When Reiki chooses you, it can often be overwhelming at first. Valuable pieces of advice from those who already experienced the challenges you as a new practitioner or your new Reiki students are now facing can be real support on this path, especially if these are coming from renowned Reiki Masters with consistent healing practices.
Read below the responses provided by 28 Reiki Masters who are part of our Ask RMT project to the following question asked by Maura Reed:
“If you could give advice to a novice healer, what would it be?”
Answer from Elise Brenner, www.brennerreikihealing.org
Hi Maura, and warm welcome to you as a new Reiki practitioner. Advice comes from many sources, including, perhaps most importantly, from your own direct experience and ongoing practice. Therefore, one primary gentle suggestion is to solidify your commitment to yourself to set aside time each day to sit in stillness with a formal, dedicated practice of Reiki meditation, contemplation of the Reiki Precepts, and practicing hands-on healing of self and others. This will help build mindfulness and self-awareness, and a solid platform on which to stand.
Elise provided an insightful response to this question on how to build your trust in your capacities as a new Reiki practitioner which can be found here.
Answer from Pamela Miles, www.reikiinmedicine.org
Daily self practice is the foundation. You’ll feel benefit quickly, but don’t be fooled. It takes time for deep healing to happen, and time for spiritual maturity to unfold. Start now, and don’t ever stop.
Two other fast-track tips from Pamela to get more from your Reiki practice can be found here.
Answer from Raven Keyes, www.ravenkeyesmedicalreiki.com
It’s prime to make sure you take care of yourself first, and so daily self care – Reiki is key. If you can, set up shares with a colleague, or book yourself either an in-person or distance Reiki session. it is such a gift to give to yourself, a gift that supports you being able to stand strong for others.
My other heart’s dream for any new practitioner is that you trust yourself as your gifts awaken. Live in wonder and let yourself receive all that begins to unfold. Revere the power of the universe passing through you and know that what you begin to experience is real. There is no doubt you are being called to join in this ever-unfolding pattern of goodness, and your gifts are needed in the beauty of the kaleidoscope making patterns of healing and evolution for humankind.
Answer from Kathleen Johnson, www.universoulheart.net
Hello Maura, and thanks for your great question! This is one I almost always get from my Reiki students, and it’s a thorny subject for the novice healer. My response is simple – put your trust in Reiki. When you received your Reiki training and attunement, you became a channel for this amazing and limitless energy. As such, our “job” as a Reiki practitioner is to simply allow that healing energy to flow through us for the benefit of those receiving it. Reiki always, always, knows what the individual needs in order to heal. When we “Accept and Trust” (my personal mantra) the wisdom of Reiki, we are doing the best we can for those we serve.
However, it is also incumbent upon each of us to develop a relationship with Reiki, because it will surely guide you – if you let it. This last piece is very important, as Reiki will not interfere with our free will. When you put your trust in Reiki, and continue to learn, and develop yourself and your knowledge of Reiki, you become a worthy partner in a beautifully synergistic healing experience. Allow Reiki to guide you – it is an infallible ally.
I wish you many blessings as you embark on this path of service and healing.
Reiki blessings,
Kathleen Johnson
Answer from Phillip Hawkins, www.philliphawkinsreiki.wordpress.com
My initial advice to this excellent question would be very simple. ‘’Heal yourself first and leave everyone else alone until you do’’. […] The teacher Jesus is attributed with saying to a doctor ‘’Physician first heal thyself’’ and it really doesn’t get any clearer than that. If you want to help people and make a difference in the world, educate people and empower them to take personal responsibility, then stand back and watch them heal themselves, but only if they choose to do so. Education and with it knowledge and understanding is the only thing with the power to bring about sustainable change in the individual and the world as a whole. Healing is nothing more than this truth demonstrated.
Get Phillip’s full perspective here.
Answer from Elaine Grundy, www.reiki-centre.com
Thanks, Maura, great question! I would say my number one tip is to remember you are not “the healer”. This helps a novice to stay out of their own way, and also to stay out of the way of the profound healing that can happen, if you let it. Often new healers, and many experienced ones, let their egos get in the way and begin to proclaim things or comment on things they sense or feel without any real understanding of what it is they are seeing or feeling. Best to open to the discomfort of not knowing. You are not the healer and you do not need to know the answers to the person’s issue. Your job is to simply hold space for the other. You do that through a non-judgemental and loving energy.
If you wish to explore this topic on how often using the word “healer” sets us up wrongly, continue reading Elaine’s full response here.
Answer from Patti Deschaine, www.majaenergyworksandreikihealing.com
If you have just had your first attunement, you will have experienced one of the most life-changing experiences ever! Congratulations! You are on your way to learning and growth beyond your wildest dreams! Practice often! Regular self-healing will remove years of built-up energy blocks. Depending on your lifestyle, diet, and general health, you may experience a detox where built-up toxins release and you feel ill for a few days. This is a good thing! Be sure to continue to do self Reiki. Once free of that initial stuck energy, you will soon feel much better!
