Reiki For Dummies

Nina L. Paul, PhD, is a Reiki Master in private Reiki practice in New York. She studied Immunology and epidemiology at Yale University and is also the author of Living with Hepatitis C For Dummies.

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Foolish Assumptions 2

Icons Used in This Book 3

Beyond the Book 4

Where to Go from Here 4

Part 1: Getting Started with Reiki 5

Chapter 1: Reiki: Connecting with Life-Force Energy 7

Discovering What Reiki Is and Isn’t 8

What Reiki is 8

What Reiki isn’t 9

Describing the System of Reiki 10

Examining the Energy of Reiki 11

Defining universal energy 11

Detecting subtle energy 11

Understanding how Reiki works 12

Distinguishing Reiki from other forms of energy healing 12

Exploring the History of Reiki 14

Getting Connected with Reiki 14

Trying a Reiki session 14

Taking Reiki classes 15

Choosing a Reiki Practitioner or Master 16

Experiencing the Benefits of Reiki 17

Healing a physical illness 17

Healing emotions 17

Getting insights or inspiration 18

Going further in spiritual development 18

Looking at the Reiki Symbols 18

Chapter 2: Navigating Your Body’s Energy Systems 21

Describing Subtle Energy 21

Discovering Your Body’s Energy Anatomy 23

Knowing the body’s physical and energetic anatomy 24

Sensing your body’s electromagnetic field: The aura 26

Pinpointing the acupuncture system: The meridians 28

Locating your energy centers: The chakras 29

Detecting Your Subtle Energy System with Reiki 31

Chapter 3: Exploring Reiki’s Roots and Branches 33

Mikao Usui: The Founder of Reiki 34

Finding Reiki on the mountaintop 34

Teaching Reiki to others 35

Mikao Usui’s legacy 36

Considering Reiki before Mikao Usui 37

Exploring the Medical Approach: Chujiro Hayashi 38

Bringing Reiki from East to West: Hawayo Takata 39

Learning Reiki for herself 39

Takata’s versions of Reiki history 41

Seeing Reiki in Japan and the West 42

Reiki in Japan 42

Japanese and Western Reiki today 42

Looking at Reiki Branch Lineage 44

Japanese Usui Reiki branches 45

Western Usui Reiki branches 45

Choosing a Reiki Branch for Yourself 46

Letting Reiki Branches Differ 46

Forecasting the Future of Reiki 47

Chapter 4: Looking at the Reiki Principles 49

Describing the Reiki Principles 49

Staying in the present: Just for today 50

Going through the five Reiki Principles 51

Incorporating the Reiki Principles into Your Daily Life 55

Sharing Additional Versions of Reiki Principles 56

Just for today, be humble 57

Honor your parents, teachers, elders 57

Part 2: Experiencing Reiki for Yourself 59

Chapter 5: Getting the Reiki Treatment 61

Finding the Right Reiki Practitioner for You 62

Locating a professional practitioner 63

Interviewing your potential practitioner 63

Preparing Yourself for Your First Reiki Session 65

Exploring a Reiki Session from Beginning to End 65

What to expect before the session 66

Undergoing the Reiki session 67

Session accomplished: After the Reiki session 69

Repeating Your Reiki Experience 70

Using Reiki in Tandem with Other Therapies 71

Committing Yourself to Healing with Reiki 72

Chapter 6: Letting Your Entire Family Experience Reiki 73

Helping Yourself with Reiki 74

Cycling through Life with Reiki 75

Starting with pregnancy 76

Cherishing childhood with Reiki 77

Traipsing through the teenage years with Reiki 78

Gracing the senior years with Reiki 79

Concluding life with Reiki 81

Using Reiki for the Family Pet 82

Knowing when to use Reiki 82

Finding the right pet practitioner 83

Listening to animals 83

Using different techniques 85

Part 3: Becoming Well Versed in Reiki 87

Chapter 7: Seeking Reiki Training and Classes 89

Examining Reasons to Study Reiki 90

Asking the Right Questions about Reiki Classes and Teachers 91

Knowing the Reiki Classes and Certification 94

Distinguishing types of Reiki courses 95

Preparing before your Reiki class 96

Looking at individual Reiki levels 97

Defining a Reiki Master 99

Answering Questions about Attunements 100

Do I need to receive an attunement to access this high-level energy? 100

What about repeating attunements? 101

What will happen to me during the attunement? 101

What happens after the attunement? 101

Chapter 8: Discovering the Reiki Symbols 103

Understanding Reiki Symbols 104

Making it easy to connect 104

Looking at the background of the symbols 105

