Q&A for Reiki Practitioners | Loving Hands Yoga

Q: When doing distance Reiki, I’ve found that I can visualize the person without a surrogate. What are your thoughts on that?

A: Yes, instead of using a surrogate you can simply visualize the client. Your intent is what matters, and the Reiki will go to them. For me, it helps me tailor the treatment better if I have a life-size replica. But if you don’t have that, you can tailor it with intent just as well. There are a few other distance methods described in your Level 2 manual also. Pick whichever one works best for you!

Q: Can I do reiki on two people at once – say for example my husband and child, one hand each? And can I do Reiki on another person and myself at the same time – for example, one hand on me and one on my child?

A: Yes, you can do Reiki on two people or animals at once. I often go to sleep giving Reiki to myself and my cat. And you can definitely give to two people other than yourself at once.

Regarding intuitive messages that you receive, you know family and good friends well enough that it will be clear to you who the messages are for.

In the case of clients, though, it could be unclear who the message is for. So, when I treat two clients together (Couple’s Reiki), I do 5 minutes or so on each one and then switch. That way it’s clear who the message is for.

Q: Is it possible to give Reiki without realizing it? In other words, can it just start to flow on its own?
A: Yes! I’ve just recently started to experience this happening. In the past I would have said no, that you need to think about it first. But in the last 18 months or so not only has the energy been getting stronger on its own, but it’s also starting to flow on its own.
The first time this happened I was giving someone a completely different type of therapy treatment. Afterwards they said, “I can tell you’re a Reiki practitioner, I really felt the energy flowing!” I hadn’t even thought about the Reiki, it had just started flowing on its own.
I think this is happening because humanity is raising in consciousness and vibration. So it stands to reason that the higher consciousness beings that guide and direct Reiki may start using us in service when we’re not even asking. Get ready to be a walking beacon of Reiki wherever you go!

Q: Are there reasons to do self-Reiki or go get a treatment if nothing is wrong?

A: Yes! Reiki is not just curative, it’s also preventive. Doing Reiki as often as possible raises your vibration and keeps you in good health – physically, mentally, spiritually and energetically. When you raise your vibration, you move away from lower vibrational things, and into healthier states of being. Lower vibrational things tend not to happen as often, when they do happen they’re not as bad, and they tend to resolve more quickly. So raise your vibration as often as possible through Reiki, any other healing modalities, and anything that brings you peace or joy.

Q: If I’m working with someone and I find a place that needs Reiki but the person didn’t mention it to me, am I violating their free will if I treat it without getting their permission?
A: No, and there are a couple of reasons why not. First, by asking you for a treatment they’re giving you permission to give them Reiki, and Reiki automatically flows to wherever it’s needed. And second, when it comes to mental, emotional, spiritual and energetic imbalances, people usually don’t know where in their body or aura these issues are located. So if you feel drawn to places that they didn’t mention, this is why. Also remember that Reiki won’t give people more energy than they can handle. This is one of the reasons that Reiki can never harm. However, sometimes we’re ready for more than we think we are, and the Reiki will direct us to those places to heal, even if the person didn’t mention it.

Q: Does the supply of Reiki ever run out?

A: No. Reiki is a high-vibrational energy that has always been in existence since before the beginning of human time. It is everywhere and the supply of it is infinite. So even if everyone in the world was channeling Reiki, it still wouldn’t run out. Just like air, there is more than enough to go around!

Q: What does it mean if I feel a sudden pain or other sensation in my body while I’m giving Reiki to someone else?
A: This is often a way that your guides and the person’s guides make you aware of a place where the person needs Reiki.
Give Reiki to the same place on the person’s body where you felt the sensation in your body, and stay there for as long as you are guided.
If it’s not a place that the person mentioned to you as being painful, there may be an emotion in need of release that’s trapped there and is calling your attention to it.

Q: I used Reiki yesterday after not using it for a few weeks. I have found it challenging to be consistent with my time. I also struggle with perfectionism.
A: Getting into a rhythm with your self-Reiki practice can take a little while sometimes, depending on how busy your life is! But that’s really the only way to get results.

When you’re first starting out you want to try for at least an hour a day for 2 months. But don’t forget that you can always split it up, half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the evening. Or even just 15 minutes sessions here and there.

If you’re having trouble remembering to do it, you could coordinate it with another activity that you always do. Like doing it right when you wake up and right before bed. Or before or after meals.

And you never need to worry about perfectionism with Reiki, it’s impossible to do it wrong. It will always go where you need it, in the amount that you need.

Q: Do I need to be healed of my own issues before I begin working with others?

A: No, you don’t need to be completely healed, but you do need to be working on it.

By working on it, you will have gone through enough of the journey to have found things that work and don’t work for you. You’ll then be able to empathize with people who are going through similar challenges, and they will benefit from the wisdom you gained on your journey.

Their challenges don’t have to be identical to yours though. Just having gone through challenges yourself and started healing from them will be helpful to the people you work with. They may be able to directly apply the methods you used. And if not, they’ll definitely be able to apply the perspective and wisdom you have gained to their own situation.

Q: I want to take your advice and do an hour of self-Reiki every day, but I don’t always have a one-hour time block. Can I split it up?

A: Yes! You could do half an hour in the morning and half an hour at lunchtime or in the evening. Or if needed, you could split it up even smaller than that.

Q: Can you get depleted from giving Reiki to other people?

A: Generally no. We’re channeling the energy through us and out to the other person. Since it’s not our energy that we’re giving them, we’re not draining our energy. In fact, we get even more energy because we get a Reiki treatment ourselves as the energy flows through us.

Now, if you were to give multiple treatments in a row you might get physically tired from standing. If so, you might try scheduling your appointments 30-minutes apart to give you time to change the sheets, sit down and rest, and do some self-Reiki.

The exception to all of this is if you are empathic. In that case, close connection with others may deplete your energy. I’ve talked in previous posts about how to protect yourself, what to do if someone else’s energy throws you off-balance, and how the higher levels of Reiki attunements can protect you. Reach out to me if you need information on this!

Q: Can you put one hand on one location and the other hand on another location? Or should you always put both hands?

A: Yes, you can split up your hands. Doubling-up your hands is like using the Level 2 Power Symbol – it gives an extra dose of Reiki where it’s needed. So if the person has pain in a certain location, or they’re going through a difficult mental or emotional issue, placing both hands on the body part and associated chakra(s) gives extra Reiki there (also use your symbols). At other locations and chakras, you can give Reiki in two places at a time for general support and vibration raising.

Q: Do you always start at the head and work towards the feet?

A: Not necessarily. I usually do 2-3 positions at the head first to calm the energy, relax the mind and bring myself or the client into the present moment.

Then from there in self-Reiki I will go to the places that I know I need Reiki (the body part and/or the chakra), and with clients I’ll go to the places they’ve asked for healing.

After that, I’ll go to where I’m intuitively guided.

Then, if there’s still time left in the session, I’ll go to the other chakras or to the shoulders for relaxation.

I always end at the feet for grounding.

Q: In the opening prayer in the Level 1 manual it says, “May the Reiki bring me/them relief from any physical, mental, emotional or spiritual imbalance that I/they are meant to be free from.” When would someone NOT be meant to be free from something?

A: Good question. And I’m actually going to change this to “…meant to be free from at this time.”

There are two reasons why it may not be the right time. The first is that everything people go through is part of their soul’s plan. Their soul chose to go through it in order to heal and evolve in this lifetime. But it may also be part of their soul’s plan to heal the issue and move in another direction.
The second reason is that someone may want to heal from something, but may not be ready. Healing often brings up difficult emotions that they may not be ready to bring to the surface. But then again, they might be ready.

Unless we’re psychically intuitive, we don’t know what their overall soul plan is and what they are ready for. So we ask in our prayer for the Reiki to provide healing for things they are meant to be free from at this time.

And, actually, that’s what the Reiki does anyway. It only heals what we’re meant to heal and ready to heal. We can’t ask it to heal something that’s not meant to be healed, or the right time to be healed. So this part of our prayer is merely said out of respect for the energy, and is a way of taking our ego out of the process, to let the outcome be for the Greatest and Highest Good.

Q: I gave Reiki to a client, and they told me that the next day they had some nausea. Could this be from the Reiki?

A: Yes, Reiki sometimes does cause some side effects as it realigns our energy and clears away blockages and toxins.

I like to use the analogy of a beaver building a dam across a stream. The stream is our energy flow and the dam is a blockage or imbalance in our energy. The stream still flows but not as strongly or freely. And things like leaves and litter build up behind the dam. This is like the toxins that build up when our energy isn’t moving freely.

Reiki removes the dam so the river can flow normally, and all of the debris gets washed downstream and out of the body. This is why we want to drink a lot of water after receiving Reiki – it helps the cleansing process.

But this release of toxins can sometimes cause physical sensations like nausea, body aches, headaches, sleepiness and changes in elimination. It can also cause mental and emotional releases like sadness, anger and fear.

But this is actually a good thing in an important way – it means the Reiki is working! And in my experience these symptoms happen to a small percentage of clients, they’re usually mild, and they go away quickly.

We should always let first-time clients know about the possibility of these symptoms coming up. I always tell them that if their symptoms are uncomfortable, please let me know so I can send them distance Reiki to help them get through it. These extreme releases have only happened a couple of times in my 13 years of practice. Your experience might be different though.

Q: How do you explain what Reiki is to someone who doesn’t know anything about it?

A: When someone asks me “What is Reiki?” I usually answer in stages. First I say, “Reiki is a high vibrational energy that’s just out there, it’s all around us. Reiki practitioners learn how to channel the energy to heal themselves and other people.” That’s the simplest answer.

Then if they say “But what is it exactly?” or “How does it work?”, I say, “High vibrational human states of being are things like health, happiness, joy, optimism and peace. When the Reiki practitioner channels the energy to you, it raises the vibration of your body and your energy field; and brings you into those high vibrational states of being.”

Then if they ask the million-dollar question “Can it heal anything?” I say, “Yes, it can. It provides us with all of the healing energy we need to heal ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Usually, newer issues heal quickly, sometimes in a single treatment; while older issues take longer. This is because, even though the energy is giving us all the help we need to heal, we often don’t know how to think and act in a healed way. So with these kinds of issues, more treatments are usually needed. With that said though, sometimes we’re meant to go through some things as part of our life path. So I can’t promise that Reiki will heal you if it’s part of your life path to go through that. But your life path may also be to go through it for awhile, find Reiki and other things to help yourself heal, and change your outcome. At the very least, Reiki will help reduce your pain and your difficult emotions while you’re going through those things.”

Q: When should you use both hands at a location and when is it ok just to use one?

A: In self-Reiki and when working with a client, I use both hands at places where there is pain, illness or disease. I also use both hands at the associated chakra(s) when there are mental and emotional issues. For example, in the case of relationship issues I use both hands at the heart chakra; and often the throat and solar plexus chakras too.

I place the CKR symbol at all of these locations, and also the SHK at chakras affected by mental and emotional issues.

You can use one hand at other positions that you do for general support. In this case your hands are at two separate positions.

Q: Do we need to take off our jewelry when we do Reiki on ourselves or someone else, and do they need to take theirs off?

A: The only jewelry I suggest taking off is smart watches. It doesn’t interfere with the Reiki, but it does distract the person wearing it. If you’re the one wearing it, it interferes with your focus. And if the client is wearing it, it interferes with their ability to relax and receive. Non-smart watches are fine to leave on.

I also recommend not having phones on you for the same reason. In fact, I offer my clients to leave their phone and watches downstairs in my waiting room so that the electronic energy isn’t in the Reiki room at all.

I also choose to take off my rings when I do Reiki on others. The metal can be cold on bare skin. But clients can leave their jewelry on if they want to.

Q: Why do we need to get monthly Reiki treatments, why can’t we just do self-Reiki?

