Good question! Reiki is not a science and so their are many explanations, what follows here is my own interpretation based on my own 17 years experience and what I like to see as common sense (!). Ideally it is an experiential therapy, something that you should try for yourself before coming to any conclusions. Reiki is unique for everyone and everyone experiences the effects and bene
fits differently.
Reiki is a Japanese word that means ‘Universal Life Force’ or ‘Universal Energy’, it flows naturally through everything and is the force, or energy, that holds our Universe together. This energy is what I refer to as ‘energy at its purest’ and as a result nothing needs to be added or worked on for us to utilize it directly. It’s the end product used by our cells to do its repair, work, or growth.
When we are full of energy, we flow and move with life, its like watching children – they are in flow with Universal energy and as a result they have an abundance of it. Children can play non-stop for hours. They have a flow of energy that comes naturally to all of us when we are young, but over time we begin to get a bit ‘crusty’, we build blocks and resistance in the body – some of this may be physical such as posture or structural issues – some of this will be mental, such as beliefs and fears which develop as we grow older – some will be emotional, such as unreleased anger, sadness or trauma.
Over time we begin to block and resist this flow of energy and rely more and more on calories. Over generations, even these calories and nutrients are becoming more toxic, and our ability to really use the food we eat as viable life force energy is lessening. So through our own resistance, and through the environment, we have less and less access to life force. I hope at some intuitive level you understand, because of course from a purely scientific explanation, this is stretching the bounds for sure. But in my experience, people know they are experiencing some form of loss as the years go on – it may be a loss of vitality, spirit, joy, whatever you might name it.
Reiki is this source that you have lost, it is the life force that flows through everything and is available to everyone. But for most of us, we have lost the flow and we don’t know how to get it back.
In order to gain Reiki flowing from your hands, you need an attunement from a Reiki Master. This may seem a strange condition and immediately throws Reiki into the ‘too weird’ pile, but it is a very reasonable condition. Actually you can self attune yourself and allow your hands to channel Universal or Reiki energy. All you need to do is resonate with reiki energy at the frequency needed, and you will tune in. But realistically, do you believe you can do this? Coming to a Reiki workshop takes the guess work out of reaching that energy frequency. A Reiki Master, or teacher, has been taught how to effortlessly raise her or his frequency to the Reiki energy and through resonance you will automatically begin to tune in, simply by being in the presence of another at that level – this is because you already have Reiki energy throughout your own being, it’s a recognition of something you already have, and in that recognition the body understands how to receive more, and the flow begins.
So an attunement is really just an aid for you, it’s helping you to find the right frequency, like tuning into a radio station, its a lot easier if you have the correct frequency address and you can go directly to the station, rather than having to run up and down the entire range of stations looking for the right one – and with Reiki, would you even recognize it if you found it yourself?
Once you have found the frequency, Reiki will begin to flow automatically from your hands and you can begin to fill up. Its like a pump of universal energy, how cool is that! The pump is on 24/7 and will flow automatically from your hands whenever you place them on yourself, or others.
Its important to remember that it is not a belief system or religion, there is no spiritual aspect to Reiki that needs to be believed in order for it to work, it is simple mechanics – find the right frequency and bingo, it flows.
It’s an experience and I offer free talks and attunements to anyone who wants to find out more. Imagine the possibility of rekindling your vitality, your joy and at the same time reducing your stress and building your immune system? Isn’t this something worthwhile to explore?
More on my talk schedule click here.
More on Elaine click here.
Buy the book!
Introduction
Master’s training is an enormous personal commitment, both in terms of the actual deepening of your knowledge of Reiki, but also as a pathway to personal growth. Most people find Master’s training immensely rewarding but few complete the training without facing some challenges. You need to be prepared to be open minded, committed, and willing to spend the time required for your growth. Reiki Master training is open to students who have done Reiki Level 2 with me at least four months prior.
