My Reiki Experience: Reconnecting the Flow
My first introduction to Reiki energy was during my yoga teacher training retreat at White Lotus Foundation. After a restless night of sleep, I was brushing my teeth and met Jacalynn, a beautiful bright light. We hit it off right away and became instant friends. When I mentioned not being able to sleep, Jacalynn offered to give me Reiki. I had heard of it, but never had the experience of receiving Reiki and was excited to check it out. We planned to meet during the break.
Jacalynn arrived at my yurt and instructed me to lay down and relax. She told me to focus on my breath. She asked permission give me Reiki and said I would receive exactly what I needed. As she began, I felt a warming sensation come over my body. She moved her hands, lightly placing them on various locations as the energy flowed. I could feel my stress start to melt away and my body begin to loosen up. Some areas were clear of blockages and others needed extra attention and time to clear out stuck energy. I felt some tingling, some warmth and coolness, and I even cried. When she was done, I felt very peaceful and balanced. I wasn’t exactly sure what happened, but liked how I felt.
A few days later, my Lyme Disease symptoms began to flare up late morning. By the time lunch finished, I was struggling to keep my head up. My body was fatigued, my muscles weak and I was going downhill fast. I opted out of the afternoon practice and napped on the couches in the main dining room.
My head was spinning, I was dizzy and my body was on fire. The chef, who was also a Reiki master, offered to give me Reiki. I was so thankful, as I had wonderful results a few days prior.
We went into the yoga studio and I laid on a mat. When she put her hands on me I could feel the energy flowing. The intense heats that had been filling my body was being released and I was feeling much more at ease. I began to cry and my body relaxed and came back into balance. The next morning, I felt great and knew that Reiki was something I needed more of in my life.
A year after my retreat, my father passed away and my Lyme symptoms began to flare again. A friend reached out and offered Reiki. I had forgotten how much it had helped in the past and was so thankful to have someone in my life who could share this amazing gift with me. This started me down the road to my Reiki attunements and master teacher training. Reiki has changed my life and been a huge part of my healing.
Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It was discovered by Mikao Usui in March 1922. Reiki is administered by “laying of hands” and had been practiced for thousands of years. The general meaning of Rei is universal and Ki is life energy. This is the non-physical energy that animates all living things.
All living things have life energy flowing. If your life energy is low, you are vulnerable to illness. When it is high and free flowing, you are less likely to get sick. Life energy plays an important role in everything we do.
Reiki is guided by spiritual consciousness, and is defined as spiritually guided life energy. Reiki guides itself with its own wisdom, rather than requiring direction of the practitioner. Ki flows within the body through pathways called chakras, meridians and nadis and can pass through organs and tissues. Ki is responsive to thoughts and feelings, and negative ones can create blockages. When a person receives a Reiki treatment, the Rei assess where there is boyki (unhealthy ki) is and directs the healing energy there. Reiki raises the vibrational level in and around the physical body where negative thoughts and feelings are attached.This causes the negative energy to break apart and fall away. Once healthy ki is flowing naturally, the physical organs and tissues are able to complete the healing process.
