The Bright Path: Healing Hands

A few days ago I learned Reiki. The opportunity to learn Reiki came to me by an invitation from a yoga instructor at the yoga studio I go to. At the time most of me did not believe this could work, I've had Reiki properly done on me once in a flea market in southern California and it did not knock me off my chair so to speak. Since then without further reinforcement, my mind dismissed the mildly fascinating experience as a trick of the mind. We have a tendency to remember only the details that reinforce our deepest beliefs, and my deepest beliefs were restricted to the phenomena that science could explain with a formula because of my undergraduate studies in physics.

A few days ago when I learned Reiki the old model of belief took a huge beating. Six of us gathered at a yoga studio - five students and one Reiki Master. I walked in expecting a magician in robes but the Reiki master seemed benign and ordinary, actually just like your typical middle aged Asian housewife. The yoga studio however was prepped quite nicely, an OM chant was playing and lavender incense was burning to cleanse the energy of the room. We sat on blankets and Anne briefed us on the history, principles and theory of Reiki. I was heartened to learn that according to one account of the discovery of Reiki, the original master was a dean of a Christian school in Kyoto, Japan named Dr. Usui whose original quest was to learn how Jesus could heal in miraculous ways. Learning this was affirmation that here surely was another stepping stone on my quest to find the Truth.

The Reiki ability is not grown gradually and it is not dependent on individual talent, it is simply passed from teacher to student in an attunement process, hence anyone can learn it. First we performed a brief meditative and visualization procedure to cleanse our chakras, then Anne transfered the Reiki energy to us. For this we sat in a chair with closed eyes, our feet on the floor and hands clasped in a prayer position over our chests while she did her magic stuff. It was during this part of the attunement that I felt a very strong distinct tingling sensation over my head, throat and heart chakras. Until that moment I had questioned the existence of chakras and so it startled me, in my mind I saw a twinkling burst of yellow light. For the rest of that day, I was tingling and pulsing in certain chakral locations along my spine.

Once we were attuned, we practiced on each other. The client would lie down and the practitioner would place his/her hands at certain locations on the body. If healing was needed the hands would either tingle, grow hot or very cold. The new practitioner that treated me accurately located the areas in my body where I knew I was hurt or weak. I could also verify the sensations in his hands as he described them to the class. When it was time for me to treat my friend, my skepticism took over as I placed my hands on her. Yet by the end of the treatment skepticism was replaced by wonder.

That night I awoke at 3am and could not return to sleep, I felt too alert and there was a clarity in me that I could not recall ever knowing. So I Ascended hoping that it would help me sleep. During my meditation I felt a great calmness descend and my body dissolve. I have never been in such a pleasurable blissful state. I did not want it to end.

I will conclude this journal entry with the Reiki Principles/Ideals as guidelines for living a gracious life and virtues worthy of practice for their inherent value. From my manual: