped hands and send to whole body. c) Hold out my hands and imagine each position on the person in turn, underneath my hands. Say thank you to the Universe. Visualise CKR (repeat the name x3). If I know or feel that the person needs some help on the mental/emotional >level then after step 3, I visualise SHK (say the name x3) and follow it >with CKR (say name x3). 5] Distant Treatment - method submitted by Light and Adonea - Homepage The simplest technique for sending Reiki to someone at a distance, is through the use of a photo; a first generation 'Polaroid' is best; the more a photo is copied, the weaker the energy connection to that person through the photo. But with the use of Reiki symbols, that connection can be strengthened. Physically draw the three symbols (with writing instrument or with finger and always say the names of each symbol three times) on the photo and say (mentally or verbally), "By the 'Law of Correspondence', this photo is filled with unlimited Reiki treatments". Then draw the symbols on the photo again, and say, "By the 'Law of Correspondence', this photo represents (insert name of recipient, age, location, and condition)". Then draw the symbols once more onto/over the photo, and say "By the 'Law of Correspondence', as long as I do Reiki on this photo, (insert name of recipient) also receives a complete and continuous treatment". You can then place the photo between your hands, on your heart, on each body/hand position, or any way that you have been taught or create intuitively. 6] Distant Treatment - method submitted by Light and Adonea - Homepage One way we send treatments is by the knee/thigh method: we draw the three symbols (say names of each three times) on our right knee and we say, "By the 'Law of Correspondence', my right knee represents the four head positions of (insert name of recipient)". Then we put the photo on our right knee, our hands over the photo and do Reiki as if we were doing a hands-on treatment. We hold for a minimum of five (5) minutes, or longer as guided by intuition or inner-knowing. Then we draw the three symbols (say names of each three times) on our right thigh and we say, "By the 'Law of Correspondence', my right thigh represents the four front positions of (name of recipient)". Then we put the photo on our right thigh, our hands over the photo and do Reiki as if we were doing a hands-on treatment. We hold for a minimum of five (5) minutes, or longer as guided by intuition or inner-knowing. We repeat again, this time using the left thigh to represent the four (4) back positions of the intended recipient. At this time, we can finish or if we are led to do more, we usually add the left thigh, stating our intention that it represents the 'joy' level, cause of any imbalance on any/all levels, the consciousness or awareness, or anything that we might have picked up intuitively after doing a standard treatment on all twelve (12) body/hand positions. If you feel anything amiss while doing any of the grouped body/hand positions, and you would like to find out precisely where in the recipient's body the imbalance is, you can do the following. Say that you feel something in the 'front positions' (right thigh), then you can empower each of the knees and thighs.....the right knee would represent 'front position #1', right thigh would represent 'front position #2', left knee would represent 'front position #3', and left thigh would represent 'front position #4'. You would use the symbols and names in the same way described above. This should help you to become more sensitive to the exact location of any imbalance (trauma, injury, memory, implanted thought form, etc.) and you would probably want to treat that or any other area of imbalance you may find with extra treatment time. You would increase the energy going into the recipient with any extra Power symbols that you would use, while doing Reiki on any body/hand position. This would specifically work on any imbalances you find in the physical level. And if you suspect that the causation of any problem might be on the mental, or emotional levels, you would want to add extra Mental/Emotional symbols together with extra power symbols, and the Reiki will work deeper on those levels. If you suspect that a discovered imbalance might be spiritual in nature, then it would be wise to add additional Distance symbols, along with extra Mental/Emotional and Power symbols.
- EMPOWERMENT The Spiritual Empowerment or Master Symbol Dai Ku Myo Third Degree Reiki adds the mantra and symbol Dai Ko Myo or dai ku myo (dye koo myo, (mm yoh long o )Self empowerment, Intuition, Creativity , and Spiritual connection it enables recognition and clarity about your true path. Less is known about this most powerful of the Reiki energy functions because until quite recently there have been very few people empowered to use it so it is still somewhat unexplored . It activates a powerful energy for Self Empowerment it is used for opening Spiritual connection and intuition and cellular healing .once you are attuned for this energy I recommend using it for treating yourself and others each time you activate Reiki . It is said to work at the cellular and genetic levels and is valuable for treating Migraine Headaches. Many people have found that the Reiki Attunement particularly to this Reiki tool increases the intuitive and psychic awareness that they can comfortably access. I have heard this called the vocational or life purpose mode because it often seems to initiate dramatic changes in career and lifestyle. It is also used as a Manifestation energy by some as is Cho Ku Rei the power boost from second degree Reiki . to use for manifestation you activate this energy and clearly visualize what you intend to manifest this will not bring you things that are not in accord with your high self and soul purpose. The Dai ku Myo is also known as the Master Symbol. This is the energy that the Reiki master activates to do the Attunements that make the Reiki energies permanently accessible to the new practitioner .Many Reiki Masters do a non master three a attunement that activates the Dai ku myo as the spiritual intuitive energy but does not give the ability to do attunements
- Level IIIb Level IIIb generally consists of two parts. The first teaches the Usui Shiki Ryoho Level III Master material including the Usui Master symbol and its uses. Second, the Tibetan material and symbols was taught. Click this link to view the Usui Shiki Ryoho Level III Master Manual on this site. This material should be learned before proceeding. Learning and Using The Usui / Tibetan Symbols The Usui/Tibetan symbols consist of the Fire Serpent, Dumo, and Raku. A brief statement regarding symbols needs to be addressed. Symbols are exactly that, a symbol. They are not the thing they represent. These symbols, like the Usui symbols are representations of a specific manifestation or property of the Reiki energy. They are not the energy themselves. As people progress spiritually, they find increasing levels of simplicity. It is not uncommon for people to move past the need to use the symbols and simply use the source energy directly. Some may find the presentation of the symbols here abhorrent. To them, the symbols are secret and sacred. The secretive belief, presumably, is that if the symbols are known they will lose their power or that others will profane them or try to use them for uses other than reiki, or to harm. The symbols have no power of their own. They are a connection to the source, not the source itself. The symbols cannot be profaned or used for harm, they represent the Reiki source, and Reiki cannot be used for harm. Reiki is sacred, the symbols are kanji, or Japanese words. They are found on temple walls, in books, in Buddhist practices, and all sort of other places in plain view in Japan. Indeed, anyone with a Japanese dictionary could look them up. DUMO or Tibetan Master Symbol The Usui/Tibetan style also refer to the Dumo as a "Dai Ko Mio", or the Tibetan DaiKoMio. In my practice, I refer to the Usui Master Symbol as the Dai Ko Mio, and the Tibetan Master Symbol as the Dumo to avoid confusion. Diane Stein, in her book "Essential Reiki" stated "that many modern teachers feel that the Traditional Dai Ko Myo Symbol is more in tune with the older time, whereas the nontraditional Symbol flows more closely to the vibrations of today's world and teaching needs." Something for everyone, I suppose. Some people prefer the Traditional Usui, and others prefer the Usui/Tibetan. If you feel drawn to use one over the other, then do so. Some see the Dumo as the Goddess Spiral. Coincidentally enough, many of these are people involved with Wicca and other Goddess Religions. I do not believe that is the intent of this symbol and it is not a Wiccan based goddess spiral. (Although Diane Stein draws hers that way.) The Dumo is though to unify the body and mind. It is reported to work with fire in the base chakra by igniting the Sacred flame (i.e., the Kundalini energy). It is believed to pull negative energy and disease from the body and mind. The Dumo represents the flow of the fire of the Kundalini. This Kundalini energy goes up the spine when the Kundalini awakens as body and mind come together. This produces a "heat" and hence the description of the energy as a kind of fire. Kundalini awakening is a discipline unto itself and something never lightly undertaken. The Reiki Master/Teacher (Level III) consists of learning the master symbol, receiving the attunement, and learning the attunement process. For those wishing to learn the "Tibetan" symbols Fire Serpent, Dumo, and Raku, visit the Usui/Tibetan Level IIIb Section of this manual. A brief statement regarding symbols needs to be addressed. Symbols are exactly that, a symbol. They are not the thing they represent. These symbols, like the level II symbols are representations of a specific manifestation or property of the Reiki energy. They are not the energy themselves. As people progress spiritually, they find increasing levels of simplicity. It is not uncommon for people to move past the need to use the symbols and simply use the source energy directly. Symbols are a stimulus and responce tool. The act of seeing them, drawing them or saying the name of them is a stimulus that cause the responce of connecting to the energy in an attuned person. The symbols also teach us that there are ways that we can focus on different aspect of the energy and use them. Different arts developed from Reiki such as Seichim or Karuna are examples of using different symbols as a way to focus on other aspects of the energy. In Usui's original system called Reiki Ryoho, the symbols were taught to those that had difficulty connecting to the energy or little experience in energy work. They were a tool to be used and let go when the connection to the energy was strong and mastered. They were like training wheels to aid us until we grow and no longer need them. In Reiki Ryoho in Japan you would have met weekly with your group and master and practiced healing. Then you would have done hatsurei ho and received "Reiju" or an empowerment. After a year or more you might have been invited to learn the second teachings. If you were taught the symbols at all, you would have been expected to have moved past them before moving to the second teaching. In Usui Shiki Ryoho of the Hayashi-Talaka lineage the symbols were of greater importance. The system was set up to teach others faster than the lengthy training in Reiki Ryoho. As a result the emphesis has to be greater on symbols because people had to be able to connect to the energy. This emphesis was given and instilled in Mrs. Takata's masters that she trained. This was codified into the "secret" and "sacred" practices that the Alliance teaches and some other masters hold. In Japan the symbols are common to many traditions and they are not secret. Reiki is sacred, the symbols are kanji, or Japanese words. They are found on temple walls, in books, in Buddhist practices, and all sort of other places in plain view in Japan. Indeed, anyone with a Japanese dictionary could look them up. The secretive belief, presumably, is that if the symbols are known they will lose their power or that others will profane them or try to use them for uses other than reiki, or to harm. The symbols have no power of their own. They are a connection to the source, not the source itself. The symbols cannot be profaned or used for harm, they represent the Reiki source, and Reiki cannot be used for harm. The symbols are not sacred. They have no inherant power other than as a focus or a medium and a tool. When the connection to the energy is mastered, we move past them and work with the pure energy itself. The Usui Master Symbol The Usui Master Symbol has several meanings. The most common is "The Great Shining Light". Another translation might be "Great Being of the Universe Shine on Me." In Zen practice, I have seen it stated as "Treasure H ouse of the great beaming Light," and is symbolic of one's "Buddha Nature" and of states of enlightenment. Dai Ko Mio-Kanji Dai Ko Mio-Alternate Form Dai Ko Mio- Traditional The spiritual body is thought to effect the physical body. There are many schools of thought, both Eastern and Western that believe this. Healing at this level is thought to effect the spiritual body and can lead to wondrous changes and at times, Miracles. The practice of Johrei uses channeling the Great Light of God into people and the world for healing. The founder of Johrei, Mokichi Okada, writes in his book " Health and the New Civilization ", that all disease comes from clouds forming on the spiritual body, and by channeling Johrei onto people in need of healing it removes the clouds and cleanses their spiritual body. The Johrei Fellowship exists worldwide and has done extensive medical research on the efficacy of Johrei. (Visit them at http://www. johrei .com/ ) The Dai Ko Mio is a return to simplicity. The three other symbols together in one. Level one was the simplicity of Reiki, trusting in the source and simply doing it. Level II is learning the ways the source manifests and expands our conception of what the source can do. Level III, with the Dai Ko Mio brings us back to the simplicity and the oneness. Like all Reiki Symbols, the Dai Ko Mio should be memorized if at all possible, although even that is not necessary, just preferable. Memorizing is useful, because when doing healings or attunements, it helps to be able to draw them quickly and correctly. The DKM, looks surprisingly similar to the top of the White light symbol (johrei) that is used by the Johrei Movement worldwide. The link becomes even more