Introduction To Reiki

What follows is an introductory article about Reiki offered to us by Reine Barjkana, Reiki Master.  The article explains some of the basic details of Reiki and its uses.  Reiki certification is offered by many masters throughout the world, if you are interested in training you should find a practitioner in your local area to study with.

• Reiki is a Japanese healing system that allows the Reiki Practioner to draw on the Universal Life Force Energy to facilitate health for themselves and others.

In a standard Reiki Treatment the client relaxes, clothed, on a table, while the Practioner assesses the client’s energy flow and then passes to the client universal life force energy using a preset pattern of still hand positions, and possibly some additional still hand positions depending on the client’s needs. The Reiki energy maybe perceived as any of several sensations, including heat, cold, tingling, or nothing more than a general sense of peacefulness and relaxation. The effects of the Reiki energy are wholistic, affecting the body, mind, emotions, and spirit.

• REIKI HAS MANY USES

While no specific benefit can be guaranteed, the results of Reiki Treatments have ranged from lowered stress, through to spontaneous healing of various dis-eases. Many clients find that they are able to release negative emotions such as grief, unfounded anxiety/fear, and stress so that they can move forward in their lives and make more healthy and joyful choices for themselves. The scientific medical benefits of stress reduction are well documented, including reduction in chronic pain, lowering of blood pressure and many other benefits. Clients can enjoy this sort of stress reduction from Reiki Treatments, and Level I Practioners can give themselves these treatments.

Reiki can be used in First Aid and emergency situations to reduce pain and swelling, and help avoid shock while waiting for emergency personnel to arrive. Reiki can also be used to help calm one’s nerves before important events such as a job interview. Level I and above Practioners can use Reiki during meditation to gain clarity in introspection and feelings of deep spiritual connections. Reiki is not a religion and so may be used by any person in harmony with their own religious beliefs. Reiki differs from other energy healing systems in several important ways.

• REIKI DIFFERS FROM OTHER ENERGY HEALING SYSTEMS

First, Reiki requires the use of a set of healing symbols. While these formerly secret symbols may be found in modern books, in order to use these symbols they must have been imprinted into the Reiki Practioner by a Reiki Master during the process called Attunement. The Reiki Attunements are the second big difference between Reiki and other forms of energy healing.

During the Reiki Attunements the Reiki Master creates a high vibration channel which makes it safe for the new Practioner to bring in and send very large amounts of energy. This is one of the reasons why Reiki is a safer form of energy healing for the Practioner than many other systems of healing. You may have noticed that some other types of energy workers get very drained by using their own energy, or quickly become “burnt out” from healing work. Neither of these are a problem for the Reiki Practioner who is Attuned by a Reiki Master.

A third reason Reiki is generally safer for the practioner is that the energy flow is one-way, towards the client receiving the Reiki energy treatment. The Reiki practioner does not risk drawing the illness, stress, or negative emotions into themselves, which is the opposite of most Shamanic and natural/empathic energy healing techniques which can carry serious risks to the energy worker.

• REIKI HAS 3 LEVELS

There are 3 generally recognized Levels of Reiki Practioner. Reiki Level I Practioner, Reiki Level II Practioner, and Reiki Master. Some lineages break the 3rd level into two parts; Reiki Master Pactioner, and Reiki Master Teacher, in which case only the Master Teacher is qualified to teach and pass Attunements.

The Level I Practioner is fully able to provide a treatment of Reiki energy to themselves, or to another person in the room with them. In the Traditional Usui Reiki system the student has received 4 separate Attunements and additional instructions, (but is not consciously given the symbols), to reach the status of Level I Practioner.

The Level II Practioner is given 2 additional attunements during which they are imprinted with more of the Reiki symbols. This allows them to do distance Reiki, which is sending the energy across time and space. For example Reiki can be sent to someone in a different building, or even on a different continent! Reiki can also be sent back in time, such as to the time a specific trauma occurred which can help the person resolve issues from that trauma and move forward in a more healthy way. The Level II Practioner is given several of the Reiki symbols which they may draw or chant when doing treatments from that point forward.

While Level I and II are common levels for Reiki, very few people find it necessary or desirable to devote the time, study and on-going commitment necessary to become a Master. In most systems levels I and II may be chosen by the student, but the Master level is only available by the invitation of the Master and rarely offered. In the early 1980s there were fewer than 20 Reiki Masters world-wide. Currently, there are hundreds of Reiki Masters and several lineages with subtle differences in how they are taught or attuned. Nevertheless, Reiki is one of the safest and most powerful of the energy healing systems.

ABOUT RAINE BARJKANA
Raine Barjkana has been a Reiki Master Teacher since March of 2006. She has been using Reiki as part of her daily personal wellness care for nearly a decade. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has taught a variety of classes and workshops on topics ranging from philosophy, and spirituality, to organic gardening since 1992. She lives and works on a small organic farm about an hour north of Chattanooga with her Spouse, and a large number of animals, domestic and wild.