Using symbols without an attunement 105

Removing the secrecy, keeping the sacred 106

Taking a Close Look at the Four Reiki Symbols 107

Cho Ku Rei 107

Sei Hei Ki 109

Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen 110

Dai Ko Myo 111

Drawing the Reiki Symbols 113

Activating the Reiki Symbols 114

Visualizing the symbols 114

Saying the names of the symbols 115

Looking at More Symbols, Reiki and Otherwise 115

Chapter 9: Connecting with Reiki Energy Techniques 117

Connecting with the Reiki Energy 118

Combining Prayer and Intention with Reiki 119

Meditating to Connect with Reiki Energy 120

Prayerful hands: Gassho 121

Breathing meditation: Joshin Kokyu Ho 123

Focusing technique: Seishin Toitsu 124

Chakra meditation 125

Contracting the Hui Yin 127

Receiving Guidance through Intuition 128

Chapter 10: Applying Reiki to Yourself 131

Putting Yourself First 132

Discovering the benefits of self-Reiki 132

Creating ways to incorporate self-Reiki 133

Preparing to Give Yourself Reiki 134

Treating Yourself with Reiki 134

Listing the self-Reiki hand positions 135

Branching out to other positions 144

Personalizing Your Self-Reiki Practice 146

Being creative 146

Using Reiki for first aid self-care 146

Giving yourself a Reiki Shower 147

Chapter 11: Healing Others with Reiki Positions and Techniques 149

Examining Full-Body Hand Positions 150

Starting at the head 151

Moving down the front of the body 155

Switching to the back of the body 161

Don’t forget the legs and feet! 164

Considering additional Reiki positions 166

Knowing Where to Go and When to Leave 167

Deciding on hand placement 167

Moving on 169

Using Reiki without Touching the Body 169

Beaming Reiki energy from across the room 170

Using your breath and your eyes 170

Balancing Chakras with Reiki 171

Chapter 12: Reiki Rocks! Using Crystals with Reiki 173

Exploring the Healing Power of Crystals 174

Sensing the energy of crystals 174

Knowing the lore of crystals 175

Distinguishing among Crystals, Rocks, and Gems 177

Finding the Right Crystals for You 178

Considering the crystal’s shape 178

Choosing which crystal to use 179

Staying Crystal Clear: Cleaning a Crystal’s Energy 179

Knowing how to cleanse your crystal 180

Jakikiri Joka Ho: Using Reiki to clean inanimate objects 180

Giving Your Crystal a Reiki Charge 181

Bringing Crystals to the Reiki Table 182

Knowing which crystals to use 182

Placing the crystals during a Reiki session 183

Part 4: Sharing Reiki with Others 185

Chapter 13: Putting Together a Reiki Healing Session 187

Developing Your Reiki Style 188

Preparing Yourself to Give Reiki 188

Getting Your Surroundings Ready 189

Merging Different Healing Practices 190

Considering Ethics and Boundaries 190

Recognizing that each person or situation is unique 191

Sharing information with others 192

Respecting boundaries 192

Going through the Session 193

Starting the session 193

Taking notes mid-session 194

Ending the session 194

Cleaning and Protecting 195

Exploring the technique of aura cleansing 196

Using the Kenyoku Ho technique 196

Protecting yourself with the Power symbol 197

Cleansing the Reiki room 198

Chapter 14: Experiencing Reiki in a Group Setting 199

Participating in Reiki Events 200

Finding Reiki events 201

Knowing what to expect 201

Reaping the benefits 202

Harnessing the Power of Group Reiki 202

Giving group Reiki sessions 203

Meditating in a Reiki group 205

Passing energy around in a circle 205

Sending distant Reiki as a group 206

Receiving a group Reiki session 206

Going on a Reiki Retreat 207

Taking Reiki to the Community 208

Chapter 15: Sending Reiki Where Needed 209

Like a Prayer: Understanding How Reiki Can Be Sent 210

Sending Reiki to people who are far away 211

Sending Reiki to the future 211

Sending Reiki to the past 211

Sending Reiki to different places and situations 212

Getting Permission to Send Distant Reiki 214

Receiving consent from the recipient 214

Sharing what you learn with the recipient 215

Getting Prepared for Distant Reiki 216

Performing the Distant Reiki Session 216

Using visuals for the distant session 216

Performing the distant Reiki technique 217

Creating the session structure 218

Using Distant Reiki to Heal Yourself 219

Sending Reiki to Many at Once 219

Chapter 16: Combining Reiki Healing with Other Health Practices 221