interesting because Usui almost certainly would have known and or studied with Onisaburo Deiguchi who taught Mokichi Okada who founded Johrei. It was said that Morihei Tanaka who founded Dei Rei Jutsu also had taught Usui and Okada. If nothing else there is some connection involved with these practices that all developed and evolved around the same time in Japan. The DKM is said to represent the Amida Sanzon, a triune of love light and harmony. These three together represented the ultimate source in the same way that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost do. The DKM is the "Greath Shining light". This was the source. Once you know the Dai Ko Mio, you can use it for any Reiki use, even in place of the other symbols. This is both because as a triune symbol it contains the others, and because it is the first step in moving from symbol reliance to just using the energy. Use it everywhere and anytime you might want to use the others. Use the name of it as a mantra to meditate concentrating on the Ultimate source of all, the great shining light and let it illumine your mind. PART II - Ritual as a Process In Traditional Reiki training, there are four attunements for Reiki I, each different. There is an additional attunement for Reiki II and III. In nontraditional methods, attunement methods vary greatly. Some have a combined level I attunement, some use a combined level I and II attunements, and others use the same process for all three degrees. Any attunement is a Ritual. Rituals generally follow a pattern whether you are talking about a Catholic Mass or High Magick or Reiki Attunements. There are usually three parts to a ritual, the Beginning, the Ritual action / Invocation, and the End. The first part is the beginning. The Beginning is a call to the sacred. It differentiates that what is to follow is going to be different. In a Catholic Mass the Beginning is when the priest processes in and Makes the sign of the cross. He says, "Let us Pray" and follows with prayers. This separates what is to follow from daily life. It is special. In Reiki, the beginning is when we start the attunement. It can be as simple as drawing the symbols in the air, the preparation of the student by having them meditate, saying a prayer or statement of intent or any other practice. The beginning in any Reiki Attunement is the Intent. The next phase is the Ritual action / Invocation. The ritual is the structure of what we are doing. Saying prayers, doing readings and other practices are an example of ritual. They are steps to be followed to bring about the desired action. An invocation calls forth the power we wish to manifest. In a catholic mass, we call forth the power of God to be in our midst. By using the ritual of saying psalms and prayers and readings, we bring forth more clearly the manifestation of God in our lives. By using the ritual of consecrating bread and wine the God is brought forth in presence in body and wine. Wiccan practitioners and practitioners of Magick (such as Hermetic Magick) will recognize how their own practices fit into this pattern. In a Reiki Attunement, we use the structure of the ritual actions along with the symbols to invoke the reiki energy and bring for the purpose of connecting the student with the reiki energy. The dirty little secret of reiki is that any attunement will work. There are crown to crown variants, short forms, long forms, traditional forms, singular master attunements (my personal favorite) and many many others. All are reiki and all work. The Last part of a Ritual is the End. The end is the finish to the process and lets all know that it is finished and complete. In a mass the priest says, "the mass is ended go in peace", and the people reply "Thanks be to God". In a Reiki attunement, the process can be as simple as giving an affirmation to the person, telling them "It is done" or "It is complete", to telling them "This attunement is done, you are a Reiki Master now and forever". Generally the end has little or no formal ritual attached to it, since the formal ritual is over. The reason that I have discussed Rituals here is to demonstrate that the Ritual is a process. You can modify them as are warranted to suit your needs. The Usui attunements have been modified by many people who have added symbols, taken away parts, added parts and all sorts of other things. Make the ritual work for you and your students. Having said all that the only caveat is do not make what ever you do a distraction. I have seen some people into the bells and whistles attunement experience. They burn incense, have music, special lighting, candles, perform ceremonies to the goddess, catholic rituals, kaballah…… All of that is nice, and may provide the recipient with grand ceremony, but remember they are not necessary. My preference is SIMPLICITY. I do not play music. I do not burn incense. In my opinion, the more simple the better, anything else detracts from the experience of the attunement and the connection to the Reiki Energy. As in all things, you decide how you wish to do them.) Intent The only real important part of the attunement is the intent. It can be done by intent and the energy alone. If your intent is clear, there is nothing that you can do wrong in the attunement. If you make a mistake do not fret! Either re-do the section or action, or trust that the reiki will correct it and intend it be so. I have seen attunements as simple as holding the person's hand and sending the energy in up the arms to the chakras to one's as complex as involving incense, candles and ceremonial dance type actions. It is the actual doing of the attunement that is sacred, not necessarily the process. The process seems to matter little if the intent is clear and focused.
- Usui Tibetan Reiki Level IIIa Manual The Usui Tibetan Level IIIa was added in a few years back. It was conceived of and is called a level of "Personal Mastery". This generally amounts to being taught a number of new age add-on techniques. The most common of these are a reiki Symbol Meditation, a Goal Manifestation Technique, a Reiki Crystal Grid, a Technique to meet your "Reiki Guides", a Healing Attunement, a Psychic Surgery Technique, and the Antahkarana symbol and Meditation. I have often seen those teaching level IIIa claim that the level IIIa class "deepens the connection with the Reiki Source", or "people who take level IIIa are better healers", or "most people do not want to teach and so this level of 'personal mastery' enables them to practice more fully as reiki practitioners". Let us examine each of these claims and evaluate what is being said with what we know about Reiki. The first statement was, that level IIIa "deepens the connection with the Reiki Source". The reality is that any practice of Reiki, whether that be self-treatments, treating others, or hatsurei ho, "deepens the connection with the reiki source. Consistent practice is the key. That being said even extensive practice does not seem to change the healing outcomes here in the western tradition. In the west it is commonly taught that Reiki does the healing, not us. We are channels of the Reiki energy from the One Source (God/Goddess/Creator/Whatever phrase floats your boat). A personal connection to the Reiki Source is wonderful, indeed it is that feeling that makes Reiki so wonderful to do. It allows you to experience a loving personal connection to the Creator. That being said, a "deepening" of that connection is not in any way necessary to heal using Reiki. How could it be, since we are not the one's doing the healing. If Reiki truly always acts in the highest good of the person receiving it, then as long as I am connected to the reiki source, then is flows through me into the person receiving for their highest good. The second statement was, "people who take level IIIa are better healers". Let us again look at the basic assumptions of Reiki. Reiki does the healing and we are channels, and Reiki can do no harm and always works in the highest good of the person receiving it. If these assumptions regarding Reiki are true, then you ability as a healer is irrelevant. Reiki does the healing, you are along for the ride (but it is a very nice ride, enjoy it!). You can learn all the meditative, crystal using, space alien, ascended masters, goddess channeling, angel working practices you want, they won't make the Reiki any better. (Although there is the argument that Reiki increase the efficacy of those practices, and if that is the case some argument could be made regarding their inclusion. However, at that point are you still doing Reiki?) The third statement above made was, or "most people do not want to teach and so this level of 'personal mastery' enables them to practice more fully as reiki practitioners". What if one fine day you decide you want to pass this to you mother, father, children, siblings, friends? What then? Do you then go and pay for another class to learn the attunement process that you could already do, had it been taught when you received the master attunement in IIIa? Or do you, like some, simply get a copy of the attunement process and then use it, but worry that you may not be doing it correctly? This level to me seems artificial, and a great marketing strategy. Personal Mastery with Reiki comes from experience with Reiki, not with pseudo-Reiki add on techniques. Personal mastery comes from doing Reiki. Reiki, from the Divine source, teaches many subtle experiential lessons. These are "your" lessons. Soft loving experiential lessons that cannot be adequately communicated to another in a class no matter how good a communicator you are. They can only be communicated by Reiki in the doing and being. Doing Reiki on yourself or others 30 minutes a day will teach you far more than any manual (especially one as mediocre as this one is!). If you truly desire to develop "personal mastery", I would strongly encourage you to learn the Reiki Ryoho technique of Hatsurei ho and practice it daily. Additionally, do the principles morning and at night and any time that you feel emotionally charged, angry or stressed. This is in accord with the original intent and design of the Usui System and will make a profound difference in your own inner healing. Reiki Advanced Techniques (R.A.T.) Welcome to the Reiki Advanced Techniques Section of the On-Line Manual! Reiki Advanced Techniques or R.A.T . are supplemental techniques added to traditional Usui reiki from a vast array of sources. During the time that Mrs. Takata was teaching, the practice of Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki in America, was consistent and fairly standardized. Mrs. Takata died in 1980. After Mrs. Takata's death, people began to question pricing and various practices in Reiki. Many people that practice Reiki, have experienced other systems on their journey. These might include Wicca, Hermetic Magic, Kaballah, Crystals, Meditation, Tibetan Buddhist Practices, and everything in between. Some Reiki Masters began experimenting with this simple art of Reiki, and adding everything under the sun into it. New symbols were added. People began speculating then stating Reiki came from Tibet, Egypt, Atlantis, and whole new arts were built onto the framework of what was Reiki. New styles emerged. Styles such as Usui/Tibetan Reiki, Vajra Reiki (was Johre Reiki), Blue Star Reiki, Karuna Reiki , Tera Mai Reiki , Seichim Reiki, Lightarian Reiki Siddheartha Reiki , and more others than I can probably name. Some added new symbols, others modified the attunement process, still others changed the focus from a healing art to a tool for ascension work or self-development, or for "Galactic Healing". Some of these arts claim to be "higher frequency energy", or "more powerful", or even enlightenment producing! Understand that none of these techniques are necessary to practice reiki effectively, and none of the were used in Japan. Some Reiki Masters question the validity of these practices, or the inclusion of them under the descriptor "Reiki". I will list some of the more common modifications and Reiki Advanced Practices (RAT) here, as well as some other Techniques of Advanced Reiki (T.A.R.). Try them if you choose. If you find them useful, add them to your practices. Here you will find some of what are commonly referred to as "advanced" techniques. These are my personal modifications of these practices are presented here. Reiki Symbol Meditation Reiki Symbol Meditation is meditation using the Reiki Symbols. It is a hybrid of meditation and visualization that is half attunement and half meditation. It is designed to increase the connection to the reiki source by meditating on the symbols. Knowing this is the process, those of you who are familiar with meditation could easily fashion your own meditation on the symbols, visualizing the symbols and meditating on the connection to the reiki source. Experiment and explore. These practices are not written in stone, and were developed by other people, just like you. Their ways are no better (or no worse?!!) than yours. To do this meditation, use guidelines that anyone doing meditation of any sort might follow. Get yourself into a comfortable position. Sitting in a comfortable chair that allows your spine to be erect is good. Placing your hands on your lap and having your feet comfortably touch the floor generally works well. Relaxing the body using some deep breathing, or muscular relaxation can sometimes help. As with all meditation, if your mind wanders while meditating, allow the thoughts to slip away, paying them no mind, and gently refocus. Having done that, breathe slow and deep, shut your eyes and focus on the feeling of Reiki. Sometimes it helps to allow that sensation to begin in your palms. Allow the reiki to pour into you and intend that it do so. Let your mind stay on this sensation and feeling. Now allow the loving feel of the Reiki Source to be with you as the reiki energy flows into you. Stay with this feeling for a time and then when you are ready, you can begin to meditate on the symbols. The first symbol we will use is the Master symbol. Either draw it in front of you or visualize it in your mind. Say the name of the symbol (either out loud or in your head). Visualize the symbol as golden, intensely bright and empowered with the loving energy of the reiki source. Allow it to flow into you, and for any message it might have for you to manifest. Stay focused on the symbol and the reiki flow and the source. The Master symbol is the symbol of empowerment, and of the Great Shining Light. Allow the symbol and energy to show you what that means. Stay with this as long as you feel comfortable. When you are ready, do