Pagan Journeys
Pagan Journeys => Pagan Chat => Topic started by: earthmuffin on January 24, 2010, 11:43:49 AM
-
What exactly is it and how to does it work?
-
Reiki is an form of spiritual healing based on the concept of life force energy or "ki". Basically, Reiki healers manipulate and supplement the ki of their patients to direct the flow of energy by the laying on of hands - although touching is not always required. It is quite similar to kundalini energy practices in Hinduism and the manipulation of chakras.
-
Yep ... it was developed in Japan in 1922 by Mikao Usui. I'm not sure if the current training in the New Age community is the same as what he developed, and many healers incorporate it into a healing practice with other methods.
-
Reiki is the name of a particular system of hand positions, although there are many systems of energy healing that claim and fall under the heading of Reiki.
I often refer to myself as a metaphysical healer, as I use various types of healing methods such as diet, yoga, aromatherapy, color and sound (my favorite) along with energy manipulation. Distance Reiki/energy healing is my specialty. For some reason, (unless it's a dog) I dislike up close and personal Reiki.
Two great books and quick reads on Reiki are Brett Bevell's The Reiki Magic Guide to Self-Attunement and Reiki for Spiritual Healing. I keep them both on my end table within easy reach.
-
Reiki is the ‘laying’ of hands (non-intrusively) on or slightly above the body over the Chakra's so the universal life force energy can flow through the practitioner as a channel and to another person. It is this flow of energy which helps restore balance on the Emotional- Mental- Physical and Spiritual level's for the body to begin to heal itself.
You do not have to be ill to be out of balance and anyone can benefit from a reiki session- anything for that matter. I have given reiki to my car- my office photocopier- my orchids and other plants aswell as family- friends and pets etc.
As a practitioner- I also benefit from the life force flow- as it comes through me to the intended recipient. It is a wonderful feeling.
-
Reiki sounds good right about now!
Stupid back pain *grumbles*
-
Reiki won't fix back pain or any other aches/pains ... it will help clear the energy paths that may be blocked that exacerbate the areas in question, but it is not a cure-all anymore than any other healing method is. Healing is three fold ... Reiki or similar methods are useful for keeping the energy flowing properly through the body; MDs, chiropractors, naturopaths, etc help us to understand how the body functions and keep it functioning, with outside help (medicens, etc) if needed; but the most important aspect is the individual and how they approach their own healing process. Without all three aspects working in harmony, one does not heal properly. ;)
-
Well I've got the medical aspect taken care of. Meds, physical therapy. Doc says no chiropractor :( due to a herniated disc.
At least she said that most herniations of the disc will heal themselves with proper treatments and easy movements.
I hope anyway LOL
-
Why no chiro? They can relieve the pressure that's causing the herniated area. Sometimes I just despise Western MDs. :brickwall:
-
I'd suggest at least talking to a chiro and seeing what a PROFFESSIONAL in that area has to say. A lot of doctors plain don't like alternatives of any sort.
-
Very true. Under my old insurance plan, one had to get an IPA approval to see a specialist (including a chiro) and even though my MD was good with chiro, they decided I should see a neurologist first ... who of course refused to even consider it claiming "I don't like it when bones are cracking". The fact that he used that particular term (cracking) told me all I needed to know ... that he was a complete ignoramous incapable of considering anything other than his own self-inflated ego. Refused to budge even though I gave very detailed and valid reasons for not going along with what he thought I should do. So I went to the chiro on my own dime until I could switch to a plan that actually covered it.
-
Yeah, my insurance doesnt cover chiro either!
we wont get started on my insurance at the moment :gaah:
-
My insurance has a $40 co-pay for a chiropractor. I need to see my chiropractor as my right hip hurts like heck when I do yoga. I have been using Reiki on it and it has been helping, but I still need a good adjustment.
-
Funny that your hips hurts from yoga. I wonder which poses aggravate it for you? I have very tight hips and have to use yoga to stretch them out. Pigeon works wonders for sciatica when I get it, but it's a pretty intense stretch so I have to take it easy.
