“Gaea” is Mother Earth. She is from whom everything comes, but she is not quite a divinity, because she is Earth. She bore the Titans as well as monsters like the hundred armed men, and some of the Cyclopes - others were sons of Poseidon. She was the daughter of Chaos. She was the first and the last, and wanted all of her children, no matter what. She was primarily spoken of as a Mother of other Gods, rather than having her own myths.
A wonderfully worded description of Mother Earth’s spirit.
All too often understanding where we, as members of the health industry, stand in relation to modern western medicine can be a complicated issue. Just because an MD doesn’t want to believe in the effectiveness of a non medical therapy doesn’t make it alternative. So, here I’ll seek to explain the difference between what is known in our western societies as alternative, and complimentry, therapies.
So, first, the simplest explanation. Alternative therapies are those that stand alone in diagnosing, and offering cures for an ailment. Therapies such as chinese medicine and ayudervic medicine could be considered alternative therapies because you may never have to consult a traditional western doctor for your ills. Complimentary therapy, on the other hand, compliments western medicine; it works along side, or along with, a traditional doctor as part of a broader therapuetic plan.
Now, where do I stand with this in relation to Reiki? Is Reiki complimentary, or alternative? Well, I make no secret of my distrust, and waning respect, for western medical practitioners especially within a system as is seen in the United States. But, doctors, and western medicine, have their role to play in the care of an individuals health care, and management. Keeping this in mind I believe that Reiki is, and should be considered by all, as complimentary. As a Reiki master, both practioner and teacher, I refrain from attempting to diagnose any condition I am presented with; that, in professional and ethical terms, is the job for a doctor. Also, I will never claim to a client that I can cure an ailment, but am merely there to help manage, and try to improve the client’s overall health.
I wish to pass on to all my readers good wishes and an awesome 2012!
A belated happy hannukah to my Jewish brothers & sisters.
A happy solstice to my global pagan family.
Merry christmas to our christian friends.
…may 2012 be a richer, happier, & easier, year for all.
Quite often when reading about, or talking to, Reiki practitioners they will tell you what degree they have attained through their training. This can sometimes be a confusion to the uninitiated, especially with how individualised each practitioners techniques become and whether they adhere to 3 degrees, or 4.
Since Reiki was introduced to the Western nations directly after the end of WWII it has been tradition to train to 3 levels; Reiki I, II, III respectively; but in recent years it’s become more common to train to 4 degrees which, through the tireless research of Some European Reiki masters, is believed to be the same way that Grand master Usui catagorised his students.
These degrees give a basic representation of how much experience, and training, a Reiki practitioner has gained. It also makes it much easier for the practitioner to continue training with multiple Reiki masters without having to repeat skills, and techniques, they may have already learnt.
So, here’s a list of the 4 degrees in Reiki. I will state the degree number, the western term for the degree, the Japanese term, and a brief statement of each levels limitations.
There is one level higher that can be attained and that is Grand Master. You can only gain the title through common concensus of your peers in the Reiki community.
We’re nearing the end of the new hand positions with just one more after this post.
Hand position number 4 was created to work on the digestive tract (DT). I had found a great deal of comfort with this hand position recently after becoming ill with a DT virus. Not only did the position help alleviate the pain associated with virus, but also kept the nausia to a copable level.
To perform this hand position we place our hands one above the other with the ring finger of the lower hand positioned over the belly button.
As always, relax, chill, and enjoy!
Sometimes when a partial memory from the past pops into my head for no reason what-so-ever it hangs around for a while and I can begin to see relevence in that memory for here in the present.
This happened to me last night and I feel it has enough relevence to what is happening in the world to share. So, here is that little quote that exploded into my consciousness:
“Just because it’s not your way, it doesn’t make it the wrong way.”
This hand position is quickly proving itself to be one of my favorites especially when I’m feeling worn down and tired.
With hands covering the heart, stomach, and lungs, we can clear the lower respiritory system and balance the heart while also beginning to aid with digestion.
Give yourself 15 - 20 minutes with this hand position and you’ll feel calmer, more relaxed, and refreshed.
It is most likely that the very first thing that you learn on the Reiki path are the Reiki precepts. These 5 ideals are what every initiate should strive for on a daily basis and are concieved to not only encourage self improvement, but also as a means of being able to more effectively practice the Reiki healing techniques be that in a casual manner, self healing, or working with clients.
I feel it wise to note at this point that the 5 Reiki precepts are NOT a set of spiritual ”rules” in the way that the Ten Commandments are, for instance, but they ARE a set of common sense guidelines that allow us to stabilise our minds in readiness for giving, or recieving, Reiki.
Here are the 5 precepts as I was taught them.
JUST FOR TODAY:
At first glance we can see that the precepts are more, or less, self explanatory but as we look at them a little deeper, and live with them over time, they take on more significance. So, let’s take a more enquiring look at the precepts by way of my own interpretation of each of them.
“I will let go of anger” - Anger is, in my opinion, quite possibly the most destructive of human emotions. It can affect us not just emotionally by blinding us to cause and effect, but physically and spiritually too. Such a negative feeling that visibly alters the world within, and around, us does nothing more than alienate the indivdual from those that need us the most. Trying to heal while in a state of anger is near impossible, and even if it were possible would do nothing more than put those who wish to be healed in a state of high anxiety which is detrimental to health on many levels.