The training is divided into four core modules comprising of workshops and homework assignments. Students can take any number of courses and take their time to complete each level before moving on to the next, or the entire four modules can be taken in succession, which leads to a Master’s certificate. ALL four modules need to be complete in order to receive your Master’s certificate. Each Module may be paid for adhoc at $780 per Module, or as a total package at $2,800.
Next intake 2012:
Module 1: March 24-25th
Module 2: May 19-20th
Module 3: July 28-29th (dates TBC)
Module 4: Sept 129-30th (dates TBC)
Aims
This training is specifically designed to help you be a competent Reiki Master and is focused on Reiki knowledge, deep personal understanding, presentation skills, and marketing skills as outlined below:
1. Reiki knowledge – each module covers different topics normally covered in a Reiki 1 and 2 class and are designed to encourage you to research and formulate your teaching material.
2. Personal understanding – I expect you to find your own ‘Reiki’ point of view and will often push, prod and ask difficult questions. Your understanding or philosophy on Reiki does not have to be the same as mine, but it needs to be plausible, coherent and clear.
3. Presentation skills – meeting in a group allows you to hone your presentation skills and get used to presenting the material standing up and to an audience. A good presentation presence is critical in attracting your audience.
4. Marketing skills – once you complete your training you will be independent and will need to develop your marketing materials and strategy. Much of developing as a Master is trial and error, but certain key tips will hopefully shortcut the process for you.
The Modules
Each module focuses on a different area of Master training, summarized below.
1. Module 1: Personal Growth, this module focuses on the Master’s symbol and the heart attunement and is a two day workshop. The Master’s symbol is also known as the symbol for transformation and is a very powerful tool for personal growth. As well as preparing you for the rest of the training, this module works on raising your energy vibration, understanding your own power through developing your intuition, as well as becoming familiar with the attunement process and how to best utilize the Master’s symbol. This is an ideal stand-alone module for those wishing to advance their Reiki learning but who are not planning to teach Reiki at this point. Upon completion, students will be given a Reiki Level 3 certificate which signifies their ability to give a Heart attunement.
2. Module 2: Reiki Level 1. This module focuses on the Level 1 class and how to teach it. This is a two day workshop and teaches the final level 1 attunements. We also explore more deeply the Chakras and holistic healing viewpoints. Homework includes presentation skills and you are encouraged to begin teaching friends and family to get experience and feedback.
3. Module 3: Reiki Level 2. This module focuses on the Level 2 class and how to teach it. This is a two day workshop and teaches the level 2 attunement. We also explore more deeply the many tools and how to teach the symbols effectively. After this module you are encouraged to begin teaching friends and family to get experience and feedback.
4. Module 4: Building your practice. This module completes your training with the final Master’s initiation ceremony and also focuses on building a Reiki practice as well as higher level techniques to develop your energy and raise your vibration. To be effective as a teacher you must be able to attract students and this takes both business acumen and personal attraction. This is a two day workshop primarily designed to stretch you both energetically and creatively.
Homework
Each module has homework attached and moving forwards to the next module is on condition that the homework has been completed. There is minimum time of 2 months between each module. In order to complete the required homework, you need to be committed to spending at least 2-3 hours per week on your training in between workshops. Homework will include a mixture of research, preparing talks, treating and attuning others and personal growth journaling and self-healing.
As part of the training (and not included in the workshop fee) you need to complete a minimum one day Byron Katie training either with myself or any other Byron Katie teacher. You are also encouraged to meet with your fellow students in between Modules to exchange attunements and support one another during your journey.
