Your First Reiki Appointment

Now that you have found a local Reiki Master and feel comfortable with the information they have given you regarding their Reiki Healing background and the office location, let’s discuss what to expect once you arrive for your first Reiki appointment.

Before the Reiki Session

When making your appointment, take into consideration the time of the day as well as what else you have planned for the day of your appointment. It is recommended that you do not schedule any other activity directly following your appointment that requires you to be up and running at full speed. Reiki is a very non-invasive relaxing treatment; and therefore, you may be so relaxed afterwards that you really would not be able to function at your highest level. After a Reiki treatment, it is best to take it easy.

Time

Allow yourself a good a 1½ to 2 hours for your appointment. This does not include travel time to and from the office location, but it does include the 60 minute Reiki treatment with the extra time devoted to completing a new client Intake Form as well as a personal conversation with the practitioner.

The New Client Intake Form

Depending on the Reiki Practitioner’s choice, the information requested on the Initial Client Intake Form may consist of more than the usual Name, Address, City and Phone contact information. You may also be asked to list any current medical or psychological conditions, current prescription medications, as well as Herbs, minerals, supplements, OTC’s (Over the Counter) drugs, and history of other types of treatment you have used to address your wellness needs. Signing the Intake Form implies that the information you have listed is honest and accurate.

The Interview

Once the Reiki Practitioner has reviewed your Intake form, s/he will continue to talk with you for about 10 minutes, asking you what you expect of the Reiki session. And, since this is your first experience, a review of what Reiki is and what to expect during the session may again be reviewed to give you an opportunity to ask any further questions.

Safety Concerns

One important aspect of a Reiki treatment is that you will not be harmed – emotionally, physically or spiritually, by any thoughts, memories or sensations you may experience during the session. You are always safe, and the Practitioner never leaves you alone. If you should experience anything causing you discomfort, you are able to relate this immediately to your Reiki Practitioner. It is also wise for you to take a bathroom break prior to the beginning of the session, so that you don’t disrupt the healing benefits of the Universal Life Force Energy.

The Reiki Session

There are many variations of the original Usui method of Reiki, and each is quite unique to the philosophy of its particular Reiki Master. It would be somewhat overwhelming and confusing to present each method’s approach to a Reiki session at this time; therefore, only the Usui Reiki approach will be presented. If further information is needed on the variations of Reiki Healing, a search of the Web will reveal many web sites to expand your knowledge.

For a typical session, you will be fully dressed, removing only your shoes, jewelry and belts. The intent of Reiki is to re-establish the flow of Chi or energy, so any constrictions upon the body tissue may hamper this process. In all probability, you will be lying on your back on a Massage table with a pillow under your knees to reduce any stress on your lower back. You may or may not have a very small, flat pillow or folder towel placed under your head. Since deep relaxation often occurs with Reiki leading to a decline in body temperature, a blanket may also be offered to prevent you from becoming cold. A tissue may also be placed over your eyes since the Reiki Practitioner normally begins the treatment with the positioning their hands over your eyes.

Sweeping the Energy Field

Most often, the practitioner will sweep the energy field from the head to foot, and air movement may then be felt. This allows the practitioner the ability to access the major seven Chakras, without additional energy challenges. Following this, you will probably be reminded that the practitioner will not speak to you except for clarification regarding something they ‘feel’ or ‘see’ with their intuitive third eye. You, of course, may talk any time you wish, although continuously conversation could defeat the intent and outcome of the session.

The Reiki Practitioner’s Responsibilities

The Reiki practitioner has been initiated or attuned to allow the Universal Life Force Energy enter their body through the top of their head and exits out their hands and/or fingertips. Once this energy enters through a Chakra, it goes where it is needed by addressing any challenge on the Physical, Emotional, or Spiritual level. Given this process, the practitioner is also able to utilize Reiki Symbols that enhance an increased flow of energy through potentially ‘blocked’ Chakras. Therefore, you may feel movement of air above you throughout the session as the Reiki Symbols are implemented to enhance this energy flow.

Your Comfort Level:

Allow yourself to relax, float or sink deeper into the top of the padded Massage Table. While bringing you energy through the Chakras, the Reiki practitioner will check in often to determine how you are doing. They may ask if you are warm enough, are comfortable, or able to see any colors? Depending on what the Reiki Practitioner senses, you may be asked to bring a certain color to the area of his/her hands. This request may be couched in the form of a red silk scarf, the green of new Spring grass, the yellow of a piece of fruit, or the blue of a Montana sky.

