A lot of times people feel that doing self-Reiki takes too much time, or that it’s too complicated. They worry that they aren’t doing it right or that they aren’t feeling what they are “supposed to” be feeling. My response to this is almost always some version of this—“Simplify, simplify, simplify!”
Reiki is one of the simplest things you will ever do. There is very little “doing” to it. It is mostly just allowing and being. However, that is difficult for our minds to accept. The mind likes to be active and working. It’s fidgety. That’s normal and OK. But it can become a little like a very young child that asks continuous questions and searches for something to do when what it really needs is to simply be still for a moment to drift off to sleep. We do this with Reiki. We search for ways to delay resting into its simplicity and stillness. We tell ourselves we don’t have time, we have other things to do, we are doing it wrong, etc.
When I first began doing Reiki, I relished the new energy flowing through me. For at least 6 months prior to my training, I had been doing a morning treatment using deep breathing and most of the hand positions used in self Reiki. I loved the way this felt and it really helped my mind and body! After training and attunement, instead of continuing this very simple practice with the new and lovely energy of Reiki, I abandoned it in favor of a long Reiki session each morning. I loved my long and deeply personal Reiki sessions and woke up early each day in order to have them. There were times, though when it felt as if something was off. Like I was making it more complicated than it needed to be, and by doing so, missing the bigger picture.
Image by milivanily
I have since explored that and decided to return to a more simplified version of daily self-Reiki practice. Maybe it will resonate with some of you, as well.
- Sit comfortably. You may like to sit on the floor, if that is comfortable for you, as this is very grounding. If it is difficult for you to sit on the floor comfortably, sit up straight on a chair or stool in a way that allows you to reach your lower back.
- Place your hands in each of the positions for self-treatment, as shown on the chart offered on Reiki Rays. In each hand position, take three deep breaths. See if you can notice these breaths moving into your lower belly, allowing your belly to be as soft and relaxed as possible.
- After three deep breaths, move your hands to the next hand position. Continue until you have treated in all the hand positions shown.
- That’s it! Simple!
The entire treatment only takes about 10 minutes or less. There is never any question about what to focus on, since your attention is only on your breath going in and out of your low belly and counting to 3 breaths. You will notice that tension melts away and any pain decreases as you do the treatment. It is fairly immediate. Even if you can’t feel any energy flowing through you, this shift is plenty to help you see that the treatment is working and helping you heal.
I am loving the return to this simplified version of Reiki self-treatment! I find that it is actually helping me more than the more complicated version.
Article by Angie Webster
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Angie Webster
Angie Webster made a significant contribution to the Reiki community, with a particular focus on Animal Reiki, which she had a deep affection for. As a knowledgeable Reiki Master Teacher and Author, she conducted online courses on energy healing, herbalism, flower essences, and personal growth.
She is the author of “Animal Reiki: How it Heals, Teaches & Reconnects Us with Nature” and “Reiki from A to Z”. Currently, Angie has decided to retire from her professional life to devote more time to her health, family, and the little joys of life.
I too like to do self Reiki in the morning when I waken, I usually do Reiki while I’m still lying in bed, especially if I waken too early!!! Would it still work, lying in bed, or is it necessary to get up and sit in a chair or on the floor? I find once I’m up life and other things take over and the moment is gone!!
You could do it while still in bed, though you may find the belly breathing easiest to do if you sit upright in the bed.
I have found another side way is to choose a hand position and hold it long as u led to even if only 10mins as reiki will go where it’s needed regardless of hand position or length of time, I may repeat this even when I’m out walking or a watching TV throughout my day. sometimes when I’m driving for a long stretch I will activate reiki and keep one hand close to my body or alternate hands if I feel the need and know that it still flows wherever it’s needed, the car gets reiki too. normally I lay in bed doing self reiki before sleep and let my hands use the chakra balance positions or start with the head positions and then hands go where they are led to or all the positions if still awake as I’m good at falling asleep during. I’ve started asking the intent to keep flowing even asleep till no longer needed.
Absolutely, Heather! There are many ways to make sure you get a simple and effective Reiki treatment each day. So glad you have found methods that work for you. Thanks for sharing!
Hi I take attunement for 3levels can I start using symbols in practice or start with only 1st level.
Regards
Satnam kaur
I love this!
Thank you Angie…this article came at the right time for me:)
I’m so glad, Suzanne! Many Blessings!!
Just what I needed right now to lift me both physically and mentally Thank you Angie.
I’m happy it helped, Janice!
