Treating yourself with Reiki is very similar to treating someone else. The session will usually begin with meditation in order to prepare to focus the energy. You can use Joshin Kokyu Ho, or you can use Seishin Toitsu.

Next, you should use prayer or a statement of intention in order to focus your thoughts onto your task. You need to know your main intentions for the treatment before you begin. Whether you wish to heal a physical or spiritual element, you must prepare by focusing on your intent.

Hand positions are used in self-treatment just as they are when treating others. Generally, the front positions are used. It may be difficult to reach the back positions, the legs, or the feet when you are treating yourself.

As you begin, start by covering your eyes with your hands, with your fingers pointed upwards. Breathe deeply, and relax as much as possible. Move your hands up to the top of your head, with your fingers just touching each other in the center of the crown of your head. Next, move your hands to the back of your head, cradling your head in your hands. Move your hands around to the side of your face, cradling your cheeks with your fingers pointing upward. You can also add an additional position where you place your hands over your ears.

Now you should move down and cup your hands around your throat. Your wrists should be together, allowing your hands to wrap around your neck, with your fingers facing the back of your neck. Keep one hand on your neck, and move the other down to rest on your breastbone in the upper middle part of your chest. Then move both hands into position on each side of your chest, with your fingers pointing toward your throat.

Move your hands down to the upper abdomen just below the breasts. Place your hands across your upper abdomen, with the fingers pointing toward each other. Next, your hands should be placed on your lower abdomen in the same position, but this time below the navel. Finally, move your hands down to your lower area with the fingers in a V formation, not quite touching. This formation should come close to your groin area, but should not touch it.

If you wish, you can also place your hands in a V shape on your upper back, just below the neck. Then move down to place your hands on your lower back near your waist as you would if you had strained it and were trying to soothe it. Finally, move your hands down a bit further, resting on your lower back and pointing in a slight downward V.

Leg and foot positions may also be used. Just place your hands over your knees, around your ankles, and over the bottom of your feet. If you can’t reach both feet at once, you can hold one foot at a time.

Although there are other symbols used by some Reiki schools, there are only four that are in use in all schools. These four symbols are Cho Ki Rei, Sei Hei Ki, Hon Sha Ze Sho Zen, and Dai Ko Myo.

Western Reiki schools have slightly different meanings for each of these symbols than Japanese schools. Also, in Western schools, the symbols are referred to by their actual names. In Japanese schools, they are simply referred to by their numbers, as in first, second, third, and fourth.

We’re going to take a look at the four different symbols, including their functions, and the effects they can have on you when used.

Cho Ki Rei (pronounced cho koo ray) is also known as the power symbol. It is used for focusing energy, connecting you with the earth, purifying the body or inanimate objects, and it can also add additional power when used in conjunction with other symbols.

Its primary purposes include making an individual feel more grounded, the protection of an individual, the healing of illnesses and pain, and to purify things like rooms, homes, places, or food.

Sei Hei Ki (pronounced say hay kee) is known as the mental symbol or emotional symbol. It used to purify the spirit, the mind, and emotions, empowering the spiritual mind, and for promoting balance and harmony.

The primary purposes of this symbol are for healing mental issues such as depression, grief, or anger, to treat addictions or bad habits, and to promote love, forgiveness, and empathy.

Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen (pronounced hahn shah zay show nen) is known as the distance symbol. This particular symbol is a little more difficult to learn and master than the two previous symbols.

This symbol is used to connect the spirit to new levels of space and time, and to unify individuals within this realm. It is said that this symbol can project the Reiki to other locations or times, to connect with a higher power, and to connect with your soul or the soul of another person.

Dai Ko Myo (pronounced die ko mee-oh) is known as the Master symbol. It is considered the symbol of empowerment and mastership, and is the final symbol that must be mastered to attain the title of Reiki Master.

The symbol is primarily used to pass attunements, to aid in meditation, and it is used during Reiki treatments.

Meditation is extremely useful for Reiki, because it allows the mind to focus.  The distractions of daily life can be very disruptive to the flow of Reiki energy, and meditation can be used to focus the flow, clear the mind, and open the channels of energy up in order to maximize the flow.

Some practitioners believe in the existence of spirit guides who can be called on for help.  This is most common in Western Reiki.  It is believed that everyone has spirit guides who watch over them and assist them throughout life.

Once you have been attuned to Reiki energy, you may wish to call on these guides to help you.  You may even wish to pray to these guides if you don’t believe in another higher power.

Before you begin any type of meditation, you should make sure you don’t have any physical conditions that might preclude you from participating in that type of meditation.  For example, if you have high blood pressure, breathing meditation might aggravate your condition before the Reiki energy has a chance to work to heal it.