A: Self-Reiki is really helpful for daily maintenance and daily raising of your vibration. When you do self-Reiki though, your mental mind is active. You’re “working”.

When you go to get a treatment from someone else, you’re able to relax and just receive. There’s no work for your mind and body to do. You therefore receive a higher dose of Reiki.

I use the layering example in class. If we say that doing self-Reiki raises your vibration one layer at a time, getting a treatment from someone else raises it like 20 layers.

That’s just an analogy, but the point is that you take in more energy, and receive a deeper level of healing, when you relax and receive. And then self-Reiki is excellent for continuing to raise your vibration in-between.

If your goal is to treat others, it’s necessary to be completely familiar with all aspects of the practice. This includes self-Reiki and receiving treatments from others. It’s essential for you to experience receiving Reiki frequently so that you can tailor your practice to what is most helpful to the people you treat, and so that you can answer their questions.

Q: Are there other ways to practice Reiki on yourself or others besides giving treatments?
A: Yes! You can live the spirit of Reiki. As you continue to raise your vibration through giving treatments, getting treatments, and getting attunements, Reiki becomes an integral part of your life. Reiki shows up in your thoughts, speech and actions. There begins to be no separation between your “Reiki self” and your “normal self”.

The health and peace of body, mind and spirit that Reiki brings us can be manifested in many other ways. It shows up in having a positive outlook on life, in wanting to help others in any way that you can, in thinking in more healthy ways, in being more aware of the power of your words and choosing to express only loving words, in being able to find peace amid the challenges of your life, in being an example for others of living a healthy lifestyle.

Reiki is not just something we do, it’s something we are!

Q: How can using a pendulum help during Reiki?
A: You can use the pendulum a few ways. When your pendulum moves, it’s being moved by your guides and angels. It’s one way they have to communicate with you and help you.

You can use a pendulum to check the functioning of your or a client’s chakras. This is a good tool for beginners who are still learning how to detect imbalances with their hands. First say a prayer asking your guides to speak to you through the pendulum, to tell you the condition so that you may know where healing is needed.

Then hold the pendulum 3-4” in front of the chakra if sitting, or 3”4” above if laying down. Hold it by the bead or knot at the end of the chain or rope. The pendulum will have one of a few reactions. If the reaction is anything other than a clockwise circle, you know that Reiki is needed at that chakra.

Clockwise circle: Chakra is open and healthy
No movement: Chakra is blocked
Counterclockwise circle: Chakra is reversed
Oval: Chakra is off balance
Stright line left-right or up-down: Chakra is partially open/partially closed

You can also use your pendulum to detect and locate karmic ties that you or a client have to a past person or event, in this lifetime or in past or future lifetimes. Say a prayer for what you’re asking for. Then ask the pendulum if you or the person has a karmic tie that is negatively influencing them in this lifetime. If the pendulum swings left to right the answer is no. If it swings up and down the answer is yes.

Then ask the pendulum “Is this the proper time to cut and heal this tie”? Wait for the yes or no answer (sometimes the person’s soul isn’t ready for it to be cut). If the answer is yes, you don’t need to figure out what happened, when it happened or who was involved (unless you get a message from your/their guides). You simply invoke HSZSN and ask the Reiki to flow to the situation, and everyone involved, to cut the tie and allow all of the energy to be released, healed and transformed into something positive. You can ask all Enlightened Beings to help it transform. Then step back and give Reiki to the whole body and aura.

You can ask your pendulum any yes or no question that you need the answer to, in your Reiki practice or in your personal life. It’s a direct line to higher guidance and wisdom!

If the pendulum swings counterclockwise when asking a question that means you didn’t ask your question clearly. Try rephrasing and see if that works. If not, there may not be an answer right now, or it isn’t the right time for you to receive an answer.

Enjoy! It’s an amazing tool to connect you with Universal Consciousness!

Q: How can Reiki help me in my daily life?

A: Since Reiki is a type of holistic healing (heals the body, mind and spirit), it helps with any physical, mental, emotional or spiritual challenges you may be facing.

Physical healing that Reiki can do includes everyday things like sore muscles, headaches, cuts and burns, colds and flu. It also helps with more serious things like cancer, seizures, heart conditions and brain injuries.

Mental and emotional Reiki healing includes everyday things like worries, fear, frustration and sadness. It also helps with more serious things like depression, grief, and mental disorders.

Spiritually Reiki helps you connect with higher wisdom, trust the Divine plan, achieve states of wellbeing, and reach enlightenment.

Remember that the degree to which you receive healing depends on three things:

Your openness and willingness to heal (even the hard stuff)
The frequency with which you do self-Reiki and receive treatments from others
What your soul is ready to receive

Q: I’m not really sure if I’m doing Reiki right. How do I know?

A: No worries, it’s impossible to do Reiki wrong! Your intention to channel the Reiki (and, if you’re working with someone else, their intention to receive it) is what’s important – that gets the Reiki flowing. After that, the Reiki is divinely guided, so it will go where it’s needed and in the proper amount.

So you can’t do Reiki wrong – you can’t give it in the wrong place, hold it for too long or not long enough, forget to go to a certain place, or anything else like that. Reiki is always effective.

Q: When I do Reiki on family members it’s really hard to set my ego to the side and let go of the outcome, because I really want them to heal. Is that common?

A: Yes it’s very common to be invested in the outcome when we’re working with family, friends and other loved ones. They are important parts of our lives and we have deeper connections to them than we do with our clients.

Your opening prayer can be really helpful here. As part of your prayer you can say, “May I remove, and please help me remove, any unhealed parts of my ego so that any direction I receive to serve this person is truly from Source; and may the outcome of this session be for everyone’s Greatest and Highest Good” (or whatever similar words work for you).

By saying this and setting this intention, you’re making it clear in your mind and energy what your role is in the treatment. You’re there to offer the energy. What happens after that is, and is always, for the Greatest and Highest Good…even though sometimes we don’t like how it plays out.

It will still be hard not to want a certain turnout, but by setting your intention in your prayer you’re reminding yourself that you are the facilitator, not the healer. The person receiving the energy is the healer, and whether or not they heal is part of a greater plan that we sometimes Can’t see.

This involves a lot of trust in Source. But really, that’s the only choice we have in all things.

Q: Do you need to have something specific that you want to heal when you do Reiki, or can you just do it any time?

A: No you don’t need to have something specific in mind. Reiki is not only curative, it’s also preventive. So doing daily self-Reiki and getting monthly treatments, no matter what’s going on, is tremendously helpful.

Each time you receive Reiki it raises your vibration. Higher levels of vibration result in higher levels of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. The “bad” things don’t happen as often, they don’t seem as bad, and they get resolved more quickly. Your life becomes more peaceful and calm, and you feel more optimistic, empowered and protected.

The same is true for our clients. I have a client who comes for Reiki every other week, no matter what is going on in her life. Over the years I have witnessed empowering changes in her and have seen her life turn around in amazing ways. She credits Reiki with all of this.

Another reason that we don’t need to have anything particular in mind to do Reiki is that sometimes we have mental, emotional or spiritual things going on that we’re not aware of. The Reiki will heal these things when we’re ready, even if we’re not aware that we’re carrying them.

Q: Can animals be attuned to give Reiki?

A: Yes! Animals can be attuned to any level of Reiki. This includes mammals, fish, reptiles, birds, etc. But not all animals want to be attuned or are suited for it.

The animal needs to be a natural healer and needs to want to be attuned. If you have an animal that you know well, and feel that they are a natural healer, they can be attuned to give Reiki.

As with treating animals, you need to get their permission to attune them. Since they can’t talk to you, you need to be able to read their energy and body language to see if they want to be attuned. That’s why you only do this with animals you know well.

If you’re not yet a Reiki Master Teacher, call me and we’ll arrange for me to attune them. If you are a Master, call me and I’ll teach you the process (it’s too much to type here).

My cat Gracie is a natural healer and I attuned her to Usui Level 1 Reiki. She jumps on the Reiki table when clients come for treatments. She transmits Reiki through her intentions, her eyes and her purrs.

Q: If I’m feeling tired or distracted, will I reduce the amount of energy that’s flowing to my client?
A: No, you won’t reduce the energy flow if you’re tired or have things going on in your life that are bothering you – even if those things are major, and you haven’t yet healed from them. The Universe will allow you to be a free-flowing conduit, so that the client’s Greatest and Highest Good is being attended to.

However, you will need to try harder to maintain your focus so that you can feel the client’s energies and any imbalances, and also so that you can pay attention to your intuition. If you find yourself dozing off, or find your mind wandering off to your worries, make an extra effort to bring your attention back to the present moment.

We don’t need to be perfectly healed and perfectly healthy to do good Reiki. But an important part of being a Reiki practitioner is deeply and honestly working on our “stuff” so that we can heal ourselves physical, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Then we can be better teachers by example of health and healing for our clients. Reciting Dr. Usui’s Reiki Ideals every morning and before every treatment is a good way to begin living a healthy life.

Just for today I will not worry
Just for today I will not anger
Just for today I will do my work honestly
Just for today I will give thanks for my many blessings
Just for today I will be kind to my neighbor and all living things

Don’t forget that the last line includes being kind to yourself!

Q: What would you say is the single most important thing for people to know about Reiki?

A: That it’s a tool for helping us to be our Greatest and Highest Self in this lifetime. Reiki heals us physically so we can do our good work in the world, mentally so that our lives are more peaceful, and emotionally so that we can love ourselves unconditionally.

I believe that being our Greatest and Highest Self is our soul’s purpose.

Second to self-healing is that we then bring healing, peace and love to the rest of the world by practicing Reiki with others.

Q: How do I know I can trust my intuition during a Reiki session?

A: Instead of calling it “my intuition” I like to call it “my connection to Source”. Source, or the Universe, holds the highest wisdom, knowledge and understanding of all things. Our guides act as the connection between Source and us. They act as the messengers of Universal wisdom, which includes the wisdom of what is best for us and those we treat through Reiki. Their job during Reiki is to facilitate healing by communicating what we or the person we are treating needs at that time. They communicate by sending intuitive messages through our senses. Everyone receives the direction differently – you may see an image, hear a message, or just feel an impulse.

In our opening prayer before self-Reiki or Reiki with another person, we ask for help from our guides and the person’s guides, and we ask for unhealed parts of our ego to be removed. Therefore, anything you see, hear or feel is a direct message from Universal wisdom.

If you ask and are open to receiving, you can receive this help at any time, even when you’re not practicing Reiki. For example. you may find a feather on the ground from a bird that has a helpful symbolic message, or you might hear something deeply inspirational in a podcast you’re listening to, or you might see a bumper sticker that gives you an “aha moment”, or you might draw a spirit card that helps you with what you’re going through. All of these are examples of your guides bringing Source’s message to you.

Q: Since I have been doing Reiki, yoga and getting Reiki sessions I cannot seem to be able to work a “normal job”. I don’t like it anymore and all I want to do is heal and spread love. For a lack of better words “everything else seems a waste of time.”

A: When we start doing energy-raising techniques like Reiki, it’s not uncommon to have changing feelings about how we want to spend our time and who we want to spend our time with. As we raise our vibration, some things are not in harmony with us anymore. Some Reiki practitioners do decide to leave their jobs, some bring Reiki into their jobs, and some simply find a better ability to let things at work roll off of their backs. Everyone is different, so follow your heart and your intuitive guidance as to what is the best use of your energy right now!

QUICK REMINDER: Dear Students, If you ever feel unsure of your abilities, remember that you are doing Spirit’s work. No one crosses your path by accident…they are sent to you. Spirit works with them through your hands, your heart, your feelings and your skills. Spirit has no hands on Earth but yours!

Q: I see Reiki Masters offering classes like Karuna Reiki, Angel Reiki and Shamanic Reiki. Are these legitimate?

