Apparently Wednesday was "World Reiki Day", I guess I "sort-of" missed it. But, since Reiki really does deserve to have a whole week of awareness...I'll officially declare this "World Reiki Week". Can I do that??? Hope so. Okay, now that that is settled, let's talk about Reiki.

Reiki is much more than "hands on" healing, when a person discovers Reiki, they often also discover a deeper awareness of their own spirituality or potential for personal growth. And, Reiki can fit into any lifestyle (materially, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually) - making Reiki "inclusive" and available to anyone. Reiki means “universal” and ki or chi in Chinese means “ life force energy”, and it is said that "life force energy" is the foundation of all life.

There are five principles of Reiki:

1. Don't get angry today.

2. Don't worry today.

3. Be grateful today.

4. Work hard today.

5. Be kind to others today.

It seems to me these are principles we could all stand to live by.

Reiki is defined as both a name for the energy produced by a living body and a method of interacting with that energy .

From the Reiki Artist Blog...

Reiki provides a peaceful oasis in the midst of chaos at times like these. With so many decisions that need to be made, it helps me make them from a place of calm rather than a place of fear or anger.

The ultimate goal of Reiki is to understand the ancient secret method for gaining happiness, and also discovering an all-purpose cure for many ailments. When these principles are followed a person can achieve the great tranquil mind of the ancient sages.

From Reiki Ranch...

Reiki energy can heal the body, mind, and spirit at all levels. You can easily learn to flow this higher Source healing energy for yourself and others. Prosperity, abundance and wellness are high vibrational energies. Sickness is low energy.

There are four levels of Reiki: First Degree, Second Degree, Advanced, and Masters.

For many people learning Reiki is a very personal experience. Sometimes Reiki students will experience sudden positive changes in their lives (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually), or in other areas such as relationships, careers, and financial matters. For most people it is the beginning of a powerful process of improving health, well-being, lifestyle, and self-awareness. Many Reiki practitioners have special memories of their First Degree course, and see it as a major turning point in their lives.

During the training each student receives four empowerments (or attunements). This process also creates a permanent connection, or gateway, for the Reiki energy to be continually present in our lives. These attunements are gentle, peaceful, and powerful. They take only a few minutes per person. This may not seem long, but the group attunement energy is present in the room during the whole process, so there is plenty of time to receive a very deep, personal healing. After the fourth attunement, the recipients are fully empowered and the Reiki energy is established within his or her energy system for life. Reiki will then always be available, and we can choose to use it whenever we wish.

Typical reactions during and after a Reiki attunement are:

- Increased energy.

- Inner peace and a feeling of warmth within and/or around the body.

- Gentle tingling sensations, especially in the hands, which may also feel hot.

- A sense of energy flowing in and around the body.

- Clearer senses.

- Less stress and emotional problems.

- Improved physical health.

- Increased ability to deal positively with stressful situations.

- A sense of “coming home” and of being in touch with “the flow” of life.

- Deepened spiritual awareness and experiences (seeing or sensing auras, energy, colors, etc).

- Increased clarity of mind and deeper intuitive or inner wisdom.

- A general feeling of being more whole, healthy, and happy; a more complete sense of “self”.

After an attunement, Reiki flows naturally. There is no need to think about it, or meditate to make it work. The process of "laying on of hands" allows Reiki to naturally flow where it is needed most.

One aspect of Reiki Healing is involved with balancing the energies of each of the Chakras. Julie at the BodyRescueZone explains the connection between the chakras and reiki and demonstrates her technique on the the sixth and seventh chakras.

Even if you forget about Reiki, or choose not to use it for a long time, even years – Reiki will still work for us simply by:

- Placing hands on our own body
- Placing hands on someone or something else.
- Making a mental “reiki” intention (mentally directing Reiki for a specific purpose other than a hands-on healing).

From Reiki Share...

We are told that it is universal life force energy that runs through everything that exists. We are told that this concept exists in many cultures by many names: ki in Japan, chi in China; prana in India, etc. However, Reiki can't be the universal life force in its entirety, since we are also told that Reiki can do no harm and clearly, some forms of energy can harm, can corrupt.

Last year contributing editor Mipmup did a post on Reiki - Reiki for Real.

And contributing editor for pets, Laurie might find this video about healing hands for canines interesting.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
also at Women 4 Hope and Informed Voters