Articles on Reiki Ryoho Page 7

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Why specific hand positions are used in Reiki Reiki and Cancer Reiki and Children What Reiki Teaches... Reiki and Pregnancy Reiki and Pets Reiki and Pets Part 2

PREVIOUS ARTICLES MORE ARTICLES

Why Specific Hand-Positions Are Used

Published in the January 1999 issue of "The Messenger"

We have participated in many Reiki exchange circles, and seen many variations on the positioning of hands during a treatment. Some practitioners use seven hand positions, some use twenty four, some use variations of the twelve more commonly accepted hand positions. Still others were not taught specific hand positions, but rather to intuit where the energy was needed in a recipient's body. So, which system is correct, or best?

Our standard answer to many questions about Reiki reflects that there are no "right or wrong" ways to perform treatments. We suggest that practitioners try the known variations and to discern which is best for each particular client or situation. The hand positions are related to the locations of the chakras and the endocrine glands. Reiki, when administered in 3 or more consecutive days, seems to have an accumulating effect in the endocrine glands, which keep our immune system in top-working order. When enough energy has amassed, then the chemical reactions of the glands push the immune system into different cycles of the healing process; the cycles are 1.) inflammatory or sub-acute; 2.) acute; 3.) chronic. When a person has a long-term imbalance, there is usually not enough energy to trigger a higher immune response, and the "condition" seems stuck and on-going. But, when additional energy is introduced, then the immune system can draw upon it, kicking the body's defense mechanism into a higher level of healing, and the condition will begin to change/mutate, the purification process is triggered, and the body re-gains balance and homeostasis. By doing Reiki on the specific hand positions, a practitioner can give the fastest "charge" to the glands that are responsible for maintaining 'health', and accelerating the healing process. It is possible to just lay hands on one area of the body, but it will take much longer for the energy to wend its way to each of the organs of the immune system and to amass so as to "kick start" the stages of the healing process.

We have experimented with most of the hand position techniques and personally feel that the "popular" twelve position system (four head, four front, four back) is the most effective one for giving a good treatment. We also include the extremities within our treatment procedure. If there are no apparent difficulties/imbalances in the extremities (arms/hands and legs/feet), we usually place one hand on a shoulder and the other on the wrist/hand, giving energy to the whole extremity, and we place one hand on the hip and the other on the bottom of the foot, giving energy to that whole extremity. We do this on both sides of the body; so an additional twenty minutes would be added to the popular "one-hour treatment". Of course, if a recipient has a problem/imbalance in the extremities, then a practitioner would lay his/her hands on the area in need for a minimum of five minutes. We have practiced Reiki for many years, and on hundreds of clients, and we have come to the understanding that the "five minutes per position" is only a general rule-of-thumb for the beginning practitioner. Once the practitioner become sensitive to the flow of energy, s/he will only hold any hand position as long as the area beneath the hands is pulling energy; that may take more or less than five minutes of time. Our average treatment time now takes about an hour and a half, with extra time spent on areas of need. We no longer limit our treatments according to our available time and schedules, but rather to the needs of our clients; and each are different.

