Reiki Attunement

Reiki is a practice used to heal the mind, body, soul, and emotions of a person. It is considered to be a type of therapy associated with alternative medicine. Some people also refer to it being a type of medicine for energy.

Every living thing in the world has a life force. Every living thing is teeming with unseen energy. Reiki can help you to harmonize your energy and the energy of others, near or far away from you

Those who have successfully learned the practices and nuances of Reiki are able to help others heal and reach attunement. Someone who has reached this skill level and received their certification is considered to be a Reiki Master. Reiki Masters are those individuals who have, well, mastered Reiki.

Other than through a course like that offered by Chikara-Reiki-Do, a Reiki Master is the common way for potential healers to learn the practice.  In order to act as a healer for others, a person must first become attuned to their own life force, their own energy.

Some people believe that attunement can last a lifetime, and maybe in some cases it can, but others would hold this point to debate. The process of attunement is a special type of initiation into the practice of Reiki.

This initiation, this attunement, is a gateway into a world with much more depth than you probably previously considered. Because of this, an open mind is an asset when it comes to Reiki.

It is important to understand that not everything that you can believe can be seen. You can physically see your body, but you cannot see your mind, your emotions, your soul. And yet, we know these things do, in fact, exist. You will become more connected with each of these four parts of yourself as you study Reiki.

Some people, when they are first introduced to Reiki, are worried that it is a kind of religion. This is not true. It is spiritual, but it is not religious in nature. Many people actually find that practicing Reiki alongside their chosen religion helps them feel closer to the deity that they hold to praise. It helps them to feel more fulfilled by their beliefs.

Attunement itself involves the cleansing of the seven chakras in the human body. It is the harmonizing of a person with Reiki energy. It is an understanding of why that is significant. (While it is possible to practice Reiki on pets and other animals, that is not the focus of these articles.)

In order to become a Reiki Master and healer, if that is your goal, you will have to learn the ins and outs of what the practice entails.

Learning Reiki

As you already know, Reiki is a type of energy therapy used to help heal the mind, body, spiritually, and emotions. Practitioners hold their hands above a client’s body. There are also some practitioners who opt to barely touch their clients instead of letting their hands hover above the client’s body.

Each of us have within us energy and an ability to heal ourselves and others by utilizing this energy. Before you can get to the healing aspect of this practice, however, you must first learn how to tap into your energy.

By breaking apart “Reiki” into its root words “Rei” (higher power, spirituality) and “Ki” (life force energy) you can come to understand the founding of this word. The two root words can be understood to mean a higher power (or spirituality) can help guide a person’s life force energy.

In order to correctly tap into this ability, instruction will be needed to learn the practice of Reiki.

The lessons of Reiki have three different levels:

The First Degree

• Initiation into the study of Reiki
• The first level of attunement—either in four different attunements or all at once
• Helps students open their energy channels
• Is when the students first connect to the universal life force energy
• Students are encouraged to focus on overcoming their own blocks before other’s
• Students learn the basic history of Reiki
• Students learn the basic hand placements of Reiki

The Second Degree

• Students begin focusing their practice of Reiki on others
• The second level attunement is experienced—a focus is put on the Heart Chakra
• Expands the energy channels of the student
• The symbols of Reiki—many of which are otherwise kept a secret—are learned
• Students learn how to best utilize Reiki symbols
• Students develop a deeper connection to Universal Energy.
• Students develop their ability to heal others regardless of distance

The Third Degree/Reiki Master (sometimes taught as separate levels)

• Different Reiki Masters teach this level in different ways
• Students begin to become Masters
• More time spent on practicing Reiki on those needing healing
• The third and Master attunements are experienced
• New practitioners learn how to properly attune others

The most common way to learn Reiki is by studying under a Reiki Master. However, there are some people who learn and receive their certification by completing online courses like the one offered by Chikara-Reiki-Do.

Reiki Meditation

Meditation is a key part of practicing Reiki. There are many different meditations, but three of the traditional techniques are: Kenyoku Hô, Jôshin Kokyû Hô, Seishin Toitsu Ho.

