Enaid said:
I think I know what you mean about a natural sensation, but what I'm talking about specifically is the observation that this energy stream energizes me, and even helps to get rid of pain. As you've described it, this energy stream is stronger the stronger my own system's energy is. There were times where I had barely any energy and no energy stream would come out of my hands to alleviate the pain I had.
Which bears the question whether this is simply my own energy, and nothing from outside, which has healing properties of its own to some extent.
Enaid said:
I discovered an energy stream coming through my hands maybe six years ago and have been 'laying hands' on me, a pet, and a few times on others after permission. When I do it on myself I feel energized afterwards, though nothing groundbreaking like heat.
My question is: without any attunement, is it okay (as in safe) to 'lay hands' on oneself? Considering that my vessel is far from clean, I wonder what kind of energy is it that is coming through my hands?
Hi Enaid. I had similar experiences and similar questions on my mind some years ago, and they ultimately lead me into studying the original Reiki. I'll try to answer some of your questions, relying on my own experience and the training and knowledge I've received from my own teacher.
It's natural and quite common to feel energy emanating out of your hands, and I think that in a sense people are subconsciously aware of it and using it: when we get hurt, like when accidentally injuring our leg or arm, we instinctively put our hands on that sore spot - and often it soothes the pain, just a bit. It also seems that this natural ability to feel and use some kind of energy flow is hereditary. I know a couple of people (and read of others) who say that they are doing their own type of 'Reiki' and it has been in their family for many generations. Now, we can't of course be sure of what kind of 'energy' or 'method' different natural healers use. There are good ones, dangerous ones and just plainly bad/useless ones. Often the key lies in the intention that lies behind the action/healing.
At some point in my life I got interested in Reiki. I did some reading on the subject and wanted instantly to try it out. I knew I had no attunements, but I was curious to see if anything would happen. So, I put my hands on different locations, first on my self, and then on my wife(!) - and sure enough, I felt something. It could have been just hypersensitivity because of my intention to do it, but after a couple of times I was confident that there was 'something' happening.
Some months later I finally found a good and reliable teacher of the traditional Usui Reiki, and I decided to ask about my early experiences. His answer was that many of us have the capability to conduct what he called 'earth energy'. He explained that it was like the concept of grounding in electricity - conducting that energy was completely safe and to some extent useful. He added however, that this was not Reiki. He then explained that Reiki was a more detailed, more exact 'science' of harnessing these energies and that everyone could learn and do it, if they would study and work on it. If I remember correctly, he added that there probably would be other ways than Reiki to do the 'conducting', but because Usui is the only one of who's teachings we know of and who shared it, it is the best way/school we can rely on. He also warned, that there are many false disciplines of 'Reiki' out there, and he couldn't vouch for their usefulness.
So, I would say that there is probably no harm in doing 'home made Reiki' as long as it comes naturally from yourself, and not from some outer source in form of a mystical teacher, strange rituals, symbols and e.g. 'ancient Egypt' teachings. But I would like to add, that if you want to be on the safe side, it would probably be a good idea to take a course in the traditional Usui Reiki - and what's nice about it, it really enhances your capabilities and your ability to help others. Studying, learning and most importantly practicing/applying Reiki on yourself and others makes it also easier for you to 'turn it on' whenever you want to. And I think it's important to keep in mind, that the original Usui teachings were not just about 'laying on hands' - there is great emphasis on meditation, self awareness and external consideration. The westernized version, a branch that the naval officer Takata brought to the West, has pretty much excluded these elements of the teaching. In case you're interested about learning Reiki, do look up the
Recommended Reiki Master? thread.
I will be soon finishing my Reiki teachers training (some call it Reiki 3) and I can tell you that studying intensively with my teacher for almost a year now has been very interesting and has deepened both my understanding and feeling of the appliance of the Reiki energy. Just recently I had the experience of feeling the movements and 'colours' of the energies inside the client. It's strange, but it feels like this energy has it's own intelligence. I've also started to feel the clients sore spots by just 'scanning' the surrounding air, a few inches above the body. So, it seems that there's a lot more to be learned of this 'energy' that we humans receive and radiate. I hope that I can learn even a fraction of what's it all about, it's such a interesting subject, IMO. :)
