Once You Complete Reiki Level 1
 

Desire and Motivation Commendable
If you have been inspired to study the art of Reiki healing – congratulations!

Well done!  You should be proud for having the desire and the motivation to educate yourself.  You should also take pride for maintaining an open awareness that there exists a greater power source than what is seen by the naked eye.  Pat yourself on the back for acknowledging the fact that you are a healer and that you have the capacity to heal yourself or others.

Awakening Your Soul
By completing Reiki Level 1, your memory has been tweaked, in which you have been reminded what your soul already knows.

Reiki Level 1 is Self-Healing
You are now aware that Reiki Level 1 is all about self-healing and as you practice, you will sense universal life-force energy.  But it is not enough just to learn the techniques; you also need to utilize them on a daily basis.  As with any worthwhile goal that you wish to achieve, it takes discipline, hard work and determination, plus a clear focus of intention to successfully attain your desired fulfillment.

Incorporate Knowledge into Daily Living
Too often students are gung-ho about learning new knowledge, but then they fail to incorporate this knowledge into their daily lives.  Of course with busy schedules and life-styles, sometimes it is very difficult to adjust or regulate this in order to experience the full benefit for using Reiki on a daily basis.

Set a Structured Routine
However, after completing Reiki Level 1, it is important to implement a set structure for practicing what you have learned, otherwise you risk forgetting the acquired knowledge.  It is all too easy to placate yourself by assuring that you will…. “do it tomorrow”, but in truth, this mindset usually fails.  And really, who are you kidding?

The one great benefit of Reiki Level 1 is that it teaches you how to heal yourself, creating balance between your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels.  Without healing yourself first, you really shouldn’t attempt to heal others, although many still do.  But if you think about it, I’m sure that you will agree that it is very important to clear your own mental clutter or emotional baggage before trying to help or heal others.  Why would you want to complicate or upset your own delicate state with other people’s problems until you are mentally, emotionally or physically strong enough to assimilate any additional pressure?

So in order to allow Reiki Level 1 to benefit you significantly, be vigilant about establishing a daily routine in which you practice on yourself, whether you are feeling healthy or not.  This will give you training for doing hand placements, which will in turn boost your confidence level.  After awhile, you won’t have to think about what the next step is or dither about whether you are doing it right or wrong for it will become a natural habit.  It will also cleanse, balance and harmonize the energies within your four bodies (or levels) by eliminating energy blockages, impurities or toxins to allow energy to flow freely throughout your system.  As well, it will enhance and strengthen your soul’s connection to the universal life-force or to the spiritual level.  A natural occurrence that comes with daily practice is that you may start to receive messages, inspirations or see visions and this just confirms that your connection to the universal life-force is indeed intensifying.

Compact 15 to 30 Minute Method
It is your choice as to how you wish to practice on yourself, but the following method is a compact version (which should be done daily), where you only concentrate on the upper half of your body, but your focus and intention is that the Reiki energy will flow throughout your entire body.  Choose a convenient, quiet time, either upon awakening or before going to sleep or perhaps during meditation time.

This method can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes depending on how long you leave your hands on each area.  You will do nine Reiki self-treatment hand placements starting from over your eyes and progressing to cheeks, crown, back of head (pressing your thumbs into your occipital ridge to induce greater relaxation), throat, heart, solar plexus, sacral and root chakras.  Visualize and feel the warmth from the universal white light penetrate your crown chakra and then flow to your heart chakra, but keep in mind that the Reiki energy will flow to where it is most needed.  Resist expecting any particular outcome - just stay open to receive.  Breathe slowly and deeply allowing the Reiki energy to fill and disperse throughout your body, as well as ground you to earth and universal energies.  Allow your hands to remain in place from 1/2 to 5 minutes depending on your time-frame or as your intuition indicates.

This is also an excellent time to recite the five Reiki principles or precepts so that they will become thoroughly ingrained into your subconscious mind.

1. Just for today.....let go of anger

2. Just for today.....let go of fear

3. Just for today.....honour your parents, teachers and elders

4. Just for today.....earn your living honestly

5. Just for today.....honour all living things

Close and Balance Your Chakras
Finish your routine by closing and balancing your chakras using the laddering technique or use a method you are already comfortable with.  For those who are unfamiliar with the laddering method, simply follow these steps……

1. Start by placing one hand on your root chakra, while placing the other hand on your sacral chakra - leave for 30-seconds

2. Take your hand off your root chakra and place it on your solar plexus; your other hand remains on your sacral chakra – leave for 30-seconds

3. Take your hand off your sacral chakra and place it on your heart chakra; your other hand remains on your solar plexus chakra – leave for 30-seconds

4. Take your hand off your solar plexus chakra and place it on your throat chakra; your other hand remains on your heart chakra – leave for 30-seconds

5. Take your hand off your throat chakra and place it on your 3^rd eye chakra; your other hand remains on your heart chakra (your heart chakra is the dividing point that connects your physical being to the spiritual realm) – leave for 30-seconds

6. Take your hand off your 3^rd eye chakra and place it on your crown chakra; your other hand remains on your heart chakra – leave for 30-seconds

7. As you place your hands on each chakra, your intention is to close each chakra, like flower petals closing up, but leave a small opening in the centre to allow energy to still flow.  Visualize universal light penetrating; feel its warmth

Practice Reiki Hand Placement and Breathing Techniques
Remember, there is no right or wrong way to do the hand placements.  What is essential is that you do them on a regular basis, not just once in a blue moon.

Although it is important to practice the Reiki hand placements, it is also advisable to practice energy breathing techniques, which will ground you, strengthen your ability to draw in universal life-force or Reiki energy, accelerate the removal of toxins, plus deliver more oxygen and nutrients throughout your body.  I have outlined energy breathing exercises in my posted article entitled, “If you Experience a Loss of Energy after Giving a Reiki Treatment.”  Also, it is important to journalize in a diary your daily experiences, which will help you to track energy shifts, as well as your personal growth pattern and your spiritual growth pattern.

Ability to Heal Yourself and More....
Once you complete Reiki Level 1, you have the ability not only to heal yourself, but to heal others or to heal animals as well. 

However, to repeat myself once more – in order to be more beneficial to others, please take the time and make the effort to heal yourself first.  This is not wasted time and the benefits that empower you will be well worth any inconveniences.

© Margaret I. Jang
www.onesourcelearn.com
June 22, 2007

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About the author: Margaret Jang is a spiritual poet and inspirational writer, as well as an intuitive arts teacher focusing on psychic/channelling development.  She also dedicates her time to soul numerology readings and is a Reiki Master Teacher and practitioner.  Margaret established One Source Learning Centre for Inner Healing in 2005 in Vancouver, BC, Canada.  She may be contacted via e-mail.

Note: Articles, poetry and soul inspiring expressions are © Copyright protected - all rights reserved. In order to copy, reprint, publish, quote, electronically transfer, post to websites or blogs, or reproduce in any manner, please obtain written permission from author Margaret I. Jang.

Disclaimer
The above information is not intended to replace, diagnose, prescribe or treat any ailment or to be used as a replacement for medical treatment or consultation.  It is only intended to enhance your knowledge or general interest and is offered as an alternative and complimentary source of information.   In all cases, it is recommended that you continue to follow medical treatment as prescribed by your medical physician.
 

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