This week I took my final placements to complete my reiki training – I can now officially say I am a reiki master. My journey to becoming a reiki practitioner started four or five years ago. I was suffering badly with Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia and no amount of medication was getting close to touching the pain. Not only was I suffering in the day, at night I was getting little quality sleep.
A colleague suggested I look at alternative pain management techniques and reiki was one of the options. I must admit I knew little about it, but in desperation I explored my options. In the end I decided it wasn’t for me as I didn’t like being touched when I was in pain. Nevertheless I was curious enough to buy a book and learn more. To my amazement, I learned that reiki can be delivered without a physical connection. Whilst many practitioners choose to do so, there is no need to touch the receiving body – this was a game changer.
The premise of reiki is based on positive energy which is universally available and surrounds everyone. It may sound far fetched, but it is no different to radio waves – we know a radio picks up a transmitted signal – we can’t see, touch or hear the signal, but they are most certainly all around us. Reiki is no different.
I found a reiki master locally who was happy to work with me using on a ‘hands-off’ style. We agreed to a twenty minute session to see how I felt and even on the day I was still a little sceptical until I woke up feeling truly refreshed. When I say woke up, it suggests I was asleep – this not true. The best I can describe was a deep, warming meditation. Twenty minutes of reiki felt better than seven hours sleep – at this point I knew I was on to something, not only for my own well-being but also as a therapeutic tool which I could learn.
I started working on the first and second degree reiki courses, they were a mix of meditation, attunements, practical skills and personal spiritual development. The sensation of giving reiki for the first time was not unlike having pins and needles in the palm of my hands. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but was hard to describe. The technique I chose to specialise in was the hands-off method. Given that I don’t like being touched, there is no way I could touch someone else for periods of five or six minutes, so I learned and practised feeling the energy of the body from within the aura – this can be as little as 3 to 4 inches off the body or much higher in some cases.
I guess I was still unsure of my own ability, so I used Louise as willing test subject. I asked her to close her eyes and describe the feeling as I moved my hands up and down her aura – I’m not sure who was most amazed by the result! I practised on my family to master my technique, then – a few months later – full-paying customers. I must be doing something right as people are still returning for regular sessions.
The reiki master qualification provides more techniques, a deeper understanding of yourself and the ability to teach – this is an exciting progression for me as several people have recently suggested I should share my experience. As we head in to the close of the year and colder months ahead, I am going to focus on providing a regular reiki service throughout the week.
So that is my journey – but, I hear you say – what is reiki?
Reiki is a form of alternative therapy to stimulate emotional and physical well-being. It connects with your body’s internal energies to encourage a sense of calm and balance. If you are stressed, exhausted or fancy something new, reiki could be what you are looking for.
There are several methods to giving reiki – as I have mentioned I work exclusively hands off, which means I don’t need to touch you. My hands will be positioned around 3 to 4 inches away from your body.
As it is a relaxation technique, I like to start a session with a short meditation to clear your mind, relax your body and concentrate your breathing. After that you’ll lay down whilst I work on specific points from head to toe. What happens to your consciousness is somewhat subjective – some people drift into a meditative state, whilst others are happy to just close their eyes and enjoy the experience. Some say reiki is a healing tool whereby the positive energy purges the body of toxins and unwanted energy – I’ll keep my views to myself and let you decide following your session…
To book a reiki session call or text me on 07759 948001 or contact me through the website contact page. A session is £35.00 and will last between 50 and 60 minutes.
There is no hypnosis or mind control, just the power of your openness to let the reiki energy work through your body!
I look forward to hearing from you…
Duncan