Reiki - learn or be attuned first?

[Pompal 09.]

I'd like to learn about Reiki, rather than just the "basics" and "basic history," etc. But many people want to jump right into "well, let me attune you..." How the heck am I supposed to know if I want to get attuned if I don't even know what it is? It's like a religion telling you that you have to get 'saved' before they tell you what the religion is all about! Argh... all this circular stuff is getting to me. Is there anywhere I can get an unbiased opinion / views on reiki, polarity, or other forms of energy work?

 

[Maria M]

Reiki - learn or be attuned first?

I'm not an energy worker but I am interested in possibly expanding to reiki. Not sure yet though. I'm about as western as you can get. I know Amma however but i"m not very good at it. I've always felt the best way to work on someone is to get into their muscles and joints and physically stretch and manipulate or whatever I need to do. I'm very hands on. I use ROM, Stretching, the main techniques in swedish massage and whatever I come up with if necessary. I found someone who was willing to give me a reiki treatment so I could decide if I liked it. I'm still not convinced but it did feel good. Kinda made my head feel very...well...spacey actually. It was a nice feeling of calmness in a way. Reiki can be don't hands on or hands off and it's over the clothes. You can also send the energy to someone not in the room or even the state if you are good enough. I'm not sure how I feel about the last one there but it's supposedly possible. Just because I've never done it means I can't have an educated opinion on it. All I know really is that reiki uses energy to help heal the body's imbalances. A friend of mine does reiki and is, I believe, a third level reiki practitioner. She claims her clients feel tons better afterwards. They can move their heads when their necks were tight. They feel energised, they feel more mobile, they feel balanced, etc... I guess it does work, but you really do have to want it to work though. It's hard for me as a client to accept reiki because of what I believe in, but even I felt something hear the end of my session.I'm not against energy work. In fact I use energy in my swedish massages to tell me whether or not an area is starting to relax or do I need ot work differently on a specific area. But, I too have a hard time figuring out if I want to use energy as the basis of my techniques such as reiki does.

 

[jomonjimmy]

http://www.s Reiki - learn or be attuned first?

A book that I had read about Polarity is called "The Polarity Process". It talks about the concepts of energy, how it moves, how the process works. It can get involved as it teaches the reader how to use Polarity too. Also the book "Essential Reiki" is quite good for learning about Reiki. Have you had energy work done on you before Seforum.xxxg? I would recommend that you  have the experience of what it is like to receive energy work before investing the time to learn the symbols. Having the experience would give you a better idea of what it's all about before having an attunement. It's kind of like going to massage school and never having had a massage!

Here's a site I found that may be a quick learn for you.

http://www.solarraven.com/reikisplash.html

 

[ilovepie]

Reiki - learn or be attuned first?

I haven't experienced reiki myself, but perhaps instead of getting an attunement you could go for a session first? maybe do a trade with someone for a massage?Here's a couple articles I found interesting:http://www.risingsunhealing.com/chrisstuff/artMysteryOfReiki.htmlhttp://www.skepdic.com/reiki.html

 

[Eloise]

    I'm attuned to do Reiki.  I'm a second degree.  You get different attunments with each degree.  It's felt that you have to obtain the attunments before you are qualified to practice Reiki on someone else.  And naturally, you will have to pay some money to receive these attunments.  Reiki is relaxing.  However, I think if anyone layed their hands on you in the same positions they would create the same affect.  Just my opinion.  I think everyone has the capability to heal with their hands if they just believe they can.  Isn't that what massage therapists do?       I would recommend you get a Reiki treatment like the other's recommended.  Then decide if it's what you want to do.  Then find someone to teach it to you and get the attunments.  A Reiki Master has to attune you.  Also there are some other forms of Reiki now and you (surprise) need to pay to get a attunment for those also.  I'm so sorry if someone out there doesn't agree with me.  But I have a problem with charging so much to attune someone.  I think there a plenty of wonderful people out there who like to learn the healing arts and the prices some of these people charge makes it hard for them to do this.       Don't get me wrong.  I love doing energy work.  I practice Light Healing Touch or known as Therapeutic Touch.  Another form of healing that is only directed towards nurses.  Why?  Things that make you go Hmmmmmmm.     I hope this helped you and again, while on my soap box......only my opinion.