You can offer Reiki healing to friends, family, and animals. Make time for it, honor it as an important part of your life. It will make such a difference in your life and in the lives of others.
I have seen many trainees receive the first attunement and I am always thrilled to witness the excitement and new found serenity it brings. But occasionally a new practitioner does not follow up on training. For one reason or another, they neglect their practice and become too busy to be bothered with self-practice or subsequent sessions. Don’t let this happen to you. You have just sampled a tiny bit of what there is to learn. Be vigilant about your practice and open to expansion and further training. Don’t miss the miracle!
Answer from Deborah Dalziel, www.melbournereikicentre.com.au
Fall in love with healing yourself, fall in love with your own daily Reiki mediation practice. Make it fun, keep it light. Bring joy into your day everyday, stop and smell a flower, text a love heart to a friend, anyway that brings joy and love to you, have a little bit of that each day. We are all novice healers really and the most important thing is to build a solid personal practice that can support us when life is not so great, something we are all noticing right now. I am so grateful I have such a solid reiki meditation practice. Things are not easy, and yet I am still feeling joy and grateful for what I do have.
Do you have a small space/zone that is where you do your reiki meditations and self-healing? Set one up if not and make this space, no matter how small, your special place you breathe, and rest and practice. Make sure you practice each day, even if only 5 or 10min. It is your special time, enjoy it. Bring forth joy and love!
Answer from Lisa Campion, www.lisacampion.com
This is such a great question and I think the answer is practice, practice and practice some more. If you are a Reiki level 1 student then having a daily self-healing practice in the number one thing you can do to improve your Reiki. Try for 15 minutes daily and pick three points, one on your head, one on your body and one on your legs. Hold each point for 5 minutes. Reiki yourself while you are meditating or falling asleep. Self Reiki strengths your Reiki at level 1. At level 2 and the Master level it is about practicing as much as you can with other people. It is great to give Reiki to others even in an informal way, this is what I call “kitchen table” Reiki where you work with someone in a chair who is sitting at your kitchen table and needs help. Reiki doesn’t always have to be a formal session on a table. Get as in many practice sessions as you can between levels too. We need classes and skilled teachers, but practice makes perfect!
Answer from Samantha Goddard, www.devonschoolofreiki.co.uk
My advice to a novice healer would always be to ‘keep it simple’. I find that many people who are new to Reiki can over complicate things and think too much about what it is they are doing and whether they are doing it in the right way. The beauty of Reiki is that it is very simple and as long as you are working for the highest good of yourself and others with clear and pure intention, that will always be a good place to start.
Answer from Thea van der Merwe, www.viterra.co.za
For the novice healer I have 3 words: trust, respect and intention. Trust your intuition. Trust the knowledge and guidance you received through your training. Trust that Reiki works for the highest good of all concerned. And trust your ability to hold space for your client to heal with the support you are providing with Reiki healing. Respect yourself. Respect your client and respect Reiki. Always set your intention beforehand. Intention is what sets everything in motion and should focus on the highest good of all without attachment to specific outcomes. Intention is about allowing and not pushing.
Answer from Deb Karpek, www.debkarpek.com
Something I learned early on in my Reiki practice, from my teacher, is “put your hands on the person and get out of the way.” Good advice. If you can, try not to worry about what you feel, what you do not feel, what does it mean? Just put your hands on the person and get out of the way. Turn off your mind and let Reiki teach you. I was taught that wondering so much what things mean you are letting your ego in. Try if you can to just allow yourself to go with the flow.
Answer from Judy Camblor, www.lovinglightreiki.net
When practicing Reiki, ask questions of your energy when you are in the flow with it in order to understand how best to use the life force healing energy that you are producing. Ask it to direct you to where life force energy is needed. I believe that no two healing sessions are the same. In some healing sessions, you may find yourself doing different hand positions that you may believe are wrong or not the way you were taught, but Reiki is an intelligent energy that knows what it needs to do and where it needs to go. I believe we are taught the basics, and that we are free to use our knowledge in our own variations according to how we are divinely guided to use the knowledge.
Read more insights for novice healers from Judy here.
Answer from Tracie Eaves, www.crystalreikiwellness.com
If I could offer one piece of advice to a novice healer it would be that everyone is responsible for their own healing. If someone is ready to heal, we can offer Reiki to ease their way energetically and we can hold space for them, but the healing comes from their own personal work and effort and their own body and mind returning to a natural, whole state. If they are not ready, we can still offer Reiki to ease their symptoms, but we cannot heal them. It is important that practitioners remember this so that they do not try to take on work…or credit…that is not theirs in the healing of others.