A: Reiki, and really all forms of energy healing, are based on intention. I believe that you can intend to focus your Reiki on a certain topic, or ask for certain helpers to guide you, or combine it with other healing practices that you’re trained in. Anything that leads to wellness is legitimate, there’s no single correct path. So yes, these can be legitimate forms of Reiki.

But, as with any other type of professional you hire, research the teacher first and also use your gut instinct. Most Reiki Masters are in this field because their first priority is to help others heal, not to gain money or notoriety. But there are some people out there whose motives are ego-based. So use your intuition and your judgment. And always feel free to reach out to me for my opinion!

Q: What’s the difference between Usui Reiki and Holy Fire Reiki?

A: Usui Reiki and Holy Fire Reiki are simply different points along the wavelength spectrum of healing vibration. For discussion’s sake let’s say the vibration rate of pure Reiki is 100. I call this “Ultimate Reiki”. This energy vibration is so beautiful and powerful though, that we can’t yet wrap our human minds around it. It’s the highest vibration imaginable. It’s the vibration of enlightenment and pure love energy. I personally believe that it is this pool of energy that we come from when we’re born and return to when we die.

Usui Reiki helped us to become aware of Reiki, to begin raising our human vibration higher, and to start moving towards the level of Ultimate Reiki. Like climbing a ladder upwards, the 3 levels of Usui Reiki got us up the first 3 steps of the ladder towards the 100 level of Ultimate Reiki.

Usui Reiki is wonderfully healing energy, and very powerful. But remember that Usui Reiki came along in 1922, and those first 3 steps were all that most humans were ready for at that time. Then, in 2014, the 3 levels of Holy Fire Reiki energy helped us access 3 more steps up on the vibration ladder.

Most of us haven’t yet reached the vibrational level of Ultimate Reiki. But as humankind continues to evolve and enlighten, I believe that higher and higher vibrations of Reiki healing will be practiced.

Q: If you fall asleep while you’re doing self-Reiki does it stop flowing?
A: If I think I might fall asleep before the end of the treatment, before I start I ask the distance symbol (learned in Level 2) to keep the Reiki flowing throughout the rest of the night. So that way if I do fall asleep before I finish, it’s still flowing.

Q: What are some things I should tell new clients who are receiving Reiki from me for the first time?
A: Here is a list of what I tell new clients before the treatment

They don’t need to direct the Reiki during the treatment. Talking with you and setting their intentions for what they would like healed will cause it to go to those places. There is nothing they need to do except relax and receive.
Suggest that they try to clear their mind of worries, fears and unpleasant thoughts.
I don’t speak during the treatment because I’m tuning in to what I’m picking up from their energy and the guides. But if they have any questions, or need anything (water, Kleenex, use the bathroom, etc.) feel free to speak up. They should be as comfortable as possible.
They will hear me writing, because I want to remember everything I pick up so that I can tell them after the treatment
My hands will be on them most of the time. When my hands are off, that’s when I’m treating the aura.
Private areas are never touched (breasts on women, genitals/buttocks on everyone)
They may feel sensations such as warmth, tingling, vibration, etc. They may also see people or animals in their mind’s eye, and/or flowing colors.
Emotions such as sadness, anger and fear may come up. This means that the Reiki is healing the past events that caused those emotions, and releasing them. While it may be a little unpleasant, it’s actually good. It means the Reiki is working!
It’s ok if they fall asleep, the Reiki keeps working. They don’t miss out on anything.

And here is what I tell them after the treatment
Drink a lot of water for the next day or so, to help the cleansing and releasing that the Reiki is doing.
They may experience emotional releases, as well as minor physical symptoms like tiredness, traveling aches and pains, and increased urination. This is because the Reiki will be continuing to help them release unneeded emotions, blockages and toxins. Symptoms are usually minor. But I tell them that, if they’re too unpleasant, contact me and I’ll send them distance Reiki to help them through it.
If possible, it’s best if they can come for at least three treatments, 2-4 weeks apart. During the first treatment their mental mind is active, taking in all the new information; so they’re usually not able to relax and receive the maximum amount of energy. By the second treatment they know what to expect, so they’re usually able to completely relax. And by the third treatment they’ve had time to see how the Reiki has helped them, and decide how often they want to come back for treatments. In my opinion, everyone should get a treatment at least once a month, but not everyone has time or can afford it.
Be careful driving home, they may still be in a meditative state.

Q: When I’m giving Reiki to someone, how do I tell if the messages I’m getting are for me or for them?
A: In my experience, the guides know that your intent is to receive messages on the client’s behalf, so the messages are for them. They would send you your personal messages during self-Reiki.
But if this isn’t the case for you, you can set an intention in your opening prayer to only receive messages that are for the other person.
Or you could also try asking the guides how they want you to distinguish which messages are yours and which are the clients. They may tell you that yours will be accompanied by a certain sound or a color, or they might tell you that yours will come in first during the session, and then the client’s will come in afterwards.
The guides always want to make sure the session is successful, so if anything is ever unclear, just ask – they’ll let you know!

Q: A friend of mine wants me to send distance Reiki to her son who’s going through a difficult time, but I’ve never met him. Can I still send him Reiki?

A: Yes, you don’t need to have met the person you’re sending Reiki to in order to send it. You simply set your intention to send the Reiki to him, and it will go to him.

But for him to actually receive it, you do need to make sure he is ok with receiving it. In other words, your friend needs to ask his permission for you to send Reiki to him. The recipient draws the Reiki, so if you don’t first get his consent, he won’t be drawing any energy.

With that said, if you end up sending him Reiki more than once, you don’t necessarily need to ask him every time. You can send it whenever you want to. However, he might prefer to arrange with you to receive it at a certain time so that he can lay down and relax.

Q: Do clients need to take off their jewelry or watch during Reiki?
A: Jewelry and regular watches don’t have to be removed. Smart watches don’t have to be removed either, but I recommend that clients remove them so that they can disconnect from their responsibilities and relax more deeply (and therefore draw more Reiki).

For that same reason I ask them not to have their cellphone on them either. In fact, I recommend that clients leave their cellphone and smart watches in my entry area, outside of the Reiki room, so there’s a complete disconnection.

I recommend that you remove your phone and smart watch also, and I also recommend taking off your rings so that they’re not cold on the person’s skin.

Q: My back often hurts when I’m giving someone a treatment. Is there a way to avoid that?
A: You might want to check the height of your table. If it’s too low you’ll have to lean over, and that causes back pain. Raise up the table so that you can stand straight up with good posture when giving Reiki.

Make sure it’s not too high though – you don’t want to have to reach up to place your hands on the person. Your shoulders should be able to relax.

Also make sure that, once you look down at the person’s body to place your hands, you go back to a neutral head position. Don’t keep looking down, it will strain your neck.

Lastly, if your flooring is a hard surface and not carpet, use yoga mats or kitchen fatigue mats around the table to take stress off of your hips, knees and ankles.

Q: I have a client who’s pregnant with her first baby. She’s in her first trimester and has horrible morning sickness. She came for one Reiki session already but it doesn’t seem to be helping. She’s coming for her second session tomorrow. Any ideas?

A: As much as we would really like to help someone heal, all we can do as Reiki practitioners is offer Reiki. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, then there is something going on that’s out of our control, at least at that point in time.

One of our group members offered a good way to explain this to a client, tell them “I’m accompanying you on your journey”. We don’t know what their journey is, that’s between them and the Universe. There may be some reason that she’s meant to go through this discomfort. But we don’t have any way of knowing that, unless their guides give us a message about it.

Be assured that the Reiki is always flowing, and always providing the opportunity for healing. Whether or not that healing takes place is up to the person, either consciously or subconsciously through their karma or their life path. Also, even if the Reiki isn’t resolving the morning sickness, it is surely resolving other things the client has going on. Perhaps something else needs to be healed first before the morning sickness will heal.

Alternatively, there could also be something wrong with the baby, and this is the baby’s way of telling her. Or maybe the baby’s soul came in with some heavy energy from a past lifetime to release, and the baby is releasing it now. Again, there is no way to know unless their guides tell you. And since we’re not doctors, we can’t diagnose. All we can do is give Reiki and hold them in love and light.

Q: Should I lay down or sit during self-Reiki? If I should sit, should it be in a chair, in bed or on the floor?
A: There’s no right or wrong, just do whatever is the most comfortable for you.
Sitting in a chair, in bed or on the sofa works really well for the upper body. In bed or on the sofa you can prop pillows under your arms during head and shoulder treatments so your shoulders and arm muscles don’t have to work as hard.
The lower body is a little harder to do in a chair because you have to lean over. So sitting in bed, on the sofa or on the floor works better for that.
The trick with practicing in bed, especially laying down, is that there’s the risk of falling asleep before you finish your treatment. In that case you might want to do your practice earlier in the day rather than at bedtime, or do it on the sofa.

Q: Is it necessary to keep reactivating the symbols during a treatment or do they keep working?

A: When you activate the symbols before a self or client session you ask HSZSN to allow the energies of the symbols to keep flowing throughout the treatment. So they always keep working throughout the session.

You will call on them and draw them again, though, at any location in the body or aura where the “extra help” of that symbol is needed. You would draw and invoke CKR where physical healing is needed; for example, at a hurt knee. You would draw and invoke CKR where mental or emotional support is needed; for example, at the head for depression. HSZSN is the symbol that’s least-frequently drawn during a session. You draw and invoke it when healing of past or future issues is needed.

Q: Can you give Reiki to yourself and another person (like my son) at the same time? And can you give it to two other people besides yourself (like my son and my husband) at the same time? Is there any benefit or downside to doing that?

A: The answer to the first question is yes! It’s a very beautiful bonding experience to share with someone you love. I give Reiki to myself and my cat every night while we’re falling asleep. It doesn’t decrease the amount of energy that each one receives, you both still receive what you need. And with the distance symbol that we learn in Level 2, you can ask the Reiki to continue flowing throughout the night, even after you fall asleep.

I feel that you could also do this with a very close friend who you know really well, although I haven’t ever done it. But I wouldn’t do it with anyone else other than that. In those cases, you want to concentrate on channeling Reiki for that person only.

The answer to the second question is yes and no – it depends on the circumstances. In Level 2 we learn how to send Reiki at a distance to world situations. So you could send Reiki to a whole group of people who are experiencing a natural disaster, for example.

In the example of giving Reiki to your son and husband at the same time, it wouldn’t necessarily be “bad” because Reiki is always good. But when you’re working with others it’s best to work with one person at a time. For each person to get the greatest benefit, you would want to devote your attention and intuitive guidance to each person individually. They would also feel more connected to the energy that way.

This question actually comes up often around Valentine’s Day, when clients call asking if I can do “Couple’s Reiki”. I let them know that I can do back-to-back sessions with each person, and both of them can be in the room to receive the residual energy in the room when the other person is on the table. But to give Reiki to two clients at once would require two Reiki practitioners.

Q: I’m having trouble making an hour of self-Reiki a part of my routine. I still only practice right before bed for not very long, or little moments when I think about it. I’d like more of a routine and some longer times for it but I’m just not there yet.

A: Something that helps me to create a new habit is to make it a part of one of my existing routines – like my wake up routine, or my after work routine, or my dinner routine. Try to piggyback Reiki onto one of those, then you’re more likely to remember to do it.

Another option is to set an alarm on your phone for a certain time of day that you know you’re always home and could spend an hour doing Reiki.

Also, remember that the one hour doesn’t have to be all in one shot. You can do shorter times throughout the day if that works better. 15 minutes is the minimum I’d recommend though, to feel the benefits.

Q: What are good ways to make sure I keep going with my practice, and also make my Reiki grow stronger?