-
My hip doesn't hurt from doing yoga. It hurts when I do yoga, especially easy pose. How insane it that? (http://i45.tinypic.com/6f2jrr.gif)
Just looked up pigeon pose... We did that one in class last Saturday. Our instructor generally doesn't tell us all the names of the poses we do. We mostly do Kundalini with a little Hatha thrown in here and there.
-
While it will not "heal" an injury, I find that those I practice it on have shorter healing times and in a lot of cases reduced pain.
Part of the things that an injury can do is to disrupt the normal flows of energy in the body. By aligning the energy again, it can help improve the body's normal healing processes.
Also another application of Reiki is through the reading of the energy flows, one can get a better picture of where some traditional healing practices can be better applied. For example, someone with a knot in their back muscle may feel the pain in one spot, but I find that in a number of cases, the real root of the problem is in a slightly offset place than the localized sensation of pain is at. Feeling the flows leads me to the core of the disruption and I can often massage THAT area instead and reduce the pain or work that knot out.
I love the fact that I was taught basic reiki from a registered nurse who understands that there are multiple ways of healing and that they can and often do complement each other.
-
*nods vigorously*
Yep ... between our gal who does Reiki, the chiropractor, and my passion with herbs neither hubby or I have had any serious illness (no flu this year) nor have we had a need to visit any MD in years. :)
-
Feeling the flows leads me to the core of the disruption and I can often massage THAT area instead and reduce the pain or work that knot out.
I used to find it distressing that I cannot feel the flow of Reiki. I cannot feel energy from my crystals either. However, I have a sense of knowing.
A friend of my husband's stopped by the house one day with his dog. I was petting the dog and got a sense that something wasn't right with the area about his hips. When I mentioned that I could sense something there, the owner said the dog had disc surgery there a year ago.
I was just about to go to bed last night when I got a sense of unease about our elderly neighbor lady. I looked out the window and didn't see anything out of place or anyone snooping around, so I dismissed it. He son stopped by this morning and shortly after the ambulance showed up. Haven't heard anything yet.
Back to the subject at hand... the kind of Reiki I primarily practice is geared to resolving the deep-seated emotional issues that enable us to allow ourselves to become ill. My yoga instructor says that we are only as healthy as our spine is flexible. I always think to myself that I am only as healthy physically as my mind is healthy mentally and my soul is healthy spiritually.
-
I would love to have some Reiki healing done on my back. I've had physical therapy and take pain killers for my back and hip, but I still have some trouble with stiffness and very painful flare-ups. It would be nice to see if Reiki would help alleviate some of the pain. Unfortunately, I don't know any Reiki healers in my area that I could visit.
-
It seems to me that some people in this discussion are talking about Reiki and others are talking about other forms of psychic healing. To me, Reiki is a form of psychic healing much in the same way that Wicca is a form of Paganism.
-
It seems to me that some people in this discussion are talking about Reiki and others are talking about other forms of psychic healing. To me, Reiki is a form of psychic healing much in the same way that Wicca is a form of Paganism.
Agree!
-
For those who might want to know more, straight from the source, check out What is Reiki? (http://www.reiki.org/faq/WhatIsReiki.html) on the FAQ pages at Reiki.org
Reiki is a method of energy healing dealing with the flow of the life force of the Universe through one's body. The healer detects that flow and will manipulate the energy flow to reduce or unblock any areas that have congestion of the energy and can even help the patient replenish low energy.
As a warning to those who may go looking for a Reiki healer, this method is not taught ... it is transferred directly to the student from a Master (my daughter is a very talented Reiki healer and has explained some of the process to me) so anyone claiming to be "self taught" isn't practicing Reiki but some other method. Not that other methods aren't valid, they just aren't Reiki. I'm of the opinion that we should make our decisions on who we get assistance in healing from based on factual information and I personally can't trust someone who makes claims that aren't factual. YMMV
-
Thank you for the website! It explains alot
-
I rather think this subject could continue for quite some time.
There are those that teach that Reiki is a very specific method of hand positions and symbols used by those that have been attuned by a Reiki Master.
All the forms of Reiki I know of require attunement. Otherwise, as Crystal Dragon said, it is not Reiki. However, there are those that believe that attunement can and does come from the Divine and is available for the asking. After all... is not Reiki said to have come to earth from the Divine to Dr. Mikao Usui?