Buried Memories

Reiki energy healing can also cause ‘buried’ memories to surface and create an emotional response, such as shivering, laughing, or crying. This response may cause you concern, but it is the Practitioner’s responsibility to support you verbally and through touch as these responses occur. The Practitioner may have you bring forth the issues, address them silently, and at the same time continue to support you in an atmosphere of extreme safety. Reminding you there is nothing that can hurt you physically, emotionally or spirituality throughout this session is absolutely vital.

Hands on vs Hands off Treatment

Depending on the practitioner’s basic initiation with Reiki, they may either lay hands directly on your Chakras or hold their hands about ½” to 2 inches above the Chakras. Both methods achieve the same outcome, but this should be discussed with you so that you will know that you are never alone if you do not feel the practitioner’s hands.

Sensations During the Session

You may also wish to tell the practitioner when you experience any unusual sensations going on with your body, such as your arms floating off the table, tingling or the needle and pins sensations in your hands or feet, or any unusual color patterns. Actually, the sensations or feelings either represent a flow or a blockage of the Chi or Energy in your tissue. It is also not unusual to experience a very unique response to increased energy such as a feeling of increased warmth or the feeling of flying. This flight sensation, which is almost like that of a Hummingbird, is called Astral Flight. You are flying so fast and just touching down on places, seeing individuals, and situations that you are unable to interpret what is actually occurring. Your sense of freedom can be very intense, but is always safe, comforting, and exhilarating.

Closure of the Reiki Session

Once all the Chakras are addressed, you may be asked to turn over onto your stomach so the Chakras may be approached from the posterior aspect. This positional change allows the practitioner to determine if all the Chakras are open. This ‘tummy’ lying position also allows the practitioner to close all the Chakras with specific hand positions moving from the base of the spine to the top of the head.

Use of Guided Imagery

During the closure of the Chakras, the Practitioner may use a guided imagery scenario to enhance the impact of the healing energy that has been brought to you. A specific room location in your home may be suggested where you are preparing a fruit and flower basket and each item placed in this basket will corresponds to the color of the Chakra that is being closed. Once closure has occurred, you will be told to just lie there and when you are ready, you may let the practitioner know verbally or by movement.

If on the other hand, the Practitioner determines that the backsides of your Chakras do not need to be addressed at this time, a guided imagery / visualization technique may also be used, such as the image of you having an opening in the top of your head where a warm off-white liquid can be poured into this passage. You may be guided to bring this warm liquid down into your tissues each time you inhale, and during this process the warm liquid swirls all around, through and in each cell of your body allowing you to relax even more. Once this warmth reaches the toes, this liquid turns into white light and surrounds you and the table allowing you to be totally healed. Again, you will be instructed to just lie there for awhile and when ready, to let the Reiki Practitioner know.

Final Closure Communication:

After completing the session, both you and the practitioner should share what each one has experienced. The Reiki practitioner will most likely interpret those sensations and with an active discussion between the two of you to arrive at possible reasons for these sensations. You will also be reminded that the effects of Reiki will last about 21 days and that memories may emerge at no particular time or event. This is Reiki’s continual influence on your healing.

A Reiki Master Teacher should seldom ask any client to divulge specific info regarding physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual challenges, deficits, or situations. The reasoning behind this is to avoid having their perceptions influenced in any manner by possessing prior knowledge. This results in a more meaningful dialogue with the client at the end of the session. This also allows the intuitive approach as a Reiki Practitioner to be as pure as possible.

Reiki and Relaxation

Since Reiki can result in profound relaxation, you may feel somewhat woozy following the session. Be sure to mention this as the Practitioner will be able to balance your energy so that you will not be compromised in driving or walking from the physical office location. You will also be given water after the session, which helps balance your energy and your thinking process. If the wooziness continues following the energy balance, you will not be allowed to leave until you no longer experience this sensation.

Your Response to the Session

As a recipient of Reiki, hopefully you will be able to feel the healing impact of this Energy Healing method. But, if you don’t feel anything either during or in the following days of the session, do not assume that Reiki was of no value. It is possible that its impact is just too subtle for you to sense. The wonderful aspect about Reiki is that you do not have to believe in it at all. Following a session, its impact on you just goes on and on without requiring your belief.