Beautiful! Can you offer your advice on how you connect to the reiki. . I am a reiki master but still struggle with the simplicity of the connection! Ty
Hi Lisa, great question. The thing that helps me the most is to let my consciousness–the part of me that feels like “me”–drop down into my body. This usually feels as if it is somewhere up in my head or around my head and shoulders and often slightly forward of my body. I focus on allowing it to float down into my body as far as it feels it wants to. I send it love as it goes, which is as simple as mentally saying “I love you.” If it gets stuck somewhere as it floats down my body, I pause and send love to my consciousness in that area. There is no agenda, simply allowing this embodiment and sending love. This is actually something I practice several times a day. It takes only a minute or so and gets easier with practice. Once I have finished, I then send love to whatever I am sending Reiki to, as well as to Reiki itself. I think part of the reason we feel disconnected from Reiki at times is that we become very disembodied during our normal busy daily routine–it is normal life. We feel separated from ourselves and from love, which is our true nature, This practice brings us back to that.
thank you ! as im thinking of “me ” i usually see myself crossed legged eyes closed with a bright light surrounding me so is this what i have float thru me ? and this will connect me to the reiki ? Thank you much helpful!
That would be fine to picture yourself that way, if that is how you see yourself. When you stop all activity and close your eyes, just breathe, where do you feel your energy? That is the part of “you” that I am referring to that you will be allowing to float down into your body. It helps fully be embodied. That combined with the practice of sending love, both to yourself and to whatever you are connecting with through Reiki, should help a great deal. It is a practice, though! It gets better and easier over time, so stick with it.
Thank you so much for this article. I stopped doing my Self-Reiki sessions because they took so long but this has inspired me to restart. 🙂
Awesome! I’m so happy to hear that!
Thankyou so much for this simplified version. I do keep getting questions from other reiki practitioners asking if there is some way that they could do self healing daily but within a smaller time frame. I am so happy to have found this article, which I shall be forwarding to all of them . Thankyou once again for sharing.
You’re welcome! It is one of the most common questions I receive as well.
Thanks for the 3 breaths idea. This would allow time for most of the hand positions. Love it. At night while laying in bed I like to place hands on the minor chakras above breasts and next to shoulders. For some reason I find this extremely soothing and often drift off to sleep after a few minutes.
You’re welcome, Antoinette! Glad you find it useful! I know what you mean about the hand position on the chest below the collar bones. It is so soothing!
Angie, I have always loved giving my self treatments as I am ready to fall asleep at night. Can you tell me, tho, if I leave my hands in myself and fall asleep, does the Reiki energy continue to flow, or has it stopped because my intention has been interrupted or ceased? Thank you for this article. I will certainly try it myself, and pass it on to my students!
It will flow as long as it needs to. It’s perfectly fine to fall asleep, and it may be just what you need. If you set the intention for Reiki to work for the greatest and highest good when you start, that intention doesn’t dissipate when you stop focusing on it or fall asleep. It has already been sent out into the Universe the moment you set the intention.
I have times I fall asleep too.. I have been asking my guides to help keep it flowing until no longer needed..sometimes I wake through the night and feel the reiki pouring out of my hands.. I have read it’s setting that intention keeps it flowing
I have problems with doing the hand positions , they give me pain in my joints. Now I have a simple solution for self reiki. I lay my hands where it feels comfortable for me and use the distant symbol. Thanks the reiki flows wherever it needs. When I want to give extra attention to a body part or chakra,I send more reiki there with my intention. It works well for me.
Thanks for that tip, Deborah! Very helpful!
Thank you for such a wonderful article. I am a new reiki practitioner. Will you please clarify a few doubts for me? Everyday we , I and my husband, pray together twice a day. If i activate reiki for both of us and for our son who is in another country, before starting the prayer will it work? Also, while sending reiki to a distant person, can I also intend to receive it? Will it reduce the abundance of reiki that we send to the other person? Also can we send reiki to a group of people at a time? I mean sending reiki to my son and my nephews and niece in different places? Not for a particular purpose but for their physical and mental well being? Thanking you, with love, Beena.
Hi Beena,
If you intend for Reiki to flow to someone before praying, it will flow to them. I would suggest that you ask permission of anyone you wish to send Reiki to send Reiki to before sending it. This is respectful of their energy boundaries and their personal healing journey. However, there may be circumstances where the person is not able to respond, such as an emergency or an extreme illness, or other such situations. It is OK to send without permission in such cases. Use your best judgement. When you offer Reiki, you are always benefiting from it as well, though it is still important for you to do daily self-Reiki for your own personal treatment. Treating others is not a shortcut to this, even though you receive benefit. Yes, you can send Reiki to a group of as many people as you like at one time, even if they are in different places. Simply set the intention that Reiki flow to all of them.
Dear Angie Webster, Thank you so much for finding time to write me a reply. Happy to say that it is very helpful for me. Yes i do inform them before sending reiki. Nowadays i sent reiki to my son only. Every morning while sending him a good morning, i add a sentence that i will be sending him reiki. Also he has given me an affirmation that he is always ready to receive reiki whevenever i send him. Also happy to hear that we can send reiki to a group of people. Thanks again. Stay blessed!
Dear Angie Webster, Here I am again with another doubt. Can i activate reiki by initiating master key only for self healing and distant healing for others? Or should I activate all those symbols and affirmations? Pls clarify. Have a nice day. Stay blessed. Thanks & regards, Beena
Hi Beena,
You can use the Master symbol and the Distant symbol in both self-healing and in working with others. When you use the Distant symbol in self healing it can help with past and future healing, working in all directions of time and space.
