Practical Tips for the Reiki Practitioner

This is another post in the Reiki 411 category. Some of the points in the first section were made in another way in Reiki semantics: Are you on autopilot?

Semantics

Let’s speak about the language we’ve adopted around Reiki. What first comes to mind is, “I’m doing Reiki” or, “Let me do Reiki on you.” Language frames our reality in a certain way. By changing language we can change our reality. It’s one of the ways in which what we attract and dispel can be set into motion. Hopefully it’s been impressed upon you in your training, with further validation in your own practice, that Reiki is less about “doing” and seriously about BEING!

We’re constantly doing in almost every area of life. We live in an industrial, technological society, mostly motivated by MORE is BETTER and I CONTROL how to get more. Since we’re a breed of “doers,” balance must be found somehow. If we frame Reiki as doing too, it’s hot water where cool is needed; cool, calm, restful.

Reiki is a state of non-action. The more you flow with incoming energy, the more it will flow and you’ll experience greater harmony and balance. Personal evolution and healing can’t be forced. We’re connected to the electromagnetic field of Earth; there are seasons, cycles and rhythms. Similarly, healing and transformation happen in a layered, spiral fashion. Life is interdependent and imbued with an ageless wisdom. Reiki gives us a huge chance to listen to this wisdom.

“Give” and “receive” Reiki, reserving doing to other areas of your life that respond well to that. Practice Reiki on and with yourself, others, Nature and its lifeforms. Remember, non-action isn’t inaction. Right action has its place as we conceive, mount, produce and materialize our life and work, with all of its details.

Neither is Reiki “sent” at-a-distance. Rather, we’re constantly helping the evolution and healing of others when we sincerely work on our own opacity versus our stuckness. And when we do formally sit to practice nonlocal healing, it’s a becoming of Oneness with the receiver, whoever or whatever that may be. We merge and participate in an eternal moment that lingers the entire course of the energy flow; a subtly pulsing dance of intention and sharing of this Divine gift, sans space and time limits.

Meditative Reiki

One of the gems that has appeared in the surfacing of the original Usui teachings, is the integral place of meditation in Reiki for the practitioner. This isn’t someone’s creative idea of how to meditate with Reiki, or guided meditation, or simple quiet sitting.

Reiki meditations are based on a perennial understanding of Ki, breath, the spiritual spine, significant points along it, and the cornerstones of personal evolution.

Posture is important, without becoming too rigid about it. You can sit cross-legged on the floor or furniture; sit on furniture with your legs uncrossed, feet flat on the ground; or sit on the floor Japanese style (seiza) on your knees.

Head and torso are aligned; spine is upright but flexible. Cast your eyes down about 2 feet in front of you, looking at the floor and close or half close your eyes. Your focal point is always the hara region, in particular your tanden.

The breath is smooth, continuous and lengthened, i.e., slowed down. You want to breathe abdominally, letting the diaphragm do its intended job, filling the lungs from the bottom-up, without the use of other muscles around the ribcage and chest. Essentially, your belly expands on inhalation and contracts on exhalation, with little movement elsewhere. If you’re practicing bringing Light in through the crown (one of the specific Reiki meditations), it can feel like the opening and closing of a flap or valve, about two inches above the hairline.

Most importantly relax in body and mind. Drop your striving; it’s not the place for it. Practice sincerely and observe without judgment or expectation. As Universal Ki interacts with you and your consciousness is elevated, you may find that the breath becomes finer and finer. You can cease whatever technique you’re practicing and actually meditate at this point. Just don’t make it too soon, without this natural development taking place, because breathing in certain ways has many other benefits than leading you into meditation alone.

Self-Treatment

Some of these pointers will also help with giving Reiki to others. What I see most that may detract from the experience is an uncertainty in the hands, how they contact your body and at which locations. The main correction here is to make as much contact with the surface area of your body, with as much of the underside of your hands as possible. Mold your hands to make good, solid contact with your body, centering the palms over the main body part being addressed. The hands are relaxed, fingers and thumbs together. As your sensitivity increases, you’ll find the palms lock-in to place, whether it’s a physical location, organ, or an aspect of your subtle body. (Off-body Reiki is not addressed here.)

Practicing with others

Always position yourself so that you can observe the recipient’s face. If you’re working from their RIGHT, your RIGHT hand reaches to the LEFT of their body. This automatically turns your torso and head so you can see their face. If you’re working from their LEFT, your LEFT hand reaches across.

You don’t have to look at their face constantly; often your eyes are closed. The face registers experiences and it’s good to be observant. By the time you reach the legs, this is less of a factor, but do look up once in a while.

It’s also absolutely vital that you take a stance with feet shoulder-width apart, weight distributed equally on both feet, legs bent a little. Even if you sit on a stool, this posture can be adapted. Centered and moving from the hara.

Hands-on Reiki is vibratory healing. Delicacy of touch, graceful movements around the table, quietude, lightness in every way greatly contribute to the overall experience, and significantly to the recipient’s ability to receive, go within and have insight, and further to really deepen their spiritual connection.

Precision and sensitive awareness is the name of the game. We live most other times in a speedy race to succeed or at least survive.

Reiki is a chance for all parts of us to be in the same room at the same time and catch up.

Our divinity and humanity thus align and life is meaningful again, purposeful, a joy.

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Pamir Kiciman

Authentic Japanese Reiki Master Teacher / Healer at my Oasis Reiki Dojo – Available globally. Meditation, Healing, and Spirituality training and services. Meditation Guide. Intuitive Coach. Spirituality Writer. Photographer. Poet. Artist. Dad. Plant-based.

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