Meditation can help you in countless ways:

• Makes it easier to exercise by increasing the efficiency of your breathing
• Can help you relax physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually
• Releases tension from your body thereby helping your relax
• Reduces feelings of anxiety
• Makes you have more energy (it’s a great pick-me-up alternative to caffeine)
• Can help with weight loss
• Makes your heart healthier by reducing cholesterol level
• Dissipates headaches and migraines
• Beneficial to the efficiency of the brain
• Makes you feel happier
• Helps build concentration
• Can help reduce anger and tempter flares

This is just a small sampling of the benefits you can experience by just meditating. Incorporating Reiki and its meditations in your life can only help.

Benefits of Reiki

The benefits of Reiki include many of those mentioned just above here. Reiki can help you clear your body of negativities and stress. It can also ward against illness and negativity. Practicing Reiki regularly can actually help boost you body’s natural immunities. This, in part, is due to a reduction of your stress level.

Pains, tension, headaches, anxiety, temper…these are all things that can be reduced with regular practicing of Reiki. Sure, a Reiki session might mean you have to stop your day-to-day running around and just sit still for a little bit, but is that really such a bad thing?

You can still get your errands and work and chores done, but you don’t have to feel crummy the whole time you’re completing all of that. Isn’t it worth a little time aside if it means a boost to your endurance and efficiency throughout the day?

How to Do Reiki

Reiki is more complicated than you may have been lead to believe by seeing it as a comedic tool in television shows and movies. It is not an extremely old practice, having been founded about a hundred years ago. In 1922, to be exact. It traces its roots back to a Japanese Buddhist by the name of Mikao Usui. He was the first Reiki Master.

As one story goes, Mikao Usui learned how to practice Reiki while visiting his favorite meditation location. While in a meditative state, he is said to have been gifted with the knowledge and understanding of Reiki by a higher being. This knowledge was given to him through the top of his head.

There are slight variations to this tale, but that is the general idea: the Reiki healing method just appeared in his head one day. Now whether you believe this or not is entirely up to you, reader.

However, learning the full history of Reiki is one of the first parts of learning the practice. The history helps establish a foundation for the rest of the Reiki student’s journey. Students will go on to learn about the various symbols, chakras, and hand placements—among other things—that are important for practicing Reiki.

Depending on the Reiki Master or course, there are those three-to-four levels of learning Reiki:

• The First Degree
• The Second Degree
• The Third Degree/Reiki Master

As students progress through these levels, they learn more and more about the elements of the practice that are guarded in secrecy. So, really, the question, “How do I do Reiki?” isn’t answerable here.

In order for you to obtain this knowledge, you yourself will have to seek out a Reiki Master. (Or, you can study a course, like the one offered by Chikara-Reiki-Do, if you feel that would be a better fit for you.)

In part, this is the case because not everything that Reiki entails can be taught. Some of Reiki can only be comprehended by experiencing it. It is important to note that if you decide to become a healer, your workspace should be calming.

A massage table for you client to relax on, non-harsh lighting, calming music or sounds, and a generally welcoming and relaxing atmosphere to all the senses.

Reiki Chakras

Chakras are important points in your body that act as your centers of spiritual power. Most people consider there to be seven of these chakras in the human body, but some believe there are more while other believe there are less. In Reiki, the number of primary chakras is seven.

These seven chakras are listed below, along with their associated colors:

• Crown Chakra (white or violet)
• Third Eye Chakra (purple or indigo)
• Throat Chakra (blue)
• Heart Chakra (green)
• Solar Plexus Chakra (yellow)
• Sacral Chakra (orange)
• Root Chakra (red)

Each of these chakras has a corresponding point in the human body. For example, the Crown Chakra is located at the top of the head. The Third Eye Chakra is located in the center of the forehead (not on the back of the head like your parents or guardians might have had you believe growing up!)