A: Follow the “Post-Class Checklist” handout that I gave you in class! It has lots of suggestions for ways to practice, things to add to your practice, people to connect with, books to read and podcasts to listen to.
If you’ve misplaced your list, text me and I’ll email it to you!

Q: The hand positions for self-healing you gave us in our Usui Level 1 manual are numbered. Should you go in sequence? And to do the knee position, should you sit in a chair? Or could I sit on the floor with my knees pulled up?

A: No, you don’t need to go in sequence, just treat wherever you feel you need it that day. To treat your knees, you can sit in a chair or yes, you can sit on the floor with the knees pulled up. You can also treat them sitting up in bed, or lying on your side in bed. Also, remember that those hand positions are just suggestions, there are many other possibilities!

Q: Is it effective to do self-Reiki while you’re not really paying attention? For example, watching TV or meditation, where your mind is elsewhere?

A: To be the clearest conduit for the energy, and receive the deepest healing, it’s best to be fully present while you’re channeling it. But yes, you can multitask while you’re doing self-Reiki. For example, I’ve given Reiki to my knee while I’m driving. But you have to constantly go back and forth between focusing on the other thing you’re doing and focusing on keeping the Reiki flowing.

Meditation, though, is a perfect accompaniment to Reiki. In fact, giving Reiki to yourself or someone else is a form of meditation. You’re keeping your mind focused on the present moment and tuning into what you’re feeling, sensing, seeing, etc.

Q: I had limited time this morning, but I just did 10 minutes on my crown chakra, logically thinking might be good to help with headaches? Hope that’s ok to focus on one spot if have limited time.

A: Yep that’s perfectly fine. When you’re first starting out it’s best to practice all the hand positions by doing an hour of self-Reiki every day for at least a month. This helps you get used to giving Reiki, and also you get the benefit of receiving the energy for your own healing.

But there are many days when we just don’t have the time. So you can do one of two things – split up the time throughout the day, or just concentrate on the body parts and chakras where you know you have an issue. So if you have to choose between frequency and length of time, choose frequency and do at least a little bit every day!

Q: Do you need to touch the client when you draw the Level 2 and 3 symbols?

A: No it’s not necessary to do that. You draw the symbols in the air over the chakra or body part, or in the aura. Drawing them directly on the client would distract them and disturb their relaxation.

Q: When giving Reiki to a chakra, when should I use both hands and when is it ok to use only one hand?

A: In my experience, when you’re giving Reiki on or over a chakra for general support, one hand gives enough energy. But if there are any imbalances or blockages at the chakra, then I use two hands for a bigger dose of Reiki, plus the Power Symbol and any other appropriate symbols.

So when giving Reiki for general support, you can actually give it to two chakras at the same time, using one hand on each chakra. And even when you’re using both hands on one chakra, you can still give Reiki to another chakra at the same time using Gyoshi-Ho (sending Reiki with the eyes). Here’s a short article on using Gyoshi-Ho – https://www.reiki.org/articles/look-love

Q: With some new clients I don’t feel as much energy flow or as strong a connection as I do with other new clients. Why is that?

A: When a client is new to Reiki, and meeting you for the first time, they may be nervous or unsure about what to expect. And if they’re also skeptical, they may be more guarded and therefore closed off. They may not be opening themselves up to receiving to the same degree as other clients who are familiar with Reiki. Therefore, they don’t draw as much energy – at least at the first visit. You may feel a weaker connection, less energy flow, and/or not as much intuitive guidance.

When I work with these types of clients, my mind tends to wander a lot more and I don’t receive as many intuitive messages. One of my students told me that, when she works with these types of clients, she feels heat throughout her body because the energy is backing up.

A good way to guide the client into relaxing and opening up to receiving the Reiki is to talk them through a breathing exercise or a guided meditation. This can often help them turn off their analytical mind so that their Higher Self can take over, strengthen the connection, and increase the amount of Reiki they receive.

But also remember that everything happens in Divine Timing. We can’t “make” someone receive more than they are meant to receive. We can only create a loving healing space and give them an invitation to receive, without judgment of the outcome.

Q: How does the HSZSN symbol that we learn in Level 2 heal past events like childhood trauma and past-life trauma?

A: The HSZSN is a connector that brings the Reiki energy to past events, and then the Reiki does the healing.

The name HSZSN translates as “The origin of all is pure consciousness”. Because time and space are human creations, “pure consciousness” exists at a level where there is no time or space. In other words, the pure consciousness of Source/God/Reiki.

HSZSN takes our intentions there, and the lack of time and space allows our intentions to go back to what humans call “the past” and also forward to what we call “the future”.

As Reiki practitioners it’s not necessary for us to know what happened in someone’s past, when it happened or by who. All we need to do is ask HSZSN to allow the Reiki to flow there and bring the healing that is for the person’s Greatest and Highest Good.

Q: I have a client who has cancer. I really want to help her heal. What should I do?

A: Our first and most natural instinct is that we want to heal them. That’s why we’re in this practice – to help people. But remember that in Reiki we’re not healers, we’re conduits for the healing energy. The client is the one doing the healing by setting their intention to heal, and then drawing the energy through us to them. Their guides and Angels take over from there.

We do play an important role in the situation by being there and channeling the energy. But all we can do, and the best we can do, is create a loving healing space, listen compassionately, help them set their intentions, channel the energy, and then listen to our intuitive guidance (which is their Angels speaking to us) as to where to go and what to do during the treatment.

The rest is out of our hands. We can’t make someone heal. We also don’t know what their soul may have signed up for in this lifetime. We have to remember just to show up and be the conduit for the energy, and let God and the Angels do the rest.

But always remember that, by choosing to share Reiki with others you’re making all this possible. So thank you for the wonderful work you’re doing. You’re helping miracles to happen!

Q: If you have more than one client in a day, do you need to activate the symbols before each client, or can you just activate them before the first client?

A: To honor the sacredness of each person’s session, I activate the symbols before each session, when I say the opening prayer. In the opening prayer we mention the client by name and ask the HSZSN symbol to begin flowing the Reiki to the client as they arrive for the session. Doing this “ceremony” before each client creates a personal healing space just for them and honors the sacredness of their session, rather than blending it together with other sessions.

Q: What do you think about as you do Reiki? How do you keep your focus and not have your mind wander?

A: The best thing to do is try NOT to think, and tune into your senses instead. I find that closing my eyes during a treatment helps me tune in to what I’m sensing, feeling and seeing in my mind’s eye. Some practitioners also hear things during treatments.

The important things is not to try to do anything in particular except tune in to what you’re picking up. In other words, stay in the present moment. Reiki is very much like meditation. You’re trying not to let your thinking mind engage you and carry you away.

This can be hard for beginning practitioners to do, but you get very good at it with practice. And don’t worry if you don’t see or hear things. It’s not necessary. All that’s necessary is to tune in to what you sense and feel, and tailor your treatment to that.

With that said, your mind will still wander occasionally. After 13 years of doing Reiki my mind still wanders sometimes! The thing is, it’s not “bad” for our minds to think…that’s what they’re designed to do! But when we’re tuning into our clients, or trying to fall asleep at night, or brushing our teeth in the morning, or driving, that’s when the thinking mind is often not serving us well. That’s when we may choose to turn it off.

So the more you practice staying in the present moment during Reiki and all of those other times, the faster you’ll notice when your mind has wandered, and the faster you’ll return to focusing on what you’re doing. My sister calls it “being where your feet are” LOL

Q: I’ve taken the Level 1 training but I still feel awkward about it. I’m not sure if I’m doing it right, and I don’t always feel it flowing. Is something wrong?

A: This is completely normal. The energy flow is very subtle at first and can be hard to detect. But rest-assured that the Reiki is flowing! Remember that we need to take our egos out of the process and trust the Reiki. Your guides brought you to Reiki for a reason. As long as you’re practicing every day, whatever happens or doesn’t happen is perfectly fine. (Reiki only gets stronger by practicing – see my 8/27/22 post on this)

The Level 1 attunement is very healing and transforming, but it only scratches the surface of Reiki’s deeply powerful healing abilities. Our human energy fields need to open to the high Reiki vibrations slowly, that’s why there are different levels of attunements. Each attunement is a higher vibration than the last.
In addition, just like anything new that you learn, it takes awhile to get used to it and feel comfortable with it. Have faith, practice every day, and get a treatment once a month. By doing this you raise your vibration and become more “in tune” with the Reiki.

Please don’t quit after Level 1! The Level 2 attunement, when you’re ready for it, brings a deeper connection to the energy. And the Level 3, Holy Fire and Karuna attunements are absolutely life-changing. But you have to work up to them gradually.

Q: What makes distance healing possible in Reiki?

A: Time and space are human constructs. Because of the way the human mind is designed, the amount of information it’s able to take in at one time is limited. The concepts of space and time are therefore necessary, to limit and organize information so that it makes sense to us. Through the concepts of space and time we conceive of people as separate from each other, and we conceive of events as linear; when in reality all things are One, and everything that ever happened or ever will happen is happening now.
Reiki comes from the Universal energy where there is no space or time. It comes from the realm of pure consciousness, where “all-knowingness” exists. Here, people are not separate and nothing is in the past or future. The HSZSN symbol, sometimes called “the interplane connector”, has the ability to go beyond time and space to take the Reiki we’re sending and deliver it to a person or situation at a physical distance as well as a time distance – past or future.

Q: My client all of sudden had a lot of saliva in her mouth during the session, what does that mean?

A: As the Reiki energy moves through the body, it clears up imbalances and blockages. This can sometimes result in things like watering eyes, draining sinuses, grumbling stomachs, and extra saliva. This is all part of the cleansing and releasing process. It’s usually short-term, and things go back to normal soon after the session.

If the imbalance or blockage is the result of something mental or emotional, sometimes the Reiki healing results in things like sadness, fear and anger. Again, these are all part of the cleansing process, and usually go away quickly. Reassure the client that these emotions, although not pleasant, are a good thing – they mean that the Reiki is working.

In any of these cases, encourage the client to reach out to you if the symptoms do not resolve soon, or if they get worse. This is rare, but you want the client to know they shouldn’t suffer through anything. You can send them a quick distance treatment to help resolve it.

Q: What does it mean when you are treating a client and you feel a rippling sensation, or if your hands start to shake?

A: It means that the client’s energy is out of balance in that area. Unless they tell you of an illness or injury, or unless you get an intuitive message about what’s causing it, we don’t know what it means or what’s causing it. But we don’t need to know, the Reiki knows! All you need to do whenever you feel any kind of imbalance is give Reiki. If it’s really intense and it feels like it’s pushing you away, then be respectful and move in slowly. If it still pushes you away then it’s not ready to heal yet – there’s an emotional reason the client is hanging on to it. Wait until later in the session, or another session, until you feel the area accepting the Reiki.

Q: I’m starting to forget all the details we learned in class, what should I do?

A: Read back through your manual and handouts, and sign up for a re-training. Re-trainings are free!
Even if you’re not forgetting things you should still read through your manual and handouts every few months, because things will resonate with you differently as you progress on your path.

Q: If my mind wanders off during a treatment is the Reiki still flowing?

A: Yes! Although we try to stay focused on the sensations and imagery we receive during a treatment, we’re still human and our mind gets distracted. Don’t judge or condemn this, it’s natural. Just notice when it happens, and bring your attention back to the treatment.

But yes, the Reiki continues flowing, even when our mind wanders. Reiki is guided by Source and continues to follow your intent to heal, even if you’re distracted.

With that said, you don’t want to spend the entire session thinking about your grocery list! Then you won’t be receiving intuitive guidance and messages. Sessions are more deeply healing when you’re tuned in to the energy of the body and the aura, and also tuned into Divine Guidance.

