Reiki – What, How and Why?

Reiki: being at one with yourself is not as easy as all that!

Three of the most frequent things people say to me when I say that I am a Reiki Master is ‘What is it?’, ‘How does it work’? and ‘I tried it once and it didn’t work.’

There is already a page here that tells a little of the history of Reiki and what it is, but I am going to try and put it in a nutshell for you, dear reader; so here I go:  A Reiki practitioner is someone who has received an attunement from a Reiki Master / Teacher that allows them to tap into Universal Life Force (Reiki) energy or Divine energy – think of it as a spiritual satellite dish that allows you to watch your favouite TV programmes, for Reiki practitioners it allows them to connect to this energy without using any of their own, which can leave the healer’s own energy depleted.  It basically opens the individual up to become a channel. I was a little sceptical before my first attunement, but I certainly wasn’t afterwards!  This can have a profound effect on the practitioner and often is the beginning of a life changing journey.

Reiki works when the practitioner connects with the energy and has an intention to send it to a person, animal or anything else that has its own life-force.  Treatments can be done with the recipient in the physical presence of the practitioner either through ‘hands on’ treatment or the hovering of hands just above the client, but here is the clever thing it can be done from a distance too!  Every practitioner has their own way of sending healing from a distance, we all use a special symbol to help with the process and some people like to connect with a photograph, some with mental intention, some use the person’s name and date of birth, it doesn’t matter what is important is the integrity of the practitioner and the intention with which Reiki is sent.  The practitioner will find a method that feels just right for them – for me a photograph gives me the strongest connection.  I know all this sounds just a bit ‘hocus pocus’ and one of my favourite client quotes is “Wow, that is weird, but it really works!” and it can on an emotional, physical, mental and spiritual level.

We all have life-force flowing through us, but sometimes the flow gets disrupted by negative self-thinking (not loving yourself enough), when we feel and think negatively about ourselves it disrupts the natural flow of the Life-force and this in turn impacts on our physical bodies and causes ‘dis-ease’.  Loving ourselves is a whole other article, but each time we think something like ‘I am such an idiot, why did I do that’ or similar derogatory statements it sends ripples out through our whole being, also when we don’t love ourselves enough to eat nutritious food, if we have it available, drink too much alcohol, caffeine or eat too much sugary food all these things impact on our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual being.

If we know all of this then why should we even need Reiki or other similar therapies?  Because being at one with yourself is not as easy as all that and sometimes the damage has been done already.  Reiki can help bring into balance that which has become disrupted.  However, it will do this without interfering with your soul’s purpose.  We all have lessons to learn and sometimes the greatest learning comes from the toughest lesson, but Reiki can assist with navigation through the choppy waters.

If you have already tried Reiki and it did nothing for you, there could be a number of reasons for this.

• You have not found the right practitioner for you.  My down to earth approach is wonderful for some and others would rather have a more ethereal approach, we are all different.
• You had one treatment for a chronic problem that you have suffered with for a long time and expected to be miraculously cured.  It can happen, but rarely, Reiki gently works to balance energy, this will take time.
• Sometimes what happens is the client will have a few treatments with fantastic results each time getting a little better and then something in their head triggers and they stop coming and go backwards again.  My personal feeling on this is that there is something about the way they felt when they sought treatment that is serving them; either the comfort of familiarity and the fear of new feelings or the reaction of those around them as they begin to feel better, people don’t like change even if it is for the better.
• It is energy and if the client has been persuaded to come or doesn’t truly want to seek assistance, they can block it easily.  You don’t need to be a believer to have a successful outcome from Reiki, but an open mind is desirable.
• The practitioner is not working with the highest integrity and for your highest good.  If the practitioner has lost their way in life or is ‘in it for the money’ then it is likely that they will not be a clear channel with which to treat others – “Healer, heal thyself”.

So to sum up Reiki is a wonderful therapy and can have profound effects on you, but it isn’t for everyone.  If you have tried it before and it didn’t feel right, then try a different therapist that resonates with you.  If you are not sure about it, talk to a therapist or give it a try.  It is not a magic wand that will sort out your entire life in one session.  I don’t believe that such a thing exists!