Joshin Kokyu Ho is a Japanese form of meditation that is very useful for Reiki.  The method is used to bring the breath down into the belly.  This can help focus the mind, the spirit, and connect the body to the flow of energy.

Start by sitting or standing comfortably.  Find the position that is most comfortable for you.  Use the Gassho hand position by pressing your palms together in front of you, either in front of your chest, nose, or forehead, whichever makes you feel more comfortable.

Slowly move your hands to down to your thighs with your palms facing upward in order to receive the energy as you breathe in through your nose.  Imagine energy entering your body through the seventh chakra, the crown, at the top of your head, traveling down through your chest and into your belly, the second chakra, known as the hara.  You might visualize this energy as a strong white light moving through your body.

Imagine yourself holding this energy in your belly, then breathe out through your mouth.  As you breathe out, imagine the energy escaping through every pore in your skin in millions of rays of white light.

Continue this meditation until you feel open and ready to begin your Reiki session.  Once you feel you are ready to begin, end your meditation session with another Gassho, placing your palms together as if in prayer.

Reiki can be used at any time, in any place, during any conditions.  But in order for it to be at its most powerful, you should set the stage.  Reiki works on a principle that is very similar to electricity.  Energy flows through all things.  Like electricity, Reiki must first be “plugged in”, in the form of attunement.  After this, there must be a strong current available through which the energy can flow.  If the current is broken temporarily, the energy cannot flow properly.

While Reiki energy comes through you, it does not originate within you.  If one attempted to use their own energy to heal someone else, they would begin to feel tired, even depleted.  But by accessing Reiki energy, an infinite power source, you can heal yourself or others without needing to deplete your own.

In order to achieve the best connection to the available Reiki energy, you must first turn yourself into a conductor.  Much like electricity flows better in certain conditions, Reiki energy flows better when the conditions are right.  This energy can be blocked or muted by distractions.

First, you must make the time to connect properly.  If you are in a hurry, you will likely find that you aren’t able to connect as well as you should.  Try to find a calm, quiet place.  If you have music that relaxes you, you can play it softly.  Use any type of music that really moves you, as long as it puts you in a state of calm and peace.

Reiki energy is at its most powerful in nature.  In order to have the best possible connection, you may wish to go outdoors.  Parks, forests, lake shores, and beaches are all marvelous places to connect.  The sound of flowing or moving water is extremely relaxing, so if you can locate an area with moving water, it will amplify the flow of energy in the same way water is a superconductor for electricity.

As you begin to access the Reiki energy, you may wish to pray.  If you don’t believe in God, you may pray to any higher entity you wish.  You may pray to guardian angels, saints, spirit guides, or to the energy itself.  Call upon the energy that is within the spiritual entity you believe in.

By setting the stage before you begin, you will find that the energy is much easier to access, and will be much more powerful than it would be if you began without these preparations.  Electricity cannot move through a closed circuit, and Reiki energy cannot move through a closed mind.  So take the time to open up your mind and your spirit, and you will be rewarded with a strong current of healing energy.

Before a Reiki Master begins healing, they may use a form of scanning called Byosen Reikan Ho to sense the areas of the body which need to be healed.  The hands are held above the recipient’s body and moved over the surface, not touching the body, but hovering slightly above it.

The Master must notice any sensations they observe as they move their hands over the body.  This may be temperature changes, pain, itching, tingling, or other unusual sensations.  When these sensations are noticed, the Master then focuses Reiki energy into those areas where the change is noticed.

Some Masters use the scanning technique before a session begins, first scanning the entire body before they begin treatment.  This way, they can get a thorough assessment before treatment begins in order to begin concentrating on those areas prior to starting.

Others prefer to scan while the session is taking place.  They move their hands over the body, usually starting at the head, and they stop and concentrate Reiki energy whenever they encounter sensations.

It may be a good idea to do an initial scan before you begin.  Most practitioners pray or say some sort of affirmation before they begin a session in order to clear their mind, open the flow of energy, and prepare to focus the session.

If you don’t perform this initial scan, you won’t know what to say in your prayer or statement of intention.  You should ideally have some idea of the purpose of the session before you begin, which is why scanning prior to beginning is important.

Of course, you may also scan as you go in order to find areas you may have missed during your initial scan.  These scans are by no means comprehensive.  The practitioner may simply miss certain areas, particularly those which have problems that are in the early stages of development.  When these problems are in the early phases, their energy may be faint.  This could lead to potential problems being missed during the initial scan.

I suggest scanning once before beginning in order to develop an initial picture of the situation for use in your statement of intention or prayer.  Then continue to scan the body as you focus energy in order to attempt to find any problem zones you may have missed in the initial scan.  This way, you can be sure to uncover more potential problems than you would by using either scanning method on its own.