There are times, though, that the distraction may be signaling you that the area has received enough Reiki and it’s time to move on to a new hand position. Use your intuition on this. Usually if you’ve been easily staying focused, then suddenly your mind wanders, it could mean that it’s time to move.
And don’t worry…the more you practice Reiki, the better you’ll get at staying focused.

Q: Can you do distance Reiki with animals? How do you do it?

A: Yes! The Distance Symbol connects you with any living being no matter where they are, and it carries the Reiki energy to them. You can do distance or in-person Reiki with mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, insects – any living being. I often share Reiki with wild animals in my yard, and dehydrated worms that I rescue. (BONUS FACT: You can also attune animals to give Reiki!)

I use a yoga bolster as a surrogate when I do distance animal Reiki. I place it on the floor with appropriate crystals around it. I start by sitting on the floor a few feet away from the surrogate, the same as when I do a session in person. I say my opening prayer and ask St. Frances of Assisi and Archangel Michael to help guide the session. Then I draw the Distance Symbol and ask it to allow the Reiki to flow to the room that the animal is in, followed by the other symbols.

Then I do the session the way I would if the animal were in person: with my palms facing upward I speak to the animal with my thoughts and intentions, explaining why I’m there and what I’m offering. I tell them that they can decide whether or not to receive the energy, how much, and when to end. If I feel that they are accepting the energy (if I feel the flow of Reiki), I stay with my palms turned upwards for a few minutes, so they can get used to the energy.

Then I turn my palms toward them (still a few feet away) and treat their aura while they get a feel for the direct energy. After a few more minutes, I move to within a few inches of them, so they can feel the energy even more directly. Then after a few more minutes I very slowly place my hands on their physical body (in person) or the bolster (distance).

They may accept the physical touch, or they may get up and move to another spot (if you’re doing distance Reiki, you’ll sense their hesitation). If they accept hands-on Reiki, then I treat the area(s) that their human has reported to me, and wherever else the animal’s guides and my guides tell me to go. Since animals are usually smaller than humans, you’ll do fewer hand positions, hold them longer, and repeat them.

If they move to another spot (or you sense their hesitation in a distance treatment), I stay where I am, and beam the Reiki towards them again. Then after a few minutes I do the steps above. If they move away again, I try all this one more time. If they move away a third time then I know they are not comfortable with a hands-on treatment that day, and I just beam the Reiki from whatever distance they are comfortable.

It’s common for an animal to pace or clean themselves for awhile during the treatment, then settle in and go to sleep. Pacing or licking is fine, but if they’re agitated and trying to get out of the room that means they’re not accepting the treatment, and it’s best to try again another time. In a distance treatment you’ll sense this as well, and you also won’t feel the Reiki flowing through your palms.

I do a one-hour treatment with animals unless they end it sooner. They usually rest or sleep through the hour. But if you feel the connection weaken and/or your mind starts to wander; or in-person if they get up sooner, stretch, go to the door and start wagging their tail; then that means they’re finished.

With in-person and distance Reiki, ask the animal’s person to stay in the room during the treatment. The animal will feel more secure, and the Reiki will heal any parts of the animal-person relationship that needs healing.

I recommend the book “Animal Reiki” by Kathleen Prasad. She’s a wonderful expert in animal Reiki!

Q: When do you use the Distance Symbol during an in-person treatment?

A: We learn the Distance Symbol in our Level 2 training. You use it at least twice in every in-person session, once at the beginning and once at the end; and sometimes during the treatment. (All of the following applies to self-treatments also.)

First, use it when you say your opening prayer, before the client arrives. Invoke it with any other symbols that you’re attuned to. Ask the Distance Symbol to allow the Reiki, and the energy of the other symbols, to flow to the client as they arrive for the session. Also ask it to allow the symbol energies to keep flowing to the client throughout the session.

Use it again at the end of the session, when you draw the protective Reiki bubble around the client. Silently ask for the energies of all the symbols to be placed inside the bubble, and ask the Distance Symbol to allow the Reiki to keep flowing to the client for the rest of the day.

You’ll also use the Distance Symbol during a treatment if there is something the client wants to heal from in their recent or distant past. Silently invoke the symbol and ask it to flow to that event to heal it and break any unhealthy tie that the person may have to it. Also ask it to bless and heal the person or event that’s on the other end of the tie.

You’ll also use it if a client wants to send Reiki to help support them during something important that’s scheduled to happen in their near or distant future. Silently invoke the symbol and ask it to flow to that event to help the client with calm/strength/fearlessness (or whatever they have asked for), and to help create an outcome that is for everyone’s greatest and Highest Good.

The other time that you’ll use the Distance Symbol is if you sense that there is an event in a past life, future life or parallel life that needs healing. Invoke it and ask something similar to the above.

Q: What if I’m working with a client and I receive a message for them that might be sensitive or might bring up emotions? Should I tell them anyway?

A: Yes. When we say our opening prayer, we ask that any unhealed parts of our ego be removed during the session so that we know that any messages or direction we receive during the session is truly coming from Source, and not from our own mind. This includes not only messages we receive, but also direction we receive on where to go during the session and how long to stay at each place.

So if you receive this kind of message, then it’s something that the person needs to hear and is ready to receive. And, if you also ask during your opening prayer for your guides to speak through you, you will be given a sensitive way to present the messages you receive. You’ll also be given a sensitive way to reassure your client if the message does bring up challenging emotions.

Healing often requires emotional release, and as Reiki practitioners we have the great honor of helping our clients do that. The results are priceless to our clients.

Q: When sending distance Reiki to family and friends, do I need to get permission every time?

A: No, just the first time. The same goes for clients who ask you to send Reiki on some regular basis, and to anyone who asks you to send it to them whenever you have time.

Do remember though, that you need to receive something in return, to honor the life-changing power of the energy you’re sending. You get to decide what that is – with clients it’s usually money. With friends and family it’s usually bartering, or you do it free because you love them. As long as you feel good about it, that’s what matters.

Q: What’s the difference between Usui attunements and Holy Fire placements/ignitions?

A: Both procedures instill in the student the ability to channel Reiki at higher and higher vibrations, and both of them empower the energy of the Reiki symbols within the student.

The difference is that, in Usui Reiki the Master performs the attunement, and in Holy Fire Reiki the Holy Fire energy performs the placements and ignitions.

Both systems work with Reiki energy, they just do it with different levels of energy and different procedures.

Our Holy Fire Reiki Master Jessica Zuik came up with a great analogy: It’s like an AM/FM radio – they both play the same thing, but at a different frequency. Thanks Jessica!

Q: I had a reiki session today with a client. Everything was fine but after the session when I got home, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I don’t normally take naps or sleep during the day and I just slept for 2 hours. Even now I still feel extremely tired. Is that normal? It’s the first time I felt like that after giving Reiki.

A: Usually giving Reiki to someone energizes you because the energy flows through you first and then out to them. But it’s possible that the client had a release of something and it went through you. Before each session, make sure that you do a grounding visualization and that you surround yourself with a protective bubble of Reiki, so that if a client has a release it doesn’t affect you. But then if you ever still do get affected, you can do some self-Reiki to get yourself back in balance.

Q: What are some other ways I can practice giving Reiki besides doing self-Reiki, giving Reiki to friends and family, and attending the monthly share circles?

A: Giving Reiki to animals is a good way to practice. Try animal shelters, zoos, aquariums, and other animal exhibits. Don’t forget though – like with people, you need to get their permission first. Contact me if you need a reminder on how to do this.

Plants and trees are another way to practice. You can work with sick houseplants and trees that are getting cut down. You can also go to the forest and connect with all of the plant life.

Another way is to go get a monthly treatment from another practitioner. This will help you understand how your clients feel when you treat them, and it’s a way to learn new techniques and methods for giving Reiki.

Q: What should I think about when I’m giving Reiki to myself or someone else?

Q: How do I know how long to stay at a hand position?

A: Whether working on yourself or someone else, you hold a hand position for at least 5 minutes. You hold it longer at locations of physical pain or illness, at the related chakra(s) for mental and emotional distress, and anywhere else you are guided to do so. This could be 10 minutes or more, as needed. In cases of trauma and deep psychological issues, you might be guided to stay half the session or more at the head and the related chakras.

You know it’s time to move on to another location when you feel the energy flow diminish, you feel the vibration or other imbalance sensation stop, you feel guided that it’s time to move, or your mind starts to wander.

Q: Why do we need to go get a monthly treatment, why can’t we just do self -Reiki?

A: When you do self-Reiki your mental mind is working, so you don’t take in as much energy as when you can relax and receive from another practitioner. Plus, when you get a treatment away from home there are no interruptions, the environment is soothing, and you receive a deeper level of energy. The goal of practicing Reiki is to heal ourselves by raising our vibration, then sharing the energy with others. The best way to do this is daily self-Reiki, and going to get monthly treatments from someone else. And if you want to become a Reiki Master, it’s a required part of getting ready.

Q: Is there a difference in the energy between the different levels?

A: Yes! The vibration of the energy is higher at each level, and so it brings different characteristics with it. Also, your own vibration becomes higher after each attunement or placement, because the energy gets integrated more deeply and heals you more deeply.

Usui Level 1 is a powerfully healing energy. Level 2 flows more easily and heals more deeply. Level 3 is incredibly life-changing. Holy Fire 1&2 is beautiful and amazingly powerful. Holy Fire 3 is profound and beyond words.

Q: I have the opportunity to do Reiki at a salon, but the salon chair is low and also pushed into a corner. Is there enough room to do a proper reiki session? I wouldn’t be able to do their left side without bending and reaching out over them and hurting my back.

A: That’s a pretty tight space. It would be ok temporarily but make sure you sit rather than stand, and don’t reach over them unless it’s comfortable. When I’m treating someone on a bed or sofa I just reach where I can comfortable. So you end up doing fewer hand positions, holding them longer and/or repeating them. But just remember, the Reiki goes where it’s needed, so no worries about whether you’re giving a “good” treatment or not, you are. In fact, when my nephew was diagnosed with cancer, I treated him in his bed that was pushed in a corner. The Reiki healed him in just 3 treatments.

Q: How much Reiki do I need to do in order to get the most benefits from it?

A: Reiki is an experiential practice. In fact the word “practice” says it all – you have to practice it in order for it to work. Many students drift away from Reiki because they don’t feel the connection. But again, the word “connection” says it all – a connection involves at least two things. Reiki needs you to connect with it and practice it. That’s the only way for the energy to deepen, the only way for it to become stronger, and the only way for you to feel its effects. Only then will the miracles happen.

And remember the layering effect we learned in class – each time you do self-Reiki, each time you go get a treatment, each time you treat others in person or at a distance, and each time you get an attunement or Placement, you raise your vibration higher and higher. That’s when your physical health improves, that’s when you have a joyous outlook on life, that’s when you’re able to handle stress and hardship more easily, that’s when you heal.

And the more you deepen your relationship with Reiki the more you become a walking example of peace, joy and healing. It becomes part of everything you think, say and do. Then, when others witness you healing and ascending, you inspire them to do the same. This is when the miracles happen. This is how we change the world.

Q: Sometimes when I’m giving Reiki I experience sudden jerking movements in my hands. Does that mean some type of negative energy is being released?

A: When we feel sensations during a session, whether they’re smaller ones like tingling or vibration, or bigger ones like jerking or shaking, it means that the energy is being drawn through and is rebalancing the area or situation.

This can also mean that anything that’s no longer serving the person is being released. I wouldn’t necessarily say “negative” because everything teaches us something.

But if you feel that the person is releasing something heavy or intense, use the release and transforming techniques that you learned in Level 1. And after the treatment make sure to cleanse and ground yourself and cleanse your space.

Q: I like to do self-Reiki throughout the day, but I can’t always pause and do the opening prayer or closing ceremony. Do we always need to do that in order for the Reiki to work? And also is it ok to just visualize the symbols if I’m not able to draw them, like when I’m at work? Will the Reiki still be activated and as effective?