Thanks a lot.
Dear Angie, thank u so much for a beautiful article.?? . I am having one doubt abt proper shielding, will you please clear my doubt. How many times we should shield our self . Is it necessary to shield our self before & after taking a healing session of others? Gratitude, namaste.
When we receive a healing session from someone, we should be certain we fully trust the healer we are working with. That is very important. We shouldn’t feel a strong need to protect ourselves from our healer.
I look at shielding more as strengthening my energy field. When we build a strong energy field around us, we are automatically shielded. Our energy field works to fortify and protect us, the same way our immune system works to protect our bodies. We know that when we have a strong immune system, we don’t have to think so much about defending and fighting off things because our bodies naturally do that for us. If you spend a few minutes each morning visualizing the energy field around our bodies as clear and strong, that is enough to nourish this field and shield us. If you do this each day, your energy field will stay strong and healthy. You can also take a moment to do this exercise anytime you feel you need it. If you feel you need it before and after receiving a Reiki session, it is fine. It will strengthen your energy field each time you do it. It is certainly a good idea to do this before giving a Reiki session, just as you should ground.
I use reiki on myself every day, for however long or short a time I have. It always makes me feel better. A dear friend once told me that if I don’t look after myself and my own energy, then I won’t be as effective in healing others. She is right!
Everyone should be good to themselves for the greater good of all. Blessings.
Yes! Your friend is absolutely right! Blessings to you!
I enjoy doing my reiki in the shower, I find I am more grounded when I am with the elements of air, earth, fire and water, and much easier to rinse away the energy cords from the previous day. I am also finding my guides connect much easier as well from the native background.
That’s one of my favorite places to do Reiki, too, Jody. Love working with the elements!
Something better than nothing, I am very thankful for your kind new short version-simplified Reiki,
I had a very busy schedule, was not able to do daily practice, I was searching for more simpler form,
I got this at right time.
I’m so glad it came to you when you needed it! Enjoy!
wonderful article thanks so much for this. i wonder that when i motivate myself to do these sessions, am i not being selfish just doing it for my sake for my upliftment so motivated to just improve my life . i get this feeling sometimes. I remember reiki when i want something for myself.
Nice one angie
Angie this is great. also we are in the new moon phase. is there a simple ritual I can do on this day and the full moon day that will help me with my intentions and release. thanks so much
Now no way will we miss self Reiki because one is too busy
Hi, A question.
In many articles, writers like to state ‘Run Reiki’. What does this mean: draw the symbols and then imagine something (e.g. a white light or white energy) flowing into the subject or whatever?
Thanks,
Rupert
Amazing article and discussions., v helpful. Thanks a ton!
I do Tai chi ,seeing these hand position ,for self healing its like drying bath , and believe its super powerful. Thanks for sharing
On super busy days, when I can’t get the time for a personal healing session, I request HSZSN to connect to all 39 (or 26, as has been taught by your master) points that need healing simultaneously and put Reiki Chi-energy balls around the points and request for healing at every point for 10-15 minutes. You can try this with chakras also. And if I am feeling low on energy, I request for an additional Reiki Cloud on top of my head and a Reiki-shower 🙂 It helps instantly.
Hi Angie, I’m restarting from having been tuned in a long time ago ( to level 2). I feel awakened and am so happy to have found you. Thank-you for the simplified self-care charts. They´re simply brilliant. Bless you.
I wanted to start again but didn´t feel confident enough so I carried the symbols around with me for the last 6 mths travelling and wanting to restart, but was a little lost about it. I then met a reiki master coincidentally and we really connected. She wanted to do a treatment and I said yes. It had a deeply profound effect. I let go of so much I let out so much after the session. I was totally exhausted like I was in a deep underwater trance laying still for several hours. Crying, choking, burning hands and then I slept well. For days I felt bruised inside my chest and when I ate – she said she cleared a throat chakra blockage. I wonder why I had such a reaction – perhaps I needed it but is there a stronger reaction between people are both tuned in ? With your experience, I wonder if you have any thoughts about it.
It is difficult to say why you had this reaction to your Reiki session. However, I would like to share with you that there is no reason for you to hesitate in resuming your Reiki self treatments.
No matter how long it has been, the best way to begin again is to simply place your hands on your body. Try using the method in this article daily for at least 2 weeks. Commit to one month, if you can. That would be even better. Then see how you feel.
It can be so easy for our minds to convince us that we have been separated from Universal Life Force and we must do something special in order to reconnect. Yet, all we need to do is reach out and it is there waiting for us. It is never lost. Sending you many Blessings.
Thank you for sharing. I feel that we humans love to overthink and complicate issues ( myself included) i daresay this is an ego thing! Your article rings true to me. I love self reiki but often find myself time challenged in the mornings and evenings which are the best periods for me to practise. So I’m very grateful you were inspired to share.
Love and light
Cheryl
Hi Cheryl,
Thank you for reading this article and hope all the insights shared will help you develop your Reiki practice!
Many blessings 🙏