Any student from a different Reiki teacher is welcome to contact Elaine if they would like to be considered for this training. Please email contact us
Implications from the Reiki Centre Survey
The Reiki Centre Survey data allows us to draw some interesting conclusions about Reiki. First it seems that the more Reiki we do, the better the results we notice. In general, people who have been using Reiki for over seven years are three times more likely to notice significant benefits than those using Reiki for less than one year. This makes us conclude that Reiki is cumulative, and improvements are step by step. A useful finding in itself as it urges us to keep practicing and allow the body to rebalance in its own time
Having said that, one significant anomaly is that even very new Reiki practitioners who only practice Reiki now and again see improvements in what I call the ‘peace pathways’. The Reiki Centre Survey found that respondents noticed improvements very similar to those of meditation. Nearly 70% of respondents reported a reduction in their levels of anxiety, worry and stress in less than one year. Correspondingly, over the same period, over 70% of respondents noticed an increase in their levels of self-love, peace and contentment, with this figure rising to over 85% of respondents over a longer period of time. Since the Survey only captured data in yearly blocks, the improvements could have been noticed within weeks or months, certainly the qualitative responses indicate respondents saw changes soon after beginning self-Reiki, and this would mirror my own experience and the experience of many of my students.
“I am more self confident and have a higher self esteem. I am happier and more content with life. I deal better with life’s ups and downs.” Rita
“If I am very stressed or have insomnia because of worries and I practice Reiki and then I get relaxed and peaceful” Barbara
“The most significant improvement is definitely that I am more calm and relaxed.” Jay
Meditation, for years, has been known in the East to be extremely health giving, calming and beneficial. Most Reiki practitioners attest to the similarities between Reiki and meditation, especially when it comes to the results they feel. As the art of meditation spreads to the West, research is confirming its qualities. Dr Andrew Newberg has run several experiments on expert meditators to find that there is a difference in the way their brain’s function compared with non-meditators. Specifically, there is a decrease in activity in the logical (left) brain, resulting in less brain chatter. Over time, when meditators are not meditating they show increased alertness, consciousness and empathy with others. In Dr Newberg’s recent research involving non-meditators who were given a chant to practice for eight weeks, results similar to those among the expert meditators were shown. These results show that anyone can learn to lessen the hold of their busy brains in a very short period of time and with little effort.
Reiki can provide an access point which allows us to experience inner peace by encouraging the meditative effects as described by Dr Newberg and others. Reiki seems to follow very similar pathways to meditation by lighting up the intuitive (right) side of our brain that resonates with connection, empathy, oneness and wholeness therefore increasing our feelings of contentment, peace and happiness. Like meditation, it also can occur in a very short period of time. The way I look at it, when we allow the body to balance, we experience our natural state of being. This is not something that needs to be ‘worked at’ as it simply ‘is’. Like flicking a switch, we have direct access to inner peace as soon as we decide to look for it.
Published in The Reiki Digest, 20 January 2011
By Elaine Grundy
Following up on my February 2010 Reiki Digest article, I am delighted to announce the Reiki Centre Survey is finally published! For those of you who heeded the call and joined the 546 other respondents who completed the survey, a heartfelt thanks. The results may not be particularly surprising to anyone who has practiced Reiki for a while, but as a Reiki veteran myself, I was still stunned and humbled by most incredible results which poured in from you all.
87% of people noticed more peace after Reiki
80% noticed more happiness
80% experienced less stress
75% were less anxious or worried
73% were less angry
One of the key findings was that Reiki seems much more consistent in its benefits across the emotional/mental aspects of our well being (such as peace, happiness, less stress, less anger, less anxiety), and less robust in terms of physical or lifestyle changes. This is significant as it also points to a flaw in our current way of measuring Reiki’s effectiveness. As far as I am aware, most of the clinical studies look at Reiki’s effectiveness in the disease or pain management area. In the survey the results for these measures were correlated with the amount of Reiki applied, and were really only significantly successful if the respondents were doing Reiki on themselves on a daily basis. To illustrate this:
Physical Symptoms and Self-Reiki usage per week
Back pain problems:
Of those who practiced Reiki less than one hour, 43% noticed improvement
Of those who practiced over seven hours, 73% noticed improvement.
Headaches/migraines
Of those who practiced Reiki less than one hour, 52% noticed improvement.
Of those who practiced over seven hours, 76% noticed improvement.
Colds/flu
Of those who practiced Reiki less than one hour, 58% noticed improvement.