A: There’s no need to do a formal opening and closing ceremony if you’re not able to or if it’s not practical, like when you’re driving or in a meeting. All that’s ever needed for the Reiki to flow is to visualize the symbols and intend for the Reiki to flow. The energy will be just as effective. You can also say a quick ending prayer of thanks without doing the Reiki bubble if you’re not able to.

We do the opening prayer when we can, to set our intentions and ask for guidance and protection. And we do the closing ceremony when we can, to set intentions for ourselves or the client for after the session. But again, you don’t have to do these if you’re not able to.

Q. In distance Reiki do you always have to get permission from the person you’re sending it to?

A. Yes. The concern here is about free will. Even though Reiki is always helpful and incapable of causing harm, we need to honor a person’s free will and let them decide if they’d like to receive Reiki or not.
Also, it’s the person’s intent/desire to receive Reiki and heal from it that causes the Reiki to flow. The person draws the Reiki. So without permission, the Reiki won’t flow.

However, there are times and situations where this may not be possible such as when the person has cognitive disabilities or is in a coma, or it’s an emergency and you’re unable to contact them quickly, or it’s a world crisis situation and you don’t know them personally. Under these circumstances it’s ok to ask the person’s Higher Self to receive the Reiki on their behalf, if they are meant to receive it. You will know whether or not it’s being received if you feel the sensation of Reiki flow in your hands or not.

In the case of family and friends, if they’ve told you that they’re open to receiving Reiki, you can send it anytime. You don’t need to get their permission each time.

All of this applies to sentient beings – people and animals – who have free will. It doesn’t apply to crystals, food, crafts and other things that are not sentient beings and therefore it doesn’t interfere with free will.

Q: I’m going to start volunteering giving Reiki to my co-workers, to help those who are having a difficult time physically, mentally or emotionally. Should I have them fill out the forms you gave us during our training?

A: How wonderful! Reiki is such a life-changing experience, and is especially helpful during the times we’re in. What a beautiful gift you’re offering to them!

Yes, I would recommend that you have people fill out the Reiki Client Form and Waiver. The biggest reason is that it has a place for them to write down what they would like Reiki to help them with. This starts the healing process for them. Many times people have been dealing with things in their head for a long time. Writing it down starts to get it out of their head and lets the energy start helping them with it. And then talking with you about it all either before you start Reiki, or while you’re doing Reiki, helps even more.

Then the waiver that they sign is kind of a “P.S.” just to make sure they understand what Reiki is and isn’t, and that they understand that you can’t make any promises about what it will do for them. Some insurance companies require you to have clients sign waivers, and some just highly recommend it.
If you can’t find the form let me know and I’ll send it to you. You’re welcome to use them as-is but I also advise that you consult with your business attorney and insurance company before using them, just to make sure that everything they recommend is covered.

Q: What if I fall asleep during self-Reiki, or what if someone in my house interrupts me?

A: If you’re having trouble staying awake you might try to do your self-Reiki earlier in the day when you have more energy. Or you might try sitting up in a chair with alert posture rather than relaxing in bed. It’s also fine to split up your treatment – you could do 20 minutes in the morning, 20 minutes during the day, and 20 minutes before bed.

I often purposely fall asleep doing self-Reiki, I treat the areas that are concerning me, then I lay on my back with one hand over my heart chakra and one hand over my sacral chakra, and ask the Reiki to continue flowing through the night. 😊

If you share your house with others, let them know you’re going to be doing your Reiki and ask them not to bother you for a certain period of time, unless it’s an emergency. You could also put a “Please Don’t Disturb” sign on your door as a reminder. Also make sure that pets are kept in another room. If noise outside the room bothers you, try wearing ear plugs or listen to relaxation music with earbuds.

Q: What does it mean if I or a client gets pain such as a headache, or feels an emotion such as sadness during a session?

A: While these types of things can be a little concerning, they’re actually good! It means that unhealthy things that have been being held onto are being released. When the Reiki flows through the body and aura it finds places where the energy isn’t flowing optimally and helps it get going again. It does this by gently removing physical, mental and emotional constrictions and blockages. This includes things like physical pain and imbalance, and emotions like sadness, anger and fear.

When the Reiki releases them, they flow through the body temporarily, and they go away after a short time. It’s a good idea to drink lots of water after a treatment to help move everything out. It’s also a good idea to spend time relaxing after a treatment, and setting intentions to release old ways of thinking and being.

I always advise first-time clients that physical and emotional releases can happen, and not to worry if they do. It’s good news – it means the Reiki is working!

Q: What if I don’t feel a sensation in a certain place – does that mean it’s blocked, or that the location doesn’t need energy?

A: No, sensations like heat and tingling show up when there’s an imbalance, such as an injury or a stored emotion. If you don’t feel a sensation in a certain place the energy is still flowing, but it’s going towards general health and raising the overall vibration to help prevent future imbalance. Only if your hands feel “normal” (like they feel when you’re not doing Reiki) does it mean that the energy isn’t wanted or needed there, and is therefore not flowing.

Q: How often should I cleanse and recharge my crystals and pendulums, and how should I do it?

A: Crystals and pendulums (as well as all inanimate objects) can pick up and retain low-vibrational energies from the people they are exposed to.

It’s a good idea to cleanse and recharge them when you first adopt them, before you use them on yourself or others. After that, the frequency depends on how much you use them, and what kind of energy they get exposed to.

I use my crystals multiple times a week in treatments and classes. I cleanse and recharge them quarterly, around the time of the full moon at the solstices and equinoxes. I also cleanse and recharge them right after a treatment if we’re working with a client who has a release of very low-vibrational energy.

The best way to tell how often yours need cleansing and recharging is to try the method below, and see and feel the difference in your crystals afterwards. Then when they start to feel dull again you know it’s time.

There are a few ways to cleanse and recharge crystals, but this is the method I use: Put them in plastic baggies and lay them on Mother Earth. You can put multiple crystals in one bag as long as all the crystals are touching the Earth when you lay the bag down flat.

Leave the bag(s) outside for 7 days and nights. Because the crystals originally came from the Earth, they are picking up the original vibrations from when they were formed, and this is what recharges them. And the light from the sun and full moon cleanses them.

I put mine in my backyard so that they can be out in the open without risking anyone bothering them. Night creatures tend to tear the bags open though! But they haven’t ever wandered off with any. Once they figure out they’re not food, they lose interest 😊

A word of caution though – not all crystals should go outside. Some crystals, like Selenite, degrade when they’re exposed to moisture. And some crystals, like Amethyst, fade in color when exposed to sunlight. Use other cleansing methods for these.

When you bring your crystals and pendulums back inside at the end of the week, use a cloth or paper towel to wipe off any dirt or moisture.

After cleansing and recharging them, you’ll be amazed at how much more sparkly they are and how much more alive they feel! You’ll definitely notice a positive change in their energy.

Q: Can I protect myself, my family and my pets with Reiki?

A: Yes you can use Reiki to protect people and animals from harm and from picking up negative energy. Before you or your loved one leaves the house or before you/they go into a challenging situation, you can mentally draw a Reiki bubble of protection around yourself/them. I imagine it like the bubble that Glinda the Good Witch of the North floated down in to meet Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz 🙂
Ask the Reiki to form a protective bubble around you/them, to protect from energies that aren’t good for you/them and don’t support your/their well-being, and to help rebalance you/them if something challenging happens.

You can also ask your/their guides, angels, Reiki masters and Archangel Michael to help protect you/them. Ask for the protection to continue until you/they return home safely. When working with animals, also call on St. Francis of Assisi.

With the Distance Symbol that we learn in Level 2 you can also send Reiki ahead to a challenging situation that someone will be going into, such as a job interview, taking a test or having a difficult conversation. Ask that the situation resolve in a way that supports the Greatest and Highest Good of all those involved.

Q: Can a Reiki treatment really heal someone instantly?

A: Yes. Reiki is a high vibrational energy that carries the potential for instantaneous healing. It’s not unusual to see short-term conditions healed instantly!

Long-term conditions usually don’t play out that way though. Even though someone may really want to heal from something, most people are used to their old patterns of being and old ways of thinking.

They’re used to being in pain and imbalance. So even though they’re given all the energy they need to heal, they don’t know how to allow it. They don’t know how to think and act differently.

So for longer-term issues, most people need more than one session to begin seeing results, to open themselves up to receiving more energy, and to reprogram their old behavior patterns and allow healing to happen.

Q: What is grounding? Why should we do it, and how often?

A: Grounding is a healing technique that involves doing activities that reconnect you to the yin energy vibrations of Mother Earth, which helps to rebalance and heal the physical body as well as the energy body (the aura).

As Reiki practitioners we channel the energy through our crown chakra. This is a yang activity. Our lives also tend to be very yang – active, busy and sometimes chaotic. It’s important for Reiki practitioners to ground themselves by reconnecting with Mother Earth, to balance their yin and yang energies.
I ground myself every day, for at least 5 minutes and often more.

A great way to do this is simply to go outside and stand in the grass. We draw up earthly yin energy through our feet. Stand in the grass in your bare feet or with socks on. Take three slow, deep breaths. Bring your attention to the soles of your feet, and ask for healing yin energy to flow through you to heal and balance you wherever you may need it. Give thanks to Mother Earth for her life-giving support.

It’s also important to help our Reiki clients get grounded before we start a session, to get them out of the whirlwind of their thinking minds, and to balance the yang experience of receiving Reiki.

There are many grounding visualizations you can do with clients. Here is the one I use: “Take three slow, deep breaths. Now imagine that you’re standing outside in the grass in your bare feet. Feel Mother Earth supporting you and helping you to feel safe, secure, and comforted. Now imagine growing roots down from the bottoms of both of your feet, to the front, sides and behind. Feel strong and rooted through your feet. Feel strong and stable up through your body, your “tree trunk”. And feel supported and balanced at the top of your tree, where your branches reach out in all directions to embrace whatever is next for you on your path.”

You can also do the grounding visualization yourself, on days that you can’t go outside in bare feet.

Q: When and how should I draw the symbols during a treatment (Note: This question is for Level 2 and higher students who have learned the sacred Reiki symbols).

A: Draw the symbols on your palm with the index or middle finger of your other hand before you start each treatment with yourself or a client (before the client arrives). As we learned in Level 2, say the name three times as you’re drawing it.

Then during the treatment draw a symbol wherever you’re guided that it’s needed. For example, draw the power symbol or Master symbol wherever there is a major issue such as a recent injury or a deep-seated painful issue.

Draw the mental/emotional symbol wherever there is something going on with the mind or spirit, such as intense worry or a recent heartbreak.

Draw the distance symbol to send Reiki to heal the past or support the future, such as a childhood trauma or an upcoming major event.

You can also draw one or more symbols at the crown chakra or the soles of both feet as general support. Imagine them flowing through the whole body, and intend that they are providing all needed healing.
When drawing the symbols in any of these cases you can draw them in the air over the chakra or body part with your finger or a crystal. You can also just envision them, while your hands are giving Reiki to the area. In either case, say the name of the symbol three times while drawing or envisioning it. If you’re doing this during a client treatment, say the name silently.

Q: If you give Reiki to 2 chakras or 2 body parts at once (one with each hand), is each location only getting half the energy?

A: Good question! But no they’re not. Each location will get the full amount of needed energy. You can give extra energy by using both hands at one location and concentrating the energy there. You can also give extra energy by using symbols, crystals, aromatherapy and/or breathwork there.

Q: My friend’s daughter was recently diagnosed with Lymphoma. I know Reiki can help, but is there anything else I can do to help her?

A: The mind is a powerful part of healing, in my experience the most powerful part. You might talk with her about the importance of thinking positively and using positive language to describe her condition.
For example, instead of saying “I have Lymphoma” she might say, “People have told me I have symptoms similar to Lymphoma but I’m healing from them.”

