Healing With Reiki - The Personal Perspective

Reiki is a method of spiritual healing. That's something almost every book and every teacher and every website tells you. But what really is missing among all these information about Reiki is the personal perspective. You can find personal experiences of people, but I used to say that there is no such thing as too much good PR for Reiki.

Reiki is wonderful - and I believe more people should share their personal stories of Reiki journey with the world - only then, people will learn about the wonders of Reiki. And since I'm a Reiki teacher, I should give a good example. And that's why I wrote this article - to share some of my personal insights into the experience of Reiki.

For those who think that Reiki is just a form of alternative therapy, this article might become a great inspiration for self-practice.

For those, who never heard of Reiki before

Reiki (full name: Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki), also known as Western Reiki or Takata Reiki (from Hawayo Takata, one of the bearers of the Usui lineage) is a method of spiritual healing that originates from Japan and was created at the beginning of the XX century by Mikao Usui. Today, Reiki is used both as a path of spiritual growth and as a form of complementary therapy, often used in hospitals and other medical facilities. In this method of complementary healing, the practitioner channels healing energy of Reiki which brings harmony and supports the natural self-regeneration systems of the organism.

Reiki is an initiation based system, which means that if you wish to learn this method, you need to find a teacher that will attune you. In most parts of North America and Western Europe, classes and workshops are easily available so becoming a practitioner is not a difficult thing to do. If you're currently living in Poland, you can even contact me and I will happy to teach you, as I'm a certified teacher.

The initiation and attunement are two different things. The attunement is a process in which the teacher attunes you to the flow of Reiki so you can work with this energy. The initiation is more a spiritual or psychological process of healing, in which the personality is often slightly changed in order to heal the practitioner and make him a happy person.

There are three degrees on the path of Reiki.

• First Degree - Shoden - the very first step on the path of Reiki. Here you learn how to work with Reiki, how to perform self-treatment, how to perform treatment for others, or how to channel Reiki to animals. Some teachers teach additional meditation techniques.
• Second Degree - Okuden - this is where you receive additional tools like new forms of meditation or three Reiki symbols to work with.
• Third Degree - Shinpiden - this is when the true path of spiritual development begins. Once far enough into this advanced practice, you can also become a Reiki teacher.

Becoming a Reiki teacher is not the end of Reiki journey, but yet another stop on the way. There are still many more things to learn. You begin your journey by participating in the class of the first degree, and from there, you move on.

That's it for the introduction - after all, this article is not Reiki 101 :). But in addition, take a look at the infographic below.

... and why did I become a Reiki practitioner

Everything started a couple of years ago when I decided I needed a change in my life. Interested in black magick at the time, I was looking for ways of developing myself spiritually, though. And I managed to do so - simple by stating the intend. One day, I closed my eyes, and I said to myself:

I wish to develop myself spiritually. I wish to be a healer!

I didn't know why I wanted to become a healer, and I didn't even know what this term means. But that was my intend. This is when my journey has begun. Then, the mysterious machine of the Universe begun its work. Within few weeks, I've met people interested in spiritual development and "white" paths of magick, and on one of such meetings with people I've heard the term "Reiki" for the first time. Few days later, I contacted a Reiki teacher whom I have met few days earlier, and I scheduled my own class. Few weeks after stating that I wish to develop spiritually, I have completed my first degree class, and thus I became a Reiki practitioner.

Whatever you want, the very first thing to do is to make a statement - say it aloud, say what you really want! Then, just move on with your life - and the Universe will point you to right direction. Through mysterious events, you will be surprised how effective a single statement can be.

... or what gives the best results?

Healing did not occured through Reiki only.

Within the boundries of Reiki practice, I was practicing self-treatments on regular basis. 30 minutes of sending myself Reiki everyday for few years by now. Of course, I had bad days during which I didn't really cared about doing the self-treatment, but these days were in minority.