Of those who practiced over seven hours, 80% noticed improvement.
This brings me on to the second key finding; Reiki is cumulative, i.e. the more you do it, the better the results. Again this seems obvious, but how many of us get disillusioned if Reiki does not work within the first couple of tries, and how many of our clinical studies only look at Reiki’s efficacy over less than a dozen Reiki treatments? According to the survey results, those respondents doing self-Reiki every day, over many years, achieve the best results. In these cases, they achieve three times the benefits of someone doing Reiki for less than an hour a week. This was a very critical finding for me as I have always been a strong advocate of self-healing as opposed to relying on therapists, and this result confirms the importance of teaching someone how to do Reiki for themselves, rather than giving them Reiki treatment.
Overall the survey covers over 70 pages of results, case studies and further findings. I am currently gathering more data so that I can drill into the data more thoroughly, so if you haven’t already done the survey, please go to http://www.reikireport.com/ to add your experiences! There is also a more thorough summary on the website that you are free to disseminate and use.
Author and Reiki Master Elaine Grundy has been teaching Reiki internationally for over 15 years. She currently teaches at The Reiki Centre in Singapore.
posted by Beth Lowell
Excerpt from Reiki, Pure and Simple
Reiki’s uniqueness as a healing therapy comes from five main qualities:
1. Reiki energy is osmotic: Reiki energy flows as if by osmosis and once it enters the body it will be used where it is most needed. There is no requirement to direct the energy. In osmotic terms there is a flow from high Universal Life Energy (the air surrounding us) to low Universal Life Energy (our tired and exhausted bodies!). The energy will flow as long as there is a difference in concentration. When there is no longer a difference in concentration, the body is in equilibrium. When Reiki is flowing it is drawn to areas of high need, it is an automatic process that requires no conscious direction or focus on our part.
2. Reiki energy is all-encompassing: It works on all levels: physical, mental and emotional. ‘One size fits all’ due to the neutral state of the energy as it enters the body. The energy is used by the body and does not act on the body. Like potential energy (for example, energy present in calories that is dormant until released by our cells), it is inert until ‘funneled’ into the body via our hands. Reiki energy will drive whatever work needs to be done: on a physiological level it can be used to repair damaged cells, reproduce, build immunity, create more efficient communication between different parts of the body, or release toxins. On a mental or emotional level it can be used to promote relaxation and calm.
3. Reiki energy flows automatically: Reiki will ‘switch’ itself on or off with no personal effort, skill, or special gift required by us. Anyone can be attuned to Reiki. Reiki flow switches on and off depending on the osmotic flow of the energy and without any conscious effort or belief on the practitioner’s part. So just as Reiki will flow to where it is most needed without our direction, so it will also be regulated by the body’s need in terms of the amount of flow required. This quality manifests itself whether Reiki is being given or received.
4. Reiki energy is complementary: Reiki is complementary with any other form of healing or medication. There are no known contra-indications. Because Reiki is a neutral energy it has no innate quality of its own so it is both complementary to other forms of treatment – such as chemotherapy – and safe to use when other treatments might be precluded – such as for pregnant women and babies.
5. Reiki energy is universal and limitless: Reiki does not use up personal energy or drain you in any way. Neither does it rely on your state of health. People who are already very sick can use Reiki to treat themselves or others. This quality makes Reiki very different from many other energy healing methods, for example Chi Gung (Qigong) healing, in which Chi (which is believed to be the life energy of the body) needs to be built up within the healer and then pumped into the person to be healed, dispelling their negative Chi. This leaves the Chi Gung Master depleted of energy. Reiki has the opposite effect in that, after treatment, practitioners often feel rejuvenated themselves having absorbed some of the energy that has been flowing through them to the other person. It is a significant benefit of Reiki that, by giving Reiki to another, you also receive it yourself. It also means that no matter how sick you are, you can still begin rebuilding your own energy without relying solely on others.