“I will let go of worry” - Worry, stress, anxiety, are in essence one and the same thing. Excessive worries, or stresses, can when left unchecked, and unresolved, be completely consuming. Not only is this mental consumption crippling at times, but can lead us to false conclusions, and expectations which further, and deepen said worries. By allowing ourselves to let go, or resolve, our worries we can unburden our minds and help facilitate the same in others.
“I will give thanks for my many blessings” - This precept is probably the simplest in terms, yet the most difficult to interpret. This lies in the fact that it is purely based on the individual and what is important to them. Having said this though I believe at the heart of this precept is the thought that we should be gracious, and show humility, when both recieving, and giving, in every day life.
“I will do my work honestly” - We can apply this precept to any type of work we do not just when practicing Reiki. If we implement this precept then we can almost unconsciously stop our ego from becoming over inflated and allowing arrogance to show through. By being honest in our endevours we acknowledge our own limitations enabling us to push past them through learning and developing a larger knowledge base while also gaining the respect of our peers and those who depend on our skills.
“I will be kind to my neighbor, and every living thing” - The 5th, and final, precept is another self explanatory one. By being kind we show that we care. By caring we can develop empathy for anothers suffering. And when we understand anothers suffering we can help heal that suffering and this is what being a Reiki practitioner is really about: healing.
essentialwellness askedHi there, in answer to your question: no, I dont, but I am a proponent of the curative, and health benefits, of essential oils. I know many Reiki practitioners use oils, incense, healing stones, etc as part of their practices and I find nothing wrong with this, in fact Usui himself insisted that Reiki be personally developed by each individual in their own ways. Personally, I took a path with Reiki that concentrates on deep meditation (a skill I’ve been practicing for 20 years now) which through my own research seems “truer” to Usui’s system in total.
First of all please allow me to apologise for the delay in getting the next hand position posted for you all to practice. Sometimes there are downsides to living in an “alternate” style, and one of those downsides is now and again not having access to the internet.
Onto the reason I’m making this post…
This 2nd hand position is designed for clearing the upper respiratory systems along with deepening the relaxation of the body. Both hands are laid fingertip to fingertip high on the chest (for guys hand placement is thumbs just underneath the clavicle [collar bone] and pinkie fingers above the nipple; girls, hands should be below the clavicle but above the breast).
As always keep calm, let distractions come and go, and let yourself enjoy taking sometime for you.
*even if you think I already follow, I want to be sure!
Miss B.intraining come follow me! Reiki has its roots in Taoism and zen buhdism and I put a strong emphasis on meditation to promote healing of yourself and others
Over the coming days, and weeks I’ll be posting some new self healing hand positions designed for those who have a hard time fitting in the standard self healing hand positions into their daily routines.The positions are suitable for all levels of Reiki (Reiki I - IV) and should be practiced daily on yourself.
Remember, get yourself comfortable, control your breathing, let thoughts and feelings come and go just dont get caught up in them. These hand positions are meant to be done laying down, so practicing before sleep is a perfect time. It has taken me nearly 6 months to properly develop these hand positions to be effective If reblogging, or linking to other social networking sites, please please keep my name attached.
Hand on top of head - crown chakra - eases mind “jitters” and calms excessive brain activity. Also opening the crown chakra allows free movement of Ki through the body.
Hand on chest - heart chakra - strengthens the heart, and clears lungs allowing the body to function better overall (more oxygen in your system makes other functions more efficient).
*Note* These hand positions are for SELF healing only. They should not be used on another person/client.
Like any other skill developed by human beings, we must always move forward and continue learning. I’ve been on the Reiki path for 10 years now, and although at times my studies have been painfully slow, I have tried to maintain an influx of knowledge relating to Reiki.
Looking at the common histories told of Grand Master Usui, the creator of the system I am indoctrinated to, he too became “wisened” during his many travels of the world visiting countries such as China, India, and even the United States. From this generally agreed on history we can assume with a good degree of certainty that Usui came in to contact with, and was most likely influenced by, healing techniques from the places he visited.
We can see this evidenced in the basic hand postitions if we think outside the box a little and recognise that we place our hands on the body in areas that correspond to the same areas occupied by the 7 main chakras. More advanced techniques point not only to Usui having a more than basic knowledge of human physiology, but also of merdians, massage, and accupressure.
So, with this in mind, I’ll be furthering my Reiki studies by concentrating on learning more about these subjects. The real challange will be how to intergrate what is learnt into a working holistic healing system with Reiki at it’s core.
Many people find meditating difficult, and when I began I found it difficult too. With time, experimentation, and some epiphonies while training in hypnotherapy, I found ways to ease the meditation process.
When I first came to Reiki I knew nothing of what it entailed, had never heard the name, and had never had a session. What I did have was an open heart and 10 years of practice in meditation.
I didn’t know it then, and I didnt know until recently, was that meditation is one of the core skills that any Reiki practitioner should know. This knowledge came from reading contemporary histories of the Usui system several years after becoming a master teacher/practitioner. Having learnt that Usui himself started all of his students on the Reiki path with hours of meditation I have put a much stronger emphasis on using this skill during healing sessions.
I would definately recommend to any one who is initiated into Reiki circles to find a meditation system that works for them and use it.
Opinions, Techniques, & Philosophies regarding Reiki in the 21st Century.