the same with the Power Symbol, the Mental/Emotional Symbol, and the Distance Symbol. You can so the meditation with all four symbols in one setting, or my personal preference is to only work with one symbol per session and increase the time meditating on that symbol. The connection feels more personal that way. When you are finished, draw all four symbols in front of you saying their names. That the reiki source for sharing this with you. At this point, you are likely to be filled with energy and this would be a good time to work on doing self-treatments, treating others, doing distant healing, manifesting goals, charging your reiki crystals, or watching reruns of "Green Acres". (no really!!!, Arnold the pig helps ground people. Ok, so that was a bad joke. However, grounding yourself is important! If you are not grounded, you might find yourself light headed and dizzy after this meditation. Find something that is grounding and do it. You can place your palms on the earth, go for a walk, visualize roots running to the center of the earth and connecting, drink water or whatever works for you. You can also put your tongue on the soft pallate (just behind the teeth), draw the power symbol on the feet, that hara (just below the naval) and the palms. Place your palms on the hara and concentrate on that area for a few minutes. This tends to bring the excess energy from the upper chakras and into the hara. Any method of grounding works and keeps the dizzies from happening! There are an infinite number of possibilities of Reiki Meditations available. You can do it focusing only on the connection to the reiki source. You can add other meditative practices such as light body meditations, or Mer-Ka-Ba. Experiement and know that your modifications are just as good and valid as anyone else's, they just cost less! Manifesting Goals There are several methods available to help use reiki and the reiki symbols to manifest goals. Advocates of these techniques feel that they can help manifest changes in your life. Manifestation practices can be done alone, or after doing a Reiki Meditation like the one described above. No matter what method you use to manifest goals, always be ethical in what you ask for. Sit and relax, breathing gently and deeply. Either out loud or to yourself, say your goal. State it in such a way that their can only be one interpretation and cannot be misinterpreted. Connect to the Reiki energy. Draw the symbols on your palms. In your mind, create a mental movie, or mental image of this goal being accomplished. Draw the reiki symbols on the mental picture starting with the power symbol and ending with the power symbol. Repeat this same procedure for each goal you wish to accomplish. When you are finished, say (out loud or in your mind) "If this be possible within Divine love and wisdom, then let it be so." Finish by drawing all the reiki symbols again on the visualization and sealing it with a power symbol. Believe totally that this process is done and that this goal is already being manifested. Another Manifestation technique is a Manifestation Triangle. This technique is a better choice for those who are not as good with visualization techniques. Also, because it involves writing, it is more concrete and can help focus you on what you truly want. The first step is to draw a triangle. At the bottom left hand corner write the person's name that this manifestation is to be for (yourself or someone else). Next, at the top of the triangle, write what you want to happen. This should be the best possible solution to the situation. The situation and person's name should be specific. You can say "This will manifest for the highest good of (person's name)". Next, at the bottom right hand corner, write the situation. After setting up your triangle, and writing out the name, solution and situation, draw a power key symbol over each corner. Draw a power symbol over the whole triangle. Place your hands on the triangle picture and do reiki on it, intending it to manifest. Reiki Crystal Grid This technique was developed to set up a continuous flow of reiki energy for healing or protection by using crystals and the reiki energy. This technique did not exist in Reiki Ryoho in Japan, and was not part of the Hayashi-Takata Usui Shiki Ryoho, but like most of the add-on's was developed after the death of Mrs. Takata. It is not my belief that you can empower a grid to continuously send Reiki. I think sending reiki involves intent and a connection between the sender, the energy and the receiver. I do not teach this practice. It is included here for your reference. The advocates of this procedure believe that a crystal grid can be created and charged with Reiki energy. It is thought that it will continue to send Reiki energy for healing, protection, or to assist with goal manifestation for several days or longer. The idea of using charged objects to bring about a desired outcome for the user or wearer is nothing new. Talismans have been used throught recorded history. These techniques are generally from magical traditions. Psychologists believe that there is a self-fulfilling prophecy regarding the wearing of such objects as well as a placebo effect. To make the Reiki Grid you need eight crystals. (There are many books on crystal selection with rather lengthy guidelines about how to select the "perfect" crystal for you.) For our purposes, the easiest method of crystal selection is to pick the crystals up and just see how they feel to you. Try not to so much "think" about this as "feel" it. Send some reiki into the crystal and see how that feels as well, allowing your intuition to guide you. Most new age shops and many science or hobby shops sell crystals. Regular Rose Quartz, or White Quartz tumbled smooth stones are sufficient for the puspose of making this grid and are inexpensive. You will also need a picture of the person that the grid will send to or protect. After you have the stones, they will need to be cleansed. Some crystal experts believe you should cleanse them in clear water and then leave them in the sun and moon light for a period of three days. Other experts believe it is best to place them in rock or sea salt or salt water for 24 hours. Say a prayer over them after you have put them in the salt or salt water, asking that they be purified for your highest spiritual good. Choose a place for the Reiki Grid. The best location is one where others do not go so that the grid is not disturbed. Take the eight crystals that you have cleansed, and choose the one that seems the strongest. This will be the Master Charging Crystal. For your central (Master) crystal, you may want to choose a double terminated crystal, a cluster, a pyramid or a crystal ball. (Some practitioners conceptualize this in terms of yin and yang. You are looking for the crystal that is the most yang or having the strongest male energy.) Next, place six of the crystals at equal points around a circle about 10 to 12inches in diameter. This creates a hexagon or six-sided figure. Place the last crystal in the center. This makes seven stones in the design in total. The eighth will be used as the Master crystal. Play with the arrangement until it feels right. This arrangement uses a six sided figure. It is possible to construct them in any geometric shape. Various Magick traditions such as Wicca and Hermetic Magick attribute different meanings to the various shapes. Choose one that best represents what you are trying to accomplish. Take a picture of yourself or the person that you want to send reiki to. Draw the four Reiki Symbols on the back, the person's name, and an affirmation to help empower and set the intent of the process. Be creative. You can use a piece of paper with a goal, intent or need on it instead of a picture. Draw out the four Reiki Symbols on the paper and then Reiki it between your hands and place it within the crystal Grid. The Grid will continuously send Reiki to heal the person or bring about the goal. At this point you have the purified crystals and your prepared picture. The next step is to charge the crystals with the reiki energy. This is very simple to do. Take each crystal into your hands and send Reiki into it for about 10 minutes or so. Do this with each crystal, one at a time until all of them are done. You can also say prayers, or ask your Reiki or spiritual guides to assist you while you are charging them. Another way to charge them is to do a Reiki Attunement on each crystal or do an attunement on the grid once it is completed. Once the crystals are charged put each back in its place on the grid. Put the Master Crystal in last. It is suggested that you not move the crystals after they are in place as it will weaken the energy connections. The Master Crystal is used to keep your Reiki Grid charged. This stone can be recharged when needed by holding it in the hand during a reiki meditation, beaming reiki into it, or reattuning it. To finish the grid hold the Master crystal in your right hand. Starting at the top, begin to connect the dots that are formed by the crystals on the grid. You will be starting at the top and making six triangles as you connect the imaginary lines between the stones on the outside and the center stone. Move around the Grid in a counterclockwise direction. You can also say an affirmation or mantra as you do this. Some masters meditate with they Master Crystal frequently to keep their Reiki Grid charged up. Reiki Guide Meditation This technique is commonly taught in the Level IIIa classes of the Usui/Tibetan School and has been popularized by authors such as William Rand and Diane Stein. Reiki Guides were not part of Traditional Reiki as taught by Usui. Like most of the "add-on" material, Reiki Guides and the belief in them were added on by other masters in the west after the death of Mrs. Takata and were never used by Usui. Understand that Reiki works without "guides" and that guides are not necessary to practicing reiki, or doing attunements. Many people use reiki their entire lives without ever having a guide. Although I do believe that people can have guides (and there is plenty of precedents set by the world's religions with guardian angels and other spirit protectors) I am not of the mind that there are specific "reiki guides". There are some authors believe that reiki "guides" are really the ones that do reiki, and are the presence doing the attunements and will correct errors made by the Reiki Master during an attunement. I do not share this belief and my opinion is that reiki in all manifestations comes from the source of all. I do not use guides in my practice, nor do I teach them or this procedure. It is included here for your reference only. Like all meditation practices, find a time alone and a place without distractions. Sit comfortably in a straight backed chair with your hands on your thighs. As you breath in, see the breath as white light filling every part of your body. As the white light goes through your body with your breath, it collects this tension and is blown out of you with the release of the breath. Visualize a fountain of white Light descending down over you. This light flows over you and down to the ground. As it touches your energy it collects the negative energy and everything that is not for your highest good. The Reiki Light transmutes the negative energy into light. Allow the light to form a protective bubble around you. You are completely surrounded by this bubble of light and you feel safe and protected. Do some form of systematic muscular relaxation. One that I use is: Allow the relaxation to come into the soles of both of your feet at the same time. Feel your feet relax. Let the relaxing sensation move up the legs into the ankles, letting the muscles and bones relax. The relaxing energy moves up the legs into the calves, relaxing them, and then up through the knees into the thighs. Allow the legs to totally relax, and then let the energy move up into the hips, relaxing the hips. And your legs and hips are totally relaxed. Now let the relaxing power move up the spine, and a warm feeling of energy moves up the spine as it relaxes the muscles of the back. The energy moves into the shoulders, and you allow your shoulders to relax. The energy now moves down the arms, and into the hands, relaxing your upper arms, fore arms, and hands. Now the energy moves up the neck, relaxing the muscles in the neck and up the head, into the scalp and the head and scalp are relaxed. The energy moves down over the forehead, and into the jaw, and you are totally relaxed and now ready to start the meditation to meet your guide. At this point, concentrate on the breathing and let go of all thought. As you sit in your chair, see a beautiful column of Pure White Light, or a column of Golden Divine Light. Allow the divine light to come in your presence and then to envelop you, and be with you. As you gaze at this Light, you see a figure emerging from out of the Light and coming towards you. As they approach, you start to see more of what they looks like. You may wish to ask them some questions to help them communicate with you. As you ask these questions and receive the answers, know that you will remember them clearly upon awakening. You will both intuit, feel, hear or otherwise receive the answers. Ask and or notice their gender, size, appearance, shape, smell, form, clothing, etc. See them come towards you and give you a hand. Note how it feels to meet this being? Are the familiar and do you recognize them from having met them before? What does their energy feel like to you? See them sit in front of you. Ask them their name, why they are here for you at this moment in time, what role they are to play in your life, and if they have a specific message for you at this time. Listen carefully for the answers. When you feel comfortable with your guide and the answers have come to you, be with your guide for a time and allow the connection and communication between you to deepen. Some people have a good sense of when it is time to leave and others do not. You may wish Ask them how you can recognize their presence the next time and how to ask them for assistance when you need it in the future. You should not share this information to anyone. Then, thank your Reiki Guide for making their presence known to you. Know that your guide will be with you from this time forward, guiding you, protecting you, and assisting you. In the future, all you need do is acknowledge their presence and ask for their help when you need it. Start bringing yourself back to the room where you are physically. When you open your eyes, you will awaken, refreshed, alert, and completely aware. You have now met your guide. Talk to them in meditations. Call on them when you need. This can be as simple as calling their name in your mind. Also, by remember the feeling you had of them (energy signature) you can connect with them. (Author's Note: Be careful what spirits you ask into your life. Make your own decisions. You have free will, USE IT. Never surrender your will to another human or spirit. Above all else, be careful.) Reiki Psychic Surgery Technique This technique was developed by William Rand. It is a pseudo-hypnosis/visualization psychodrama technique that tries to focus a person on solving an area that they are "stuck" in and breaking up blockages. This technique reminds me of some neuro-linguistic programming techniques I was once taught minus the reiki. I do not teach this material in any of my classes. You may click the link here to review the proceedure for your reference.