Discovering the Healing Power of Reiki 221

Healing what hurts and achieving balance 222

Considering the spectrum of illness and wellness 223

Understanding how Reiki heals at many levels 223

Seeing Reiki as energy medicine 224

Supporting the healing process with Reiki 225

Getting as much (or as little) Reiki as you need 226

Integrating Reiki with Medical Care and Settings 227

Knowing that Reiki can’t do it all 227

Adding Reiki to the balancing act of health 228

Recognizing Reiki and health care professionals 229

Connecting Reiki to different health care conditions 230

Offering Reiki in hospitals 232

Using Reiki to help medicines 233

Using Different Reiki Techniques for Illness or Pain 233

Using Reiki in Special Situations 234

Reiki in first-aid situations 234

Reiki and surgery 234

Reiki during labor and birth 235

Reiki and chemotherapy or radiation 236

Reiki around the time of death 236

Reiki and hospice 237

Matching Reiki with Bodywork 237

Using Reiki with Counseling 238

Using Reiki to Change Habits and Heal Addictions 239

Overcoming addictions 240

Trying a technique for addictions and habits 240

Chapter 17: Becoming a Professional Reiki Healer 243

Surveying Some Requirements for Becoming a Reiki Professional 243

Minimum requirements for practice and teaching 244

Types of certification and standards 244

Knowing the Benefits of Becoming a Reiki Professional 246

Finding Ways to Turn Your Passion for Reiki into a Vocation 246

Maintaining Integrity in Your Work with Reiki 247

Following the Reiki Principles 248

Preparing yourself to work as a Reiki professional 248

Knowing your place as a Reiki professional 250

Setting Up Your Reiki Business 250

Making a plan 250

Knowing the legal issues of practicing Reiki 252

Pricing your services fairly 252

Finding a healing space 252

Getting the right equipment 253

Being Part of the Reiki Community 254

Collaborating with other Reiki healers 255

Staying up-to-date in the world of Reiki 255

Finding Reiki Opportunities 256

Chapter 18: Connecting with Reiki Online 259

Comparing Reiki Online to Reiki in Person 260

Maintaining Reiki Presence While You’re Online 261

Going online with the Reiki Principles 261

Staying present and connected 262

Finding Reiki Information Online 263

Getting started 263

Knowing what to look for in a Reiki website or social media page 264

Receiving a Reiki Session Remotely 265

The basics of distant Reiki 265

Types of online sessions 265

Communication after a session 266

Requests for free Reiki healing 266

Studying Reiki Online 267

Recognizing that online Reiki training is a controversial topic 267

Choosing among online Reiki training options 268

Seeing the Benefits of an Online Presence for Reiki Providers and Teachers 269

Part 5: The Part of Tens 271

Chapter 19: Ten Uses for Reiki in Everyday Situations 273

Helping Plants Reach Their Potential 273

Boosting Your Food’s Fortitude 274

Shoring Up Your Water 275

Making the Most of Your Medicine 275

Calming Computer Problems 276

Managing Money with Reiki 276

Bolstering Your Transportation 277

Cleaning and Clearing Out Clutter 278

Protecting Loved Ones 279

Shielding Your Home 279

Chapter 20: Ten Uses for Reiki as a Tool for Personal Growth 281

Receiving Healing with Reiki 282

Going Inward with Meditation 283

Honoring the Reiki Principles 283

Getting Attuned to Reiki 284

Keeping a Journal 285

Empowering Your Affirmations with Reiki 285

Giving Reiki as Service 287

Empowering Your Intentions 287

Letting Your Intuition Blossom 288

Using Reiki Symbols 289

Chapter 21: Ten Misconceptions about Reiki 291

Reiki Is a New Age Practice 291

There’s No Proof for Reiki 292

You Must Believe in Reiki to Benefit from It 293

You Must Pay for Reiki for It to Benefit You 293

There’s Only One Right Form or School of Reiki 294

Reiki Is a Religion 295

You Know How Reiki Will Heal You 295

Your Reiki Practitioner’s Energy Heals You 296

Reiki Can Cure Anything 296

Reiki Can Be Used Instead of Medicine 297

Chapter 22: Ten Nontraditional Reiki Symbols 299

Double Cho Ku Rei 300

Tibetan Dai Ko Myo 300

Tibetan Fire Serpent 301

Raku 302

Zonar 303

Harth 304

Halu 305

Antakharana 306

Om 307

Shoshana 307

Part 6: Appendixes 309

Appendix A: Great Reiki Resources 311

Appendix B: Glossary 319

Index 325