Reiki and Cancer

When a person has cancer, their subconscious is trying to tell them that "life" is out-of-control. The very best that we all can do when we have a similar "wake-up call" is to drop all the scheduled activity and to place our thoughts, focused attention, and energy into the act of re-balancing our system. If we did this, we personally "know" that we could and would re-gain our life-force and our health. When chemotherapy and/or radiation is administered, these toxic treatments kill cells (cancerous and non-cancerous as well) faster than the body can replace them; even faster than the life-force can accumulate in the good cells that are being bombarded. Reiki will not have much effect on the cancer or these treatments until they are completed. And then the Reiki has to de-tox the body, re-vitalize the immune system, and balance the energy in all systems; every system in the body is affected by these radical treatment cases. When the pain, from the cancer and the treatments, is so great, humans have the ability to create endorphins (natural pain-killers) and they begin to loose touch with the "state" of the dis-ease…. they literally sublimate their awareness of what is happening inside their body. When Reiki is administered, the sensations are heightened, and the mind becomes more alert to the "real pain level" that has always existed. Thinking that something is wrong, they often return to their doctor/hospital for verification and treatment of the increased pain. Most often, the chemotherapy/radiation is increased/extended, and that puts additional stress on the body's defense mechanisms. But, Reiki will positively help to relieve some/most/all of the deleterious effects brought on by the treatments….. so that is positive. We would recommend doing extended (very long) Reiki sessions... explaining to the person that there may be an increased level of sensitivity brought on by Reiki. As the body tries to eliminate massive amounts of toxins, the person may feel worse for a few days. But it has been our experience that this is temporary, and the person will begin to feel better/stronger which can be crucial in developing hope. Just keep doing Reiki!

Reiki and Children

Published in the September 1998 issue of "The Messenger"

Children at any age can be attuned to the Reiki energy and it can be most helpful in their daily experiences. What child or teen hasn't come home and told their parent(s) about a friend that had been seriously wounded and had to go to the hospital to receive stitches/treatment? Or maybe one of their school friends had a reaction to bad food (food poisoning) or drug overdose, an allergic reaction to a shop chemical, or maybe even an injury resultant of gang-related activities (fights or drive-by shootings). There are an increasing number of "incidents" at schools or children's planned activities, and many times, school-mates or friends can only stand in horror staring at the trauma being experienced. But if there were Reiki-trained youth present, then immediate attention could be offered until professional medical care could arrive. It is in the first few minutes of an injury/trauma when Reiki is administered, that pain is often lessened/eliminated, and bleeding controlled and the healing process accelerated. Reiki can help keep the injured/traumatized child from losing consciousness or going into shock. And furthermore, Reiki can help calm the emotions of not only the injured, but also their friends who are looking on, feeling helpless in the situation.

A child learning Reiki will not necessarily practice the discipline as adults are taught in classes, but with a little creative "game-playing" on the part of a Reiki teacher and/or parent, children can learn how to administer an effective treatment in most situations. We would recommend that the logical part of the class (techniques) be translated into "languaging" that is appropriate to a child's age (make it simple and fun). Once attuned your child will have within their hands a tool to help ease pain, stop bleeding and curtail the bruising of everyday minor spills of childhood.

We would also recommend not offering the teaching of Reiki second degree for a few years, until a child is able to grasp the concepts of healing/wholing, to better master the memorization and understanding of symbols, and the concept of sending "absentee treatments" without losing interest/attention. And we feel that a child who regularly practices self-treatments, s/he will continually help themselves to open to greater amounts of energy flow (more effective treatments) and an ever-increasing sensitivity (natural psychic ability) to subtle energy. This will lead to greater memory and creativity, self-control of emotions, responsibility/respect adding to a child's "self-worth", and an increasing sense of 'self' as a spiritual being. And Reiki helps any child from feeling victimized by any other person or situation. By all means, tell your child about Reiki, have them receive training, and if you are a parent who isn't yet attuned and trained to the Reiki method, do so yourself. Then you and your child have a common interest that can make the relationship bond even stronger. Invite the child into Reiki shares, help the child to develop the discipline of daily self-treatments, reading books on Reiki, and the sharing of spiritual experiences.

Reiki is not just for when someone is ill or injured, but is a path to 'self-actualization'. Every school should teach Reiki or a similar study in all grades. But until this becomes a 'working reality', it is the obligation of every parent to guide their child into the eventual task of living in the world in a responsible way; learning to create what one wants out of life, rather than feeling victimized by it.

We teach children's groups, as well as adult classes. Please contact us if we can help your child adjust more easily to a rapidly changing world. Blessings and Namaste'.

What Reiki Teaches...