Excerpt from Reiki, Pure and Simple
Every individual is unique and so is every individual’s journey with Reiki. It’s important to remember that Reiki itself is not ‘doing’ anything; it is simply providing the fuel – the energy – for you to do your own inner work.
Healing is commonly defined as the disappearance of symptoms and a return to feeling ‘normal’ (until the next time!). At the Reiki Centre, healing is defined as ‘the transcendence of suffering’, which is not the same as returning to ‘normal’. Healing is often much deeper than a simple elimination of symptoms.
The difference that this approach to healing can make is explained here: If I have frequent headaches I could take painkillers to relieve the symptoms, but I might then find myself in a constant cycle of medication and with no permanent alleviation of my suffering. If, however, I acknowledge my headache as being a symptom of a deeper disharmony, I can begin to investigate, within myself, what its cause may be.
Imagine that the illness or problem we are trying to heal is an iceberg, with 70-90% of it hidden from view. What we see above the surface is actually the symptom, in this case, the headache. When we discuss the Iceberg Concept during my Reiki class we come up with dozens of potential reasons for the headache: environmental reasons (light, heat, noise, pollution, etc); allergies; biochemical imbalances; emotional issues such as stress or anxiety; tiredness; back problems; tumors or lumps; concussion; the list is endless! I might have a headache because of one or two of these factors, or maybe because of all of them. But it is logical that the content of my iceberg will be different to yours, and that my healing journey will also be different in both route and length. Every body is different and so is every body’s healing journey.
As an illustration, here is a case study of two clients who both suffered from migraines, but whose ‘icebergs’ were caused by very different issues, and who responded to Reiki in two very different ways:
Client A, a woman in her 40s, came to me for treatments as she was suffering from migraines that left her lying in a darkened room for at least 48 hours. She had tried all types of medication, as well as Chinese herbs and acupuncture, without success. She came to Reiki as a last ditch attempt, on the recommendation of a friend. During our first session together she experienced a deep release of emotion and cried heavily for about 30 minutes. Afterwards, she described going back to the memory of when she was a young child and witnessing her parents go through a violent and aggressive divorce. All her frustration, fear and confusion was released during that one session. She reported feeling lighter and, quite frankly, amazed that she had blocked such powerful emotions within herself for so long. We arranged for two follow-up sessions, which passed without incident, and I know she did not experience any further migraines for at least the next four years (after which time I lost touch with her).
Client B, a man also in his 40s, came to me for treatment at the request of his girlfriend who hoped that Reiki would help him overcome his depression. As we spoke it became clear that he was suffering from a wide variety of problems including depression, immune system weaknesses and a general malaise that his life was not ‘turning out the way he wanted’. The first treatment passed without incident but he called me 24 hours later complaining of a terrible migraine. He had not mentioned the migraines during our session but now, on the phone, he reported having them infrequently – but not usually as bad as this. We continued with another two treatments but the migraines continued unabated. Miraculously (to my eyes), during our final session he admitted to me that the Reiki had helped him realize he had a lot of ‘sorting out’ to do and that the migraines were his internal alarm system, telling him he needed to get his life back on track. I was surprised that after three sessions his mind had opened so quickly to this possibility. I did not see him again after that but I can presume the Reiki sessions did not help his migraines, but gave him something possibly more valuable: a wake-up call.
To begin your own healing journey, its important to see your own uniqueness and melt your own iceberg. What works for your friend or therapist might not work for you, their experiences may help but they cannot guide you with any particular accuracy – only you can do that for yourself.
Excerpt from Reiki, Pure and Simple
Reiki works much like meditation and our brain uses it to promote alpha and theta brain waves. The brain is seen to produce different frequencies of electrical activity across its neurons depending on what it is doing. Alpha waves are predominantly associated with states of relaxation, a calm wakefulness. These waves can be produced by closing your eyes, relaxing and becoming still. Theta waves are more predominant in skilled meditators and represent a quiet watchfulness – the mind watching its thoughts. Both types of waves denote relaxation and a stopping of active, busy or anxious thinking, or active concentration, which produces beta waves.