- The Fire Serpent is thought to open the Chakra system. This allows the Reiki Healing energy to flow into the person receiving the attunement or healing. Typically, it would be drawn down the back of the person receiving at the beginning of an attunement of a healing session.
- Doing Reiki on a List of Recipients In this method, you are doing Reiki on an entire list of people, with the intent that each are receiving a complete Reiki treatment. This is a useful technique when you have a bunch of people that want distant reiki, but you do not have time to do distant healing for each. Create a list of those that want distant healing from you. On the list you can include such things as their names, ages, locations, and what needs to be treqated. Make sure you have their permission. Once you have the list, you empower the paper with the intent that it be filled with a Reiki treatment for each. then you would Then you simply reiki the list. Place your hands on the paper, and either just send reiki, or visualize the people receiving a treatment. Generally, doing the distant healing about 15 to 20 minutes is a good amount of time.
- Treating without Touching Some Reiki practitioners and masters give complete treatment sessions without ever touching their clients. The effects of this kind of treatment are very powerful as Reiki effects the person's energy field first, circulates through them removing negative blocks, and then enters the physical body to heal on its level. Because of the effectiveness of this method, I've listed the primary techniques below, in order of use, so that you can integrate them into your own sessions. THE AURA SWEEP This is a very common technique to use in balancing someone's energy field as well as in cleansing the surface of their aura of negative energy. Have the person stand a few feet away from you (this is best done outdoors, on the bare earth). Now, sweep your hands from above the top of their head, to the ground beneath them, and back several times. Do this by stretching your arms out in front of you with your fingers together and pointing at the person you are working on. As you sweep them from head to toe, visualize beams of energy coming from the tips of your fingers and passing through the person, removing all negative energy as they do so. When you are done, shake your hands, as if you are shaking water from them, and ground the energy by cleansing yourself in one of the ways mentioned in the chapter on conducting a session. The easiest ways to ground yourself are washing your hands off in cold water, pressing them together in a prayer type fashion for a minute or so, or placing them directly on the earth for a thirty seconds to a minute. PROJECTING This procedure goes by many different names and there are, likewise, many different styles and techniques of practicing it. It is primarily an Eastern technique which is very common in both individual and group use in Chinese methods of healing with energy. The Reiki energy makes it very simple to use. Essentially, it involves sending your client energy by channeling or projecting it through your hands, while standing several feet away from them. In the Eastern systems which use methods like this, the energy has traditionally been sent through the tips of the fingers, but in Reiki the palms of the hands may also be used. Intuitive research has indicated that a slightly larger beam of energy is emitted from the tips of the fingers, rather than the palms, during this technique, but a difference in effectiveness has not been ascertained. Personally, I prefer to use the palms. If you are a first degree practitioner, simply hold your hands out in front of you with either the finger tips or palms facing toward the client and intend to send energy to them. Although you will be outside of many levels of their energy field, their aura is a vast system and you will still be well within its outer layers. Because of this, the energy you are sending will be circulated throughout many of its levels and will concentrate where needed, often in several areas at once. When used in this fashion, Reiki energy often fills nearly all of the person's energy field. If you are a second or third degree practitioner, you may use the above method as it is written, or add the symbols and their energy to it. This can be done by actually tracing them out before you send the energy, or by simply visualizing them as you do so. As always, I recommend using the symbols so that as wide a spectrum of energy as possible is available during the session. It is often true that the more energy you can make available, the more successful the healing will be. You may also wish to experiment with visualizing the distant symbol while you are projecting energy to the client. This is not necessary, but may add some additional power by helping you to focus your intent more clearly. I do recommend using a mantra such as, "I am a channel of pure Reiki (or healing) energy for _____." This will also do wonders for assisting you in focusing on the healing being performed. Finally, you may also wish to consider actually doing a distant healing on your client before beginning the sessions. This can even be given to them as they are on their way to you. It will greatly assist in preparing them energetically and psychologically for the healing session. In this application it will have a similar effect as projecting. SCANNING The physical portion of this procedure is more commonly called "sensing" or "cool-cleansing". This is because through a combination of intent, intuition and sensitivity to energy, "cool" spots are located in a person's body and energy field, and are removed. These spots are often places of blocked energy or manifested illness and are usually among the first areas treated in a "hands-off" healing. Removal of these blocks will often increase the client's ability to draw energy and integrate it during the session so that later the energy can be focused in other places where it is needed. Needless to say, as with most techniques in this book, you can use this procedure on yourself as well. The actual procedure is quite simple. First, state your intent clearly. Tell your angels, as well as all levels of yourself that you are looking for the places in the person's body and energy field which need healing the most. Tell them that you are also looking for areas which would be beneficial to work on before the rest of the healing takes place. Next, while standing on the person's right side, place your left hand 1-6 inches above the person's body. I recommend using your left hand, simply because in most people it is the one which is the most receptive. The left side of the body is noted for drawing external energy into the human energy field. You may begin this procedure from either the top of the person's head, or from the bottoms of their feet. In either case, slowly and systematically move your hand to the other end. As you do so, pay very close attention to the sensations in your hand. In different areas, you may feel the aforementioned coolness, but I also commonly feel tingling, heat, drawing sensations, etc. Like projecting, scanning is a very common procedure (also closely tied in origin to Eastern energetic healing, though now used extensively in the Therapeutic Touch type methods of healing) and there are a number of sources on it which list the above sensations, along with many others. Any irregularity in the person's energy field is a sign that you want to stop scanning for a moment and work on that area. The treatment can be done by either placing both hands together (side by side) and holding them 1-6 inches above the suspect area, or by placing your hands directly on the person's body in that area. Use your intuition to determine which you feel is right to do. When the area is finished drawing energy, remove your hands and continue to scan from where you left off. Again, treat with this method systematically from head to toe. If you choose to simply bring your hand down (or up) the center of the client's body instead of zigzagging all over it, two additional things become necessary. First, you must be much more sensitive to the energy in your hand, and second, when you feel the slightest distortion, you must move your hand off its central track and attempt to "hone-in" on the block you are sensing. Unless related to a specific chakra, the blocks will rarely be located in the center section of the body. Be certain to pay careful attention to all sections of the intestines and colon. Though many of the people attracted to a healing system such as Reiki have hands which are very sensitive to energy, there are quite a few who are not. There are many other ways of scanning the body other than with the hands. Another very common method used the pendulum. If you plan on using this method and have not used a pendulum in the past, I recommend that you go down to your local holistic book store and browse through the titles that they have on the subject. Pick a favorite book, or two, and dig in. To use the pendulum in scanning, simply replace the sensing hand with it. Hold the pendulum so that its tip is 1-6 inches above the surface of the body and systematically test the entire body. This is not the recommended method because it takes much longer than hand scanning. Time is needed to calm the pendulum in each location and it can take quite some time to hone in on all of the areas you are searching for. Still, it is a very effective alternative to hand scanning. Another effective alternative is visualization. This takes a great deal of trust, however it is an excellent tool to use in developing inner vision. Simply allow yourself to become relaxed, hold your palms out towards the person you are working on, and allow the visualization of their energy field to come into your mind. Now, ask to be shown the areas which should be treated first. Allow your intuition to guide your visualization, and pay careful attention to any spots in the body and energy field visualization which change. In time, it may be possible to develop clairvoyant vision using this method. Often times, the problems will be revealed to you in colors and shapes which depict great meaning, so be sure to watch every detail carefully. The final scanning method is by far the easiest, but is limited to second and third degree Reiki practitioners. It is done by casually tracing the power symbol out over the client. I love to use this method and its accuracy is astounding! Stand a few feet back from the client, or at their feet if they are laying down. Now, close your eyes and in a fairly rapid manner, trace out a power symbol over the client. Allow it to have as many spirals as it likes, and then when it is done being traced, open your eyes and look down your arm to see where it is pointing. This is where the center of the vortex ended up, and it is also an area which is in need of attention. I commonly do this three times before a healing, asking where I should begin, then where to work as the second position, and finally where to work at for the third. From there, I either follow the hand positions in order, or go by intuition. "HANDS-OFF" TREATMENT The roots of this method, as well as the projecting method of treatment, are found in the healing traditions of many cultures world-wide. Huna, Chinese energy medicine, traditional magick, and the increasingly common Therapeutic Touch type techniques all contain a wealth of information about this method. Hands-off treatment involves giving a full session without ever actually touching the client. To use this method, simply hold your hands 1-6 inches above the client exactly as you would if you were giving a traditional "hands-on" treatment, and proceed to allow the energy to flow through you. In doing so, you are treating with your hands in the client's energy field. As previously mentioned, this allows the Reiki energy to flow more freely and easily to the areas where it is needed and may give it a greater ability to work on many different levels and places at once. Allow your intuition to guide how high above the body you place your hands in each position. Traditional theory has said no more than three inches. This is because within the 1-3 inch range, you are still working primarily on the etheric body, which is the mould of the physical. By working on this level, you can easily prevent illness before it manifests, and more readily heal the physical body. Energy healing has come a long way in recent years and although major emphasis is still placed on healing the physical body, an expanded understanding of what lies behind the manifestation of disease has also began to come about. Because of this, other (such as the mental and emotional) levels of the energy field are now given attention with the understanding that healing on these levels will produce great change on the etheric and physical levels as well. Needless to say, because of the harmonic principles involved in energetic healing, higher levels such as the spiritual bodies will be effected as well. By extending treatment to projecting, much more of the energy field is worked on. Likewise, recent research has found that the area of 1-6 inches above the body produces tremendous mental and emotional healing as well as powerful physical and etheric level healing. As always, listen to your intuition. If it tells you to place your hands two feet above the person, DO IT! You are still well within various levels of their energy field. Note Traditional hands-on Reiki healing works on all levels of a person as well, though many feel that "hands-off" treatment is a faster and more direct means to the same end. Additional studies, research, and discussion is currently being conducted into these questions.