Answer from Angie Webster,
angie-webster-healing.teachable.com/
My best advice for novice healers is simple: Don’t overcomplicate things. At the root of healing is simplicity. Our minds tend to get in the way and make things much more complex than they are. If you are thinking and doing a lot, you might need to let go of some things.
Continue reading Angie’s response here.
Answer from Phoenix Fenegan, www.instagram.com/phoenixfenegan/
The first advice I would give is to TRUST YOURSELF. It is easy to think you’re not really doing it or perhaps what you felt was just your imagination. Energy healing is like muscle-building – flex those Reiki ‘muscles’ regularly and get the energy flow strong and then you’ll know for sure that you’re really doing it. I loved practicing Reiki on the houseplants after I passed Reiki 1, it helped me to tune in to their energies and notice the range of energies different plants have. It completely changed the way I view plant life and how I treat my houseplants.
To get a better sense of where you would like to take your practice as a new practitioner, read Phoenix’s full response here.
Answer from Pauline Raphaela, www.awakeningofthesoul.com
To the novice healer my advice would be to work on yourself more than working on others. Working on yourself is your biggest teacher of how energy works. This also help you to open yourself up more which will bring in stronger energy when you work on others. Release attachment to an outcome. The real healing is occurring between client and universe. Getting positive feedback will develop confidence so don’t be afraid to ask how a client is feeling afterwards.
Answer from Deborah K. Lloyd, www.deblloydhealing.com
Thank you for your question, Maura. […] Being a Reiki practitioner is a calling, an essential task in today’s challenging world. There are many opportunities to bring in healing, from working with ourselves, clients, our local communities and the global community. Be creative and send Reiki to any intention you think would benefit.
Deborah shared two other important aspects to remember as a new practitioner which can be read here.
Answer from Ashwita Goel, www.reiki-bangalore.com
Let Reiki decide when your next level is. Many teachers and students these days want to club levels and teach things in a hurry. I compare it with planting a seed and then piling 5 years worth of fertilizer on top of it. You won’t wake up to a tree the next morning regardless of what you do, it will still take its time. Learning levels prematurely takes away the magic you can truly experience. So set your ego aside and let Reiki decide when it is right for you to learn the next level (it will simply be inconvenient/ unaffordable if it is not the right time for you, if this is what you open your heart to). The levels are NOT a race – your capacity to heal others depends on the frequency and sincerity of your practice, not the level you are at. I’ve at times requested my level 2 students for help, because it is the purity of heart and sincerity of practice that makes miracles happen. Some people wait years between levels, but when they do learn, it is a magical experience. I say this from watching the progress of students for over two decades.
Four other tips for novice healers and future students shared by Ashwita can be explored here.
Answer from Carrie Anderson,
naturalhealer.com.au/2017/12/caresreiki-pennsylvania-usa
My advice for a novice healer would be to practice, on yourself, friends, family, or even doing the Teddy Bear technique. Check to see if there are any local groups, clinics, or health facilities that look for Reiki volunteers. There are also a few ways to volunteer online to give distant Reiki. Also, I’d allow yourself to find your own flow and way of doing a Reiki session. Don’t be confined by textbooks. Become comfortable with your ability to use Reiki. There are hundreds of books on Reiki and reading them can help give your more knowledge, keep your practice fresh, and to find other uses for your Reiki energy (Reiki is definitely a “Think Outside the Box” field).
Do not overwhelm yourself with too much information at once, nor feel that you have a certain target that must be achieved by a certain date. Reiki is a gentle, calm, healing energy and it meets you where you need it. Feeling gentle and calm yourself allows you to understand the energy a bit more than if you put yourself under pressure to get a business started, get clients, make a logo, etc. I do believe that what you want to achieve with Reiki will manifest, but not on a pre-conceived timetable.
Answer from Haripriya Suraj, www.lightworkersonearth.com
Practice, practice and more practice! Reiki must be practiced everyday (or at least five times a week). This is the only way to truly appreciate and understand the expansive nature of this gentle healing modality and experience all the benefits it has to offer. The more you connect with Reiki, the more it reveals itself to you. As you develop a deep connection with the energy, it helps you blossom into a strong and competent healer, who is also able to pass on this beautiful gift to the world!
Answer from Nicholas Harris, www.practical-healing.com
You are not the healer. The energy is the healer. Every client is sent to you by the universe. Everything and everyone sent to you, you are ready for… otherwise that situation or person would not be in your field now. There is some way that you can help, and there is some way that they can help you… In all situations pray for the guidance you need to channel healing.