Published in the October 1998 issue of "The Messenger"

We believe that Reiki is an intelligent energy; sure, all things in the Universe are but ordered thought and intent, and by its nature, is intelligent. But, it seems to us to have the ability to interact individually with each person's needs and mindset. It knows where to go to open blocks; on any and all levels of one's being. It knows when to stop flowing so as not to injure a person; it cleanses, purifies and balances one kind of energy to all others (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual). Reiki works with the intent of the practitioner, for the highest good of the receiver of the energy. It is usable now, or storable for later use; it seems to know and work within our concepts of time, space, and dimension. These concepts and more are taught in Reiki training; surely it can be defined as intelligent - having the ability to discern what is most needed and delivering it at a time that is most easily handled by those who are recipients of it. So how do we learn how to access and utilize this miraculous energy? By taking a Reiki class from a knowledgeable instructor, and mentoring with him/her to learn the subtle nuances of this discipline.

Reiki is one sub-frequency of energy that makes up the whole of all energy. It is a higher vibration than most can access without training the mind to sense subtle levels of energy. It can be accessed by the few who have disciplined their minds to detect higher frequencies, but it may take many years of practice. Another way to know Reiki is to receive the "attunement" and intellectually learn what is known about energy and specifically Reiki. The attunement is a sort of re-connection to the awareness of subtle frequencies of energy that exist outside the sensory input of our physical world. It is a remembering of the life-force that is the activating source of our life/experience... it is Spirit that drives our physical vehicles, and it is the purpose of our creation - to experience our physical planes of consciousness. We are Spirit having a physical experience.. we are imbued with the life-force of God/Creator... and we are having a physical adventure wherein we are experiencing the Creator that exists in all form. So Reiki is the re-calling of our true nature, and it is the re-opening to the awareness of the fullness of the energy within our physical bodies, so we can begin to remember who we are, whose we are and what our purpose is on this physical plane of existence. As we are filled more with the God-source of our creation, the quality of our lives take on a re-newed purpose……to experience life fully, while remembering that we are Spirit, and as such, have continuance of consciousness, in or out of physical embodiment. When we have more Spirit present in our physical experience, we also move toward the perfect balance that our bodies were designed to have, so we can focus our attention on the purpose of fully experiencing the impermanent plane of solid form. In other words, when we consciously work with the Reiki energy through self-treatments, we access and accumulate greater amounts of life-force within our being; "healing/wholing" is more what we were designed to express while in physical form. This is made possible for all life-forms by the continuing practice of Reiki. When we humans seek intelligent knowledge, what higher source can we reach for than the intelligent energy of the Creator itself?

Reiki and Pregnancy

Published in the December 1998 issue of "The Messenger"

Many people had asked us about doing Reiki on pregnant women. There are many who might think that doing Reiki may be harmful to a pregnant woman. This is just not so. In fact, the unborn fetus thrives on the same life-force that is known as Reiki. Optimally, a woman-with-child should become attuned to Reiki, as well as the unborn child. Then the mother-to-be could do Reiki on herself and the fetus. By performing Reiki on the unborn child, it will grow accustomed to the energy while in the womb, and after coming into the world. The mother will benefit from Reiki as it will help to alleviate the discomfort of being-with-child. Reiki will also help to ease the pain of birthing.

We had a student who was considered a high health risk. She was warned against having a child, as the child may develop genetic difficulties. This student heard about Reiki and about its affects on health imbalances, and sought training from us. She performed daily Reiki self-treatments on herself, as well as spending extra time on the baby. She followed our instructions for preparation of birth; she did extra Reiki treatments three days prior to giving birth, she had Reiki attuned family members send her absentee treatments during birth, and she continued to give herself Reiki after her baby was born. She discovered that the baby was born healthy and happy, with no imperfections. Over the next few weeks she continued to give herself and her baby daily Reiki treatments. The baby was very quiet, loving, and joyful. In fact, the baby made no fuss at all. The mother went on to receive additional Reiki classes and continues to work with the Reiki energy. She is convinced that Reiki made the difference between what could have been a difficult birth and the actual, easy birth.