Chakras are the essence of who you are as a person. They are your truest, deepest self. When you are doing Reiki meditation techniques, often the energy entering your body will do so through your Crown Chakra.

Mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual issues occur in a person when one or more of their chakras become blocked. Reiki and attunement can help cleanse the chakras of these blockages.

Reiki Symbols and Meanings

While most of the Reiki symbols and their meanings are kept a secret except to those who have reached the appropriate level of training, there are a few that are relatively well-known.

Five of the symbols widely available are:

• Dai-Koo-Myo
• Cho-Ku-Rei
• Sei-Hei-Hi
• Hon-Sha-Ze-Sho-Nen
• The Raku (has its origins in Tibetan Reiki)

Each of these symbols has a unique design and purpose. They focus the Reiki energy toward specific aspects of a person’s mind, body, spirituality, and emotions. Some of them are also used to amplify the abilities of the other symbols.

Some of the symbols are representative of a celestial body (Hon-Sha-Ze-Sho-Nen is representative of the Sun). Others, may be more representative of a concept or state of being  (Sei-Hei-Ki represents harmony).

If you decide to learn Raiki, please do keep in mind that these symbols are meant to be used for good. They are meant to bring positivity and calmness. Trying to use any of these symbols for harm or other negative purposes may result in negative results toward you.

If you are concerned that these symbols may bring you poor fortune by even considering the idea of using them incorrectly, worry not.

Like a light without an electrical currant, these symbols are just what they appear to be at a glance. Their power is only known when you add energy, when you practice Reiki.

Reiki Techniques

There are many different techniques for the different aspects of Reiki. For example, Seishin Toitsu Ho, Jôshin Kokyû Hô, and Kenyoku Hô were mentioned above as different meditation techniques.

Another place where there are different techniques is the distance of the healer’s hands from the person they are healing.

Of course, a big part of this is the comfort level between the practitioner and the client. If there is discomfort about physical touch, then the practitioner should listen to the client, or to themselves, if that is the case.

Reiki is supposed to bring calmness. If being touched stresses out a client than a major element of the purpose of the healing is ignored.

If you are practicing Reiki over a distance, again the decision has been made for you. You cannot physically touch someone who is miles away from you.

If you do decide to physically touch the client you are healing, it is important for you to dry cleanse yourself with one of the aforementioned cleansing meditation techniques. This is because physically touching a client can lead to a crossing of your two life force energies.

Conclusion

Courses like Chikara-Reiki-Do argue that if Miako Usui was able to learn Reiki on his own than so can anyone else, given the proper guidance, meditation, and patience.

These courses argue that each and every person on the Earth is already a Reiki Master. We all already have the abilities learned from a Reiki Master within us. We just have to discover those abilities, awaken them.

Through meditation, Miako Usui was able to discover and awaken these abilities within himself. The formalizing of the process was a way for him to help others more easily reach the level of understanding that he had been able to reach himself.

Consider this: we all already have that life force energy within us. Learning Reiki isn’t going to spontaneously make it appear within us out of thin air. No, Reiki is merely a tool to self-discovery.

So, if Reiki is truly just a tool, why can’t you learn to experience your truest self with the help of an online course? Why do you have to take that time to search and find a legitimate Reiki Master?

The simple answer, of course, is that you don’t. There is no reason that you can’t learn the concepts online that will help you grown into a proper and well attuned healer or more well-rounded individual.

An online course also allows you to work at your own pace. Learning online, you aren’t accountable to a Reiki Master or maybe even peers. Doing all that, the running around and carving out swatches of time, isn’t that just adding to your stress levels?

So…wouldn’t that be even more stress and anxiety that you would have to work through while you are learning this practice to help you relax? Doesn’t that sound silly? Drop the formal class. Drop the stress. Drop the anxiety.

You don’t have to put yourself through all of that just so you can unlock Reiki energy. You don’t have to wear yourself thin just so you can build yourself back up again. You can do this.

A small change like learning Reiki can have big and lasting impacts on your mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical self. What are you waiting for? An invitation? Consider this it.