Reiki and Shamanic Healing

I can remember very clearly that with my Reiki 1 teachings at the beginning of my Reiki journey in 2008, we were taught what Reiki is and what it is not. It is NOT a religion or religious cult. It is NOT a medical technique or psychotherapy. It is NOT our imagination, a form of mind control, or miracle healing. And it most certainly is NOT Shamanism. I was fine with these teachings until my NDE in 2017 and my subsequent initiation as a Shaman.

The term shamanism comes from the Manchu-Tungus word šaman, and it is a noun formed from the verb ša which means “to know.” Thus, a shaman literally means “one who knows” and it is a title that, in the Siberian Tungusic language, was used for a spiritual leader.

As it became more widespread, the title of “shaman” was used interchangeably with medicine man or medicine woman, spiritual healer, energy healer, medium and mystic. Indigenous communities around the world, from Central and Northern Asia to North America to Central and South America to Africa, practiced and still practice various forms of shamanism where the shaman is entrusted with taking care of the wellbeing of the individual’s body, mind and spirit. The shaman’s main approach is to transfer their own state of awareness in order to communicate with spiritual consciousness and thereby facilitate healing. To achieve this altered state of consciousness the shaman may employ different approaches, such as repetitive sounds (drumming), mediation and soul journeying.

Now, let’s get to Reiki. The word Reiki is written with two kanji where the kanji for “Rei” means SOUL and the kanji for “Ki” means ENERGY. Reiki, therefore, translates in its simplest and truest form, to SOUL ENERGY. As Reiki healers, we “tune” into the energy body… or SOUL body of our clients to facilitate healing through Reiki. We are energy healers, spiritual healers and more often than not, able to traverse from this physical reality to altered states of awareness. In Reiki, this is further accentuated with the use of the Distant Symbol to facilitate distant healing and distant attunements. This sounds remarkably similar to what I described earlier as what a shaman does.

From my personal experience and perspective, we do need to separate Reiki healing from Shamanic healing – there are too many common threads that are interwoven in both these practices. As an example, in Reiki we talk about becoming the hollow reed through which energy flows as we hold space for a client’s healing process. In Shamanism we become like a hollow bone.

For me, Reiki and Shamanic healing have become interchangeable, particularly when moving into the practice of Traditional Japanese Reiki. In Traditional Japanese Reiki, there are many practices that enable us to “tune into” the energy/spiritual body and seek guidance from soul or spirit on the treatment that needs to be offered. One such a practice is that of Reiji Ho. In many respects, Reiji Ho could be considered similar to the procedure followed when initiating a Shamanic journey into the non-ordinary realms of the Upper World, Middle World or Lower World and seeking guidance from soul or spirit to facilitate healing for ourselves or others.

Reiji Ho, meaning “indication of soul/spirit,” is a technique that Dr. Mikao Usui taught his Shoden (Level 1) students to tune in and allow their intuition to guide any treatment that they would do, whether for themselves or others.

The Reiji Ho is performed as follows:

• Stand or sit in the Gassho (prayer) position.
• Practice a Gassho meditation for a few minutes until you feel calm and centred and connected to the flow of Reiki healing energy.
• Set your intention and ask that the outcome of the healing to follow be for the highest good of all involved.
• Bring your hands, still in the Gassho (prayer) position, up to your Third Eye/Brow Chakra.
• Ask for an indication for the treatment. This indication, sign or guidance may come in any form, mostly through one of your clair/psychic senses – as a picture or word in your mind or clear feeling or knowing of where/what you need to treat.
• Proceed to perform the healing treatment as guided.

When facilitating a Shamanic healing session for a client I would guide the client through visualisation to journey to a safe and protected garden where they can then ask their guides/soul/spirit for whatever it is that they need to ask to assist in their healing. When they are comfortably in their sacred garden of wisdom and knowledge, I would journey to join them and access any guidance from soul or spirit to further support their healing. If necessary, I would continue to do the healing as guided, and I often finish the session by doing a short chakra balance using Reiki healing.

The hand positions for such a short chakra balance are:

1. Feet
2. Base Chakra and Crown Chakra
3. Sacral Chakra and Brow Chakra
4. Solar Plexus Chakra and Throat Chakra
5. Heart Chakra

Some final remarks:

• The hand positions for the short chakra balance can be held for as long as you are guided to, but I do recommend a 3-minute minimum.
• I facilitate Shamanic healing with the support of Shamanic drumming only – the drumming in itself already facilitates healing.
• Always trust your intuition and the guidance you receive and practice your craft with gratitude.

Article by Thea van der Merwe, Ph.D.

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Thea van der Merwe, Ph. D. is a nationally and internationally trained holistic energy, certified and experienced Master Reiki Practitioner, qualified in Usui Reiki, Reijukido, Karuna® Reiki, Karuna Ki Reiki, Crystal Reiki, and Gendai Reiki. She obtained the title of Shihan (full master/teacher), the highest level in Gendai Reiki Ho. Besides her greatest passion which is Reiki, Thea is also a spiritual shaman, healer, and teacher, offering readings as a way of accessing spiritual guidance. Her journey of personal discovery, growth, and healing started back in 2005 when she was personally in need of healing and searching for something more than what conventional medicine and therapy could provide. Thea is currently nationally and internationally registered with the South African Reiki Masters Association and The Reiki Healing Association respectively – both professional associations for the local and global Reiki communities, working to promote the wide-reaching practice and healing effects of Reiki throughout the world and where the primary philosophy is that together, we can do so much more. You can get into contact with Thea van der Merwe at viterra.co.za, which is her website, and at facebook.com/viterrahealing on Facebook.