In our experience, we have found that Reiki is capable of restoring the genetic code to the perfection that it was designed to portray. This becomes easier as imbalances are worked on in early stages/conditions. In the case of a newborn, if there are imbalances and health problems, many of these conditions might be brought to perfect health with the continued practice of Reiki on the fetus and after birth. At least, if a newborn has a health condition, then daily treatments with Reiki "may" help to diminish the symptoms.

In our Reiki classes, we teach mothers-to-be to work on themselves whenever they have a free-hand. Whenever the hands are not busy, we instruct expected mothers to self-treat with one or both free hands. Reiki can be done while talking on the phone, watching television, driving the car, reading a book, or any activity that frees up one or both hands. Reiki is the universal life-force energy that keeps all living beings energized to maintain balance in all areas of one's life.

A good rule of thumb is "If in doubt as to whether Reiki should be performed, do Reiki".

Reiki and Pets

Published in the February 1999 issue of "The Messenger"

We have been receiving more requests lately to do treatments on animals, as well as queries for information on treating animals. There is not a lot of information available for Reiki animal treatments.

There are several major differences between working on animals and humans, and it is important to understand and remember them, as you set about your work. First, it is of utmost importance to do Reiki treatments on your pets as soon as you sense any changes in behavior habits; i.e., temperament, eating, elimination and general malaise.

*NOTE: the quicker you treat animals, the quicker their return to health and balance. Since animals can't talk, we need to be aware of subtle changes in our pet's behavior. If you come home and your pet seems lethargic and unconcerned with your presence, or licking itself more than ordinary, or doesn’t have energy to eat, play, etc., it could be they are not feeling well. Animals can easily get hurt when we are away; jumping, playing, chasing toys or feeling energetic and trying to dissipate it by running around the house. If an injury is allowed to swell, excessive fluids can gather in and around the injury, increasing pressure and decreasing the flow of energy to the area of injury. This can result in permanent damage to tissues and lengthen treatment time.

When we become attuned to Reiki, we often want to treat every hurt or sickness, and in our exuberance to be helpful, we may force a hands-on treatment on our animals—making the animal mad enough to strike out at us. It is good to remember to approach any injured or sick animal with caution and love. Move towards an animal slowly, and pet the animal lightly; pay attention to any area which appears to be sensitive to touch. When applying Reiki, lay your hands ever-so-gently on the area in question; try to ascertain the possible cause for the animal's discomfort. Do not force the animal to sit still, while you do your work; rather raise your hands just off the surface of the body. Reiki will flow equally even if the hands are up to 4 inches above the skin. Do spend extra time on sensitive areas, but remember to treat the animals entire body—other parts reacting to the initial injury can be energized and brought into balance. Also, continue to treat, until the animal is back to their normal routines, without any symptoms. Animals seem to take longer to respond to energy treatments than do humans. Treat the animals daily, for as long as it takes and treat them with gentleness, spending whatever time is required to help them get back to their playful natures.

If your animal in not acting lively, is shy and won't eat, and won't allow you to treat with hands-on, then try beaming energy to it from a short distance. We sit in a chair and when a sick or injured animal does come close or lies down near the chair, we just hold our closest hand over or toward the animal. When they have enough, they will move away, and often later return to receive additional energy. If your animal will not permit treatment, but is not acting normal, take it to the veterinarian. Ask to be in the room with the doctor or assistant, and learn from them; ask questions, and give support to your pet. They will remember the loving care they received and will associate you with it. When your pet next needs care and attention, they will come to you more readily. Remember, Reiki is a higher frequency vibration and it may take time before animals become accustomed to the energy. But when they do, they will seek it out whenever they become imbalanced.

