Colleen Kelly
Reiki is a Japanese word and means universal life force energy. In the spring of 1922 a Japanese Buddhist, Dr. Mikao Usui, received his initiation through a mystical experience after a 21-day period of meditation and fasting. Reiki was brought to the United States in 1938 by Mrs. Hawayo Takata, who, in her over 40 years of teaching practice initiated 22 Reiki Masters. Since that time Reiki has spread and is practiced by countless people worldwide.
Reiki is generally understood as an alternative healing technique characterized by the laying-on-of-hands, but Reiki is far more than that. Reiki is a spiritual discipline and the integration of the Reiki Principles as well as a diligent daily practice inevitably leads to a gentle, yet powerful and unstoppable self-healing process which usually brings improved health and harmony on every level of being: mind, body, and soul.
After attunement, the Reiki practitioner can channel this energy to him- or herself, to other persons, to animals, plants, inanimate objects, or even to difficult or challenging everyday situations.
Reiki energy has a tremendously relaxing effect, allowing the release of stagnant energy and the activation of innate self-healing powers.
Reiki does not replace the diagnosis or treatment by a doctor or healing practitioner, but it does activate tremendous self-healing energies which can provide an excellent enhancement to any form of medical treatment, often leading to speedier recuperation times with less complications or side-effects from medicines. Reiki also provides immediate and effective relief from everyday stress, be it at the workplace, at school, or at home.
In First Degree Reiki the student is initiated into the energy of Reiki in a series of four attunement rituals which enable him or her to channel this divine healing energy to themselves, to other people, to animals, plants, objects, or even to difficult or challenging everyday situations.
In this course you will learn traditional techniques and the classical hand positions for transmitting Reiki. By practicing these gentle techniques with mindfulness you will become familiar with giving and receiving Reiki. By keeping your mind in a meditative and introspective state, you will develop a heightened awareness for the flow of energy in and around you.
While in First Degree Reiki the focus is on the physical level, in Second Degree Reiki we turn our focus to the mental/emotional level of our being. In this course you will be given the three original Usui Reiki symbols. These symbols and their respective mantras serve as vehicles for the fine-tuning and transmission of Reiki energy, thus opening many new possibilities for the use of Reiki. Among other functions, the Distance Symbol enables the transmission of healing energy independent of the limitations imposed by time and space. That means, for example, that you can send Reiki to loved ones across the globe, to the past to heal past traumas, or to the future to bless upcoming events.
So in this course, freed from the restrictions of rational thought and the limitations of the material world, we enter a high-frequency realm, in which many new possibilities for using Reiki are opened to us.
Originally Reiki Master and Reiki Teacher were one and the same, but nowadays that has changed. In these times of accelerated spiritual awakening the Master Symbol has proven to be an invaluable enrichment for anyone on the path of self-realization and conscious awakening.
In both cases (Master and Teacher) the practitioner is given the Master Symbol but only the Master-Teacher is given the ability and knowledge to initiate others into Reiki. For the Reiki Teacher the Master Symbol serves as a vehicle to connect with the high-frequency spiritual realm in which the teachings and attunements are made.
Prerequisites for both levels are sufficient practical experience with the first two degrees of Reiki as well as the spiritual maturity necessary for dedication to the spiritual path and serving one's own spiritual calling.
The first thing I did when I completed my teacher training was to go home and attune my own two children, who were young gradeschoolers at the time. I am convinced that it has helped make them into the healthy, happy, well-adjusted and responsible adults they are today.
Since the spring of 2007 I have been offering a Reiki Course for all interested children of any age group. The only prerequisite: Mom or Dad should be attuned to Reiki.