More on Reiki

brightfame mentioned in her reply to my post that many Reiki masters seem unfocussed and unable to handle the energy properly. Similarly, apel mentioned that some people who know magick stay away from it.

I can see why that is. Reiki - if the theory behind it is true - opens a strong connection to the Divine (mainly as conceived of by humanists and persons open to New Age ideas, i.e. not a personal God, but a universal force of love).

This connection has to be looked after (note to self: omg what have I let myself in for???) with care. A blocked channel is far less effective than a clear channel, so to speak.

This is where the self-healing rituals come in that loupnoir was interested in. Basically, every day, I am supposed to do the following:
- still myself
- seek contact with the energy
- give thanks for being used as a channel and ask it to work for the highest and greatest good of all concerned
- visualise the energy streaming through me
- hold my hands close to my crown, in front of my face, throat, heart, solar plexus, kidneys, genitals, knees and feet. These places are energy centres used in e.g. Indian medicine. Each position is held for two to three minutes, and it is thought that positive energy streams into your body while you are doing it.

After you're finished, you give thanks.

If nothing else, it is a highly calming exercise, where you send all parts of your body positive, loving, healing thoughts. As such, it is already highly effective.

Reiki is taught in three levels: Self-Healing, Practitioner, and Master (I-III). Some people teach all three levels in one go. However, this does not take into account the personal development work that needs to happen inbetween levels. Sources that link Reiki with psychology and New Age psychotherapy and that emphasise the spiritual aspect of the discipline insist that a student needs at least 3-6 months between I and II, and ideally a year or more between II and III, together with an apprenticeship.

What I'm writing here reflects my own experience and my teacher's words as well as the books I have consulted on the subject so far.