What is Reiki ?
Reiki is the Japanese word for universal life force energy. The healing method by the same name is also referred to as Usui Shiki Ryoho, ( The Usui Method Of Natural Healing). Reiki was conveyed to the students of Mikao Usui, a devout Vajrayana practitioner in the Tendai tradition, as a tool to help them calm the mind and to raise their life force energy. His main concern was to support them on their path to enlightenment and to help them maintain good health which is a prerequisite for this quest.
After sharing this simple hands on method with large numbers of people after a disastrous earthquake at the turn of the last century, it appears that the remarkable success he and his students experienced in healing others, caused Reiki to spread in popularity.
The Reiki healing method is a way of channeling universal life force energy, of which everything is made, in order to heal. By channeling this energy, it frees you up to draw more from Source and heal mind, body and spirit. Reiki’s utter simplicity yet powerful results are the main reasons why many people are attracted towards this form of hands on healing.
Reiki works very gently by clearing the energy channels which acts to calm the mind and raise the life force energy. Since those early days, this has been tested over and over in double blind studies. The fact is, most disease is psychosomatic. It is caused by a disturbed mind. If you calm the mind which helps clear the energy blocks caused by stuck emotion, you then easily heal the body.
As we draw in universal life force energy, which surrounds us everywhere, we increase our own energy frequency which then causes old dense energies to be sloughed off. It also adds greatly to the efficacy of meditation or spiritual practice which was Usui Sensei’s main motivation for passing it on to his students.
Today Reiki may be especially important due to the recent scientifically verified shift in the Earth’s frequency. For some time, the Earth has maintained a consistent resonant frequency of 8.6 hertz. In 1991 the Schumann resonance shifted to 13 in the Fibonacci scale. Basically, three things about the earth which can be measured are changing: the “heart beat” is increasing and both the magnetic scale and spin are decreasing. All three together indicate a heightening of consciousness.
In some schools of thought, the earth is regarded as a conscious living being in its own right. This marked increase in its frequency and the predicted one later on, may infer a need to raise our own frequency to be more in synch with the tremendous changes which are occurring. One thing is clear: the practice of Reiki over time helps raise our energy quotient. The way to enter the path of Reiki is through receiving four Reiki attunements or empowerments from a properly trained Reiki master. To a certain extent, the quality of your master will determine your motivation to keep on practicing once you have received the empowerments.
It is important to find someone who through his or her master, has received the direct energy transmission going all the way back to Dr. Usui, and beyond to the lineage of practitioners who were Dr. Usui’s source of inspiration.
Paula has a rich lineage of Reiki Masters traced right back to Dr Usui, who placed a great importance not only on regular Reiki Practice but also on the importance of the Reiki Attitude. She has been a traditional Reiki Master for well over thirty five years, teaching in America, Europe and Asia. She has also authored 5 books on the subject of Reiki, and her knowledge comes not only from what she has learned, but from real felt experience which has evolved over time.
First Degree Reiki
Ideally, First Degree Reiki is taught over a period of four days, and four separate empowerments are given. However, an intensive class comprised of 2 full days with an experienced master can also suffice, with the first and second empowerments given on day one, and the third and forth given on day two.
Broadly, the first degree course comprises of teaching, sharing and practice. The Reiki history needs to be explained in detail, as well as the basic premises of energy healing. Then, the hand positions need to be demonstrated, and ample time has to be reserved for treatments.
A Reiki First Degree class is a joyous and liberating experience. It is a wonderful introduction to learning to nurture oneself and others, and reconnect with the energy that is the basic support for our life, as well as the life of the planet and all of Creation.
Paula’s two day Reiki I Course leaves the participant with a rich introduction to Reiki. You will get sufficient time to digest the principles and history of Reiki, lots of practice, plus time to get all of your questions answered. Paula accepts only 24 students at a time to ensure she can devote attention to each and every student’s needs.
Second Degree Reiki
The Second Degree Reiki class provides the participant the opportunity to attune to a finer frequency of Reiki Energy. The single empowerment of Second Degree attunes the student to the power keys or symbols , which are used at this level to perform absentee as well as an amplified form of emotional healing on oneself. Because Second Degree activates another level of energy, (an amplification of vibratory level in both the physical and etheric bodies), you will again experience a 21 day cleanse process, similar to the one experienced in connection with First Degree, as your body and different energy centers adjust to an even finer level of vibration. Additional techniques are shared for clearing energy blocks and to help bring vasanas or samskaras (conditioned patterns) into conscious awareness.
First Degree empowerments focus on elevating the energy of the physical body, so that it may channel more intense healing energy, whereas, Second Degree Reiki empowerments work more directly on the energy (etheric) body and tend to stimulate development of the intuitive center which is located at the pituitary gland.
After receiving the Second Degree Empowerment, it seems that the normal spherical waves of thought which emanate from this center, and normally dissipate easily, are sharpened and become more focused in both their incoming and outgoing functions. Thus in time, it becomes easier for a Second Degree student to receive information on an intuitive level.
It is wise to use Reiki for a minimum of three and preferably six months before considering Second Degree. The First Degree empowerments accelerate the life force energy. Using Reiki continuously everyday on oneself and others helps to keep the process going. The longer you practice Reiki, the further you increase your vibratory frequency. Thus the student who uses First Degree for a period of time will not only become fully familiar with its subtle nuances and be better prepared to use it; he or she will then also receive a proportionally greater boost with the Second Degree Empowerment.
Third Degree Reiki
Third Degree Reiki is only necessary when you wish to teach, because Second Degree Reiki gives you all the tools you need to clear the conditioned patterns which control you. Third Degree is not about raising your power, it is very much about dropping your “power trip”. Third degree can really shake up your life when conveyed by a qualified master, so you need to be prepared for it.
To benefit from this new frequency, you need to also benefit others. To do this, by teaching, you are also enabled to “empty your cup”, as it gives you the opportunity to see yourself mirrored back by your students. In effect, you help them raise their life force energy as you continuously clear the dross of your own over filled cup. Waking up is after all, not about learning new things, but about letting go of what you think you know.
Viveka
Reiki: My experience with Reiki has been profoundly spiritual, and words fall short once again. Paula embodies Reiki and introduced it to India with a strong sense of ethics, never tolerating a lack of integrity. I understand now why she is selective about whom she mentors. While I could write a book about my experiences with her, I’ll keep this testimonial brief and encourage you to explore Reiki with her or her students to experience it for yourself.