- Empowering Goals with Reiki At the second degree level, three different primary subcurrents of energy are available to the Reiki practitioner which can greatly assist with empowerment and manifestation if they are understood within that context. First, there is the current represented by the power symbol. It might be more appropriate to call this the empowerment symbol because of the special properties of the energy it represents. This symbol may be used to empower any goal or desired manifestation. It is a key to a very powerful form of energy and may be used for nearly anything. This is the energy in the Usui System of Natural Healing which provides the push to make things manifest. Manifestation, however, will not occur if other levels of your consciousness are blocking it. The major culprit which places limits on what you will allow to manifest in your life is your subconscious mind. It is the place which is believed to house all of the imprints and beliefs which govern what you attract to you (manifest). Many people use the power symbol in attempting to manifest what they desire, but few consider the fact that if their subconscious mind had no beliefs which contradicted that desire, then the thought of the desire alone would have produced the manifestation. In Reiki, we are very fortunate to have an energy which gives us direct contact with the subconscious mind. The Mental/Emotional symbol provides the access to this energy. Do not forget to add the energy which this symbol represents anytime you create a program to assist you in manifestation. By doing so, you will be sending the healing energy to your subconscious mind for use in dissolving the blocks which you have placed there and which are limiting your ability to manifest what you desire. It is important not to forget the capabilities of the distant healing symbol when creating a program of manifestation. By incorporating the energy which this symbol represents, you are able to send healing energy to all points in time. This has two major ramifications. First, it gives you the ability to send healing energy back into the past, to critical events in your life as they are actually happening. The effects of this are obvious and very powerful. Second, it allows you to send energy into the future. Our prior and current thoughts and actions crystallize etheric templates in future time and space. This means simply that your future is largely determined by what you are creating it to be right now. By using the distant healing symbol, it is possible to send energy into the future and change the template as it currently exists, replacing it with something more desirable. It is also possible to send energy generically into the future with the intent that it assist you at critical points in time, when you need it the most. The curious thing about this is that we seem to be involved in a strange loop between the past, present, and future. When you send energy back into the past, you will most likely notice perceivable changes in the present. This is logical based on our perceptions of linear time. According to current theory, the past should effect the present, and consequently the future. Following the course of this logic, the future should have no tangible effect on the past or present moment. That, however, does not seem to be the case. When energy is sent into the future, very often perceivable changes can be felt in the present. It certainly seems as if they are all connected in ways which were previously felt to be impossible. Thus, when healing either yourself or others, it is extremely beneficial to send energy simultaneously to the person's past, present, and future selves. Likewise, do not forget the importance of working on all levels of yourself when attempting to empower a goal or manifestation. HOW TO USE REIKI TO EMPOWER GOALS Most of us have goals we are seeking to manifest. Some relate to abundance, some to dissolution of unwanted habits such as smoking. Reiki can be used not only for these goals, but can even be used for weight control, or to assist in difficulties with a relationship. The procedure for manifesting each is basically the same. The simplest method involves prayer in conjunction with the energy. Any time that a recurrent pattern comes up, simply visualize the power symbol and ask that the desire be dissolved. Then, clear your mind and visualize the Mental/Emotional symbol. While visualizing it, ask that your subconscious be cleansed of any thought-form or impression which is creating the current pattern or preventing the manifestation of what you desire. Now, clear your mind again and visualize the Distant healing symbol. During your visualization of this symbol, ask that the energy be made available to all points in space and time where it is needed to assist you in manifesting what you desire. Finally clear your mind again and visualize the power symbol. This time, just hold it in your mind and allow yourself to relax. If you'd like, you can restate your intent at this time, but it is not necessary. As you allow yourself to become relaxed and receptive, often a key thought or memory will arise in your consciousness that will indicate the reason your manifestation has been blocked. Once aware of such an issue, the block becomes much easier to deal with and eliminate. Don't stop there, however, continue to send healing energy to the manifestation as there are many other levels that it is working on. Another popular method, which has been taught for years, involves a picture of yourself, or piece of paper. On the front or back of the picture (or on the piece of paper) write out what you would like to have manifested in positive language, along with several other affirmations. Then, write out each Reiki symbol with it's name and send energy to the picture or paper for fifteen minutes each day, or more if that's possible. To do this, simply hold it between your hands, or hold your hands over it. You can even do this anytime you feel an urge come up that is contrary to the habit you are trying to heal. If you are planning on using a picture, take a new one of yourself just for this purpose, and update it every few months or so. This will keep the energy in the picture as accurate as possible and make the healing or manifesting much more powerful. Unless you are working on specific relationship issues, it is best if you are the only one in the picture. If you are working on a relationship issue, be very careful of the picture that you select. The energy of the moment embodied within the photograph will greatly effect the situation. The use of pictures and writing on pieces of paper is adapted from the radionics community. For years, the West has scoffed at primitive societies that would not allow their picture to be taken because they believed that it stole their soul. Modern etheric science has finally caught up with them. A picture is an excellent vibrational representative. A vibrational representation of a person, place, or thing is known as a witness. It can be used on both organic and inorganic objects. It gives one a direct link and allows access on a subtle energy level to the person or object in the photograph. Further, there seems to be no limit to the amount or kind of access one has when using these methods. The link can be used for positive or negative reasons. In Reiki, this link provides a very powerful technique which we can use to send energy to anything very easily. Furthermore, when this is combined with the crystal techniques outlined elsewhere in this book, we are able to send the energy continuously for periods up to 48 hours. The technique of writing affirmations and representative symbols has been used and written about in radionic circles for years. Their effect is quite powerful when combined with a quality witness, and empowered by a subtle energy of some kind. Reiki is excellent for this purpose. Because Reiki is a relatively holographic current, access to broader ranges of the energy is available at the first degree level for self healing. The above technique can be adapted and used quite effectively by a first degree practitioner, though a longer treatment time may be necessary. To empower goals with first degree energy, use the witness method with affirmations, omitting the symbols, and then Reiki the witness as outlined above. HEALING HABITS WITH FIRST DEGREE ENERGY Because Reiki is a relatively holographic current, access to broader ranges of the energy is available at the first degree level for self healing. The above technique can be adapted and used quite effectively by a first degree practitioner, though a longer treatment time may be necessary. To empower goals with first degree energy, use the witness method with affirmations, omitting the symbols, and then Reiki the witness as outlined above. SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR HEALING HABITS If your goal is to heal a habit such as smoking or to regulate your weight more effectively, a number of excellent suggestions can be found in books dealing with hypnosis. For quite some time now, the hypnotherapy community has been working with disorders such as these. They have developed many step by step programs which can be implemented quite effectively into the Reiki system. One of the nicest things about these programs are the affirmations which are proven to be effective. Many even have steps with different affirmations for use at different times. All of these can be incorporated and used with Reiki, and it is much easier than trying to develop your own program.