In addition, I was practicing Gassho meditation - it is similar to Buddhist Zazen from Zen tradition. In this meditation, you focus on your peaceful breathing, and you observe your thoughts. By observation of your thoughts, you let them go, and they no longer dwell in your head - no more chaos in your mind is caused. 15 minutes per day is enough according to the saying: if you have time, meditate for 15 minutes. If you do not have time, meditate for an hour. Meditation such as Zazen or Gassho is a way to maintain the peace of mind. Thoughts attack as all the time, as they are created by our daily experiences. Meditating in the evening brings harmony back to our thoughts, that is why it is beneficial.

You can learn traditional techniques like Gassho meditation from "Learn Reiki: First Degree", which can be purchased on Amazon.com, through the links at the end of this Hub.

Another thing I was practicing few times a week was Joshin Kokyu Ho meditation. This is a "breath into Hara", in which you draw Reiki energy down the spine into your belly, where a Hara center is said to be located. This practice grounds you. With time, it not only develops the energy channel, that makes you a better Reiki practitioner, but it also develops the roots of your very being. You need big and strong roots, if you wish to grow spiritually. Your great spiritual growth needs proper and strong foundation, and Joshin Kokyu Ho provides that.

All these additional meditations and the essential regular self-treatments are impotant on the path of personal healing. Of course, healing is very individual and personal, and the best thing you can do is to follow your intuition. Our inner voice guides us to the best solutions to our problems. Reiki guides us to books, teachers and experiences - as I said, the only thing you really need to do is to embrace the wish to find an answer or solve the problem. Do so - aloud and honestly. And Reiki will lead you where you have to go.

Then, the healing will be effective, because it will be based on your needs, and not on the books or perspectives of others.

Other things I practiced

But beside Reiki, I was practicing few other things - because Reiki lead me to them. I wanted to heal myself and to develop myself as a person. So, Reiki has lead me to the following:

• Mantras - those are sacred phrases, that originate from Buddhist tradition. I was practicing them, repeating them many times over and over again. This is said to cause changes in our spiritual body and in our mind and in our body - changes that are positive and beneficial. And so, I've noticed that after many repetitions of the famous "Om Mani Padme Hum" mantra, I truly became more peaceful, more calm, more harmonious and more compassionate.
• Affirmations - these are short phrases that need to be hand written many times - at least 15 times a day, for 30 days or more. Then, they affect our mind. They are meant to replace negative subconscious beliefs with positive beliefs. For example, you can replace fear of hard work for money with the affirmation "I can make money easily and with great pleasure". The more affirmations you practice, the more negative beliefs and memories can be literally reprogrammed. This opens your creativity and human nature once again, which leads to improvements in your life.
• Zazen meditation - it's similar to Gassho, and it was taught to me by my Reiki teachers as a mixture of Gasho and Joshin Kokyu Ho. It was meant to bring peace to my mind and ground me at the same time. Today, Zen workshops are quite popular, and if you don't have access to a teacher that can teach you about Gassho, then you can definitely find someone that will teach you about Zazen.
• Forgiveness - it is the most important aspect of the spiritual growth. When you forgive with pure heart - meaning, you do not feel "better" than others simple because you forgive, but you forgive because you wish to be free and you want to free others, then forgiveness does exactly that. By forgiving - yourself and others - you let people go. They are free of your unpleasant emotions, and you are free because you no longer stick to the bad events of the past. Becoming free of this burden makes room for more good things in your life.

But beside Reiki, I was practicing few other things - because Reiki lead me to them. I wanted to heal myself and to develop myself as a person. So, Reiki has lead me to the following:

Everything!

In the past years, I have learned that Reiki is a nice form of complementary therapy. But healing that which is physical is not the true purpose of Reiki. Reiki heals life - just like that. In a wide degree, from our diet and lifestyle to accomplishment of our dreams and goals. This is what Reiki truly heals - us. In every part of us.

The way it heals is subtle - Reiki does not force anything. Everything that happens to us after Reiki workshop is gentle. The chanes in our life are calm and peaceful. They are results of our self-realization - the realization of what is good for us and what is not good.

