Pre:Training Update: So today, this morning, I am about to head off for a full day to become attuned to Reiki at the Level 2 stage. It has been a long time since I received the level 1 Reiki attunement – over 2o or so years! I have practiced it on others since…on friends and family mainly… and automatically spot-treated myself when I felt the need – mostly without even realizing I was doing it, I would estimate!
I have noticed, over the years, that my hands ‘warm up’ when I am about to lay them on (or sometimes over) another. I never really questioned if this was normal heat or Reiki energy, but have been content to simply let it be and lay my hands down, in case it might help.
I find Reiki interesting. It is healing, without proclaiming to be a healer, I would say. I see it more as guiding a flow of energy in a certain direction and attuning others to that flow to benefit them.
Today I will join a room of about 4 or 5 other people as well as the Reiki Master and spend the whole day learning, getting a second attunement, and preparing to move into the second level.
I will follow up this post either tonight or tomorrow to update you on how it all went.
I plant to then practice daily and offer Reiki as a healing modality/treatment shortly. So watch this space (or the next one!) to find out ‘how it all went’ ! 🙂 Have a lovely Sunday, all. Peace and love x
:Post-training Update:
So the training went really well, yesterday – am still feeling a bit of a buzz from it. The teacher was very good, I felt. Though it was a bit of a weird experience for me – after all: my previous training had been over 20 yrs ago (yes, I know I must be VERY old!) and in another country. I had googled the hand placement positions before going, and was a little confused as a few seemed to be at different stages in the procedure (the first few head positions, for example) or missing altogether (the shoulder/hand hold). I wondered if I had picked up some bad habits/formed my own ‘version’ over the years, as I am also trained in massage therapy and reflexology.
I asked these questions at the earliest possibility, and was reassured that nothing I was doing was ‘wrong’ and that it would be likely that many who have been trained by other ‘masters’ might have slightly differing actions/placements – but this did not mean it was wrong.
So, we are still in a pandemic, and this was a small group of 6 students, one Reiki Master Teacher. The group dynamics always interest me in these kind of settings. They almost always feel cliched and could be characters from some easy summer reading or crime novel, I feel! 😀 But I push out any tendency or inclination I may have to judge or label and move into what I hope is an open and receptive attitude/demeanor!
The class was from 9:30 through to 6pm – and by the end (we each performed Reiki for around 40 mins on a partner in the class before wrapping it up), I think we were all exhausted. It felt good though – and a little spacey and out of time too (how can it be all those years ago that I was attuned to Level 1 in a townhouse in Los Angeles, and here I was in a heritage house on the outskirts of town in Victoria, BC – on Vancouver Island in Canada, doing very similar things… Ah life and its circles and little in-jokes…
So – I am not going to describe all that happened, but prefer to summarize the experience: It was a worthwhile day. I met one or two people I believe was one of the main reasons I was there… In fact: I think this is often the case: That a venture I embark on is more about the characters I meet, than the actual venture itself sometimes! I also felt that the day and attunement helped to reinforce my recognition of this as a beneficial and very ‘real’ therapy/treatment. As even the Reiki Master Teacher confessed during the latter part of the day: doubts do creep in from time to time. IS this a real thing? Are we making it up – convincing ourselves/deluding ourselves? And then profound things happen, and we are once again reminded of what it is about – or what we can perceive, at least.
I want to share something with you that happened on my very first encounter with Reiki healing – that showed up many times since, and did so again yesterday:
I first heard of Reiki from a young girl I knew when I lived in Venice Beach in California, many years ago. At that time, I was young, foolish, running around the beach, having fun with friends, working haphazardly at places at the beach and having what a friend from the UK described as an ‘extended holiday’… Good times, for the most part. I knew a girl who used to work at the same Youth Hostel as I did (terrible place, but that is a story for another day!)… And one day, I was chatting to her at the retail beach store she was working at the time, and she told me she had learned to do Reiki Healing. She went on to tell me a bit about it, and asked if I would like to experience it/have a free session – to which I agreed – mainly out of curiosity. I was into many spiritual and holistic books at that time, read tarot cards for myself and friends, did a bit of palmistry, knew quite a bit of astrology (when it was hip and not laughed at, I would like to add!)… So this kind of thing was quite ‘up my alley’ so-to-speak.