- : Protection With Reiki The power symbol and the mental/emotional symbol have important protective abilities. In many versions of the first degree attunement process, the power symbol is the only Reiki symbol planted in the hands. It's placed there in part because of the extensive protection it provides. It protects the healer from the client's personal energy, the client from the healer's personal energy, and the energy current from both the healer and client's personal energy. WHAT TO DO IF YOU FEEL PAIN Unless you specifically developed the ability and use it in other forms of healing, as a Reiki practitioner you should never feel pain during a session. If you do, tell your angels that you would prefer to feel another sensation, such as energetic tingling. If the pain persists, move your hands to a different location on the client's body. If the pain persists, remove your hands and wash them in cold water immediately. Then clean the area by visualizing divine love and white light around both you and your client. After a short while, try again. If the pain reoccurs, immediately wash your hands again, and end the session. If you are determined to grin and bear it for some reason when pain arises, try removing your hands from the person and using the "hands-off" treatment method which is detailed in the chapter on treating without touching. More often than not, use of this method will relieve the pain you are feeling. My first recommendation, however, remains end the session immediately. Though rare, sometimes pain is used as a way to tell us to remove our hands from the client. It is difficult to say if such sensations are produced by another part of the client's consciousness, an energy or entity which has attached itself to the client, or one of our angels trying to make their message clear. I tend to doubt the latter. It has been my experience that angels typically communicate in positive and loving ways. I doubt if they would ever intentionally cause us pain to make a point clear. Wherever the pain is coming from, take the message and remove your hands if you experience it during a session. In my practice, I have run across several people who have felt pain in their hands, while working on clients, since the day that they were first attuned. In each case, I asked them to communicate with their angels and inform them that they would prefer a different sensation. If that was not effective, I re-implanted the power symbol, and in some cases the mental/emotional symbol, in their hands. In every case that I have encountered thus far, that, along with my request for assistance from my angels in planting the protective symbol(s), was sufficient in stopping the pain. THE MENTAL/EMOTIONAL SYMBOL'S PROTECTIVE QUALITIES The mental/emotional symbol also has special protective abilities. It is said to offer "Christ like" protection. I believe it to offer protection on the subconscious level as well. This can be very powerful when called upon. Many second degree practitioners trace the power symbol and mental/emotional symbol out over themselves each morning for both protection, and the energy it manifests. One master I know of had a very bad accident a while back. He hadn't had so much as a speeding ticket in years (he continually sends out power symbols ahead of his vehicle while traveling), and confided to the class I was auditing that it happened on one of the few days that he had not traced the protective symbols. Reason enough to protect yourself each morning. CLEANSING SPACES WITH REIKI Have you ever walked into a space that felt negative or uncomfortable? The Reiki symbols can offer protection with this, as well. The power and mental/emotional symbols can be traced out and empowered with a special intention that they cleanse and protect the space. The symbols can also be traced on walls to set up a secure environment which no negative energy can pass into. Likewise, doors and other openings can be protected by this method. You can also protect your property from being damaged or stolen by using the symbols combined with the proper intent. The following procedure is extremely effective in cleansing spaces at times when it would not be socially acceptable to go around and physically trace the symbols. Take a couple of deep breaths and on an inhale trace the power symbol on the roof of your mouth. Then, simply exhale while visualizing the symbol leaving your mouth and filling the space with healing and protective energy. It may be necessary to repeat this a few times depending on the space. If possible, direct your outward breaths to the corners of the room first and then to the space in general. You may also use the mental/emotional symbol in combination with the power symbol for this protection ritual. This is a handy trick to use in unfriendly environments. You'll be surprised at how quickly the place will warm up to you. REIKI ON THE ROAD Cleansing spaces can be especially important while traveling. Hotel rooms and rental cars are used by many, many different people each of which leave their own psychic energy behind. It is very important to cleanse this energy when you arrive in the space. Hotel beds are especially bad culprits. If possible, cleanse the entire room with both Reiki and an incense or sage stick of some kind. Small aromatherapy devises are also very nice to have while traveling and have a much smaller risk of setting off the smoke alarms! Be sure to protect yourself personally while traveling and also to cleanse the cabins of airplanes, trains and buses. These are also areas where a great deal of psychic energy tends to build up and often much of it is quite negative. PROTECTION OF PROPERTY WITH REIKI The Power Symbol and Mental/Emotional symbols may also be used to protect property and personal items. Nearly anything can be protected with Reiki including your home, cars, even your tax returns from an audit. While driving, I often visualize the symbols surrounding the car and extending out behind and in front of me far into the distance. I intend that they protect me from not only accident and injury, but also from the ever present radar gun. To protect something, simply trace the symbols out over it with the intent that they protect the item. Nothing more is necessary, and it works very well.
- Using Reiki on Animals, Plants and Other Items Reiki is a form of universal energy and as such is ideal for healing all forms of life. When healing animals and plants, you will notice that the energy flows into them in much the same way it does people. It also tends to relax animals just as it does humans. REIKI AND ANIMALS Every now and then, you may find an animal who does not like or want the energy. Always respect the animal's wishes. Never try to force Reiki onto anyone or anything. For the best results, systematically treat the animal's entire body, especially the trunk and head. Remember that Reiki is given even while petting your favorite cat or dog. If you are a second degree practitioner, you can also send energy to your pets at a distance, and you can send Mental/Emotional healing energy to them as well! Treatment times are often very short when working on pets. You will definitely know when they have had enough energy. Usually, they will simply get up and leave. Some people actually ask their pets where they want the Reiki. They say that when they do so, the animal will present a certain part of himself or herself to be worked on. Fish can also be treated by simply placing your hands on the aquarium's glass for 10 to 20 minutes. USING REIKI WITH PLANTS There are many ways to use Reiki with plants. Seeds can be treated by placing them in between your hands for ten minutes or until they finish drawing energy. It can be fun to use two separate groups, one that has been treated with Reiki and one that hasn't. Likewise, you can perform the same experiment on the plants as they begin to grow. To treat a plant you can either touch it lightly, place your hands around the pot and treat the soil it grows in, or hold your hands an inch or two away and project energy to it. Typically, you will find that plants which are treated with Reiki tend to grow much larger and healthier than plants grown without it. Several years ago, science discovered that plants have vibrational responses very similar to emotions. This means that if you are a second degree practitioner, the plants you work on will benefit by your use of the Mental/Emotional symbol and its energy. On a similar note, you may also use the Distant healing symbol to send energy to whole areas of plant life. I know many people who use Reiki to treat their yards. Still others send energy to entire forests which are in desperate need of assistance due to over harvesting and acid rain. TREATING FOOD AND DRINKS WITH REIKI Treating your food and drinks with Reiki is also an excellent idea. In today's world of over processed everything, it often seems like most of the life giving energy which should be in our food is missing. Treating food before you eat it is an excellent method to use in reclaiming that energy. Simply hold your hands above it for a few minutes. Fresh raw fruits and vegetables seem to be the best at holding the energy. Many practitioners prepare a salad or cold slaw and charge it with Reiki. Tomato based products, especially sauces such as those used in Italian cooking, have been found to give the body a greater ability to channel the energy, though no reason for this has yet been found. It is also a good idea to treat a glass of water each morning and drink it before you begin your day. This is done by simply placing your hands around the glass for a minute or so. Water charged in this way can yield a surprising boost of energy. This is also a good thing to use when someone is slightly depressed or down. Many people also treat the water that they give to their plants and animals. Medicine is also an excellent thing to treat with Reiki before consumption. MISCELLANEOUS THINGS TO TREAT Everything is made of energy, so everything can benefit from Reiki. I use it quite frequently on my car. I can't begin to tell you how often I've saved on repairs by just treating it with a little Reiki when something on it started to give out. I've also used it to charge dead batteries in the middle of winter. A few minutes of Reiki and more often than not, you're on your way. Some time ago I was helping a friend move to Colorado. She borrowed a very small truck and attached a fairly large trailer to it. The drive from Illinois to Denver is a gradual up hill haul and the closer we got, the slower this truck went. When it was down to 35 MPH, I began to send energy to it. Five minutes later we were once again driving an effortless 70 MPH. Plus, for the remaining two hundred miles, the truck did not seem to use a drop of gas. Before that we had been averaging 150 miles per tank. Many people use Reiki to improve their fuel economy and swear by it. One of the most efficient methods is to place your hands around the gas hose as it is flowing into your tank. Jewelry, especially crystal and metal jewelry, is also good to treat because it will take a charge and hold it for a good portion of the day, in effect, giving you a treatment all day long. Treat the jewelry for five to ten minutes in the morning or simply hold it on your way to work. THE HEALING PICTURE Earlier, I talked about how pictures are actually vibrational representations of the image they display. Pictures are also like modern day symbols in that they radiate energy. The energy which they radiate is the energy being produced at the time they were taken. Because of this, it is possible to project energy while a photograph is being taken, and use the picture later as a source of the energy that was being projected at the time it was taken. Simply put, this allows you to continually send Reiki to anyone, anywhere, all of the time. To create a healing picture, simply point your hands towards the camera (either your palms or finger tips may be used) and intend to send energy into the film as the picture is being taken. Also, intend that everyone who comes into range of the developed picture will receive the energy which you projected into it. Duplicates of the picture can then be sent out to anyone for display, or be framed and placed in your home or healing space. The image could also be placed next to a computer or television in an attempt to negate the effects of the radiation they produce. As a special note, the quality of the duplication does make a big difference. For best results, have true photographic duplicates made by a professional. The cost is very minimal and it makes a big difference. This is another idea that can be played with. If you'd like, you can add several variations such as using distant healing methods while being photographed. You can also trace out or visualize the symbols first, though it is not necessary. REIKI ON THE GO Reiki can also be used on items that will soon be leaving your hands and traveling elsewhere. Examples of this include presents, packages, and mail. Many people like to Reiki gifts and presents before they give them, intending that all who come into contact with the present will receive Reiki. A true gift indeed. Packages and mail are another major source of Reiki inspiration. I have a friend who is a holistic attorney with an international clientele. He uses Reiki to protect his packages and guide them to their destinations safely. You should hear the testimonials he gives for using the energy in this manner. There are many ways to use Reiki in applications such as this. The two favorites seem to be tracing the symbols out (intending that they protect the package) over the mail or parcel before it is sent, and sending energy to them using the distant method if problems develop while it is on route. If you are a first degree practitioner, you can simply hold the package or piece of mail between your hand and Reiki it for a moment or two before it is sent, placing whatever intent you would like on the energy. SUMMARY As always, use your imagination. Reiki can be used on anything. Experiment and see what effects you can have. If you find any neat new uses for the energy, please write to me. I'd love to tell others of your discovery!