 

[facilitativechange]

Reiki - learn or be attuned first?

I've been reading about Reiki for awhile now, and I'm planning to take Level 1 and 2 in April, it will cost 350 and works out to about 16 CEU's (if I was already nat'l cert). I feel like I'm going to get more out of the class because the material will be familiar, I might have a different opinion afterwards!

I don't have a problem paying this amount, the teacher has bills to pay, and it seems more balanced for there to be two-way exchange of something of value: I get the training I desire and she gets monetary compensation for her time and training she did to get where she is now.

We're all already doing energy work,  it's implicit with touching another human, and this is simply another form of it.

You might enjoy exploring these websites.

http://www.reiki-4-all.com

http://www.reiki.org/

Jill

 

[Pompal 09.]

Reiki - learn or be attuned first?

I haven't had a Reiki session done yet, still trying to get my friend to hook me up with one.As for paying for learning, receiving, etc, I really don't pay for much. I pay for bills, but most of my friends are Pagan, and we all believe in sharing knowledge freely. I teach them how to do hot stone massage, they attune me / teach me to do reiki. We share any and all knowledge freely, I've helped train several people to be skillful seated massage therapists.I've heard of Essential Reiki, and will be looking into getting that book, hoping they have it locally (I don't like waiting for shipped products, I want my fast food NOW! Hehehe.)

 

[Gep]

Reiki - learn or be attuned first?

Borders carries Essential Reiki book, at least in Fl.

No Reiki isn't a cult or a religion, just not easily explained. It is energy work. There are several threads in the massage modalities on Reiki...

What have you experienced with Reiki
http://www.massageplanet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2157

Christianity & Reiki
http://www.massageplanet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2156

I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones I could find this morning..

Jenn

 

[Luis O_O]

Reiki - learn or be attuned first?

Talenyn, nice quote from Ani.

 

[p0p0]

Reiki - learn or be attuned first?

hehe, i love that ani quote too!!seforum.xxxgnant, i found essential reiki at my local library. might be a good way to check it out if you can't find it in the stores locally!

 

[oyster_ s]

I recommend getting a Reiki treatment.   But any questions you have, I'll answer to the best of my ability.  I've been a Reiki Master since 2000.  You know how you can feel somebody coming up behind you before you see them?  You're feeling their energetic body.  We have layers of our bodies that extend beyond our visual physical selves.  Reiki heals the tears and blockages to our energetic layers.  Every experience that happens to you effects you, body, mind and spirit.  What doesn't flow thru you gets stuck and creates blockages in our energy centers.  We have seven major energy centers (chakras).  They develop as we mature (age 1-5 approx. is the first chakra, root chakra at the base of your body) and so on.  The root chakra is linked to our solid bodies, as in bones, muscles. Diseases of bones, muscles can be connected to the root chakra.   Learning to love our bodies, and accept it's limitations along with Reiki helps to heal that chakra.  Getting a treatment will get the chakra open and spinning again which can help the client deal with the feelings connected to the chakra.  Maruti Seidman was a teacher of mine for Polarity and as a couple of books on both chakras and polarity (which works with our electromagnetic fields).  Be happy to answer more.  It's a wide open and amazing field.  I discovered Reiki thru my MD.  I felt stuck in my life and didn't know what to do.  After several Reiki treatments I had released old patterns, including my connection to my career in restaurants, was studying massage, became pregnant after trying for 3 years, moved from Seattle to CA, etc etc etc.  It's subtle but very powerful.  

 

[syahir sephiroth]

As for paying, there needs to be an exchange of energy, that's all.  So, if you can trade that's great.

 

[B.C.]