You might also suggest that, instead of thinking about what she doesn’t want, think about what she does want. For example, instead of thoughts of “sick, helpless and frightened” she can think thoughts like “healthy, whole and powerful”.

And you’re absolutely right – Reiki helps a lot in these situations. Not only can it perform miraculous physical healing, but it helps bring a calm state of mind and an optimistic spirit.

If you have her permission to receive distance Reiki, please let me know and we will include her in our Share Circle on Monday. She doesn’t have to log on, we can just send it to her through intention.
I’m sending prayers for peace and comfort to all of you.

Q: Is the process for giving a Reiki treatment to a child the same as giving one to an adult?

A: Yes and no. The basics are the same – you’re balancing their energy by treating their body, aura, chakras and meridians. You’re also using the same energy as you do for adults. The Reiki will adjust itself to give the child what they need, just as it does in adults. The difference is in the procedure and also how you explain it.

For your own children, up to about age 2-3 it might work best to hold the child against you while you’re giving the treatment. Up to about age 10 you could lay next to them. After that you can do a regular table treatment. (Note that these age recommendations may vary depending on the child.)

If the child is a client, up to about age 6-7 you will probably need their parent in the room if they don’t know you well, to help the child feel comfortable. Younger clients will have trouble sitting still because they want to explore. Give them something to play with, like drawing paper, a teddy bear or your singing bowls. Do Reiki in their aura. And if they settle down you can do some hands on (maybe their back and head).

With all young kids, as with animals, just place your hands wherever you can. They’re too small to do the same hand positions we do with adults.

The way you explain Reiki will also be different with kids than adults, and will vary depending on age. Ask your guides and the child’s guides to speak through you and help you explain it in a way the child will understand.

Q: Do I need to be highly intuitive to be a good Reiki practitioner?

A: No. Some Reiki practitioners have high levels of intuition and are able to receive messages from Higher Source. But this isn’t a necessary part of Reiki.

All Reiki practitioners do use their intuition to a certain degree, however, asking our guides to “show” us where Reiki is needed, and help us to “feel” how long to stay at each location. That’s all that’s necessary to be a good Reiki practitioner.

Beyond that, developing higher levels of intuition is possible for everyone, but it’s not a necessary part of Reiki.

Q: I’ve noticed that some clients are more restless than others. Why is that, and what can I do to help them relax?

A: Restlessness can happen for a couple of reasons. First, people are sometimes restless when they’re new to Reiki. Their mind is taking everything in for the first time, and it can be hard for them to relax. Second, many people aren’t used to doing things just for themselves, and aren’t used to giving themselves permission to turn off their mind and receive healing. And third, some people just have chronically restless minds, or even ADD/ADHD.

You can help them relax by starting the treatment with your hands on their shoulders and guiding them through a relaxation exercise: “Start by taking 3 deep breaths and settling into the table. Feel the table supporting you. With each breath out imagine letting go of everything that’s no longer serving you (you can name some of the things they mentioned to you). With each breath in imagine breathing in the healing light of Reiki. You can imagine it as a mist or a cloud or a light. Imagine it’s filling you from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. And imagine it’s bringing with it health, peace, balance, joy (and anything else you want to name). Feel yourself completely relaxed, completely at ease, and completely comfortable.”

That will be enough to help most people relax. If someone is still restless you can talk them through a guided imagery meditation, imaging themselves walking along a beach or through a forest. Point out each thing they would see, hear, smell and feel.

If someone is still restless, they may just need to talk. Ask them if there is anything they’d like to talk about. I generally don’t talk during my sessions so that I can tune into the sensations in my hands. But the session is for them, so if they need to talk, serve them by letting them talk 😊

Q: Should I take the Master Teacher training if I don’t want to make a business of teaching Reiki?

A: This is a personal decision, but there are a few benefits that may be important to you.

First, it helps you understand the entire system of Reiki. In Usui training you learn the sacred ancient ceremony by which the master transfers to the student the ability to channel Reiki. In Holy Fire and Karuna training you learn how the energy works with the student’s Spirit to instill the ability to channel Reiki.

Second, it gives you the ability to teach your family and friends to give themselves Reiki. You may have a child or grandchild with a chronic illness or a stressful situation at school. You may have a relative or friend with cancer. You may have a partner or friend who sees the positive changes in you and wants to learn it themselves.

Third, you can re-attune yourself (Usui) or re-do your Placements and Ignitions (Holy Fire/Karuna) to continue to raise your vibration indefinitely into the future.

And fourth, you would need to take the Master Teacher training if it’s important to you to call yourself a “Reiki Master”. See my April 20 post for more information about this.

Something to note: In Usui Reiki, Level 3 and the Master Teacher training can be taken separately. In Holy Fire Reiki they are taught together.

Q: Is Reiki safe for “delicate” populations such as pregnant women, the elderly, children and small animals?

A: Yes. Injury, illness and disease are low vibrational energies. Reiki is a super-high vibrational energy and doesn’t contain any low vibrational energy within it. It’s therefore incapable of hurting anyone.

You can never harm anyone with Reiki or do Reiki wrong. There’s no possibility of giving too much Reiki, too little Reiki, or misdirecting Reiki. Each being will take in the amount of energy that’s best for them at that time, and the energy will automatically flow to where they need it.

Reiki is not only safe for these “delicate” populations, it’s also extremely helpful. It helps pregnant women with nausea, back pain, anxiety and post-partum depression. It helps the elderly with physical decline, pain, fear and confusion. It helps children with concentration, relaxation, and illness. And it helps all animals – mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and insects – with illness, injury and mental distress.
In other words…it’s all good! 🙂

Q: How do I know how long to stay at each hand position?

A: Hand positions are held for at least 5 minutes, and sometimes longer. Here’s the approach I use when working with others, and you can adapt this for self-Reiki also.

(1) Start with hands on their shoulders and guide them through a relaxation exercise, and then a visualization of letting go of what’s no longer serving them. This can take 5-10 minutes, depending on how hard it is for them to relax.
(2) Do 2-3 head positions for 5 or more minutes each, again depending on how hard it is for them to relax. Move on when you feel they’ve relaxed and opened up to the energy.
(3) Treat the aura all the way around the body, starting 5 feet out and moving in. I spend about 10 minutes on this. A thorough aura treatment would take 20 minutes or more; you could offer that as a separate service.
(4) Treat the places where the person has reported imbalance. In the case of physical imbalance this will be a body part, or in the case of mental/emotional imbalance it will be the associated chakra. These places usually need more than 5 minutes, so stay until you’re guided to move on. Guidance comes in a few ways – you may get a feeling or a “knowing” that enough Reiki has been given, or the sensation of Reiki flow may diminish, or your mind may start wandering off.
(5) Treat other places you feel guided to treat. Your guides and the person’s guides will let you know where these places are. Again, it may come in the form of a feeling or “knowing”, you may be shown something in your mind’s eye, or you may feel pain or other sensation in your own body that indicates the person needs healing in that same place on their body.
(6) Treat a couple of other body parts and chakras with whatever time you have left, for 5 minutes each, for general healing support. Shoulders, knees and feet are usually helpful for everyone. You might also do another head position or two.
(7) Save the last 5 minutes for grounding them at their feet, sweeping through the aura, drawing a Reiki bubble around them, and saying your closing prayer.

Q: I’m having trouble finding the time to do self-Reiki, what do you suggest?

A: This is really common and happens to a lot of practitioners. Our lives are very busy, and self-care is often one of the last things on our to-do list. But the old saying is true – “If you want to make change in your life, you have to make change in your life”.

You might start by making a list of the reasons why you decided to take the Reiki training and remind yourself why it’s important to you. Also remind yourself that Reiki not only helps you heal from an infinite number of past physical, mental and emotional issues; but it also helps prevent them from happening in your future. And finally, remember that Reiki is a practice – it doesn’t work unless you do it.

So you might make a plan for a time that you can do at least some self-Reiki every day. Bedtime works well, because you’re more able to relax your mind and disconnect from your responsibilities. You might have to re-prioritize some of your other past-times in order to make daily self-Reiki a new priority.
Here are some ways to sneak in some Reiki during your day: give yourself Reiki while you’re watching tv, taking a bath or falling asleep. When taking a shower, you can imagine the water as Reiki energy pouring over you. You can even treat yourself while driving…but be sure to keep one hand on the wheel and your eyes on the road 😊

Q: How often should I practice Reiki on myself and how often should I get a treatment from another practitioner?

A: The answer is truly “the more the better”. Each time you get a treatment and each time you treat yourself, you raise your vibration and receive physical, mental and emotional healing.

Try to do self-Reiki every day. For beginning practitioners, an hour a day for a couple of months helps you practice the hand positions, practice giving a full hour treatment, and begin to see the powerful healing effects. After that, you can drop down to 30 minutes a day.

If you’re short on time some days, still try to do 10-15 minutes. You can focus just on “problem” areas and/or just do a couple of positions for general relaxation and healing.

Also try as best you can to get a treatment from another practitioner every 4-6 weeks. This raises your vibration much more quickly than self-Reiki, and helps move out any “old stuff” that you’re ready to get rid of.

Getting and giving Reiki on a regular basis gives you increased physical health as well as a more consistent state of peace, joy and trust. You’re better able to be a clear an unobstructed channel for the Reiki energy. ☺🙏✨

Q: What if I don’t want to work with the public, what if I just want to give treatments to myself and maybe my family and friends?

A: That’s perfectly fine. Reiki is first and foremost for our own personal healing. Whether we choose to share it with others is a personal decision, and will be different for everyone.

Self-Reiki is a very powerful tool to heal ourselves on all levels – physical, mental and emotional. It’s a great way to recover from major and minor injuries and illnesses. It also helps us to recover from mental and emotional hardships, grief and trauma. And it’s preventive! Reiki keeps you well on all levels.
Even those practitioners who do choose to work with the public are encouraged to do a lot of self-Reiki first, to clear out blockages and imbalances, and heal on all levels, in order to become a clear unobstructed channel for Reiki for themselves and those they choose to share it with.

Q: What does it mean if I feel a sudden pain or other sensation in my body while I’m giving Reiki to someone else?

A: This is often a way that your guides and the person’s guides make you aware of a place that needs Reiki. Give Reiki to the same place on the person’s body where you felt the sensation in your body, and stay there for as long as you are guided. If it’s not a place that the person mentioned to you as being painful, there may be an emotion in need of release that’s trapped there and is calling your attention to it.

Q: Why do some people experience a deeper level of healing than others?

A: This has to do with their openness to receiving the energy. Remember that it’s the client who draws the energy through you – they are the ones who do the healing, just by their intent to receive healing through Reiki.

People who are new to Reiki or who are skeptical about it usually draw less energy than people who are very open to the idea and/or who already have experience with it and know what to expect.

With skeptics and first-timers, their analytical mind is taking in and analyzing everything that happens. It’s hard for them to relax and receive, so they therefore draw less energy.

But usually after the second treatment, and especially by the third, they know what to expect during the treatment and they have already experienced healing results. So they’re better able to relax, draw more energy, and receive a deeper level of healing.

Q: A client asked me what they could do to help balance their chakras. What should I tell them?

A: Teaching clients how to help heal themselves is very empowering for them. You could share with them the chakra charts that I gave you in Level 1.

The charts list musical notes/sounds that help balance each chakra, and certain gemstones and aromatherapy essences that help. Clients can can also wear clothes that are the color of that chakra, or meditate on that color. They can also meditate and envision sending healing energy to the chakra, the body part, or the situation that they’re trying to heal from.

Many people get unnecessarily anxious when they find out their chakras are out of balance. They think there’s something wrong with them or that it’s a “bad sign”. So it’s important to reassure your client that having one or more chakras out of balance at any given time is very normal. While chakras do become unbalanced by major events such as injury, illness and trauma; chakras can also get unbalanced by everyday things like stress, allergies and being tired.