- The Healing Space Naturally, it is possible to do Reiki anywhere and over the course of time, you will no doubt work on people in all kinds of environments, however, if you intend to start your own practice you will probably want to have a room set aside just for doing Reiki. It is important that your space be one that is not likely to be disturbed. If possible, it should be a dedicated space used for no other purpose. If there is a phone in it, it's best to turn the ringer off during a session. Likewise, clocks with chimes are not recommended. Even the constant tick of a clock (including quartz movement hands) can be a distractive and even quite annoying presence. Peace and quiet reign supreme in your choice of a healing space. Once you've established where your space will be, it is important to give it a good cleansing both physically and energetically. For the latter, I suggest using sage and salt water. Go to your local health food store and purchase a pound or more of sea salt. Next, get out your mop bucket and fill it with water. When it is full, place your hands on the bucket and Reiki the water for at least five minutes. Then, add half of the salt to it. Use this solution to clean any surfaces that will not be harmed by it, and don't forget the ceiling. Also, pay special attention to the corners. Now take your sage stick (available at most holistic stores) and light it. Get it good and smoky. Take it in your hand and beginning at one end of the room, proceed systematically to the other. I usually go from east to west (the path of the sun) but you may choose whatever path you'd like. Use the sage like a giant eraser to clean the room energetically. Go over it several times asking that all lower vibrations be removed from the space as you do so. Again, pay special attention to the corners of the room. Ninety degree angle corners are notorious for accumulating negative energy. These corners can be "softened" by placing crystals in them. Charge the crystals with Reiki in the morning and place them standing upright in the corners of the room, so that their termination (or tip) points towards the ceiling. Crystal clusters can also be used to dissipate the energy accumulative tendencies of corners. Clear quartz spheres are excellent for this purpose as well. If you intend for the crystals to remain in position for awhile, I recommend that you periodically charge them using the distant technique. Even if you do not charge them regularly, placing crystals in the corners of your space is still one of the best things you can do to empower it. It will do a very good job of preventing the buildup of negative energy. Be sure to cleanse the crystals first! After this you may wish to burn sticks of myrrh and frankincense. Myrrh draws the etheric world very close, and frankincense is an excellent incense to use when healing (as is amber). Never burn myrrh alone during a session unless you get a very strong intuition to do so. Many practitioners inform their clients that they may bring their favorite incense with them to the session. This serves a dual purpose. First, the person will most likely intuitively select the incense which will best promote their healing. Second, it will make them feel more at home and relaxed. Because clients will bring a variety of different types of incense, it's a good idea for you to have different styles of burners and charcoal on hand in your space to accommodate them. An aromatherapy diffuser is also standard in today's healing environments. Some clients may be allergic to incense or sage smudge and will prefer aromatherapy scents. Be sure to ask first! Many practitioners use special combinations of salt and water to keep their healing space clean. Some will set out a bowl or glass of sea salt saturated water each morning before beginning their sessions. The bowl can be placed near or under the healing table. Others prefer a longer lasting version, and will use a large jar filled with sea salt saturated water and even a crystal. A bowl requires cleansing each evening, however larger containers can go for months without needing any special attention. Both designs are extremely effective at attracting negative energy and absorbing it so that it does not contaminate the space. Placement of a copper pipe half in and half out of the salt water solution is well known to further assist in "vacuuming" up negative energy from spaces. There are many practitioners that keep a bowl of sea or rock salt on hand as well. This will also do a fairly good job of absorbing the negative energy in the room. Sea salt can be nice to use when cleansing your hands before and after a healing. It is used in much the same way that you would use soap. Another good item to have is a music system of some kind, even a small portable one. Have several selections of softer new age music available. Next time you visit your local holistic store, tell them what you are looking for and have them provide title suggestions. Most will give you the opportunity to listen to them before buying. Your clients may also wish to bring their own music so it is important to have the ability to play compact disks as well as tapes. The tape deck that you use should have the auto-reverse feature. There will be many times when the side of the tape will run out, but you will be unable to change it because the position you are working on is still drawing a lot of energy. Likewise, make sure that your CD player has a repeat function. Overall, it provides one less distraction from your healing work. During a session, music can make it much more deeply relaxing and emotional. Again be certain to ask your client for their preferences. Some people prefer no music, others will have very specific requests. Never fail to honor your client in their process. Room lighting is another thing to pay attention to. Some healers prefer to use candle light during a healing session. I usually have a white and a pastel (blue, green, or purple) candle burning during a session to honor the energies being called in and attune the room to them. In general, a lower light level will help you to see the energy of your client more accurately during the session. It is also best if your room has a window or two through which you can expose it to direct sunlight. This will help to keep it energetically clean and charged. If your space has enough natural light to support plants, by all means have them on hand in your space. Their energy will definitely add to the room's comfort. A window is also nice because it can usually be opened to air the space out and help to keep it fresh. Never use a space with florescent lights. They are not at all conducive to healing and will only accumulate negative energy which will need to be constantly cleaned up (for further information regarding this see the work of Dr. John Ott). Wherever possible it is best to heal in natural or full spectrum lighting environments. Full spectrum bulbs are available from many sources in today's holistic environment. The colors you choose for your space are also very important. Most healers choose softer colors that will be more conducive to relaxation and healing. Light purples, pinks, blues and greens are excellent. Neutrality is also popular. Many spaces are laid out in white with beige accents. This tends to promote a higher vibrational effect and also represents cleanliness. Varying shades of purple are also becoming quite popular for their higher vibrational effects. Keep furniture in the room down to the bare essentials. You'll need a small table to hold your sound system, and it is a good idea to have a chest of drawers or something similar on hand. In it you can keep additional sheets, towels, books, and other materials (including handouts). The top provides an ideal place for you and the client to place jewelry and other metal and leather clothing items on before the session. It can be a good idea to remove objects made of these two materials before any healing is performed, as they both tend to cause breaks in the human energy field. I recommend using a healing table rather than working with the person lying on the floor. There are a number of options for what can be used. The best is obviously a massage table, if you can afford the cost. Numerous advertisements for them can be found in the massage industry magazines that are typically available at your local holistic bookstores. A much less expensive table to use is a folding table like the ones used at seminars and craft fairs. Buy a small foam pad to place on top of it and cover it with a sheet. Using this as a table is only a disadvantage if you get called to do a healing in someone's home and they have no place comfortable for you to work. Small fold up cots, especially ones designed for camping, can remedy this situation quite nicely. Also, most practitioners use an office type chair of some kind in association with their table. This saves their back and allows them to comfortably roll around to cover all the positions. I highly recommend it. I am constantly on the road, and everywhere I go people ask for healing sessions. I have never used a portable table when healing in some else's home, unless it was one which belonged to them. If you've ever worked on anyone in an environment where pets live, you know that when you are done with a session, they love to curl up where you were just working and stay there for hours. This is because of the residual energy in that space. It is also the reason that I do not carry my own table. I rarely have difficulty finding a place to work while in someone's home. Their couch or bed with a kitchen chair often does quite nicely. In addition, it charges the space where they will rest later, as well as their home in general. I think of it as a little gift that I leave for them to open and enjoy after I leave. Getting back to your personal healing space, it is also a good idea to keep a blanket on hand for your client's feet. Few will actually get cold during a session, but it can happen from time to time. Also, have some additional pillows lying around. Many clients will want an extra one at their head or a few under their knees to support their back. The most important thing is that the client be comfortable and relaxed. A little preparation goes a long way toward assisting that. Try to make sure that the fibers used in your space are all natural. These will absorb the energy better and assist in attuning the space to Reiki. It is also a good idea for you to wear all natural fibers such as cotton or silk. These fabrics are very conducive to healing with energy and cause minimal restrictions in your energy field. Personal hygiene on your part is also very important. In addition to the usual care that you give yourself, periodically take the time to give yourself an energy cleansing bath. This is simply a warm bath with a pound of sea salt added. Only stay in it for twenty minutes or so and be prepared to rest when you get out. You'll need it! It is also a good idea to cleanse yourself and your client with sage before starting your session together. Again, use it just like a big eraser on their front and back. Don't forget the bottom of their feet. If you have second degree Reiki, just before you finish each side, you may wish to trace a large power symbol over them. This enhances the effect. There are many additional technological goodies on the market which are designed to reduce and eliminate electromagnetic fields within a given area. These are excellent for a healing space. They provide an additional level of cleanliness which seems to promote a greater access to energies. Etheric technology can also play a significant role in cleansing, attuning, and empowering a space. A small crystal grid (located outside of the space) which has been empowered for this purpose is a truly special gift. I have yet to meet someone who actually constructed one and was not amazed by the results it yielded. If you are a master, perform an attunement on your healing space. This can provide an initial energetic resonance that might otherwise take a year or more to achieve. If you are not a master, ask one to do this for you. Most will be glad to help. Don't forget to include Devas in your work with the space. They play a big part in the energy of the space. Have a little chat with them and send them some love with your requests. This step alone can save you a great deal of hassle. If you know a radionic practitioner, ask him or her to evaluate your space and do what they can to help you achieve your aims. This is one of the most effective etheric sciences available. Likewise, it is often wise to consult an eastern style energy expert who specializes in spaces. Specialists in the eastern arts relating to the energy of spaces have mastered the balancing of energy within a space. A more recent scientific advancement of this and other sciences is the geobiology field. Though somewhat rare in the US (and highly respected overseas), if you can find a practitioner they will be able to do a great deal more to clear and balance your space in ways and areas that the other fields of expertise have no knowledge of yet. This is because they are a synthesis of many different fields of study. Remember that every little thing you do counts. Your goal is to clear and empower the space as much as possible and thus allow it to facilitate the healers it supports in bringing through as broad and clear a spectrum of energy as possible. Keep in mind that the more you perform Reiki in your healing space, the more charged with energy it will become. This can also have a large impact on your healing sessions. Finally, have some warm caffeine free tea on hand for after the session is over. Your clients will definitely appreciate it!