   I would also suggest getiing a reiki treatment first. I am a reiki II practitioner and love the way it makes me feel. I have known of someone trying to "convert" another before knowing what it is and in that experience it made the young woman VERY uncomfortable. I believe that the reiki practioner that you go to should be someone you are comfortable with and possibly have "like" beliefs. I've heard reiki explained in many ways--some of which make me cringe!    As a massage therapist , I feel that I already transfer energy during treatments. Reiki gives me a feeling of MORE. I'm more aware of myself, my energy and my client. Reiki is not something I DO, it just IS. I've had clients tell me they thought I was praying for them during a session and it gave them comfort. Other people have asked if I've warmed my oils or hands before a session. Most times I just smile!    On the flip side--I had a session with one "gentleman" who commented on "that thing where your hands heated up" felt like religion. He was creepy--and that's a whole other story!!haha    Get a treatment from your friends! It can't hurt you--and hopefully you can enjoy it without feeling like your being "converted". Val

 

[Mark D]

Reiki - learn or be attuned first?

Thanks for the tips/explanations!One question I have though, how 'spiritually involved' is reiki? I personally DO believe in energy, but not spirituality. I believe in a physical body and physical energy. Does atheism fit with reiki? I've been told that one must believe in some sort of higher power.

 

[eRiK]

Reiki - learn or be attuned first?

I don't think that reiki has anything to do with religion. I think if you believe in your work and what you know and can do, that is enough to do reiki. God or a higher power is not really involved. Energy itself is something but not a higher power, and energy is all you need to be able to use and manipulate. Of course I'm not reiki master, but I am not religious either and I don't see what a "higher" power has to do with reiki.

 

[MzConception]

   I don't believe that you MUST believe in a higher power for rieki to work. You already say you believe in energy, being physical or otherwise. Why would it not work for you?    I do believe in a higher power and it helps me to think that I'm an instrument for that Healing Power. Of course, being from the "Bible Belt" in Western Kentucky it helps me to explain it to my clients as my being an open channel for that good energy to come to them. I don't necessarily pray for each client but sometimes they need it and I KNOW it!

 

[rock freak]

Let me add that in this area if I were to try to explain it in a metaphysical, or any other, way I would more than likely be looked at strangely--whether or not my own feelings on the matter differ. My own mother looked at me as if I had 2 heads when I tried to explain energy work to her after my first class. She thought I was getting into something that I was unprepared for and told me that I should "be careful" not to poke around in things I knew were not right! Now I've realised how to word things to explain within the mindset of the area. No one around here would "get it" if I tried to explain things in a "new age" way!    So fa, with the exception of the "creepy guy" I haven't had any bad experiences. Most times though, I just do reiki without explaining it--the client just thinks that it's part of my routine. Since it doesn't hurt, I figure it can only help!!Val

 

[Jean]

That is true. I tired explaining it to my mother when I had heard about reiki. She thought any energy work involved some sort of magic. Something that would mean a glow of light would come from the practitioner's hands like some special effect from a movie. That being what she thought, that also meant she thought it was all hocus pocus bs and really didn't believe that energy had any basis in medical work. I thought that was a funny but creative imagination of hers. I sometimes will treat my clients with amma therapy and I tried that on her. She was waiting for the glowing hands to appear. I guess she was disapointed even though she enjoyed the treatment itself.   LOL

 

[Absolute Rotter]

Reiki - learn or be attuned first?

Glad to hear someone else has a mom that thinks that way. Mom knows that I enjoy sci-fi and probably believed that I was becoming delusional. She understands it a little better now--maybe I've just gotten a little better at explaining. I don't think that speaks well of me, being in my mid-30's and my mommy think I believe I can "throw beams of light" from my hands. hahaVal

 

[CANUK]

Reiki - learn or be attuned first?

She was waiting for the glowing hands to appear. I guess she was disapointed even though she enjoyed the treatment itself.

My mother asked me one day about energy and chakras. I told her what I knew, and she just looked at me strangely and said "You don't actually BELIEVE that, do you??!" (she is fundamentalist Christian, and has a pretty good idea that I'm atheist, but hasn't asked, and I suppose likes to pretend I'm Christian at times). I just smiled, told her I don't know as I don't have any proof, much like many other things I was brought up to believe. But at least believing or not believing in chakras will not send you to an eternal firy torment in molten sulfer.