My Journey with Reiki Healing

My path that led to discovering Reiki healing started when I was very young. I had been interested in various forms of energy work and energy healing for most of my life. I had noticed, however, that there wasn't a lot of knowledge about Eastern practices and methods widely available in the West. I had heard of several different methods, but all I really ever heard were just names and vague descriptions.

Eventually, I met the person who was to become my Reiki teacher. She was able to give me clear and easily accessible information regarding Reiki.

Reiki is a healing method wherein the healer or practitioner acts as a conduit for the energy, rather than the source. "Reiki" means "Universal life force energy", and this encapsulates the philosophy of Reiki practice.

A few interesting notes about Reiki:

• The power of Reiki healing isn't diminished when you have two people working together. Instead, each gets stronger. Reiki healing groups are massively more effective than an individual, and not simply by a factor of the number of people. The increase in energy seems to be exponential. Greater than the sum of the parts.
• Reiki cannot do harm. Any attempt to use Reiki in a harmful manner will simply not work, nor can it be misused in a manner that will bring someone harm. I have a personal experience with this that I can share.

• One interesting aspect of Reiki is that it forms a connection between the practitioner and the person receiving the Reiki energy during treatment. This offers protections and assistance that other energy healing techniques I'd tried didn't have, and I was rather impressed by it.

Reiki can be used for many purposes. You can use Reiki for physical healing, as it will supplement any other healing method. Of course, I wouldn't recommend using Reiki but forgetting modern medicine. Instead, I've found that the two compliment each other splendidly.

Moving away from the needs of the body, you can use Reiki for spiritual healing as well. To open yourself up and accept the energy that comes to you can be a healing experience even if you're acting on behalf of someone else. I've found that some of my greatest blessings in working with Reiki healing is that by acting as the conduit, or pipeline, I receive the Reiki energy often as much as the person I'm working with. The act of giving is itself healing.

In between the realm of physical healing and spiritual healing, we have the chakras. While the form of Reiki healing traditionally taught (by Dr. Usui) doesn't really focus on chakras, I find that Reiki work on the chakras has a soothing, balancing, and empowering effect. Often, when I want to work on myself, I'll use Reiki for self healing by simply focusing on the major chakras. I'll start at the root chakra and work my way up.

Traditionally, there are three levels of Reiki practice. Levels two and three involve the use of symbols, and they are only supposed to be revealed to one that is studying them, traditionally speaking.

Level one allows you to do hands-on (though physical contact isn't strictly necessary) healing. Level two increases the power, and also allows you to use Reiki in distance healing. Level three increases the power still again and also enables you to teach and "attune" others.

Attunement is how Reiki healing is taught. There is some "classroom" work which is necessary, but it is the attunement that enables the use of Reiki. This is the one thing that I have seen which sets Reiki apart from other practices: It has to be taught. No amount of book learning will do it.

I find I like this facet because it combines "book learning" with practical experience and also allows you to ask direct questions from an experienced mentor. It helps the knowledge come alive and really makes a noticeable difference.

I myself have historically been rather shy around people, and so the direct instruction put me off balance for a bit. Eventually, I decided to move ahead regardless, and am very grateful for the experience. Being a little "off balance" opened me up to learning what I couldn't otherwise.

For further reading:

• Return from Reiki Healing to the main page
• Read My Story of What I Learned from the Reiki Symbols.
• Read up on Reiki for self healing.
• Learn about my experiences with Reiki physical healing.
• Revitalize a weary heart with Reiki.
• Find out more about the healing connection Reiki forms.
• Read more about how Reiki becomes more powerful when done in cooperation.
• See how I work chakra healing with Reiki.
• Learn more about Reiki distance healing.