What is Reiki: Part III

Waking Point

by Helen Noakes

“You have everything you need: A miraculous body, a phenomenal brain, and a vast and powerful subconscious mind. Now it’s just a matter of focusing them in the right direction.”— James Allen, As You Think

SAN FRANCISCO California—(Weekly Hubris)—6/13/11—There are three degrees of Reiki instruction.

In First Degree Reiki, the student learns the prescribed method of hands-on Reiki work and is shown the method of working on him- or herself and on others. The student is also given a brief history of the practice and receives a set of four attunements. First Degree Reiki is complete unto itself; in other words, it is not necessary to take Second Degree if the student does not wish to do so.

As a Reiki Master, I have the obligation to teach Reiki I to everyone and anyone who seeks it from me.

I strongly recommend this level to people dealing with chronic conditions, pain, or prolonged medical treatment. Daily self treatments not only deliver an extra boost of healing to the distressed areas of the body, but also infuse a powerful dose of energy to manage the daily business of living with an illness. Self-treatment, recharged by treatment from a Reiki professional on a regular basis, can greatly improve the patient’s general well-being and emotional health, often speeding recovery.

Please understand that neither Reiki, nor any other treatment, can promise to cure anyone. Reiki does, however, enhance the quality of life of a patient, and assists the individual in processing medical treatments more effectively. People have reported positive changes in their conditions and some remissions have occurred. I believe that these happen because of the fierce focus of the patient on being healed, along with Reiki work, and traditional medical treatments.

Three symbols are taught in Reiki II. These take the practitioners’ Reiki work to a higher level, adding greater force to hands-on treatments and providing a means to send healing energy at a distance. The Reiki II student is taught how to use the symbols for distant healing and for the enhancement of the power of hands-on treatments.

People interested in taking Reiki II must have worked steadily on themselves and others for a year or more after taking Reiki I. The year’s work acquaints the student with the workings of Reiki energy, its subtle impact on body, mind, and spirit, and its efficacy in strengthening all aspects of the self, which include the physical, emotional, and spiritual systems.

In my lineage, we teach the three Reiki II symbols in their entirety. Some lineages break the symbols up into a number of lessons. It may be good for the teacher’s income, but was not the way Dr. Mikao Usui taught. To break up the symbols robs them of their power.

These symbols carry an immense energy and can only be used with positive intent. Carl G. Jung discusses the power of symbols to unlock subconscious responses within a person, often evoking somatic reactions. The Reiki symbols have that effect.

The symbols may also be utilized as part of a meditative practice, identical to those practiced in Zen Buddhist and Taoist traditions. In such meditations, sacred calligraphy is used to attain a peaceful state of consciousness which energizes the body, sharpens the mind, and is conducive to creativity. This work hones the mind’s ability to focus, thus filtering out stress factors, which are inherently destructive. I teach a separate class to my Reiki II students on the utilization of the Reiki symbols in such meditative practice. I must make it clear that this class is my own addendum to traditional Reiki II instruction.

Reiki III, the Master level, is taught to those who plan to dedicate themselves to teaching Reiki. Once achieved, the Master level further strengthens the Reiki practitioner’s hands-on and distant healing work. During the course of studying Reiki III, the student plumbs deep subconscious levels within him- or herself. Because of this, and because, as Master, the practitioner will be delving into those levels in others, I do not recommend that Reiki III be taken lightly. Students must be certain that they are strong enough to undertake the work, and that they undertake it for serious, positive reasons.

I interview prospective Reiki III students to determine if they are ready to dedicate themselves to the rigorous work ahead, and stipulate that I give them a full treatment and receive a full treatment from them. If, after this process and some serious consideration, I accept the Reiki III student, I ask that they commit to the task ahead.

The one-year training program which I’ve created for my Reiki III students requires meticulous development of various levels of practice, and deep meditative work designed to strengthen their own systems in order to serve their clients and their students more effectively. The work is intense, and the student is encouraged to contact me as often as necessary during the process. Further details are available to prospective Reiki III students.

Anyone wishing to learn Reiki III must have completed Reiki II, and been practicing Reiki II for five years. On rare occasions, I have taught Reiki III after a shorter span with students who have practiced other spiritual modalities for years.

This is the third and final column regarding Reiki; it is meant only as an introduction to the practice. The method and scope of Reiki work is much more complex and vast, and is covered in greater detail in Reiki I, Reiki II and Reiki III classes.

My Reiki Background

A Reiki practitioner since 1988, I became a Reiki Master in 1991, and have taught all three degrees to both American and European students. My Master level was completed in London, where I studied with a Reiki Master who was a Buddhist monk and had been a Jungian psychologist. The work was intense, integrating rigorous spiritual discipline with Reiki instruction, and encouraging research into the psychology of healing.

I have had the privilege of integrating my Reiki work with practitioners of disciplines such as massage, acupuncture, various spa treatments, and other alternative healing practices. In each case, I was informed by both the practitioner and the client that the relaxed state Reiki induced in the client enhanced the ensuing treatment.

I have worked with patients undergoing traditional medical care, particularly those who were dealing with chronic illnesses and pain, or undergoing chemotherapy and other cancer treatments. Again, Reiki’s deeply relaxing effect allowed the patients’ systems more effectively to heal. They informed me that difficult medical treatments seemed more bearable and recovery occurred more quickly.

I am a member of the Reiki Alliance, complying with its rules of ethics and its methods of instruction. While I am diligent regarding the latter, I introduce my students to various spiritual and physical practices which may enhance their work and may lead them to further study and research. When I do so, I make it very clear that the added information is over and above the required Reiki syllabus.

As a member of the Reiki Alliance, I am considered a Traditional Reiki Master. Traditional Reiki Masters can trace their teaching lineage back to Dr. Usui, who is responsible for introducing Reiki to the 20th Century. This means that the sequence and nature of Dr. Usui’s practice and attunement process was passed down from one Master to the ensuing Masters. I am honored and privileged to be a part of that lineage.

Should you require further information, please contact me here at Weekly Hubris, or at hsn@flowsf.com.