• Reiki heals our diet - it promotes healthy food. I haven't become a vegetarian yet, but after completing my first degree class I changed what I eat. Instead of eating 80% of meat and 20% of vegetables, I now eat 60% of vegetables, 20% of fruits and 20% of meat. It resulted in healthier body and bigger muscles. The only meat I eat today is chicken and fishes, which are the most healthy types of meat available in Poland today.
• Reiki heals relationship - after completing my third Reiki degree class, I came to realize that my current (at the time) relationship was going nowhere. So peacefully me and my girlfriend decided to break the relationship. I wasn't sad about it - actually, I felt free. This "free" state didn't stay for long, because a couple months later, after realizing that there was something missing, I decided to re-establish contact with a girl from my high school class. I never actually talk to her because I was shy. Yet, Reiki gave me the strength I needed, and I re-established the contact between me and her. Sufficient to say that today - we're engaged and preparing to get married.
• In addition, I learned how to forgive myself and others for all the pain that was my experience in the past. And for the first time in my life, I was able to talk normally and peacefully with my Mother and Brother.
• Reiki heals us from our emotional pain - we carry a lot of emotional pain within us. It's the problem of the Western civilization. I wanted to heal the pain - caused by bad experiences of the past. So I begun to practice self-treatments with intention of healing the emotional pain. Soon, Reiki pointed me to the books about affirmations and forgiveness - two very important elements of spiritual growth. By practicing both, and continuing with self-treatments, I was able to change the negative beliefs into positive beliefs; and heal the traumas and bad memories by forgiving myself and others. I would no longer feel pain about the bad things that happened to me - I was free of such pain.
• Reiki clears our mind - part of the Reiki training is the practice of the Gassho meditation. This meditation is similar to Zazen, from Zen Buddhism. It teaches us how to clear our mind. But Reiki in its entire being promotes meditative states of mind. With time and practice, we learn to maintain peace of mind, and deal with all chaotic thoughts. I had very chaotic thoughts in my head for years, since I was teenager. Regular Reiki self-treatment sessions helped me learn control - but not force it. With time, I was able to observe the chaos in my head, and heal all the unwanted thoughts. When I did so, they disappeared - and I was free. Simple because I was spending 30 minutes per day doing self-treatment sessions. Thus, the practice of Reiki promotes peace of mind and meditation.
• Reiki supports us in achieving our goals - in the past, I wanted to be a writer. But every single time I tried to focus on writing, the need of making money was greater. So instead of writing, I was coding and designing websites, since I got paid better this way. But after completing my second Reiki degree, I decided to change the approach. I managed to find time, because if something is really important, then we can find time to do this important thing. And I did, I found a single hour in my work day that I could use to write. Quickly, I was hired on a well-known website as an editor to write articles and news. A year later, I quit only to publish my first e-books. Today, I consider myself to be a full-time writer running my own publishing & education company. My book sell well, and all of this - thanks to Reiki.
• Reiki heals our physical body - as it beings with changing our diet, Reiki pushes us to understanding that our body is a temple, and we should take care about our body. Personally, I decided to change my life and to move more. I begun to exercise and build up my muscles. While I always tried to work out a bit, it was Reiki that lead me to great books and teachers that taught me about the most effective ways of exercising to stay healthy. Because I'm a writer, it's definitely something I appreciate - to take care of my own body.

Allowing yourself to be healed

One of the things I have learned after a couple of months of practicing Reiki is that one must trust Reiki. The practitioner must let go of control. As Reiki practitioners, we are channels, and we act in accordance with the highest good, which we do not know. In Reiki practice, we do not know to heal things. But Reiki itself knows the answer. When we practice self-treatments on ourselves, we let go of control. We wish a specific issue to be healed or resolved and we send ourselves Reiki. That's all.

That's exactly what was taught to me by my teacher, and that's exactly what I have done - I have learned to let go. And Reiki begun to change my life. It showed me the things that needed to be healed - either by giving me the signs, leading to interesting books, or focusing my attention on specific songs in the radio. It showed me the memories I tried to run away from, and it taught me how to heal the pain that was hindering my efforts to live a successful life. I let go, and Reiki changed everything.