Reiki and Pets Part 2

Published in the March 1999 issue of "The Messenger"

When treating animals with Reiki, it is good to remember that all life-forms utilize "Universal" energy, and that all run optimally when filled with it. When treating domestic animals (farm and house) it is good to start the treatment by laying hands at the base of the ears near the neck. This seems to calm down animals, and as in humans, when the body is relaxed, energy flows more easily and in greater supply. Then the animal can be treated systematically (hand positions similar to those for humans) or simply lay hands on the areas that you sense are in pain or imbalance. Be guided by your inner sense and feelings as to where to lay hands and how long to leave them in the positions chosen. When working on small animals (mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, frogs, and birds), just cup your hands gently around their bodies, without pressure. You may experience a rapid heartbeat, but not to worry, the animal will relax. Obviously, you would not try to place your big hands on such small animals, but just allow the animal to be surrounded in Reiki energy within your cupped hands. If you treat small animals during their sleep cycles, keep the hands just above the surface of their skin, so not to disturb them. If the case of caged wild birds or fish in a tank, it is best to place your hands around the cage or tank and just allow the energy to flow between your hands; in this case it may be good to treat for 20 to 30 minutes so the small creatures can have time to absorb the energy they need. The larger the animal to be worked on, the more positions a practitioner needs to do in order to give the animal a healthy dose of energy. If animals are considered poisonous, wild and dangerous, it is best to treat them by distant techniques (second degree teaching). We do recommend you keep a journal of your treatment experiences on animals, and in time you will build a valuable file on how best to treat animals that are more specific.

It is advisable to secure anatomy charts of animals that you will be working on regularly, so that you will know where the most important organs are and can treat them most efficaciously. The organ placement of dogs and cats are different from those of human bodies. Here are a few facts that we have found important in our practice on animals. When treating injured or tame birds, place their body in one open hand, making sure their wings are folded back against their body in a natural position. Make sure their sternum is able to move freely, as this is how they breath. If you are treating a cat for "feline leukemia", you want to cover the neck area and under the jaws; this is where their lymph nodes are located. You will want to work on the chest where the thymus gland sits and on the belly about 2 inches up from the hind legs on the cats left side (belly up). This is effective in building up an immunity to the leukemia. A good hand position would be to have the cat lying on it belly, and place your thumbs just below the rib cage and the fingers underneath the cat's body. Just remember to treat the entire body, with exception to the head, legs and feet. If your cat has a bladder infection, be sure to place your hands over the pelvic area on top near the spine. This sends Reiki energy to the spinal nerves that enervate the bladder. If an animal has a spinal injury, it is effectively treated by placing the heel of one hand at the base of the tail, with fingers pointed toward the head, and the heel of the other hand at the base of the neck, with fingers pointed toward the base of the spine. Then treat other areas of the body that appear to be traumatized by the injury.

Just remember a couple of important facts...animals, specially wild ones and those that roam freely out-of-doors can become rabid, and caution must be taken to prevent being bitten. If you are bitten, take the animal to a veterinarians and describe what happened. Also, do not force an animal to sit still while you do Reiki on them; they have their own time to physically transition when their life's chosen aim and purpose is completed, and as such, they have free will not to accept energy that would thwart their situation. Every animal is different and unique, and only by working with them, and not on them, will you come to appreciate the freedom (not domination) of animals, and be gifted with true "unconditional love".

  

For more information about Reiki Ryoho or comments on this web page send:

Email to: postmaster@reiho.org

  

HOME | INTRODUCTION TO REIKI | ADVANCED REIKI TECHNIQUES | HISTORIES OF REIKI | REIKI CLASSES | REIKI MANUALS | REIKI RESOURCES | REIKI LINKS | REIKI ORGANIZATIONS | REIKI BRANCH/SCHOOL INFORMATION | ARTICLES ON REIKI | REIKI FAQS | ABOUT US | TOP

  

  

Webmaster Adonea / More Articles on Reiki Ryoho / adonea@msn.com / 10-9-00