To administer Reiki, a practitioner channels life force energy through his or her hands unto another. It’s said that the aforementioned spiritual guidance enables the Reiki to flow through the affected parts of the subject’s energy field and charges them with positive energy. It raises awareness in and around the physical body where negative thoughts and feelings are contained. This causes the negative energy—such as stress, anxiety, physical pain, sadness, confusion, etc.—to loosen its grip, allowing the touch of the Reiki healer to swoop in and clarify the energy pathways. As previously mentioned, I’ve always been intrinsically drawn to the idea of energy healing—healing through means that aren’t able to be seen by the naked eye. My fascination only grew more concrete when, as the Content Editor for mindbodygreen’s trainings and classes, I had the privilege of creating a Reiki Healing 101 class with Reiki Master Kelsey Patel. Being able to witness her performing reiki firsthand, as well as having many an in depth conversation about the value the practice has provided to her, soon had me hooked on the idea of becoming a practitioner, and someday, a master. I did my research and found Kristin Reed, a local Reiki master in Brooklyn, New York, who gives attunements out of her home. Her experience in energy work is extensive, she keeps her groups small, and I like the idea of learning about the practice in someone’s personal spiritual space. The first day was dedicated to Reiki Level 1: The First Degree training, and the second day was for Reiki Level 2: The Second Degree training. Before we go any further, I am very aware that this all might sound a bit “out there” and can be hard to fathom. Until I actually tried it, I was curious, but always a bit skeptical of Reiki. However, when speaking with other healers about it touched me so deeply (in one instance, I almost started crying), and when various parts of my body began tingling, getting warmer, or getting colder during my first attunement, and then when those giving the attunement actually recognized these same changes in my body as well—without even laying a finger on me—I can wholeheartedly say I am no longer a skeptic. As you can see, learning about Reiki truly requires you to open your mind, and this is one huge perk of the practice that I have been able to translate to other parts of my life, very much to my benefit. As mentioned, the attunement process is the focal point of each level of training. My Reiki master warned us that this first attunement can often be uncomfortable and exhausting and that we may leave that evening feeling drained or anxious, as many repressed insecurities and pains may rise to the surface. Ultimately, this was all part of the spiritual detox process, and these matters needed to be addressed before they could ever begin to be resolved. Once we received our Level 2 attunement, we dove right into learning all about, as well as how to draw, the major Reiki symbols. These sacred symbols are each associated with a specific healing frequency, such as power, emotional wellbeing, and balance. They are drawn in midair before a healing session begins to help practitioners focus their energy on the most relevant frequency for the person they are practicing on, and to help them connect more deeply to the universal energy. We also learned how to channel Reiki beyond the boundaries of time and space (i.e., distance Reiki). Through time transcendence, we can heal ourselves and others of any physical or emotional traumas that occurred at any point in life—even as small children. Through space transcendence, we can heal those we love from afar. To practice this, I brought in a photo of my mom that day (she lives in Wisconsin) and channeled some positive vibrations her way! Because becoming a master requires such a deep commitment to the practice, it’s important that one continually utilizes their Reiki healing abilities, meditates on which spiritual path feels right for them, and spends significant time considering and selecting a master to learn from. I hope to complete my master training sometime next year. I personally haven’t yet used my certification to treat paying clients, but I have used it on friends and family. My partner has horrible back issues, and I performed Reiki on his back every evening for about a week. Very shortly thereafter, his omnipresent back pain had disappeared, and he hasn’t experienced any since! Sure, this could be attributed to other factors, but given the timing, the fact that he did not change any other habits at all, and that absolutely nothing he had tried in the past had been able to relieve his pain, I’m giving credit to the reiki! If you’re interested, I highly recommend finding a training near you, so we can all band together and raise the vibrations of the world at large. If you want to learn more about Reiki, check out our class first.