- Special Situations and Reiki Many people ask how old someone must be to become attuned to Reiki or receive a treatment. The simple answer is, you can't be too young for Reiki. Reiki has amazing applications for our youth. If a mother is attuned while pregnant, the fetus she is carrying is also attuned and, subsequently, the child born will have that level of Reiki. It is absolutely 100% OK to attune someone who is pregnant. Likewise, many stories abound regarding Reiki and both pregnancy and birth. Many mothers have reported much easier pregnancies (compared to earlier ones in which they were without Reiki) in which they treated themselves and their fetus with the energy. Fewer aches and pains, sickness, hormonal and emotional fluctuations, and a much more painless and relaxed birthing process have all been reported. Indeed, many midwives are noticing the difference Reiki can make, and becoming attuned. Many feel that having the loving touch of Reiki be one of a child's first imprints can be of astounding benefit. Behavior is often radically changed when a baby, child, or young person becomes attuned to Reiki. The change in children occurs in different ways at different levels and stages of development. Research has only just begun in this area. The effects vary according the individual's consciousness, but generally babies and children that are attuned become much calmer and better behaved than before the attunement. Likewise, when brought up to second degree level, they encounter a great opening of the heart center with all the usual effects of this, including increased unconditional love, acceptance and compassion. DEATH, DYING AND REIKI Reiki is also extremely beneficial for those about to make their transition. Though most Westerners fear death, anyone who has been in the presence of someone peacefully making their transition will attest to it being a natural and beautiful process. The benefits of Reiki in this process can be many fold. For starters, Reiki does a marvelous job when it comes to eliminating pain. Once the dying person's suffering is relieved, the energy can assist them in expanding their awareness of the process and what is happening. It also promotes a peaceful and more tranquil state within them. All of these things, as well as others happening on many different levels, work together to assist in making the process as peaceful, joyous, and natural as possible. This will most likely contribute greatly to the person's further growth and evolution, or at the very least help them along their path. Reiki can also be used with great effect in assisting the transitions of pets and other animals. Though a certain amount of argument can be made for treatment of specific areas during the dying process, a combination of intuition, projecting, and sending Reiki at a distance (especially with a crystal so that the energy is continual) is recommended. As always, do what feels right to you, in the moment, as you're there. Chapter Twenty-One: The Traditional Hand Positions This chapter provides additional information concerning the healing session and hands on healing with Reiki. A chart showing a form of the traditional hand positions is located in the appendix section. Those positions are not necessarily the current ones used by me as my research has lead to several revisions (some of which are covered below) which I feel increase the effectiveness of my healing sessions. A more current form of the hand positions used by me, with extensive and detailed descriptions of what is covered in each position, may be found in The Complete Guide to Reiki, Volume II . In the appendix of this book I choose to focus on those positions which are traditionally taught in beginning Reiki Instruction. As these are the most common form of the hand positions, I felt that they should be included in this introductory text. They do represent a highly effective series of hand placements which covers every major organ and glandular system in the body as well as all of the chakras and nerve plexuses. Much of the information relating to the specific mental and emotional levels of the energy is highly conflicting. The same is true regarding information about the chakras. I have taken great pains to research each position and chakra as thoroughly as possible and have listed all major correspondences that I found relevant in The Complete Guide to Reiki, Volume II . When performing hands on healing, always remember to place your hands gently on the person’s body. Pressing down hard can be distracting and even painful to the client. Likewise, it is best for you and the client to remove all of your jewelry. At the very least it is advisable to remove your rings because they can effect the flow of the energy. Additionally, the person you are working on may find them uncomfortable, as you will have your hands on sensitive and tender areas of the person’s body. It is very important that the client be as relaxed as possible. As time goes on, you may find yourself transcending some of these recommendations, however for now it is best if you follow them. The client should also remove their jewelry for much the same reason. Their jewelry can also cause restriction in energy flow. Please keep in mind that you will have them shifting to a number of different positions. Earrings and necklaces which seemed all right to wear in the beginning of the session can easily become uncomfortable and even painful when you ask them to roll over and they have to lay on them. Jewelry, especially necklaces, also has a habit of getting in the way of hand placement during a session. All things considered, it is best to have your clients remove these items as it eliminates distractions which can get in the way of the session. Some people will prefer to have a tissue placed over their face instead of having direct contact with your hands. Never touch an open wound or overly sensitive injury. Reiki will work just as well if your hands are suspended 1-6 inches above the person's body. You should not touch a client on a private or sexual part of their body, unless they specifically ask you to because of a serious condition related specifically to that area. Many masters teach that neither you nor the person you are working on should have their arms or legs crossed during the session. This is because it will often cause energy breaks where the cross is located. Generally speaking, practitioners should treat with their feet flat on the floor and their arms uncrossed. The client will usually be most comfortable with their arms at their sides. It is generally held, however, that it is acceptable for the client to cross their ankles if there is no practitioner available to bridge them during the session. A hypnotherapist that took my one of my classes once told me that, despite the fact that she had always been told to have the clients sit with nothing crossed, occasionally someone would be persistent in crossing their ankles. Over the years, she has noticed that her clients which do so have much deeper and more lucid trance states. This is common in reiki as well because the client is effectively creating an energy loop in their body. If you combine this with placing your hands in the prayer position, you'll most likely find that you experience much deeper levels of meditation and that your visualizations will get much more vivid. Trust your client's body wisdom. If a client comes to you and plops themselves down on your table with their ankles crossed, begin to treat them as is. They will most likely shift and uncross them at some time during the session, when it is no longer beneficial for them to be crossed. During a session, many people prefer to stand to the client's left side. This is because the left side of the body draws in energy and the right side projects it. By standing to the client's left during a session, the person draws much more Reiki into their energy field and body than they would through normal use of the positions alone. Most practitioners, however, find it necessary to stand on all sides of a person's body to adequately reach the places needing work. This is perfectly acceptable. Many Reiki masters teach that one should always heal with their fingers pressed together. They often sight the old adage, "scattered fingers means scattered energy". In actuality, there are times when keeping the fingers together is beneficial, and times when it isn't. It is true that when the fingers are together, there is a greater concentration of Reiki energy made available to that location. It is also true, however, that as your intuition becomes more developed it is very likely that you will routinely be told to place your hands side by side on the person with your fingers spread apart. This is not improper and it is not bad. It is, in fact, a highly effective way to cover and link much larger areas of the client's body for specific types of healing. In general, it is best to keep your fingers together, but never think twice about listening to your intuition. In Reiki there are no rules to break once you are attuned. Many healers use specific hand empowerment exercises before they begin to work with energy. One of the most effective of these is also the simplest. Rubbing the palms (and fingers) of your hands together, much as you would do to warm your hands up if they were cold. This is an excellent method to use in opening up the palm energy centers. I always do it before sessions and attunements. In accident and other first aid situations, especially where there is a risk of shock, place one of your hands over the person's solar plexus and the other one over the adrenals on their back. Remember not to move some who has been involved in an accident, unless you are a trained medical professional. If you are a second degree practitioner, you can always send the person energy by using the distant healing technique. I also like to use this method when I see a stalled car in the middle of the road. You'd be surprised at how well it works. Chapter Twenty-Two: Starting Up Your Own Reiki Practice Many people who undergo Reiki training do so with the sole intention of using it on family and friends. Others start their own healing practice. This chapter is written to provide you with the basic framework for doing the latter. There are a number of important things to take into consideration when beginning your practice, not the least of which is the legal situation and how it pertains to the "energy exchange" or payment for your services. It is a good idea for there to be an exchange of energy when you provide healing for someone. To not do so can make the client feel as if they are receiving charity and often leaves them with the feeling that they owe you something. Those feelings can easily turn into resentment if not attended to. An exchange of energy can also play a critical role in convincing the subconscious mind to open up and become receptive to the healing, by attributing specific value to it. This receptiveness can make a great deal of difference when it comes to effectiveness. The exchange of energy can be comprised of anything, be it a book, artwork or a good meal. Those things are fine when you are planning to work only on friends and family, however, when you choose to begin your own practice you will more likely than not be asking for some sort of financial compensation. The law on this is very clear. Anyone who claims medical services in exchange for payment, and is not a licensed medical practitioner, can be charged with practicing medicine without a license. For this reason, I recommend performing your services as an ordained minister. You do not have to advertise yourself as Rev. Smith, and obtaining ministerial status allows you to offer your services (spiritual healing) for a suggested donation. Reiki practitioners typically ask that donation to be in the twenty-five to one hundred and fifty dollar per hour range. An excellent church to obtain ordination from is the Universal Life Church in Modesto, California. If you would like a title other than reverend, they have many to choose from including "Healing Minister". Be certain that you maintain clear records for tax purposes. Ministers are not exempt from taxes. Another group to watch out for is the psychological community. Many states have very strict rules concerning emotional healing. Be certain to research the laws of your state before placing any advertisements, or making any statements which might get you into trouble. Business cards are an excellent and inexpensive tool to use in promoting your practice. Many people like to use a soft color for the paper stock, such as one of the pastels recommended in the chapter on setting up your healing space, or one of the many beautiful borders available. Visit all your local holistic businesses and ask them to display your cards. Don't forget massage practitioners and chiropractors. Leave several at each location so that people can take them. Also, make sure that your friends, family and clients have an ample supply so that they can hand them out to interested people if the opportunity presents itself. If your area has a local holistic discussion group or two, ask to speak there about Reiki. It is also a good idea to host a "Reiki night". This can be done in your own or someone else's home or, if you would prefer, a local center can be rented. Prepare and set out flyers at all the places your cards are displayed. Also, have your friends, family, and clients promote it as much as possible by word of mouth. Structure the evening itself with an informal talk followed by a question and answer period. Tell anyone interested that they are welcome to stay around after the discussion and experience the energy first hand. Give those who stay a five to ten minute partial treatment. Make sure to hand your cards out to everyone who attends. Additionally, it is a good idea to prepare a flyer filled with basic information and a sample price guide. Many people leave these around town instead of a business card. Some leave both. Other ideas for increasing your business include hosting a regular Reiki "open house" and establishing a local group of Reiki practitioners. Advertising a regular weekly or biweekly meeting when people without an appointment can come to experience Reiki is an excellent method to use in establishing your practice. Have a special introductory price, and don't forget to pass out your cards. Contacting other local practitioners and bringing them together once a month or biweekly can also be of benefit. Some of the practitioners you contact may even have a surplus of clients and be looking for someone to recommend them to. Others may be trying to locate other practitioners to assist them in group work. A networking group can also be of great assistance when you have a question or need help of any kind. Be aware, however, that with this group may come a few problems which you should keep an eye out for. The first is that there are many factions within the Reiki community, many of which claim to have the "only real Reiki". Because of this, politics and infighting can easily develop within your group. Be on the lookout for this and if it occurs, deal with it in a way which is fair for all. If someone in your group insists that their Reiki is superior to yours, you may have to send them on their way if the conflict can't be resolved. In time, hopefully, notions such as those will fade away in the light of experience and knowledge. Until then, it may be best simply to disassociate yourself from their energy. As a local group, you may wish to have certificates for members and establish a common code of ethics. Tools such as these can go a long way in the public's eye when establishing a practice. Advertising in a local or regional holistic newspaper is also an economical way to build up your practice. There are many different methods of advertising available to suit your financial situation. Display advertising is the most costly, classifieds are usually the least expensive. It is a good idea to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of both. Some papers have calendar sections in their local holistic papers which are very inexpensive or even free. This can be another benefit to having a Reiki "open house" or an introductory evening. Some papers will even have special sections listing local groups and service providers for a very small fee. In such sections, Reiki practitioners usually choose to advertise under headings such as "holistic healing". Choose the label you feel best describes your service from their list of available headings. Though it's a bit costly to advertise, more often than not it pays off in the end. Striking up a working arrangement with a local center or massage group can also bring you a lot of business. Many areas have groups of holistic practitioners which have banded together to help defray the cost of business overhead. These practitioners can be of great help in locating clients as much of the holistic community in the area is often serviced by them. Such practitioners typically include body workers, herbalists, acupuncturists, etc. Take the time to make a personal connection with them. They will most likely be very open to your service and you may find one or two which will frequently send you clients. Many are more than familiar with Reiki and use it whenever possible in conjunction with their practice. Channelers are also very good sources of business. The final method that we will discuss is one of common sense. When you see someone in pain, or have a friend complaining about an ache, give a brief explanation of what you do and offer to help them on the spot (for free). After you have relieved their suffering, you can then give them your card and tell them to feel free to call if they would like to make an appointment. You will find that proven benefit is the easiest way to sell your services. In summary, there are as many ways to build your practice as there are stars in the sky. Take these suggestions, but by all means expand upon them. If you have success with any additional methods, please drop me a letter so that practitioners in other areas can benefit from your discovery. Finally, and most importantly, remember to check with a lawyer before beginning your practice. He or she will be able to provide any additional advice you may need when it comes to the laws as they pertain to your area.