10 covers self-healing with Reiki. You also learn the hand positions to administer Reiki to others.
2nd-degree Reiki: One step up from the 1st degree, in 2nd-degree Reiki you find out how to use three Reiki symbols and send Reiki long distance. After this degree, you can become a Reiki practitioner. Chapter 13 describes how to give a Reiki session, and Chapter 15 covers long-distance Reiki.
3rd-degree Reiki: This level is frequently divided into two parts, with the first focusing on the fourth Reiki symbol and learning Master’s level techniques. The last level covers how to teach Reiki to others.
Chapter 7 gives you the lowdown on Reiki training: which classes you should take, what you’ll learn, and how to prepare for your attunements.
When you study Reiki, you discover the following:
The history of Reiki
The basics of energy healing
How to use Reiki to heal yourself and others
How to use a set of symbols that connect to the Reiki energy (see Chapter 8)
How to teach Reiki to others
You also receive one or more attunements during each level of training. An attunement is an initiation process with your teacher so your connection with Reiki energy is activated for life.
Choosing a Reiki Practitioner or Master
You may be looking for someone to give you a treatment or someone to teach you Reiki. Here are two ways Reiki professionals identify themselves:
A Reiki practitioner (RP) is someone who practices Reiki. This means the person has studied at least the 1st or 2nd level of Reiki and has learned to give Reiki treatments to others.
A Reiki Master (RM) is a person who has completed the Master level of Reiki. The Reiki Master may also be a Reiki Master Teacher (RMT), in which case the person can teach Reiki.
Note that a Reiki Master is also a Reiki practitioner.
Experiencing the Benefits of Reiki
Everyone has different reasons for wanting to learn about Reiki. What you might need from Reiki today may change next week or next year. But whatever your reasons for needing Reiki, know that Reiki always offers help in a safe and natural way.
Healing a physical illness
If you or a family member is suffering with a physical illness, Reiki can help you by providing deep relaxation. Reiki assists in the following ways when you’re in pain or dealing with illness:
Gives you a break from the pain
Enhances the healing effects (and reduces the side effects) of any medications (conventional or alternative) you’re taking
Reduces the time you need to heal after surgery
Promotes your body’s own internal healing system
More and more doctors, nurses, and hospitals are providing Reiki services for their patients. Read more about how Reiki combines with different healing therapies in Chapter 16.
Healing emotions
Reiki has a special symbol just to heal the emotions and promote harmony. (Chapter 8 covers the symbols.) The gentle healing that Reiki offers works well with psychotherapy, massage, medication, and any other treatments you use for emotional problems. Reiki specifically helps on the emotional level in the following ways:
Aids in releasing stuck or buried emotions: You may cry or have memories come up during a Reiki session. The release helps you feel cleansed, and memories coming up may indicate something that needs further healing.
Gives you a pure sense of love: Reiki energy is the energy of love. Love contains the power of the universe and brings forth a sense of wholeness and connection.
Relaxation is probably the primary reason that people try Reiki. When I have a Reiki session, I sigh deeply as the tension that I’ve been carrying around is released. The more you relax, the more your body accepts the Reiki energy.
Getting insights or inspiration
If you’re feeling stuck or looking for resolution of a specific issue, Reiki can help. While you’re having a Reiki session, you may experience an “Aha!” moment. You may have a realization or insight that answers a question or solves a problem. Even if you don’t get inspiration during the session, your practitioner may give you some feedback that they picked up during the session. Or you may find that the solution comes to you in your dreams or unexpectedly in the next few days.
Going further in spiritual development
When you know you need to evolve in your spiritual growth, feel closer to spirit, or act from the level of your soul, a Reiki session can help. Reiki training can take you even further and give you the tools to grow spiritually. The attunement or initiation process removes energy blocks that keep you stuck.
Looking at the Reiki Symbols
The symbols are a distinctive and empowering feature of the Reiki system of healing. Four symbols are taught in the 2nd- and 3rd-degree Reiki training classes. These symbols act as keys to connect the student with the Reiki energy for life. When you’re initiated into the Reiki system, the symbols and Reiki energy are transmitted together during the attunement process. Forever after, if you think of, draw,