Is it OK to give Reiki attunements to children? The answer is YES! Reiki can help them learn to sooth and relax themselves and care for their own physical and emotional well-being. Children naturally pick up on energy before they are jaded by life experiences.
Some Reiki practitioners feel that if a woman is attuned to Reiki during her pregnancy, her baby is also attuned to the energies. Babies and toddlers can be attuned to Reiki, but they are not mature enough to learn how to practice it. Children younger than five lack the comprehension skills to understand the concepts of Reiki and therefore they cannot use it consciously. Most children between the ages of five and twelve could learn Reiki and can be attuned to the first level.
They should be cautioned not to force their Reiki hands upon other people, especially their classmates, as they might not understand or appreciate what they are attempting to do. Also, the subtle energy layers, the aura of a child is still developing and during their work on other people they expose their aura to different other energies and diseases and in the absence of proper grounding and self-protection, they can pick these energies up, running a high risk of experiencing negative side effects. Instead, the children should be supported to focus on practicing Reiki at home, in the form of self-treatment.
From my point of view, the only children who should be attuned to Reiki are those with a parent or other adult in the home who is an experienced practitioner of Reiki, because young children cannot fully understand all the concepts and principles, they do not have the ability to focus and sit through a full Reiki instruction, since their attention spans are meager, and should be given only basic instructions, adapted to their level of understanding, and it is important that afterwards they can be guided by an adult from home or whom the child is trusting.
Other Reiki practitioners consider that the attunement should only be done to adults (18 and over) or legal age of consent, as it is important that they are old enough to make choices for themselves and that Reiki is too much responsibility for children and the attunement will affect them in a negative manner, by opening them an awareness of negative energies which they would not know how to handle.
Reiki Masters who use the four-attunement method may find it a little complicated to keep the children engaged for a long period of time, as the children should be able to sit undisturbed with eyes closed for 20 minutes for attunement. Some children just aren’t ready to sit still and we should honor that and understand that each child is different and reacts differently, according to their karma, past lives experiences and current lives learnings.
The intent is the most important element of the attunement and that is why I recommend just one attunement. I truly believe that is all children require. Also, very important is also to be flexible in honoring each child’s uniqueness. Some children do not wish to receive the attunement, they might feel scared, they might feel under too much pressure, or their instinct in following their karma kicks in. This is rare, but this too must be accepted and verbalized towards the child, asking the proper questions in order to understand where the fear or refusal comes from. If it is from lack of understanding spend time explaining once again in easier words what Reiki means and what the attunement process involves and, letting them know that if they ever change their minds, they can have this attunement on any other occasion.
The kids are amazing, they know what’s best for them, it is up to us to learn to trust their instincts.
If a child seems to be in any way affected by the attunement, physically, emotionally or mentally, try to ground them by placing your hands on the child’s feet and just talk to them calmly about the room they are in, what is going on around them, their favorite part of the day or whatever comes to your mind. Just watch the children after they receive their attunement and approach any strong reactions with calm and confidence.
During the preparation of the attunement, while receiving the information about what Reiki is, how it was discovered, and how it can be used, the Reiki master teacher should adjust the guide to the level of understanding of the future practitioners:
- Everything should be fully explained, any questions answered
- Explain the history of Reiki like a story that is not too long, but covers the key events around Dr. Usui’s Reiki experience on Mount Kurama: meditation and fasting, waking and seeing the symbols and realizing that he understood all the ancient texts he had been studying, stubbing his toe and when placing the hand on the foot, the pain stopped (ability to self-treat); healing the girl’s toothache (healing others), spontaneously using the hand positions to give the monk suffering from pain Reiki and that he almost immediately felt relief
- Explain how putting the hand on painful areas of the body can bring relief and relaxation
- Explain that the attunement is a sacred ceremony to receive the special Reiki healing energy in their palms from the Universe/Divine
- If the attunement is done in a shared ceremony, during one child’s attunement involve the others in spiritual art projects (arts&crafts, coloring, drawing how they feel etc.), while being very quiet and respectful to each one’s experience
- At the end, ask the children to share their perceptions with the others
- Explain about the 21 days of detox and purification
Children love diplomas, medals, certificates, and while it is not necessary to present a certificate to the children for their attunement, they really like to receive something to mark the moment and the experience. You can award each child a certificate to acknowledge their participation in the class and have received the Level I attunement in the Reiki system of natural healing. The certificate should be as simple as possible in wording, as clear as possible visually. Also, children can be offered a small memory, which will remind them about the wonderful gift they have received. It can be something as simple as a gratitude crystal, to inspire a grateful mindset.
If you are a Reiki Master, love children, and have a desire to spread Reiki as a teaching of love and heal, then trust that you will be able to offer them exactly what they need.
Article by Patricia Lidia
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Patricia Lidia
Patricia Lidia is a corporate engineer, writer, blogger, and coach on creativity and emotional balance. She is passionate about reading and writing, alternative therapies, and spirituality. She is a Reiki master teacher with over ten years of experience. Her aim is to help women find their emotional balance and create the life they’ve always wanted.
She resides in Timisoara, Romania. You can find her at patricialidia.ro/ or patricialidiaemotionalhealing
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