I would like to share a little with you all today about Reiki!
One thing some of you may not know about me… for those of you who have been following my blog… is that I am a level 2 Reiki practitioner. I love it! Reiki has brought about many positive changes in my life, and I have had the wonderful opportunity to bring some healing to others, both human and animal. I had my doubts at first, being raised in a very religious home and being taught to shun or look down on pretty much anything “in the world” that wasn’t explicitly listed in a holy book… I was hesitant to study Reiki. It was different and foreign to me, so I didn’t know if I could trust it. There are a lot of things that I have missed out in life because of a strict belief system, or because of being fearful it might be “evil”… and wanting to please those I cared about… but the past 14 months has been a time of finding myself and renewing interests that once I used to love, but out of fear that I might somehow be sinning, I had let them slip away. I didn’t realize that in the process… it was my own self that was slipping away. I was losing the essence of me… becoming someone I didn’t even know anymore, someone who was not full of compassion as I had once been, but more concerned with judgment and those things that go along with that. I am grateful for this time of rediscovery… getting to know this brown eyed girl again for who she really is inside… not what everyone else wanted her to be… but who she was born to be. And it has been a time of letting go of fears… and making new and wonderful discoveries. Life is to be lived, not feared. It is for sharing love and happiness … not looking down on anything that is different than you, or fearing it. Or making others feel less than they are, because you believe differently.
Back to my topic! Sorry about that… lol.
During this time of rediscovery… I found something wonderful. I actually found Reiki a couple years ago… but due to my belief system I never went further with it. Now, though, it seemed like the point to get back to studying it… my heart was hooked… and I received my first attunement. Shortly afterwards I received my second attunement. It is amazing to me… each time I lay my hands on my little girl’s head to relieve her of a headache or fever… send a distant attunement to a friend for their pain relief… help my sick dog to get well… or lay my hands on myself when I burn myself cooking! LOL (which happens frequently). There are so many instances that it has been such a beneficial, amazing thing to have. And it is not me…. it is the Reiki that flows through me. I have noticed that when I lay my hands on someone for healing, or send a distant treatment… I can feel such a hotness in my hands. It’s not unpleasant, but it is very noticeable. I can feel a warmth and a pulsation that doesn’t stop until I am done.
Reiki is healing energy… Rei is Japanese for Universal …. ki means spirit, energy or life force. It was developed (re-discovered) by Dr. Mikao Usui, a theologist… the short version I will use here, is that he was searching for a healing modality that could be used to help others.
To me, this means it is the closest you can get to God energy… the very energy that makes us live… breathe… the spirit that animates our bodies. This is the healing power of the universe. Many believe it is akin to the Holy Spirit… and perhaps even the way Jesus himself healed. I believe this is entirely possible.
Reiki is not massage. It is a technique that encourages relaxation, stress reduction… and allows healing energy to flow into the body, helping it to heal. It is not magic. Sometimes it is instantaneous, but most of the time it takes a little time. It has even been used in chronic conditions to help people, over a number of treatments. Reiki is even being used in some hospitals and by some doctors and nurses! The higher level of Reiki you are, and the more you use and work with it, the more healing energy you are able to use and share with others. Reiki practitioners lay their hands on the person or animal that needs healing and the Reiki energy flows to wherever it is needed. Reiki is not just about physical healing… it includes emotional healing as well. It is not even something you have to believe in, or have faith in… it just is. And it works.
A person receives the ability to use Reiki by an attunement. It is simple and easy to do, and doesn’t require any special college degree or years of training. From the moment you receive your first attunement, you are able to use Reiki for self healing and healing of others. Typically the first level of Reiki is used to self heal and the additional, higher levels are for Reiki work as a practitioner. Usui Reiki consists of three levels with the Master level allowing you to teach and attune others to Reiki.
When we talk about attunements, you can think of it as tuning a radio to a certain station. Perhaps you can hear a faint bit of music… or it blends into another station… just a little turn of the knob and you hear the music in full! It is very similar with an attunement. Everyone has the ability to use Reiki…. It is as natural as breathing! Remember… it is the universal life energy. What could be more natural? An attunement simply tunes the receiver (the one desiring to learn Reiki) into the right “frequency” to enable healing to flow through our hands, and in some cases also our feet and eyes, as some are able to do. Level 2 and up Reiki practitioners are able to perform distant healings and attunements as well. Some use symbols and some do not. There is no distance in spirit.
Reiki is not harsh, painful, evil, or scary. It is a gentle, pure and loving energy. It cannot harm you or those you lay hands on… it is only good. There are hand positions that you use… each hand position is held for three to five minutes. Reiki will go where it needs to but my personal belief is that the reason for the hand positions is A) we are able to focus the Reiki directly onto major areas of the body and B) it would be very uncomfortable to hold your hands in the same position for 30 or 60 minutes! A typical Reiki treatment can last from a half hour to an hour, depending on how long the hand positions are held and whether or not you feel led to work on other parts of the body besides just the basic positions. I also think that since the more you work with Reiki, the more healing energy flows through you… that when we put our hands on specific areas of the body, it enables the Reiki to get there more quickly and directly. Imagine if you are a new practitioner and not yet accustomed to the flow of energy through your hands… maybe you only get a very small stream at first. It would make sense to lay your hands where the pain was, or at least a few inches above, so that the energy would get there in a more direct and timely way. But that is just my opinion.
When you go for a Reiki treatment, all clothes stay on. The Reiki practitioner may lay their hands directly on you (head, neck, shoulders, etc) or they may keep their hands a few inches above you, especially when it comes to other areas of the body. There is to be respect and proper distance maintained at all times. You will likely hear soft, meditative music playing, and you will be made to feel comfortable, in a relaxing environment.
If Reiki is something you are interested in, I highly suggest some good books and further research. You can find a lot of good info on google too. My favorite book, though I have many, is Reiki, A Comprehensive Guide, by Pamela Miles. If you could only read one book… this would be it. Another one of my favorites is Reiki for Life: The Complete Guide to Reiki Practice for Levels 1, 2 and 3 by Penelope Quest. A third one is Living a Life of Reiki, by Shalandra Abbey. One that I have not read yet but plan to is Reiki Nurse: My Life as a Nurse and How Reiki Changed It by Meredith Kendall. I would highly suggest any of these books to someone seriously interested in learning about Reiki, whether for attunement or just personal study.
A final word about receiving attunements. Some charge set amounts for their classes and attunements… others feel it should be freely given and received. I received my attunements distantly, freely, and I am so grateful, because I could not have afforded the class and attunement, or had a way to travel to get there. I read everything I could beforehand, several books and articles, and it got so big on the inside of me that I felt if I didn’t receive my first attunement soon I would go crazy!! I wanted this so badly! I found a wonderful Reiki master who agreed to attune me for free, and the energy exchange here (for those that are concerned about such things) is that I will also “pay it forward” and freely heal and attune others. I consider it an honor and a privilege. I am also a member of the Distant Healing Network, which allows people to send in reiki requests for distant treatment, who are unable to afford a treatment. When I reach my master level I too will offer free attunements and teaching materials to those that happen across my path. It will be my happy pleasure to give to others what was so freely and joyfully given to me! Reiki is too wonderful not to share. :)
If you are in need of a reiki treatment, or would like to try it for yourself, please feel free to email me at freespirit.amy@gmail.com, and I would be more than happy to help you.
Blessings and Reiki hugs!
Amy
Dogs are stolen from loving families and off the streets in Thailand. These poor dogs are then thrown into overcrowded crates, which are stacked and illegally transported by truck and by boat into other countries; particularly Vietnam, where dog meat has become a sought-after delicacy. 
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