Reiki is a beautiful practice
When I started, I was completely clueless and was trying to approach it logically
Reiki is learning to connect with the energy around you and direct it to places you want it to go. It isn’t creating or controlling energy, it is connection and direction. In order to do that, beginners need to learn a connection to themselves and everything around them
Reiki is learning that everything is made of energy, and all those energies are connected
You cannot create or destroy energy
You can only change it
Through the years, people have disconnected from everything around them
I believe that the larger this disconnect gets, the worse mental health is going to get
We are not meant to be solitary creatures
And most people are alone even when they are around other people
That is because they might be around other people, but they are connected to them
I have been there and I still find myself there sometimes
But Reiki has been a powerful tool to reconnect me to the things and people around me
It helps me feel less alone even when I am not around other people
Why is Reiki a powerful thing to learn?
Reiki is one of many types of energy healing
But I like it because of the focus on the connection between all things
When someone gets good at Reiki, they can connect to the energy of someone that is far away from them
You can connect to the energy around you or even the energies from the stars at night
You become more aware of everything around you and that is a beautiful thing
When I first started Reiki, I didn’t know it was Reiki
I was trying to create an energy ball in my hands
And I was really struggling
When I didn’t know what I was struggling because I was not focusing and connecting
I was trying to use logic to do something that requires thought, emotion, and focus
It just doesn’t work that way
But when I was willing to let go of control and just connect to the energy that I was gathering, I was able to feel the ball forming in my hands
I am a control freak
I hate to admit it but I like to control everything
Well, except for other people
But I do want to control everything related to me and my life
I am working on it but it is a hard habit to break
Reiki has allowed me to practice letting go of that control and just be in the moment
I tend to get so worried about the past and future that I forget the present
And Reiki only works when you are focusing on the here and now
Yes, you can use Reiki to encourage something for the future, but you still do it by creating intentions for the here and now
I have talked to many people that struggled greatly with anxiety and depression
And their life changed when they learned Reiki
This is not health advice, but it makes sense
Anxiety is focusing too much on the past and future
Reiki helps you focus on the present instead
Depression is feeling empty and alone
Reiki connects you with everything around you and fills you with light
I like to combine Reiki with shadow work
Shadow work helps me work on my pain and trauma, and then Reiki helps me recover from facing those pains and traumas
If you want to know more about shadow work, check out one of my articles on it
It is a great tool to heal yourself and others
How do you find a teacher?
There are two ways you can take a Reiki class,
- In-person
- Online
There are benefits and disadvantages of both, and the decision on which is better is an individual preference
But you do want to be careful when choosing a teacher
Not everyone that claims to be a Reiki master is one
So you are going to want to read reviews, listen to previews, look at what the class offers, and trust your instincts when choosing a teacher
What you should look for in a teacher
When looking for a teacher, you want to look for a few specific things
Look at what their classes offer
Is there a variety of topics and time for hands-on learning?
Does the teacher have good reviews that have details?
Will you be looking for a local teacher or an online teacher?
And lastly, what feeling does the teacher and establishment give you?
Is your stomach in knots?
Are you relaxed and calm in their presence?
Your intuition is a great tool
And we should use it more often
Can you learn Reiki without a teacher?
Reiki is not a skill that you can learn from books alone
You can do some of the Reiki practices, but you have to have a master attune you to reach your potential
Attunement is how masters open the ways you use energy
It is basically a Reiki graduation
You can learn the skills that you would learn in class, but you cannot enjoy all the benefits without graduating from a teacher
If you don’t have any local teachers, taking online classes is your best choice
There are many Reiki masters that you can choose from when learning online
If you just don’t want to hire a teacher, then choosing a different form of energy work is your best option
You need a teacher for Reiki, but Reiki is one of many forms of energy healing
Some are more difficult to learn than Reiki, and some are simple but are limited in what they can do
One of the ways you can do energy healing is for yourself
Visualization is a great way to perform energy healing on yourself
Just visualize a white light above you
This light is bright and warm
It circles around you and melts off your pain, worry, and stress
You see the melted pain, worry, and stress drip off you and flow away
This is a simple form of energy healing, but it is also limited
How often should you practice Reiki?
Reiki doesn’t have a minimum daily requirement
But at least once a day is a good idea
Reiki is a skill
And you need practice to get better at all skills
Reiki is no different
The longer you wait before practicing, the harder it will be to learn and master Reiki
But if you dropped off and want to start Reiki again, just do it!
It is forgiving and you don’t lose your ability to get more skilled at Reiki
Just do the best you can
If you only have the ability to practice Reiki three times a week, just do the three times a week!
Life isn’t a race
If someone else masters Reiki before you because their life circumstances were different, so what?
Just keep sight of why you want to learn Reiki, practice as much as you can, and enjoy your journey!