So a week later, I was over at her apartment, wine in hand (she politely took it, but did not open it – and explained that alcohol would impair the treatment). This was interesting to me, for at that time, wine was our kind of currency in my group of friends… So I was already sensing something new was about to start. She brought out her boyfriend’s massage table and set it up, I laid on top and then she set some quiet music playing and disappeared out of the room. I closed my eyes and tried to relax. At that age, I had never had a massage, never mind a healing treatment, so I was a little cautious and maybe even anxious.
She came back in the room, looking calm, peaceful and somewhat serious, I felt. She told me to relax and close my eyes, and then began to place her hands on my head. I recall it did feel good and comforting. I was enjoying it. There was a time when she came to lay her hands on my own hands (which were down by my side) – and I can recall how very comforting this felt – it took me back to childhood and the feeling of protection and love. The word “love” resonated in my mind a few times. And then: “I love you”. I was not sure if I was hearing this, or if I was thinking this. Was it coming from me – or to me? I had no idea… But I heard it more that once, and very clearly.
At the end of the session (lasted about an hr and a half – front and back). I got up, and my friend handed me a glass of water, told me to take it easy – not rush, etc. She asked how I felt, and then she looked at me a little uneasy/awkward. “I sensed the words “I love you” and “love” ” she said. I was shocked – and a little embarrassed also. “I heard those too” I spoke back. We just looked at each other. Not in any weird or awkward ‘does she love me?’ kind of way, but in a kind of shocked and reverent way – how had we connected our minds like that? What had happened? Who had spoken those words? From whose mind did they come? Neither of us knew, but it did seal the session – it proved to both of us that something deep had happened – something deeper than simply falling into a deeply relaxing meditative state and feeling comforting hand positions: we had connected, somehow on another level. And we were both very much moved by that.
I kept this memory – this feeling and story with me. Whenever I perform Reiki – or even massage, I feel the words “love” sometimes plural/triple – as in the Beetles’ song, and sometimes “I love you” spilling out of me. I have checked with recipients often – and they have felt/heard it. I now seem to do it on auto-pilot, I think. It just seems to act as a beautiful reminder that something special is happening.
Yesterday, in the session, I performed Reiki on my partner of that day, and then she performed it on me… and when we had finished and were sharing our experience later, she told me she heard the word “love” very strongly – both whilst i was providing Reiki on her, and vice versa – a few times/in a few positions she said it was especially strong! I went on to tell he the above story and we were both quite shocked and in awe/reverence over this. I told her how I do this now always, and not as an experiment, but it kind of acts as a confirmation and reminder for me, that this is powerful and important and effective. Plus, I don’t think it hurts to share love – ever.
So there you go – a story within a story within a story… a connection that goes back many years and I feel will go forward for many more.
One other thing to mention about the day – or the final partner sessions in particular: I had mentioned at the start of this blog post that I had googled hand positions and noticed some had the hand holding placement missing. This was something I was a little sad about – as this was actually when I first sense “love” in that first Reiki treatment. When it came to be my turn for treating, I was interested to see if my ‘partner’ had been trained to hold the hands or not. She did cover the shoulders, but then abdomen, root chakra, and then down to thighs, knees and feet… She stayed on my feet for a while, and around this time, I had a twitch or ‘jump’ sensation (not unusual when on a table relaxing), and I also felt like someone had slightly knocked my eye cushion. Then it occurred to me that someone was holding my hands… but my ‘partner’ was down at my feet, holding both of those…. I considered this, and it still did feel like my hands were being cupped/held. And this felt good. It was, afterall, the placement I had wanted, was it not? Who was holding my hands? I do not know. I was not scared, it did not feel wrong, it felt comforting. And that was good.
I also shared that experience with my partner too – which blew her mind – and later our teacher told us of spirit guides who can show up and ‘help out’. We were not sure if the guide was mine, or one of my partner’s guides, but that did not seem to matter – it was an experience that is staying with me (and I suspect my partner too) now, and another confirmation of this being something real – something tangible and effective.
So that is my day – I gained a level 2 Reiki practitioner certificate, fell in love with the teacher’s sweet old dog, and felt I had made some new connections that were likely to be a part of my journey now…. A day worth having… but aren’t they all, in some way?
So one more check box ticked for moving towards my new business or lifestyle venture (business is far too stuffy a word!)…
Next stop: Reflexology-ville!
Thanks for reading/joining me… Namaste, lovelies! x
Mystic Holistic 