Article by Sandra Cooze
Reiki is a wonderful practice. It is amazingly versatile and full of surprises. Even after 8 years of practicing and teaching Reiki, I learn something new with every treatment I give, and every class that I teach. Thinking back to the beginning of my journey as a Reiki practitioner there are many things I wish I had known when I first started out. There is one thing, in particular, I want to share with you today in the hope that it will make the beginning of your journey as a Reiki practitioner a little easier.
Right after I received my first Reiki attunement, I had the most unusual and unnerving experience. I felt completely naked – literally. I had to actually look down my body to make sure that I was wearing clothes – the sensations were that intense.
Everything felt different. The wind felt stronger, the sun warmer; it was as if a layer around my body had been removed – and I believe that it was exactly that! A protective layer that I no longer needed was taken from me to make way for my new journey and the person I was about to become.
When I went home that day, I felt as if I could conquer the world! I was ready to just dive in and give Reiki to anyone who was willing to give it a try. But as it turned out, this was not as easy as I thought it would be.
The first time I attempted to give a Reiki treatment was to members of my family. I wanted to show them how amazing the energy felt and I was so sure they would love it just like I did. But when I began the treatment, nothing happened. I did not feel any energy coming from my hands and neither did my family members. I was so embarrassed and felt like a complete failure. I did not understand how Reiki could work so well during my classes and then completely failed me when I wanted to use it on my own.
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What I had experienced is a common occurrence amongst new Reiki practitioners. Today, I know of course what had happened and how to prevent this situation from reoccurring. But back then I was ready to give up and I know that a situation like this is the most common reason why many people do not advance beyond Reiki Level I.
So let’s take a look at what had happened and how we can prevent it.
First things first, when you want to prove to someone how awesome Reiki is and that it absolutely works, you set yourself up for failure. Wanting something means you come from an ego-based mindset. The ego is your worst enemy when it comes to Reiki. You will never be able to prove a point with Reiki when you only want to prove a point. It does not work that way.
What’s also important to know is that beginning your journey as a Reiki practitioner by giving Reiki to your family will be very difficult. The reason is again, the ego. I know that it seems simpler to find your first clients amongst your family and friends since they most likely want to support you on your new journey. But this again can cause your ego to interfere. You probably told them all about your experiences during your Reiki class and how awesome you felt and now you want to show them how amazing it is. And even if you are not trying to convince them, you want them to feel the same way you did. This again will cause your ego to get in the way.
So, what can we do to prevent these situations from ever happening? First and foremost we have to understand, that we are not giving Reiki. We are guiding the Reiki energy through us and into the client’s body, but we don’t create it and with that, we don’t own it. We have no influence over how the other person feels during or after a treatment, so there is no need for us to stress over it. What they experience, is none of our business. Period. That being said, we do need to take the pressure off of our heart, mind and soul.
When I prepare for a treatment I call my Spirit Guides and the Spirit Guides of my client and ask them for their assistance in guiding the energy where it is needed most and to guide me to the spots I especially need to work on. I also (in my mind) tell my client to take what they need and I pray for the most wonderful experience they ever had. This is especially helpful when it is a client’s first interaction with Reiki. You can, of course, set your own intentions for your client’s treatment, but I would always add the request for the most wonderful experience. It really works!
What is also important to know is that, especially with a first time client, it may take some time for the energy to flow. This has nothing to do with you. It simply means that your client may unintentionally block themselves from receiving because they don’t really know what to expect. Therefore, it is very helpful to explain to them before the treatment what they may expect in terms of sensations. Encourage them to tell you what they experience so that you can explain to them what that means. Allow them to be part of the treatment if they wish to communicate.
If your client is really tense or blocked, encourage them (in your mind) to let go and take what they need. Even if you don’t voice this message, they will start to relax.
Remember that whenever the client does not seem to feel anything, it has nothing to do with you and your ability to perform Reiki as long as you don’t allow your ego to take over. Sometimes a person just does not sense the energy, but this does not mean that no healing is taking place. Also, some people are just not ready to let go of an issue or aren’t open enough to allow healing to take place.
I hope my article will shed some light into the mysteries of your first steps as a Reiki Practitioner.
Love & Light,
Sandra
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Sandra Cooze is the founder of the Akashic Soul Healing Practitioner Program, a published author, Reiki Master/Teacher, Intuitive Trauma Release & Self-Empowerment Coach, and Certified Traumatic Incident Reduction Facilitator.
Her book “Journey to your Self – How to Heal from Trauma: Written by Someone Who Did” is the first book of her transformational trilogy “Journey to Your Self”. “How to Heal from Trauma” walks the reader not only through her own story of abuse and recovery but is also a hands-on guide for anyone who is ready to heal. While unraveling the concept of trauma she lists helpful tools, leaves room for notes, and encourages her readers to work through the unique exercises she lists to support them on their healing journey.
In her Akashic Soul Healing Practitioner Course, Sandra guides her students into the depth of the Akashic Records to successfully navigate them for divination and soul healing. She teaches her very own unique approach to past life and ancestral healing, as well as how to live a Soul-led life, and follow the divine compass. Akashic Soul Healing can be combined with any other healing modality or used on its own as a powerful tool to bring fast and lasting transformations on the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual level.