The promotion of alpha waves into the body system has a dramatic effect on our stress levels. In my opinion, using Reiki in this way is its most powerful benefit as it brings us growth, peace and vitality.
Reiki, like meditation, affects the mind by loosening its grip and helping us to release more and more energy and resources to the rest of the body. The active brain consumes more than 20% of the total energy required by the body (but only weighs about 2% of total bodyweight). Although there has not been extensive research on the amount of energy consumed by the brain in beta state versus alpha or theta, if you carry out your own simple experiment of relaxing quietly versus actively trying to problem solve, it is fairly clear which activity is more exhausting.
Meditation, for years, has been known in the East to be extremely health giving, calming and beneficial. Most Reiki practitioners attest to the similarities between Reiki and meditation, especially when it comes to the results they feel. As the art of meditation spreads to the West, research is confirming its qualities. Dr Andrew Newberg has run several experiments on expert meditators to find that there is a difference in the way their brain’s function compared with non-meditators. Specifically, there was a decrease in activity in the left brain, resulting in less brain chatter. Over time, when meditators are not meditating they show increased alertness, consciousness and empathy with others. In Dr Newberg’s recent research involving non-meditators who were given a chant to practice for eight weeks, results similar to those among the expert meditators were shown. These results show that anyone can learn to lessen the hold of their busy brains in a very short period of time and with little effort.
The Reiki Centre Survey found that respondents noticed improvements very similar to those mentioned above. Nearly 70% of respondents reported a reduction in their levels of anxiety, worry and stress in less than one year. Correspondingly, over the same period, over 70% of respondents noticed an increase in their levels of self-love, peace and contentment, with this figure rising to over 85% of respondents over a longer period of time. Since the Survey only captured data in yearly blocks, the improvements could have been noticed within weeks or months, certainly the qualitative responses indicate respondents saw changes soon after beginning self-Reiki, and this would mirror my own experience and the experience of many of my students. Reiki seems to follow very similar pathways to meditation by lighting up the intuitive (right) side of our brain that resonates with connection, empathy, oneness and wholeness therefore increasing our feelings of contentment, peace and happiness. In other words, it resets our brains and allows us to experience life in our natural state of being.
Reiki can provide an access point which allows us to experience inner peace by encouraging the meditative effects as described by Dr Newberg and others. The key difference between Reiki and meditation is the technique used to gain the same result: with Reiki the simple application of your hands on your body is enough to begin the energy flow, and as long as you are willing to stay still and quiet for long enough, you will experience the same effects of meditation without the discipline required to clear the mind or focus. Certainly, for me, this has been an important benefit, as I doubt I would have come this far if Reiki had been a painstakingly difficult and disciplined journey.
Reiki produces a sense of well-being and peace in our lives. This aspect of Reiki opens the door for many Reiki practitioners to look deeper into their lives and priorities. It is not uncommon for people who regularly self-Reiki to undergo radical shifts in their way of thinking, in their life purpose and reported feelings of clarity, focus and personal mission.
Excerpt from Reiki, Pure and Simple
If you were educated in the last century it is likely you grew up, as I did, with an entrenched mechanistic viewpoint, believing life can be explained by the laws of physics and chemistry.
Given all we currently know about the workings of the human body, it’s hard to appreciate that 300 years ago renowned thinkers and scientists were in the middle of a great debate about what delineated living from non-living matter. The general belief was that living organisms were ‘vital’ because they had a spirit or a spark which set them apart from non-living things. In religion that ‘vital spark’ took the form of God, and in science it took the form of an organizing, non-physical force or element. Medicine, during this era, saw healing as an art – part intuition, part knowledge – in which the patient was very much involved. The healer or doctor provided the catalyst to help the patient find their own ‘vital spark’, the invigoration of which was a critical element for health and healing.
