Reiki in my new role.

I would like to start this post by saying that I don't believe in just giving someone Reiki without them knowing or requesting it. It is one of those things where some people agree with it and some people disagree with it and thats fine, each to their own.

However.

In my new role as a care assistant, I am faced every day with people suffering from Dementia. In my two weeks there my heart has broken for all those suffering as a result of the Dementia. The individual, their family and friends, the carers and nurses. Everyone is affected in some degree. It is a harrowing to see, to watch, to not be able to do anything. And one night, it got too much for me.

I was trying to help M* to bed. Without fail, every night at 7pm, M will start to cry. What will start as a slight worry for M will grow and grow until her body is wracked with sobs. She feels compelled to do something but is unsure what, which feeds the frustration. M will pace around the ground floor until one of us lead her to her room to try, unsuccessfully, to calm her.

This got too much for me, and I was at such a loss as to what to do that, knelt before her, I closed my eyes, placed my hands on her knees and began to channel Reiki. After a few minutes she had calmed down enough to speak to me. I consoled her worries and got her ready for bed. Since then I have used Reiki more in my job. I figure it is down to our Spirit Guides to accept it or not. Reiki will never hurt anyone so I can't be doing any harm by trying.

Sometimes, a soothing, calm demeanor just isn't enough.

(*obviously I'm not going to use her name)

Reiki I: My first 21 days.

Well, it has been exactly three weeks since I was attuned to Reiki I. Three wonderful, fabulous, enlightening weeks.

My life has been changed.

Self Treatments vs Case Study.

I have been doing my self treatments religiously since I was attuned to Reiki I on June 3rd. I have noticed that I am getting better at focusing on myself during these treatments and as a result my life seems to be flowing considerably better. I am however quite underwhelmed by it at times and feel as though I am lacking in terms of "power" for lack of a better term.

On the day of my level I attunement I was given the chance to direct some healing to my teachers partner. I knew about an ailment he had had for quite some time but didn't think much of his health or wellbeing as I was positioned next to him. I was thinking "as if this is going to work so soon". I was told that if all I wanted to do was Scan, that was fine and we could compare notes when she was done with her treatment.

During the scanning process I felt cold areas on his chest (lungs) and knees, and felt compelled to go to the soles of his feet. I placed my hands there for the duration of the  treatment my Reiki Master was giving. With my eyes closed. I felt as though I was swaying but I'm pretty sure I was still.

I felt hot all over, like all the individual atoms of my body were vibrating at such a rate I was boiling over. Even my eye balls felt like they were tingling. At the end of the treatment, our "patient" stood up and said "the heat from your hands travelled so fast up my left leg and into the base of my spine and was so, so hot.... and now my back doesn't hurt."

My Reiki Master and I confirmed our cold spots, the lungs and knees and I gave a bit of a treatment to my Reiki Master as she wanted to sample the heat from my hands. 

All in all it gave me a confidence knowing that I had helped someone, even though I doubted I was as strong as that. Doubt is easy in the first days and weeks of practicing Reiki, I think.

My Mother called me yesterday and gave me an update on our Buxton weekend, we are now going to be a group of four, with my Reiki Master and Aunty coming along with us. During the conversation she said, "By the way, your first Reiki patient has told me that his back is still fine and he has had no pain since he received a treatment from you, and come to think of it, neither have I."

Maybe I have a thing for healing backs.

I will discuss with my Reiki Teacher on Saturday when she will consider the second attunement. I am eager to learn it as I have read great things about it, primarily from Alice Langholt's blog Reiki Awakening.It is a fascinating read right from when she was Reiki I.

I'm eager to be able to offer distance healing. Especially as there are not a lot of people surrounding me who want a hands-on treatment.

The changes.

I know this is my second post in a very short space of time but I want to share the changes that have occurred in my life since my attunement (June 3rd) to Reiki Level I.

During the attunement itself I was incredibly warm. My Reiki Master assured me that this was normal, and I would probably feel a lot more sensations over the next couple of weeks, as well as going into detox, which will involve the purging of toxins from my body. I'm quite an emotional individual so I expected to probably have a few random cries at things as well (as my consciousness lets go of the negativity I have been holding on to) and left her house floating on a stream of brand new and invigorating energy.

I was suddenly craving fruit, and must admit, detoxing was very easy for me, as although I am a meat eater and you will often find me chowing down on steak, I went off red meat. I don't drink or smoke anyway so that wasn't an issue. But there were some days where I would sit and cry and nothingness. I was assured this was normal and ok, I didn't have to know why I was crying and I understood that it was simply myself letting go of any negativity left over from any of my previous life situations or indeed situations from any previous lives. 

I have been a believer in positive thinking for some years now, although I have never been great at manifesting. My dad says it is a question of focus, and that my focus lacked focus. But since being attuned I have been manifesting all manner of things, from the small to the large, and my life is so significantly more amazing that it radiates from me in waves so strong, people remark on my "presence". 

Of course, there are always those who are threatened by this "presence" and I am learning to send love to these people. By sending love I hope they will see I am not a threat, but a friend, and I would never force my beliefs or opinions on anybody.

I'm also a much tidier person all of a sudden. My scatty messy self now has a place for everything and everything in it's place. Something my grandmother will be very pleased about.

Reiki has opened my eyes to so many new and wonderful things. Every day I find myself smiling and so very appreciative of all these new sensations, new feelings, new thoughts. 

Reiki didn't just change my life, it saved my life.

The single step.

I like to consider myself to be a spiritual person, although I have never been able to find a religion I have been comfortable enough with to practice full time.

The last year has been particularly tough for me although I couldn't pin down the reason for my dark days and instead of dwelling, I would sleep. Which is in itself a form of dwelling. My doctor prescribed me anti-depressants and counselling (which never came to fruition oddly enough) and after a few months of non-stop pill taking I decided enough was enough. I had been turned into a zombie, and worst of all, I was still very much unhappy and not myself.

One morning, I awoke with such a strong feeling it nearly pushed me out of bed. It woke Sam up and he asked me what was wrong. "I need to learn Reiki" was my reply.

Now, I hadn't received a Reiki treatment for years at this point. I had previously been treated twice by a Reiki practitioner, then Master regarding two previous health issues and I had benefited greatly from her healing. So much so that I hadn't bothered going back for more treatment as I didn't need it.

Sam of course didn't have a clue what I was on about and rolled over and went back to sleep. But I couldn't sleep! I was suddenly so full of energy and vitality that I had to get out of bed and find a way of being attuned to Reiki.

It was another couple of weeks before I was able to be attuned. And it was the most magical day of my life to date.

Whats surprised me is the different reactions and opinions people have towards Reiki. Sam, my boyfriend of 6 years refuses flat out to believe it is real or tangible. He thinks it is "fake" and that I am half way to crazy. However, after doing a self treatment (usually at night time) he cannot stand to lie next to me because I am radiating such intense heat it prickles his skin. And other people, such as my colleagues, who I thought would react much the same as Sam, are so receptive to it they will ask for healing there and then on the shop floor.

Being attuned to Reiki was my single step to what has become, and hopefully continue to be, an amazing journey.