Questioning Reiki

[unicorn]

Questioning Reiki NEVER!!!
However after an experience I had, I question things about Levels of Reiki, symbols, attunements, etc.
But before I talk to you about my experience I would like to say that I did the Grass root self attunement Level 1, one and a half year ago with great results and I practice it on my self and friends. -Very slow process- some will say, but whenever try to take it to the next Level, something would stopped me and I was getting this strong feeling that there was something more to experience in THIS Level.
So, that evening, at work, ( I work as a banquet hall server ) we had a group of school children, ages 13-15 years. From the very beginning I noticed something different about those kids that I couldn't explain or understand. Later on when I finish serving them, I stood by the bar watching them and just then I realized that they had a very slight disability, they were a little "slow" for their age. At that moment, I felt my heart going out to them, I felt a deep, unconditional love for them. And I wished that I had complete the Level 2 Reiki, so I could send them some.
And then it happened. When the word REIKI crossed my mind, I felt this energy entering my body through my head with a great force and coming out from my heart, toward the children. I felt it like a giant, golden "L" shape, wave of energy and it was very hot and vibrating. It lasted several minutes. I will never find the right words to describe it. It was the first time I felt something like that, so amazing, so powerful, so perfect.
And this experience left me wandering.... Do we really need levels, symbols, attunements?
To me, now, Reiki is nothing but a gift from God, to all. It is His perfect, unconditional love to all. And the most powerful attunement would be our unconditional love and respect to all living things. We are ONE.
Or, maybe I got it all wrong. What do you think???
I will appreciate any opinion and thoughts.
Love, unicorn

[ladyhawk]

Hello Unicorn,

What a beautiful experience you had.. I know through my own experiences as a healer, the energy often comes spontaneously. I don't even have to ask to be opened up to it, its instinctual. I believe, from what you have said, in that moment when you were watching the children, you experienced a surge of overwhelming unconditional love. This was the trigger for your healing experience.

I have always been able to feel energy with my hands. I wanted to know what I could do with this ability, and through reading books about channeling Universal healing energy, I developed my own method. So though I would agree with you in one way, no we don't need to be attuned to Reiki to heal others. After all it is not needed by spiritual healers or healers in the church when they do healing known as the 'laying on of hands', or through the power of prayer. I would say, that being attuned to Reiki and receiving the Reiki symbols amplify that healing energy and give us more 'tools' to be able to channel that healing energy more affectively.

This is what I have found, through my experiences as a healer before being attuned to Reiki and afterward. I love the affirmations of Reiki, I love its integrity, I love the sense of fellowship and support that I get from other Reiki healers. I think at the end of the day, its all about personal choice. But no, I dont think you have to receive an attunement to give yourself permission to heal others. I always say, be guided by your heart.

These are just my thoughts on this..

Love and light
Ladyhawk

[hoverround]

We all feel the same as you.

We feel the power to receive and send Love. Which is an emotion that some would say has a healing ability.

I am not so sure of this myself. I have high functioning autism (Asperger's) and for me it I just thought I am sensitive enough (too sensitive to other things.. like taste) to feel drawn to a subject like this and recognizing feelings that might be subtle to others. Some doctors studying autism feel that it is not autistics who don't understand emotion but it is they who feel overwhelmed by such emotions and those of others. It is truly an oversensitivity not a lack of sensitivity.

I think some people are naturally attuned to be attuned so to speak. They're sensitive enough to notice something like this physically when others might never have success with it if they tried for attunement. It is said, about reiki, that not all succeed at attunement.

I disagree with the person above me.. We do have to be attuned. It is not natural you are not born with it someone has to grant you this gift. Either granted to yourself from perusing the subject on your own in solitary study or with a master. Even doing this in solitude you might get the feeling someone was there. It can be done over distance, after all, and is inherently empathetic in nature.

[ladyhawk]

Dear Hover,

I loved the first three paragraphs of your post.. I could feel your sensitivity, your trying to understand and make sense of the way your condition affects you in relation to empathising with others and connecting to them through healing.

I respect your opinion, but I disagree that you 'have to be attuned' to be able to channel healing energy. The National Federation of Spiritual Healers are well recognised and respected. To train to be a Spiritual healer can take up to 2 years or I believe having logged over 100 hours healing practice, under supervision.

To my knowledge they are not 'attuned' or given 'symbols'. The work they do is wonderful, I have a lot of respect for them. I am a big admirer of the late Harry Edwards a very well known spiritual healer.

I personally believe that everyone has the ability to heal. It is just that some pursue this ability more then others. Just as I love to paint, but am no Picasso, someone else may have a real flair for it and produce work that is admired, and good enough to be hung in a art gallery.

If you look around, you will see demonstrations of healing every day. A child falls over and runs to its mother for comfort. She holds or rubs the sore spot and kisses it better, this is healing. When people have headaches, they will rub their forehead or massage their temples for relief. A friend is crying, you put your arm around them, or hold their hand, this is healing. Even the simple act of providing a listening ear to someone so that they can unburden themselves. This is healing..

I would never presume to tell someone else what to think. I am just putting forward my thoughts on healing to share with you and maybe, it may give you food for thought.

Reiki is but one healing modality. I choose Reiki, because having explored other methods of channeling healing energy, Reiki feels right for me. But I would never say, that it is the only way...

Love and light
Ladyhawk

[unicorn]

Thanks for the replies Ladyhawk and Hoverround.
I haven't form a clear opinion yet. But my experiences so far tell me that we don't have to be attuned. I remember when I first learned about Reiki and was trying to 'practice' the hand positions, I felt the heat and the healing that took place. Sometimes I didn't even place my hands on. Example: while at work I felt this pain in my knee that I used to have very often. I thought that I don't want that pain again and wandered if Reiki could heal it. And right away I felt this heat in my knee that lasted for a few minutes and never came back for two years now. Same with my back pain.
But since I wasn't attuned back then, I wasn't sure that 'that' was Reiki. After my self attunement -which was a great experience- I didn't feel any big difference. As you said, Ladyhawk, 'the energy often comes spontaneously' and there are times that no matter how hard I try, I don't feel anything.
Hoverround, you wrote: even doing this in solitude you might get the feeling someone was there. Well...before the self attunement I meditated and I ask my guardian angels and Ascended masters to help me. At some point during the attunement I felt that the room was very, very crowded.
Anyway... last Saturday I attended a Reiki class and had an attunement with a master. It was a wonderful experience and I will have to admit the energy flow is a bit better. Next month I will go for my Reiki level 2.
Love, Unicorn