And of course, getting regular Reiki treatments is a perfect way to keep your chakras as balanced as possible.

Q: After I did a Reiki treatment, I checked the clients’ chakras with a pendulum and one of them was still out of balance. What should I do?

A: Although not super-common, it still sometimes happens that a chakra is out of balance after a treatment. This tends to happen when it’s something physical that’s been going on for a long time, or something mental or emotional that they’re having a hard time letting go of.

In that case I do more Reiki at that area, and add other things, like blowing the symbols into the chakra, and/or using a crystal or singing bowl over it. Most of the time the chakra will go back into balance after that. I’ve only had one case where it didn’t, so I kept giving Reiki for another few minutes and it resolved.

An easier way to make sure that the chakras (as well as the body, meridians and aura) are in balance after a treatment is to develop an intuitive approach to giving Reiki. When you connect to guides, angels and other helpful beings they will help you “know” when a location or situation has received the proper amount of Reiki that day, and that it’s ok to move on to another position. Then you won’t have to check the chakras with a pendulum. Developing an intuitive connection takes time though, and pendulums are a great help in the meantime.

Q: What if a client forgets to tell me about something that’s bothering them, and so I don’t give Reiki to that area? Will they still get healing for that issue?

A: Remember from our Level 1 training that it’s impossible to do Reiki “wrong”. Reiki has its’ own intelligence and goes where it’s needed, even if the client forgets tell you. It comes from the highest vibrational source and so it contains not only perfect health, but also wise omniscience. Reiki knows exactly what the person needs and where they need it.

Also, in the case of mental and emotional issues, a person may not even know where the cause of an issue is being stored. No worries, the Reiki will find it. And if there is an issue that is too sensitive or personal for the person to feel comfortable sharing with you, they don’t have to. All they need to do is hold the intention that they would like healing for that issue, and the Reiki will go there. You don’t have to know anything about it.

Q: I want to get a Reiki treatment but I don’t feel comfortable getting one in-person right now. What are my options?

A: One option is to get a one-hour distance treatment from me or another practitioner (see my March 7 post about distance treatments).

Another option is to join our monthly Zoom share circles and receive 45 minutes of distance Reiki from me and other practitioners. The next one is May 10. Click the link below for more info!

You can also do a distance Reiki trade with another practitioner, if you’ve both been attuned to Level 2 energy. One practitioner gives distance Reiki to the other for an hour, then switch.

Also see my February 28 post about distance self-Reiki and Reiki share circles going on at Shadybrook by Zoom .https://lovinghandsyoga.com/reiki/reiki-share-circles-2/

Q: Why do we need to get permission from someone before giving or sending them Reiki?

A: Reiki energy is drawn through the practitioner by the recipient. If you give or send someone Reiki without their knowledge, they won’t be drawing it, and the Reiki won’t flow.
Sometimes it can be tempting to send Reiki to someone we know who is going through a difficult time but they don’t really “believe” in Reiki, and we know it would be good for them so we want to send it anyway.

It may also be tempting to “sneak in” some Reiki to another modality you use, such as massage, to secretly improve the massage treatment.

But unless you ask the person and they agree, the Reiki won’t flow.

However, there are a few exceptions to the permission guideline
(1) Parents can give permission on behalf of a minor child
(2) Guardians can give permission on behalf of a cognitively-challenged person
(3) Someone’s Higher Self can accept on their behalf. In cases where we can’t get permission, such as when we’re sending distance Reiki to a situation such as a world crisis and we don’t know the people involved and can’t ask them, we can ask their Higher Self to give permission on their behalf.
However we should always get permission from the individual(s) whenever we can.

Q: When can I call myself a “Reiki Master”?

A: The title “Reiki Master” refers to someone who has mastered all aspect of the practice, is able to teach new practitioners, and transfer to them the ability to channel Reiki. So one is a “Reiki Master” after they have taken the Master Teacher training.

It can be confusing, because in Level 3 we learn a symbol that’s called the “Master symbol” and receive the “Master attunement”, while in the Master Teacher class we learn how to teach others and pass attunements (Usui) and Placements (Holy Fire).

In Holy Fire and Karuna Reiki these two levels are taught together. Some Masters also teach Usui Reiki this way. In my Usui classes I offer the option to take them together or separately. This is because some students want to be attuned to the Master level energy so they can raise their vibration and deepen their relationship with the energy, but they aren’t yet ready to take the Master Teacher training.

However, even if you’re not ready to teach yet or don’t have a desire to teach at all, you still might want to take the Master Teacher training. Then you can reattune yourself, to continually raise your vibration. You can also attune friends, loved ones, and even animals. 🙂

Q: How can I help current world affairs through my Reiki practice?

A: Continue to do daily self-Reiki, and go get monthly treatments, to raise your vibration and be a living example of peace and balance for others.

Give Reiki treatments to people you feel comfortable being in-person with, to help them be healthy and reduce stress.

If you have Level 2 training you can also send Reiki from a distance to people, as well as to the pandemic, social distress, and any other world affair that’s important to you.

And don’t forget to give Reiki to your pets and your clients’ pets! They pick up on our emotions, and if we’re stressed, they’re often stressed too.

Q: Can I work on other people, or even start a Reiki practice, with Level 1 training?

A: Yes! Many beginning practitioners worry that they don’t have enough experience to conduct an effective Reiki session. Just remember these two things

(1) You are channeling the Reiki energy, not creating it, so you can’t make a mistake.
(2) Reiki is guided by Source, has unlimited healing potential, and can never harm.
There will be a couple of differences, though, between the treatments you give as a Level 1 practitioner and the treatments given by a practitioner who has had further levels of training.
With further levels of training you are able to channel higher and higher vibrations of the Reiki energy, and so the client experiences deeper levels of healing more quickly. However, Level 1 treatments are still deeply healing, and clients receive a lot of benefits from them.

Also, a practitioner with further levels of training has more experience giving treatments and will probably be more comfortable giving them. But there is no need to be nervous as a Level 1 practitioner…that’s just your ego taking over. Just remember (1) and (2) above.

With more practice you’ll become more confident, but you’re always able to channel the energy no matter what your confidence level is. ❤

Q: What’s the best way to “get the hang” of giving Reiki?

A: Practice, practice, practice! The more you practice, the more you’ll get used to it, the more you’ll start to feel the energy flowing, the more results you’ll feel yourself, and the more feedback you’ll hear from those you treat.

The Under Armour athletic wear company put out a tv ad last year, and the tagline was “The only way is through”. They said “To reach whatever goals lie ahead, you must stay on the path to come out better on the other side.”

In Reiki, athletics, and everything else you choose to learn and get better at, the only way is through. Practice, practice, practice!

Q: I have trouble keeping my mind focused when I’m giving a Reiki treatment – do you have any suggestions?

A: This is very common when you first start practicing Reiki. It also happens to experienced practitioners when you have a personal issue on your mind.

Whether you’re giving Reiki to yourself or someone else, it’s like an hour-long meditation. Meditation involves choosing to place your attention on something other than your thoughts. Whenever a thought comes in you simply bring your attention back to your chosen form of meditation – in this case, giving Reiki. This is a back-and-forth practice of awareness that you get better at over time.

I find that using an intuitive approach to giving Reiki to myself and others keeps my mind focused more easily that a prescriptive approach – in other words, using my “gut feeling” or intuitive guidance for what hand positions to use, rather than a set routine of hand positions. Then once I get settled in a hand position, I close my eyes and tune in to the feelings and “visions” that come to me. If my mind wanders off, I return to my sensations.

This is just the way I practice though, other practitioners conduct their sessions differently. When working with others, some practitioners keep their eyes open and focus on the aura. They may also give Reiki with their eyes (Dr. Usui’s method of Gyoshi-Ho that we learn in Level 2). Some practitioners talk during their sessions and interact with the client as they go along.

You will develop your own style of giving Reiki and, with practice, you’ll get better at keeping your attention focused on the session rather than on your thoughts. Even with years of practice, thoughts still creep in to some degree. But you’ll notice it more quickly and redirect your focus more quickly.

Q: Does the distance Reiki that we learn in Level 2 work as well as in-person Reiki?

A: Reiki practitioners channel the same energy to everyone they work with. Whether in-person or distance, how well Reiki works depends on how much energy the client takes in. And how much they take in depends a lot on their mindset.

People can receive distance Reiki any time of day, no matter what they’re doing. Clients who are very used to receiving Reiki will feel the same healing effects from a distance treatment, no matter what they’re doing at the time you send it.

But for most clients, the treatment tends to work better when they can separate themselves from the rest of their day, create a quiet environment, relax and receive. They will take in more energy, and therefore feel more of the effects.

Remember – in order for someone to take in any Reiki at all, we must always get their permission before sending it. ☺🙏✨

Q: I’m an empath – is it safe for me to practice Reiki?

A: This question has a 2-part answer, depending on whether you’re doing self-Reiki or working with others.

First, yes it is absolutely safe for you to practice self-Reiki. It’s actually a really helpful thing for empaths to do. Daily self-Reiki will continually raise your vibration and make it harder for lower-vibration energies to stay within you. Self-Reiki will also help you recover more quickly if you get thrown off-balance by other people’s energy. And you can protect yourself with Reiki before you go anywhere that other people will be, to help deflect their energy.

As far as whether it’s safe for you to practice Reiki on other people will vary, depending on how much you get affected by them. Every empath is different. Mild empaths will do fine, if you follow the guidance in the earlier paragraph. Medium to high empaths will have to test it and see how it affects them. You may want to practice on family and friends first, and widen your circle carefully from there. You can also screen people over the phone, and if it doesn’t feel like a good match, politely refer them elsewhere.

Q: Do I ever need to get reattuned?

A: No, you never need to get reattuned. You never lose the ability to channel Reiki, even if you haven’t practiced Reiki in a long time.

There are a couple of reasons you might choose to get reattuned though. An attunement not only gives you the ability to channel Reiki, but it is also deeply healing and raises your vibration tremendously – like getting 10 Reiki treatments in one!

So you might choose to get reattuned if you’re going through a difficult time physically, mentally or emotionally. The attunement will help resolve the situation more quickly.

You might also choose to get reattuned if you want to raise your vibration, and move yourself along more quickly on your wellness path. Raising your vibration helps you stay more calm in difficult situations, resolve challenges more quickly, stay more healthy, have more faith and trust in the Universe, and be more happy 🙂

Q: If you do self-Reiki, do you still need to get treatments from someone else? If your goal is to be as healthy as possible, as quickly as possible, the answer is yes.

A: Self-Reiki is wonderful for daily maintenance in-between treatments. It is proactive in that it continually raises your vibration, to support you physically, mentally and emotionally. It is also very helpful when you get sick or injured, have a stressful day, or need help falling asleep.

In self-Reiki though, you’re giving and receiving at the same time, so you’re not able to fully relax and just receive. Plus, we often don’t take a full hour for self-Reiki.

Getting a treatment from someone else allows you to get away from your day, spend an hour or more just on yourself, relax more deeply, and take in a greater amount of energy than in self-Reiki. This raises your vibration higher than a self-treatment.

My recommendation is to do self-Reiki as often as possible for as long as possible, and get a treatment from another practitioner every 2 weeks, or at the very least once a month.

Q: How can I be sure the Reiki is flowing?”

A: Whenever you set the intention to channel Reiki, it starts to flow. There will never be a time that it doesn’t. Sometimes the sensations are subtle and hard to feel, such as an “aliveness” in your palms; and sometimes they are more obvious, such as warmth or vibration.

With practice, you begin to tune into the subtle ones and feel them more easily. So all you need to do is say your opening prayer, trust, let go, and let it flow.