WHAT IS REIKI HEALING – A PERSONAL ACCOUNT

It has been suggested to me that I write an article about Reiki, about what it IS and what it can do.

Reiki seems to be getting more and more popular and many of my clients are enquiring about this wonderful healing energy.

When I had the Reiki 1 attunement I had no idea what Reiki was, I just knew that I *had* to do a course. This seems to be the case with many of the students that I have the privilege to teach – Reiki has found them and they feel drawn to do a course.

What is Reiki

I have noticed that there is a standard explanation used by most healers and teachers. “Reiki means Universal Life Force/Energy and is the force that is within all living things.” And so on.
That’s all good, but what does it mean?

It is my belief that all healing systems come from the same Source; the Creatrix/Creator, God/Goddess, the One, Spirit – whatever you wish to call it. They might take different shapes, forms, colours and even sounds, or perhaps vibrating with different frequencies. But we all come from Source and so all healing energies.

Reiki energy to me looks like the most beautiful white silvery light and when the energy shines into my Crown chakra and out of my hands it fills me with the deepest peace. It is like I remember how to breathe again. How to be still and listen. Giving Reiki is as wonderful as receiving it! If you are curious I would gently suggest that you try a treatment. Everyone have different experiences during a Reiki treatment. As a healer I can simply say that no two treatments are the same. Ever.

What Reiki can help with

I sometimes explain a Reiki session as “unblocking your drain” – mentally and physically. We all carry around lots of “goo” – misqualified energies, fears, worries, situations, hurtful words... These slimy energies sit in our chakras and in our subtle body, blocking the flow of living light, creating dis-ease, illnesses and depression. Reiki will help to rid the physical body and the light body of these blocks, making you healthier and whole.

Reiki has a habit of detoxing you. I therefore suggest to my students that they do a short detox before the attunement. It doesn’t have to be a “hardcore” detox where you only eat raw food and drink spring water. Simply cut down on caffeine, sugar, salt, processed food, alcohol, red meat, cigarettes and ready meals. It is not necessary, but you will thank me later! My theory is: the cleaner the vessel, the purer the energy will be that comes through you. Imagine pure spring water being transported through a drainage system that is rusty, dirty and full of slime. The water that comes out of the tap is not going to be particularly pure anymore. I wouldn’t drink it.

I always do a detox at least seven days before I teach a Reiki class. And I do it for my students as much as for myself.
How to use Reiki is up to you. Originally, so the story tells us, Usui Sensei taught Reiki as a tool for self development and to help you on your spiritual path. Healing others was just a lucky side effect!
The only limits are your own limits! You can use the energy for yourself, family, friends, pets, plants, food, water, situations, the planet.... Play with it, have fun, try for yourself and see what works.

You don’t have to be psychic to be a good healer. However, the more healing you do, the more you will develop your psychic abilities (yes, we all have some!).

After the Reiki Treatment

Any kind of healing triggers a “crisis” in most people. It could be from any kind of treatment: Reiki, Acupressure, Massage or even after a Yoga session.
I don’t like to use the word “crisis”, however, it has become quite popular amongst alternative practitioners. It is not a “crisis” that you will go through, in my opinion, rather a deep transformation and/or shedding of skin. You are letting go of something that you have carried with you for some time; months, years, even lifetimes. Once this “thorn” has been removed, there might be a wound, a cut, or even a scar. But it is part of your healing process and will pass.

After a healing session you might feel strong emotions like anger or worry, fear or apathy. You might feel like crying, hiding or breaking something. Healing could be linked to grief – you are letting go/releasing something that has been your security blanket for a long time, no matter how bad it is for you. A Reiki session could kick-start such a healing process, on a deep soul level. Be aware of your dreams, thoughts and emotions after a Reiki session. Sometimes it has to get worse before it gets better. There is no quick-fix, no easy way out, no one else can do this for you.

I tell my clients three things:

- The healing needs to start with YOU. If you don’t wish to get better, you won’t.
- Let the healing take the time it needs. It has taken you some time to get to this stage – you won’t get well overnight. However, sometimes miracles do happen...
- Let go, let go, let go. Trust the process. And let go.

Your healing journey is as personal as you are. It will never be the same for two people. Healing is the path towards feeling better, more happy and calm, more content and more in tune with your true self.

Perhaps this article has answered some of your Reiki questions. Perhaps not. Sometimes words are not enough; it is the feeling of Reiki that is important. The Reiki energy will do the healing, and do it well, not fancy explanations.
Reiki could be like sitting with your back to a tree, feeling the warm sun on your face and the wind in your hair. Or like watching the ocean. Or like standing completely still in a light, warm summer rain.
Reiki is part of the natural world, and it is part of you.
We all have the ability to heal and to be healed; we have only forgotten.
Reiki can help you to reconnect to the Healer within, with your true self.

You are the Creator/Creatrix of your own Universe. What will you create today?

Extract From My Personal Reiki Diary After the Reiki 2 attunement:

“I have plunged deep into my soul and found issues, thoughts and feelings that have been blocking my energy for decades. And the more I find out about these issues and sticky, painful memories and emotions, the more I accept them and love them, the more I find. It’s like my soul has been waiting for this awakening for so long and when I’m finally there it hits with me all its power. I have been to hell and back during a weekend. I have been humiliated and scared to the point where I thought I couldn’t go on.

But I can.

Since last August I have been on a roller-coaster ride to discovery and I have totally reinvented myself. I have also changed my job, moved house and stopped drinking as much as I used to. Slowly I am giving up these things I thought I couldn’t live without (even people and places) just to prove to myself that I can.

When I consciously started on this journey through self-discovery I asked for change. I longed for my life to change – and for me to become the one I always knew I was.

And here I am, a bit shaken, but fully aware and filled with the love and energy that is the Source and it is only the beginning.

...and I keep listening to the voice in the wind; to its story, its song.”