My first attunment was from a Reiki master. My second attunement was received directly from the Divine through a book by Reiki Master Brett Bevell. My second attunement was very powerful and rocked my world. Bevell teaches a more spiritual side of Reiki that resonates well with me. I do, however, continue to read and explore the use of Reiki symbols and hand positions and other ways to utilize Reiki.
Just a note... I was under going a Reiki treatment before I was attuned, and my back all of a sudden burst with intense (but not uncomfortable) heat. When I commented on it, the Reiki practitioner said she was trying out a new method of sending Reiki with her eyes.
It is my opinion that Reiki is not a set of specific rules and regulations, but rather a method or healing to be explored. Call it what you will... the Divine will lead.
-
I don't work with Reiki, but I have to say I'm having a strong sense of deja vu on this discussion. Relace "Reiki" with "Wicca" and it feels like the Gardnerian "if you're not initiated you're not Wiccan" versus the non-Gardnerian "I dedicated myself to the Lord and Lady and am Wiccan" discussion in a different cloak...
-
I don't think it's that intense. There are a number of reasons I don't call what I practice Wicca ... one of them was due to the attitudes you've mentioned. But that's for another thread.
The issue as I see it is that there are a lot of people who think that just directing energy at someone, they are practicing Reiki. And while I would still assert that Reiki cannot be taught, I certainly can't discount that one could be spontaneously attuned by the Divine ... it's happened at least once, right? ;)
But if you run into someone who claims to have learned Reiki from a book, there is cause for suspicion and caution. My understanding is that the attunement process sort of "unlocks" something within the "student"/practitioner allowing them to be effective at detecting the energy flows and assisting with removing blockages and maintaining a "healthy" flow of that energy.
Are there folks who are "naturals"? Probably, but I've not met any. Could they benefit from an attunement by a Master? Most likely. Can anybody learn this from a book? Reiki practitioners say no, I don't believe so, and I've not seen anything in this thread to suggest otherwise.
My concern is not with those who've been attuned practicing in a manner different from what Dr. Usui originally set up ... it is with those who have never felt what Reiki is, have picked up one or two books that claim to teach Reiki, and who then run around "practicing" on everyone they know without regard for any potential damage that might be done.
For me, this is more in line with the young girls who want to practice witchcraft and start spellcasting without understanding the ethics and logic behind it. You can do damage to yourself or others without intending to if you don't understand what it is you are messing with. ;)
-
I received attunement from my Reiki Master. Level 1 obviously first- was the awakening and the feelings received were uplifting- then just over a year later level 2- my second attunement raised up issues from my past and I became very emotional and quite unpredictable for many months- I couldn't really practise, certainly not on others whilst I was using self treatment to rebalance myself. Eventually my own balance returned and amazingly colours- were magical, my sense of smell extraordinary and my change in compassion for fellow people, plants animals shifted dramatically. It was nearly 3 years before I and my master felt ready for me to take the next step and become a Master/Teacher.
My Son and my Husband both practise- what they call spiritual healing- hands on . Bradley feels tingling in his hands- which the person then feels as warmth and tingling over the area.
Noel closes his eyes and sees Bright blue light between his hands and the area being worked on- he also has images or words said to him from his spirit guide- who is a 10 foot Masai Warrior.
-
From what I understand, Reiki I is more for physical healing and to get a person used to flowing energy. Reiki II gives access to spiritual healing and various Reiki symbols.
It wasn't till I was attuned to level II that I became aware of the spirits of plants and trees. There is a lot of self work to be done at level II, and I have not disciplined myself to the task as well as I need to. I have, however, accomplished much in the way of letting go of past trauma and resentments.
While I cannot feel the Reiki flow through me (neither can the Reiki Master who first attuned me), the few people I treat can often feel heat from my hands or tell me they feel "something different" when I pass my hands over them. I am very good at making energy balls. I once had a nun burst into tears when I gifted an energy ball to her. She kept crying saying, "It's real. It's real." I can't feel energy balls myself. :gaah:
An internet friend of mine achieved level III attunement a few years ago and asked if she could send me Reiki. She sent everyday for a week. By the third day, I had a healing crisis so bad that I couldn't get out of bed, much less raise my head off the pillow. Thank goodness my husband was home to care for our three dogs. People don't often realize how powerful Reiki can be.