As science grew increasingly mechanistic, more and more medical doctors and researchers swung towards the idea that life was simply a chemical phenomenon. With wonderful breakthroughs such as the discovery of penicillin in 1929, the advancements in cellular biology and the unravelling of the DNA code, it seemed increasingly conclusive that all human workings could be deciphered via chemical reactions. As a result of this focus on the mechanics of biochemistry, medicine began to treat the body, to put it bluntly, as a robotic machine.
There began a split in thinking between what we know today as conventional medicine and holistic or complementary medicine. Conventional medicine focuses on treating the body when it is already broken or breaking down, and likens the healthy body to a well-oiled machine. Conventional medicine places little emphasis or study as to what keeps us healthy and vital. There is also little research on why some people remain healthy when others around them succumb to viruses and disease, or why some people seem to be able to heal from ‘incurable’ disease. Advances in conventional medicine are celebrated when researchers discover ways to treat an existing disease or cure an illness that has already taken hold.
In contrast, the focus of holistic medicine is prevention and bolstering the body’s own defences to maintain balance. A healthy body is viewed as one in which a strong immunity is developed due to the balance of all body systems – mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical. By definition, holistic medicine is vital and maintains a philosophical belief that life is sustained by a ‘vital spark’. In Chinese medicine this spark is defined as ‘Chi’, in Indian Ayuvedic medicine it is referred to as ‘Prana’.
As we enter the 21st Century, the pendulum appears to be swinging back to a more modern form of vitalism. Many of us believe that we are more than the sum of our chemical composition. This may not necessarily mean we believe in a single divine being but, at least for me, it is hard to observe the natural world without believing in some form of spirit or vital spark that continues to pour life into everything around us. In many countries there is a growing backlash against the mechanistic, dehumanising experience of our current medical system and an increasing interest in holistic approaches. Many doctors and medical researchers are themselves leading the shift in thinking to a more balanced approach to health, one that encompasses both the detailed observation of our cellular functions, and the balancing of our vitality, our humanity.
Reiki is gaining greater acceptance in the medical profession and accelerating its reach into hospitals, emergency rooms, operating theatres and care homes. In a 2007 study by the American Hospitals Association, 15% of hospitals in the USA offered Reiki to their inpatients. Andrew Schafer, Chief Physician at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center sums it up by saying “today’s complementary and alternative therapies could be tomorrow’s medical breakthroughs.” In tandem with the growth in popularity of Reiki within medical establishments, Reiki is also one of the fastest growing self-healing therapies.
Reiki is believed to be the life force that flows through everything and by harnessing this energy and using it in the body we can improve our balance and vitality. Once the body is in balance, it can reset its own processes and fix malfunctions all by itself. The assumption is that although the body can heal itself it is often blocked; the vital spark (or Chi) is not moving freely and Reiki can help the body unblock and heal.
One of the more surprising aspects of the Reiki Survey was the significant improvement in benefits perceived by the higher levels of training. This was something I was not expecting when I ran the report though with reflection it certainly makes sense. Level 2 is a quantum leap in many ways as it takes self-healing to a higher and more deliberate level. At the most basic level with Reiki we are simply acting as funnels, or to use a football analogy, we are simply spectators. Reiki flows through our hands into our cells and at that cellular level, we heal. Of course to see significant change we are also responsible in making changes happen, but essentially, when it comes to the Reiki, we are not in charge and we have no say in what areas are healed, at what rate, and with what priority.
Level 2 takes the healing into our own hands (pun intended!) by putting us squarely on the pitch. Instead of spectators we become players. We learn how to manipulate the energy and transform it into specific form. I.e. we learn how to turn the potential of Reiki energy into energy with a specific purpose. We can decide ourselves which areas of our lives we want to direct more healing, be it physical, mental, emotional, or to a specific event or trauma. We become more self-directing and deliberate in our healing journey and so on many levels this advanced training takes us much further, quicker.