Some Reiki Masters claim to be able to focus Reiki energy from distant locations.  A few claim to be able to do this from other cities, other states, and even other countries.  It is relatively rare when a Master can truly attain this level of focus, but all Reiki Masters can focus Reiki energy from across a room.

Sometimes there are reasons why the Master can’t perform the hand positions on a recipient.  This may be due to contagious illnesses, being separated physically (as in jailed or restrained individuals), or because the recipient is not receptive to being touched by the Master.  For example, autistic individuals may not be able to deal with being in such close proximity with the Master, and pets may not be able to be near people if they are aggressive.

There are two main techniques that are used to send Reiki energy across distances.  The eyes and the breath can be used to direct the energy from the hands to another location.  This can be accomplished with nearby individuals, but some Reiki Masters can project the energy over great distances using these techniques.

Gyosi Ho is the method of healing by using the eyes.  First, you should stare gently at the individual you wish to connect with.  If you can’t do this in person, you can gaze at a full body photograph of the individual.  The photograph should ideally be full body so that you can do the next part of the treatment.

Next, you should move your gaze to the part of the body where you would normally place your hands for treatment.  Allow the Reiki energy to flow from your eyes by visualizing the appropriate symbols and imagining the symbols slowing out to the recipient.

Once you have finished staring intently at the area receiving treatment, you should return your eyes to a gentle stare before moving on to stare intently at the next area to receive treatment.

Koki Ho is the practice of healing with the breath.  First, you should meditate in order to prepare your body to channel the energy.  Breathe in and bring your breath into your hara, your belly.

Now imagine the symbol you wish to use.  You may wish to use your tongue to draw it on the roof of your mouth.  As you slowly exhale, blow the symbol out toward the part of the body that is to receive treatment.  Imagine the symbol containing the Reiki energy being blown directly into the recipient’s body at the point your hands would normally be.  Continue this until all parts of the body that were in need of healing have been treated.

Reiki is an interesting method of alternative healing, whose popularity has grown steadily in the last century.  Reiki therapy focuses on achieving a positive flow of energy (Ki) around and through the body, thus improving the patient’s health and wellbeing.

In a typical Reiki treatment, the patient will lie down and relax as the Reiki practitioner lays his or her hands on or slightly above the patient and passes healing energy to the patient.  Reiki is becoming more common and this guide is designed to help you find a Reiki practitioner and get the most out of your experience.

How to find a good Reiki healer:

1. The Yellow Pages: Reiki will most likely be found under Alternative Medicine category.
2. Online resources: Head to Yell.com and do a search for Reiki in your area.  Or try DMOZ.org or the Yahoo Directory.
3. Find a specialized directory related to alternative medicine, such as ZenLocate.com.
4. Talk to friends and coworkers: Ask around; a personal recommendation from someone you know and trust is an excellent way to get started.
5. Do a web search: If you’re not sure where to start, or looking for more information, head on over to Google or Big and try searching for something in your area (e.g. “Reiki Practioner in New York”).

Once you’ve located a Reiki specialist, the next step is to talk to him or her and find out exactly how they can help you.  Just as you would with any other doctor, it’s a good idea to ask some questions before beginning treatment.  We suggest you start with some basic questions:

1. How long have you been practicing Reiki?
2. Do you practice full or part time?
3. Where and with whom did you study?
4. At what level are you certified?
5. How long will the session last, and will I need to come back for further sessions?
6. I know there are different styles of Reiki practiced. What method do you use and how does it work?
7. How much will it cost?

Once they’ve answered these questions to your satisfaction, you’re ready to choose the Reiki practitioner who most closely meets your requirements.

Reiki in Japanese means “God’s Wisdom” and “Life Force Energy”. It treats your mind, body and soul. You can learn how to use Reiki by taking a class with a Reiki Master. You need to learn the special techniques to gather the ability to use this powerful relaxation method. Your Reiki master becomes a passageway to transfer the energy from them to you. The energy that will move through you will put you back into balance. The Reiki instructor will place his or her hands on the person that is in need to healing, and the energy will then be transferred from them to you. The master will then bring enough energy that is needed into its student. They keep a space between them and you and it is the masters job to transfer that new energy. They have different hand positions they use over their Reiki student. It is said this will have a positive effect on your whole self. Having positive thoughts is believed in Reiki to bring you good fortune and good health. If you have negative thoughts, will bring you discomfort, stress and illness.

Anyone can practice Reiki who is willing to be committed to it. Many of thought of Reiki as a different kind of religion, but it is not. Whether you practice religion or not, you do not need to believe in any type of religion to use Reiki. The idea of Reiki is to heal people and even objects that are in disarray with positive flows of energy. Before starting to practice Reiki, be sure to consult your physician, especially if you suffer from major injuries or illnesses. Many people have said Reiki is very effective. The transfer of energy through touch is an amazing experience. You can find a Reiki master through the internet. There are not many places where you can find one, but if you have a Reiki master in your area, go and have the experience of a lifetime.