Sandra is currently working on the second book in her transformational trilogy named “Journey to Your Self – How to Unbecome Who You were Taught to Be”. Find out more about Sandra at www.riseaboveyourstory.com and get her book from Amazon.
Thank you for this – it really helped me. Love & light!
Hello Lexy,
I am glad my article could help!
Love & Light,
Sandra
This is such an encouraging article. Thank you Sandra!
Hello Olivia,
I am so glad you liked my article!
Love & Light,
Sandra
I do hope my article will inspire you to not give up on Reiki or yourself. Reiki is wonderful and definitely needed in this world! If you have any other issues with Reiki or are unclear with parts of it, feel free to send me a message. I would love to go over your concerns with you and shed some light into the mysteries of this wonderful spiritual practice.
You can contact me at [email protected]
Love & Light,
Sandra
This is a great article. I experienced such a charge after my attunement, but no one explained it to me or even seconded what I felt. I was lost for a while, thinking I didn’t ‘get’ it. I will make sure to use your tips when I work with clients. Thank you.
Hello Hakikah,
I am so glad my article resonated with you. One thing I learned on my journey as Reiki student and now teacher is that we can only teach what we know. if we have not experienced something yet, we can not really give any advice on it. Also, many Reiki practitioners stick to a strict teaching curriculum. Nothing wrong with that, but we are meant to grow and outgrow ourselves over and over again. So when a student experiences something we have not been confronted by yet, it is also a chance for us to learn and grow. 🙂
Love & Light
Thank you I’m level 1 and experienced this with a family member. I had such an amazing experience with reiki sessions myself and thought I could give others the same. Such a disappointment when nothinges happened. I’m learning that reiki is a personal learning curve and taking it slowly. I will keep self healing but now nervous of practising on others. Any tips to get over this nervousness? Thank you
Hello Sue,
I am glad that you are not giving up on Reiki just yet. 🙂 You are right, it is a learning curve. The most important part is to have faith in yourself and in Reiki. Being nervous is ego based. It is a type of performance anxiety, which, if not resolved, can turn into an emotional blockage. Which is what ultimately stops many Reiki Level I practitioners from continuing their journey.
One thing you should consider is that the person who gave you Reiki had most likely a much higher level than you have right now. A Reiki Level I practitioner has much less energy to work with than a Reiki Master. And that is a good thing.
Let me explain that a little further: Let’s say, your life is inside a walnut shell. Inside the shell is your world, everything you have learned and everything you know. One day, the nutshell cracked open a tiny bit and you noticed that there is more out there than what you were brought up to believe. That is when you were introduced to Reiki.
When you studied level I, the nutshell cracked open a bit more, you began to feel energy and learned how to work with it. Then once you decide to study Level II, the nutshell will crack open a bit more, which means you will feel more energy and receive more energy to work with. The symbols will further enhance the energy. Then when you advance to Reiki Master or Master/Teacher, *poooof* the nutshell bursts into millions of pieces and you experience energy in its entirety.
This, I can tell you, can be very overwhelming, so make sure you are ready for it. 🙂 And trust me, you will know when you are ready because it will be an urge, a pull, that you can’t deny. About a couple months after my Reiki Level II class I felt as if a part of me was missing. Once I became a Reiki Master/Teacher, I felt whole.
What I am trying to say is, acknowledge that you are at the beginning of your journey with Reiki and trust that many wonderful experiences and revelations are yet to come.
Below, I listed a few suggestions of what you can do right now:
a) be honest about your fears when you give a family member Reiki. Let them know how nervous you are. I have no doubt that they will understand that you are still learning and may even encourage you to continue practicing.
b) ground yourself before you give a treatment. Acknowledge all the nervousness, fear and anxiety and let it go. Picture your family member as they feel amazed about what they experience. See yourself giving Reiki and loving every minute of it.
c) Remember how you felt when you received Reiki sessions. You experienced it on yourself, so you know that it works. Trust that you were divinely guided to becoming a practitioner yourself. Because you were!
d) Consider advancing to Level II. Having Symbols to work with will increase the energy you sense quite a bit; and it can be helpful to have a ‘tool’ to use when giving Reiki.
I do hope this helps. I wish you the best of luck on your spiritual journey. Like I said before, you were divinely guided to study Reiki. 🙂
Love & Light,
Sandra
As soon as I read your article, I wanted to share my story. My friend had cancer and went to Hawaii to a Buddhist monastery in hopes of finding a cure. The Cancer went into remission. One day she saw me doing massage for another friend, and said she wanted to show me something. She drew a symbol on my back, then asked me how I felt. I was a bit queasy. I thought nothing of it until years later when I had a dream. I was told a story that corresponded to a symbol. It took me awhile to figure out what it was, but it was the master symbol.
So I read every book I could find about Reiki, and am now a Reiki Master.
I have told the story that I dreamed to other Reiki Masters and they have never heard of it. But something told me that story so I would always remember how to draw that symbol.
Thank you Sandra!