This doesn't mean we live a passive life. On the contrary, Reiki directs us to the best options, best events, best choices. It gives us the life that we enjoy; it shows us out true nature, out true skills and our true dreams - with all these things, we can develop our life, manifest everything we wish, and enjoy each and every day here, on Earth. We begin to perceive each day as a blessing. If we don't like something, we send ourselves Reiki. It will either show us the way to like what we do, or it will help us find the things we enjoy doing. In the end, we find ourselves in a place that is purely awesome!

Healing Takes Time

One of the things that were painful for me was the acne on my face, which begun in my youth. Healing this issue offered me many valuable lessons. First is that healing required me to do many things, but mainly to be patient. Patience is the first thing that I developed thanks to Reiki. Because healing the acne took many years.

It needed mental and emotional healing - because I felt fear of people, and hate towards my own body because it didn't look as I wanted it to look. So I needed to heal my emotional pain.

It needed changes in diet, because acne was caused by toxic food that we eat today. Reiki changed my diet, and it helped me find food that is ecological and healthy.

Healing needed the return to Nature. Doctors could only prescribe me more toxic remedies and medical stuff. None of which worked. Reiki lead me to natural comestics, herbs and gifts of Mother Nature - they helped.

With patience, I was able to get rid of acne issue.

Remember - whenever you use Reiki, this complementary method will not simple offer you additional energy, but it will also lead you to additional things that are needed for healing to be complete.

Reiki promotes a healthy, peaceful and harmonious lifestyle.

• Reiki brings harmony and peace of mind - by teaching meditation and bringing peace to your chaotic mind, Reiki shows you how to achieve harmony with the world: with people around you, with Mother Nature, with your own dreams and needs.
• Reiki brings the best to your life - it guides you to best lessons and experiences; best books and teachers; from these, you learn to manifest the life you truly want. A life, in which you are free and honest with yourself.
• Reiki brings financial freedom - it teaches us about abundance that is a natural state of mind. Everyone deserves to be rich, and Reiki brings this - it gives us riches in love, peace, harmony, and in something as material as financial freedom. By showing us our true gifts, skills and dreams it helps us turn our passion into money.
• Reiki teach us about Mother Nature - Reiki helps us realize that we are part of this planet - we are no rulers of Earth, but we're children of Earth. And we should take care of our Mother. Reiki promotes the idea that we're part of a large organism, and if we destroy a part of it, we risk destroying ourselves. It's another thing that I have learned thanks to my Reiki practice - my interest in clean technologies, new energy sources, permaculture and ecology has increased a lot.

If thoughts create your life, why do you think about the bad stuff?

I'm going to rise your consciousness right now, by discussing the law of attraction and the power of creation. It is something I truly realized after becoming a Reiki practitioner.

Your thoughts create your reality. Your mind has the power to create. Your mind has the power to shape the world, in which you live. Most people who have seen The Secret, or have learned a bit about the law of attraction, knows this, and understands this, hopefully. But the problem is, that most people think that they can only attract positivity things. Reiki pushed me to get rid of TV and newspapers and news websites. I became free of the celebrity news, gossip and news of tragedies and murders. With it, I received a gift of time. That time helped me contemplate about my own nature, dreams, skills.

And it helped me experience my pain, and heal it in return. With the clear and peaceful mind without pointless news or gossips, I begun to shape and manifest what I wanted - love, home, a cat, money, books, writing career and more. I unleashed the power of creation that every person in the world has. I stopped looking at images of war, poverty, destruction, because they were manifesting pain in my life. Instead, I inspired myself with images of love, beauty, passion and great human spirit. This helped me manifest beauty and peace in my life, and as a result, I begun to promote these ideals among others.

This has lead me to another step of "becoming a Healer" process - because learning about manifestation, peace, ecology, abundance and such is also a way to heal humanity, and give something back to Mother Earth.

Whatever you think about, you create. Think about becoming a healer, and Reiki will first heal you, and then it will teach you how to be a true Healer. The more people realize this, the more people become healed. And when everyone will heal himself and herself, the entire world shall know peace and love.