REIKI I & II... Plus a Universal Life Ministry:
I've taken the Reiki I & II courses, and I have signed on as a Universal Life minister. So, here is my take on the practice:
I love the peaceful feeling of Reiki healing. It feels like loving attention, and perhaps that is exactly what it is. The practitioner, I would assume a person of goodwill, pours all of his/her concentration onto the person receiving treatment. I learned a hands-on technique, though there is also a school of Reiki that teaches the practitioner to keep the hands hovering just above the body. The hands-on approach is something akin to a slow motion, fully-clothed massage. Hands are placed on the part of the body in physical discomfort, or a corresponding chakra for emotional needs. I had lost my voice, so my Reiki teacher placed her hands close to, but not directly on my throat, so I wouldn't feel choked or threatened. In this practice, the hands are left in place for at least 5 minutes, sometimes much longer, and the contact means heat is built up and a tingling sensation arises. The Reiki practitioner spends an hour hovering over or placing hands upon different parts of the body, concentrating energy into each location. If you meditate, imagine another person meditating with and about you. It is an act of love. The Reiki practioner calls upon spiritual guidance to move his/her hands to the area of blocked energy. If you believe in Chi meridians, Chakras, and Spririt Guides, that belief will enliven your experience. If you understand the neuroscience of meditation, Reiki will double the effect. I could speak after my treatment; that was the physical effect. After participating in my Reiki coursework, I felt relaxed and elated. Calmness is built into the practice. So, would I recommend it? Sure, why not? The attention is delicious. Would I become a Reiki Master? No. I am a secular humanist. While there is much we cannot see, and much we cannot understand about our universe and our place in it, I have yet to buy into any one spiritual system of belief. Reiki draws upon the practitioner's and the recipient's mutual belief in one particular unseen dimension of spirits and energy fields. I, on the other hand, see Reiki as a subjective body-work practice.
As for becoming a minister in the humanist Universal Life Ministry, that was also a part of the Reiki learning experience. In order to legally touch another human being, one must either be a licensed body worker, medical professional, or a minister - the whole "laying on of hands" thing. I had to sign up as a minister. Then, when my ULM card arrived in the mail, it occurred to me I could perform wedding ceremonies. What a wonderful thing! I will never be a practitioner of Reiki, except to place my hands on a friend who asks for and desires a healing touch. Reiki is just something I was curious about and wanted to learn. But if any of you would like a friend to officiate at your wedding, just let me know. That would be an honor and pure joy. Ah, life. The sweet mystery... It is well worth celebrating!
I've taken the Reiki I & II courses, and I have signed on as a Universal Life minister. So, here is my take on the practice:
I love the peaceful feeling of Reiki healing. It feels like loving attention, and perhaps that is exactly what it is. The practitioner, I would assume a person of goodwill, pours all of his/her concentration onto the person receiving treatment. I learned a hands-on technique, though there is also a school of Reiki that teaches the practitioner to keep the hands hovering just above the body. The hands-on approach is something akin to a slow motion, fully-clothed massage. Hands are placed on the part of the body in physical discomfort, or a corresponding chakra for emotional needs. I had lost my voice, so my Reiki teacher placed her hands close to, but not directly on my throat, so I wouldn't feel choked or threatened. In this practice, the hands are left in place for at least 5 minutes, sometimes much longer, and the contact means heat is built up and a tingling sensation arises. The Reiki practitioner spends an hour hovering over or placing hands upon different parts of the body, concentrating energy into each location. If you meditate, imagine another person meditating with and about you. It is an act of love. The Reiki practioner calls upon spiritual guidance to move his/her hands to the area of blocked energy. If you believe in Chi meridians, Chakras, and Spririt Guides, that belief will enliven your experience. If you understand the neuroscience of meditation, Reiki will double the effect. I could speak after my treatment; that was the physical effect. After participating in my Reiki coursework, I felt relaxed and elated. Calmness is built into the practice. So, would I recommend it? Sure, why not? The attention is delicious. Would I become a Reiki Master? No. I am a secular humanist. While there is much we cannot see, and much we cannot understand about our universe and our place in it, I have yet to buy into any one spiritual system of belief. Reiki draws upon the practitioner's and the recipient's mutual belief in one particular unseen dimension of spirits and energy fields. I, on the other hand, see Reiki as a subjective body-work practice.
As for becoming a minister in the humanist Universal Life Ministry, that was also a part of the Reiki learning experience. In order to legally touch another human being, one must either be a licensed body worker, medical professional, or a minister - the whole "laying on of hands" thing. I had to sign up as a minister. Then, when my ULM card arrived in the mail, it occurred to me I could perform wedding ceremonies. What a wonderful thing! I will never be a practitioner of Reiki, except to place my hands on a friend who asks for and desires a healing touch. Reiki is just something I was curious about and wanted to learn. But if any of you would like a friend to officiate at your wedding, just let me know. That would be an honor and pure joy. Ah, life. The sweet mystery... It is well worth celebrating!
RSS Feed