-
@Crystal Dragon: I understand what you mean by saying Reiki cannot be learned from a book, but I am curious as to what books have you run across that say this is possible?
Just to clarify... Brett Bevell's book on self-attunement is very misleading in its title. Reiki Master Bevell has placed attunements outside of time and space (Reiki bubbles) where those who desire to be attuned can tap into these attunements when they are ready to receive the attunement. This is no different than when a Reiki practitioner sends distance Reiki that is programmed to arrive at a specific time or place or when the recipient is ready to receive the treatment. Bevell always gives credit to the Divine saying that attunements flow from the Divine through the Reiki Master (or the Reiki Bubble in this case) to the student.
Certainly a lot about symbols and ways to use Reiki can be learned from books.
-
I don't have time today to go find and list them ... but there are over 150 listed on Amazon alone and I'm sure there are more. I'm sure there are some good books out there, but I know there are also bad ones ... this is the case on any subject one could toss out. Besides, the books themselves aren't what gives me pause ... it's the fact that there are a lot of people in this world who will use any buzz words or gimmick they can to try and make money. People who have just "heard" about something but don't know what it is are potentially susceptible to be taken in by false claims and it is for that reason I brought it up in the first place, so that people will educate themselves a little before deciding on whom should "treat" them. ;)
-
Understood. Thank you.
I feel quite the same way about essential oils. There are many misinformed people out there using and selling essential oil products. In all fairness, it is hard to know who to believe and who not to when there are so many websites and books out there on aromatherapy. It takes time, patience, and sometimes years of research and experience to learn what essential oils to use and why, how to use them, and what suppliers to trust.
Sorry to go off topic. :D
-
I just searched Amazon and read the descriptions and reviews of the first six Reiki books listed. Not one of them said an attunement wasn't necessary. It is my opinion that most Reiki books are designed to offer information on what Reiki is and/or instruct the attuned practioner further along the way in their Reiki practice.
Brett Bevell's two Reiki books and Christopher Penczak's Magick of Reiki (which I own) make it perfectly clear that an attunement from a Reiki Master is needed, while also offering a wide variety of suggestion as to the uses of Reiki, instruction on commonly used Reiki symbols, and offer new Reiki symbols channeled by the authors and others. A Reiki attunement doesn't automatically gift the practitioner with knowledge of Reiki symbols or their use or in the use of Reiki hand positions or other uses of Reiki. I find my Reiki books to be invaluable.
-
Are there folks who are "naturals"? Probably, but I've not met any. Could they benefit from an attunement by a Master? Most likely. Can anybody learn this from a book? Reiki practitioners say no, I don't believe so, and I've not seen anything in this thread to suggest otherwise.
Actually, there are people who are naturals. They are naturals at directing and manipulating energy in non-reiki related ways. This was me before I met Master Blacston.
Before I met him, I was...ok...at directing energy at muscle injuries to help unkink knots and the like. Not great, but good enough that people came back to me time and again.
It was at an SCA event where Master Blacston walked past me and saw/felt what I was doing. He said that I had a talent that could potentially be directed and refined if I wanted to learn Reiki.
I said that I did and thus I was taught and awakened. Afterwards I learned that what I was doing before was the energy version of working a knotted muscle with massager wand. Not all that great, but slightly more beneficial than just the physical manipulations.
Afterwards, I was able to do more...much more.
And it is possible to learn from the books, but you can not do it from just the books alone. The really good books or websites out there tell you that these are only exercises that you can do before you get attuned, or things you can to do to strengthen and improve your skills at your level. They cannot raise you to the next level, but they can guide you at your levels.
The dodgy books out there are the ones that say "You can learn all that you need to know by reading this book."
Those are the books that are either teaching you another (and equally valid) form of healing, or are like all the books that teach some of the higher-level networking protocols and certifications without you having to ever touch a computer.