Reiki Level 2 should be taken some time after Level 1. In my teaching tradition, a two month wait is stipulated, this period of time is an important opportunity to practice Reiki and ensure your energy is high. It is also an important time for self-healing to ensure you are ready to use the tools wisely. As we become players, we can choose our healing strategy, our ego minds can take control again, and if we are not more awake and aware, we can actually end up damaging our growth rather than aiding it. Also, unlike Level 1, the progressive Levels require the use of mental energy and as a result can be draining for those who have not been using their Reiki for self-healing.
As with the Level 1 training, there is an enormous discrepancy in the way the classes are taught. I frequently get calls from Level 2 practitioners who have little knowledge of the tools at their disposal. Having been taught nothing, they end up with nothing. This level should be full of possibilities and magic, I am hard pushed to cram all the information and tips into 10 hours of teaching and would seriously question a class of less than 6 hours of teaching time. Many classes seem to focus o the distance healing aspect of Reiki Level 2, but this is only one of many, many tools available at this level.
For those practitioners interested in taking Reiki to therapy level, the Level 2 training is possibly the minimum standard recommended before professionally treating others. For other people who enjoy Level 1, there is no need to go further with training, but the research does suggest each stage of training brings even more benefits.
see the Reiki 2 class schedule
Deciding which route to take needn’t be a difficult task, many people choose to start with one and then also learn the other as both systems complement each other and provide different tools. Both utilize the same universal energy so there is no clash or negative results from learning both together and each provides certain advantages which are discussed below.
How is Usui Reiki and Kundalini Reiki different?
Usui Reiki seems to work on the etheric energy level of the body, or the ‘blueprint’ of the body. Energy from the Universe travels through our hands and into the body automatically and without thought or intention. The healer can actually be asleep or can be an animal and the reiki will still flow, as if by osmosis. Energy will travel from areas of high energy ie. the Universe, to areas of low energy ie our body. It is a very simple, natural and totally automatic response. The Reiki workshops activate the Reiki in a person’s hands and allows this process to flow. As a result you do not need to be aware of energy, or of flow, or indeed of any sensations.
Usui Reiki treatments for both self-treatments and treating others last from 30 to 60 minutes and induce a deep sense of relaxation, similar to meditation. As a result when treating yourself with Reiki you will feel much calmer and it will probably put you to sleep! The Usui system’s advantage is in its ease of use and automatic flow – meaning you do not need to be aware of what you are doing, or have any feelings or sensations for the energy to work.
At the level 1 Workshop you will learn how to give a treatment to yourself, to others and to plants and animals. However, if you wish to do distance healing, cleanse environments or work on specific blockages you will need to attend a level 2 workshop to learn the symbols to activate these processes.
More on Usui Reiki, click here
Kundalini Reiki appears to work through the mental energy (a higher vibration energy level) and requires mental thought to activate the healing. Practitioners are taught to think ‘Reiki’ to get the flow going. As a result the practitioner is more involved, and more influential in the healing process, this is particularly true at higher levels of healing in Kundalini Reiki 2 and 3. Although this may seem more like hard work, the process is quickened and shortened because of this higher energy involvement. It also means that through intention, the practitioner can manipulate the energy and move it around the body, as well as harmonising situations and events, releasing emotions and conducting distance healing. This is much wider in range than Usui Reiki 1 (these techniques are taught in Usui Reiki level 2).
Kundalini Reiki treatments are 5 minutes in length and as a result people find it an easier system to do as a daily practice. There is also an optional 20 minute mediation given at the level 1 class for those who enjoy meditation and want a longer treatment. This system’s main advantage is in its speed to treatments and the flexibility and range of tools offered at level one. In general we feel Kundalini Reiki 1 is equivalent to Usui 1 & 2.
More on Kundalini Reiki, click here
The benefits of beginning with Usui Reiki is that it is absolutely the best foundational healing course for the beginner, or the skeptic. It is also the original Reiki and for some it has the attraction of its long tradition and reputation. It is truly a tried and tested system of effective healing.
The benefits of beginning with Kundalini Reiki is that it is more versatile, faster and easier to incorporate into daily life. It is also much faster to learn and you can benefit from a huge range of tools in a very short period of time.