And taking this life force energy a little further, practitioners have entered into realizations and developed several reiki techniques to promote healing faster. One of which is a version called Celtic reiki.

Celtic reiki utilizes the energy flows present on Earth and specific plants. Practitioners of this reiki use not only the universal life force energy present in all things but also the specific energy found in nature to heal those who needs healing.

This reiki system comes from the religious beliefs of early Celts. To the early Celts, trees are important aspects of their religion believing that trees have their own spirits. They gave the trees such high regards that they even patterned their writing system based on the trees.

The Celts Ogham, which is the ancient writing of Celtic people, uses symbols or letters that are cut as a series of notches and symbolizes different kinds of trees. Each letter represents a different kind of tree, specifically chosen for qualities that can be linked to spiritual concepts.

Some of the trees that are represented in the Celtic alphabet include the silver fir, birch, hawthorn, heather, ash, oak, willow, elder, yew, grove, ivy, hazel, and honeysuckle. Practitioners of Celtic reiki use the symbols from the Ogham. This reiki also follows the Celtic philosophy of bravery, honor, integrity, valor and reverence.

But even though Celtic reiki draws influences from ancient Celtic religion, the practice itself is not a religious one. But rather it is a therapy that aims to treat the mind, body and spirit. It is not connected to any religion and as such can be passed down to everybody regardless of age, race, gender, and culture.

Celtic reiki was created by Martyn Pentecost. It was developed further Julie Norman. Practitioners of this reiki see this technique as a beautiful and earthy form. Having foundations on earth energy, this reiki has to channel the energy vibrations from the earth, specific plants, trees and the ocean through the root chakra as opposed to the crown chakra that is where conventional reiki channels the energy.

The techniques developed by Pentecost between 1998 and 2000 are used for therapy and goal creations. Combining the concept of the original reiki and the various Celtic beliefs and rituals, the Celtikc reiki techniques were created to handle day to day activities like tackling issues of prosperity, finance, work, and building relationships.

People who are interested in plants, trees, and tree and plant legend or lore, are often drawn to the Celtic reiki belief. Men in particular are drawn closer to the Celtic reiki because it seems that this reiki has more masculine types of energy. But in reality, Celtic reiki is regarded as an equal among the other kinds of reikis.

The Celtic reiki treatment usually lasts for an hour and involves placing the hands in strategic locations and in specific sequences that will elicit a deep state of relaxation.

A student achieving attunement means having been open to the tree and plant energies, the ethics of stuff, the various Celtic symbols, hand placements, moon phases, and the various aspects of soul journeying, retrieval, and realization.

Reiki music is used to create calm and peaceful atmosphere in order for the healing to take place. This is available for download while some retailers sell these in CD online. One example of this is Shamballa that is often used by seasoned spiritual travelers.

For those who have never done a Reiki session with music before, it is recommended to use one with gentle tunes first before trying out something more diverse. If the site you are visiting allows you to hear a sound clip, try it out so you have an idea where the music can take you.

Do you really need to use Reiki music during a healing session? The answer is no because meditation music or any other kind may also work as long as it is designed for relaxation purposes.

As much as possible, the recording should last for about 60 to 75 minutes which is the average time it takes to feel energized after a session.

Just like a regular session without music, you can tell if it is working when you feel different sensations throughout your body. An individual who feels down will afterwards experience an emotional release or relief.

Once you have found the right Reiki music, you can put it on and then simply sit or lie down in a comfortable position. You then place your hands over your face with the palms over the eyes, touch the tongue to the roof of the mouth with the tip of your tongue just behind the teeth. Remember to inhale and let the energy flow into your body and then let it go out along your arms and out through your face.

The same slow movement should be done with the other parts of the body so you wake up feeling refreshed and recharged.

Reiki wouldnt be around for more than a hundred years if it is not able to help those recover from emotional disturbances and addictions

In fact, various studies have been conducted and results have shown that patients are able to recover faster after surgery. This is the reason that there are more hospitals and clinics that have started to practice Reiki even before an operation to help them relax.

Those who worship Christianity have also embraced Reiki because its methods help them express compassion towards others and bring them closer to God. This is because Jesus healed with his hands and so is the hand healing technique used in Reiki that has made this very appealing.

Anyone can practice Reiki and you can do this with or without Reiki music because the tune that you hear only helps you relax when the most important thing to learn is the proper hand technique. This can only be taught by a master Reiki and when this is passed on to you, this can also be shared with others.

You just need to keep an open mind and have faith so you may also experience the positive energy that is needed to heal whatever part of the body, mind or soul that requires healing.