Answer from Andrea Kennedy, www.mainstreamreiki.com
We do not even need to know what is ailing our client for Reiki to help them in profound ways. I understand this personally from my own practice and can attest to clients reporting astounding and unexpected positive results when we had not previously met and I was told nothing of their conditions prior to the session. Instead of relying on prior knowledge, it is always best to quiet the mind and allow Reiki to guide each session. Utilize hand positions and techniques you have learned but listen to the guidance in each moment of the session. By doing this, you are an instrument of the Reiki energy in service to the highest good of whomever you are blessed to work with in the Reiki space. Perhaps this is best described as being Reiki in contrast to doing Reiki.
Get Andrea Kennedy’s full perspective here.
Answer from Wanda Buckner, www.healingenergyservices.com
Honor the client’s experience. Avoid building expectations for a particular type of experience or healing during the session. Clients are unique and their experiences will be unique. Some will feel the energy working; some will not. Some will have multi-faceted experiences that may include sound, color, angelic beings, or other phenomena. One experience is not better than the other. Reiki works no matter the client’s experience. Following the session, ask neutral questions. Would you like to share anything about your session? Allow silence. Give clients time to integrate their experiences. Leave the interpretation of what happened during the session to them. They are the experts on themselves.
To smooth your path as a novice healer, read Wanda’s five guidelines shared as a response to Maura’s question here.
Answer from Sue Wang, www.connect2self.com
Dear Maura,
Get feedback. I remember doing free Reiki treatments for practice for about a year and diligently got feedback from clients. Information such as what the Reiki I gave felt like, the sensory details, and any results immediately and a day after a treatment. This informed my work and gave me examples to describe Reiki, the unknown or unseen, to others. My own wonder in Reiki’s efficacy also ignited a lot of interest in Reiki.
Ground and RELAX while giving Reiki. I’ve found that Reiki flows way better when I ground myself and relax all my muscles. Then I can be open to intuitive guidance, trust and move my hands to where the Reiki is needed. There is a kind of surrender when giving Reiki -letting the grace, light heal and guide. It’s a such privilege.
Much love for your Reiki journey,
Sue
Answer from Durga Pillai, www.themeraki.org
You’re a healer. You’ve always been a healer. Your Higher Self is the eternal healer from the beginning of existence. Have faith in you! You’ve now started to reconnect with your Higher Self’s healing capacity through the grace of Reiki. Welcome home, healer!
- Simply, go with the flow.
- Be in the moment.
- Trust your unique healing journey.
Believe and surrender to the Divine Wisdom & Divine Love of Reiki and your Higher Self. They’ll guide you & empower you with lifelong learning.
Answer from Samantha Avery, www.samanthaavery.com
Trust, practice and embrace The Reiki principles. The principle; “Just for today I do my work honestly”, reminds the healer that it is Reiki and the recipient that does the healing. It is the healer’s position to be of clear mind and heart, opening their channel to Reiki for the recipient to access. Reiki has its own intelligence it will go where ever it is needed. Trust in the higher intelligence of Reiki!
Wishing you well on your Reiki journey!
Read the other three tips for a Reiki novice provided by Samantha here.
Answer from Karla Sanchez, www.sanaholistichealing.com
Dear Maura,
Acknowledging that we are healers can be a painful process. It seems like we are forced to face our shadows and learn to heal ourselves while in our journey. If you are in the beginning stages, I want to let you know that all the emotions you experience are normal. I remember feeling overwhelmed, confused, and sometimes alone in the process. It took me a while to recognize this was only the start of my growth. One thing I learned is to put myself first. I learned to acknowledge my feelings and made myself accountable for how I reacted to them. Simultaneously, it helped me to acknowledge and recognize other people’s emotions as well. Putting yourself first can feel odd at times, but I truly believe this is crucial for people in the “healing others” practices.
Anytime you see clients, you are being a conduit of energy. Therefore, self-care and prioritizing your needs will be crucial if you are helping others. If you’re barely dipping your toes into your own healing, I would encourage you to take things slow. I would recommend not offering sessions until you feel ready, able and capable to do the work yourself. As we aid others in their healing process, we are placed with a responsibility to respect and honor their energy. I believe that the work we do own ourselves will give us the necessary tools and awareness to be fully present with others.
With all that said, I hope you keep going and I hope you don’t give up. Healing is a life-long practice. Difficult at times, but oh so rewarding and worth it.
Stay safe, stay healthy and stay healing.
With love,
Karla
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* All answers were organized and displayed based exclusively on their content, aiming to create fluency and flow in exposing the perspective of each Reiki Master on the topic discussed.
** ASK RMT is a Reiki Rays project where experienced Reiki masters answer questions from members of our communities. If you need clarity on a certain Reiki topic, send us your question at [email protected], subject line ASK RMT.
We are deeply grateful to all the Reiki Masters who are offering their time and expertise to support our Reiki community. Blessings!
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