Post by dancingwind on Aug 27, 2005 13:21:52 GMT
Reiki Is for Everyone
2004/Bryana C. Hillman BFP RMT/Usui Reiki Master Teacher
We all have the innate ability to improve the quality of our lives. When I first began to explore the areas of alternative, complementary, and energy field medicine in the 1990’s, I didn’t fully comprehend how dependent our culture had become on pharmaceutical science to “fix” the problems we faced in our lives. Recently, America’s current medical establishment has acknowledged the mind-body-spirit connection and, as a result, has begun to conduct formal studies on many (often ancient) alternative and complementary health therapies already utilized across the globe. I believe most if not all of us want the simplest answers to whatever problems we face in life. And we can indeed find those answers with awareness, common sense, and an active connection to our inner selves and the Creative Source of all life. When we choose to connect with our true inner selves, when we approach each other as parts of one great whole, and when we choose to fulfill our potential without succumbing to self-defeating or limiting beliefs or influences, our innate ability to improve and heal our lives and the lives of others is able to shine through like a great beaming light.
One of the fields of complementary medicine that I value so highly that I practice and teach it is Reiki. Reiki is a system of energy healing introduced to the Western world by a Japanese Tendai Buddhist named Mikao Usui in the early 1900’s. The US National Institute of Health has recently acknowledged and categorized Reiki as a “Biofield Medicine”, although Reiki could be more accurately described as a path to spiritual enlightenment as well as a system of energy healing. The beneficial effects of Reiki treatments as documented through numerous individual case studies worldwide has created and established a growing demand for Reiki in hospitals, wellness centers, etc., throughout the United States. Reiki demonstrates our ability to channel universal life force energy to all levels of human existence: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. There are three levels or degrees of Reiki training, and the limiting concepts of time and space cease to exist in this system of healing once you acquire the second degree of Reiki instruction and “attunement” (a brief and simple process conducted by a Reiki Master that opens up an individual’s energy pathways to accommodate the ability to transfer Reiki to self and others). Similar to the healing power of prayer which is not bound by time or space, our intent to access and embrace universal healing energy can empower each of us with the ability to improve the quality of our lives. When we choose to direct our thought patterns in positive directions, and continually seek a broader perspective on our connection to our selves, each other, our earth, and the universe as a whole, we open the door to unlimited possibilities for health, happiness, and abundance in all areas of life.
Western Reiki can best be explained as the connection to and the transferring of universal life force energy to assist the healing process. It is understood by all who practice Reiki that healing does not necessarily mean “cure”. It is the higher self of the receiver who draws in and guides this healing energy where it is needed most, and since life lessons may yet need to be learned, since a person may not want to genuinely heal on some level, or since one may place limits on his or her ability to heal by what they believe is possible, the benefit of Reiki treatment will vary from individual to individual. Everyone who seeks Reiki treatments and/or training should know that Reiki Practitioners and Masters do not diagnose or prescribe for any medical or psychological condition, nor do they direct the outcome of a Reiki treatment. Reiki Practitioners and Masters are simply the conduits for universal life force energy, transferring Reiki with positive, healing intent. Reiki clients and students come to understand that all healing comes from within, and that Reiki is a valuable complementary modality that always works for the highest good.
Anyone can practice Reiki, as it requires no special skills, nor does it interfere with religious doctrines. Reiki training is simple, affordable, and can be acquired in a brief period of time. Once an individual is “attuned” to Reiki, the ability to channel healing energy is available for life. Reiki instruction and attunement can be obtained in person or by distance, and both options are equally effective. Those wanting to receive Reiki instruction can choose individual (one-on-one) training, group/class training, or remote/distance training. Each Reiki Master chooses the teaching method that best resonates with her or his own personality, and likewise, each person seeking Reiki instruction is free to choose the instruction format and Reiki Master that resonates best with him or her personally. Whether you choose to acquire Reiki in order to give healing treatments to yourself, family, and pets, or you want to incorporate Reiki into a health or wellness practice, Reiki offers each of us an opportunity to connect with our own innate ability to improve the quality of our lives.