When I first began learning about Reiki, and other energy-healing therapies, I wondered to myself, ‘Does does whole Reiki thing really work?’. I had heard miraculous reports from people. They seemed to rave about it, even after just one Reiki Healing session. However, I still had my doubts.
You see, although I have an open and curious mind I’m still quite a practical person. I’m a kind of ‘need-to-see-it-for-myself’ kind of person. I love the weird and wonderful world of Woo, but I like to make it practical and accessible.
So, when I later studied and began to use Reiki for myself, I was quite surprised!
My first Reiki experience was a flop
My first ever Reiki session was with a woman, here in Dublin. She was a Reiki Healer or Reiki Therapist. A friend had recommended her and said she was very good. When I asked what exactly she did, my friend shrugged and said ‘I don’t really know, but I felt great afterward’.
So, I decided to give it a go, just for relaxation purposes and see what it was all about. In honesty, I remember at the time thinking to myself… ‘Why am I paying somebody money to wave their hands over me for an hour’… it seemed like a waste of money, but I gave it a go.
The session itself was quite relaxing but I didn’t really ‘Get’ anything out of it; it felt like a bit of a flop. Again I thought, Does Reiki really work? In hindsight I can see how disconnected I was from myself and from my life; I couldn’t connect with what she was doing. I couldn’t feel anything. But equally I can now see how my whole life was numb, in many ways, during that time.
I had no real experience to report on, other than it was nice to lie down for an hour. But, to me, I could have done that at home for free!
Because of this experience it took me years to even contemplate bothering with Reiki, or any other energy-healing therapy, again. I didn’t ‘get it’, it wasn’t for me.
What changed my mind, to work with Reiki
In 2015 and 2016 my life changed, the rug was pulled from under me and my life fell apart ‘Hollywood Style’! I even wrote a book series about it, ‘Coming Home to Me – Part 1, 2 and 3’ (grab your copy from Amazon here).
To cope with all that had happened I decided to escape reality and go travel. A friend of the family, a Reiki Master, talked me into learning Reiki Level One. She knew I had wanted to work with Reiki but still had reservations. I was heading off alone and she felt it would be a helpful tool to have while I was traveling. I didn’t know it then, but she was right!
Reiki became a great companion, trusted ally and healing partner in times of great stress and anxiety, while I traveled the world alone. It was my saving grace on so many occasions. Learning to work with Reiki was like having an energetic first aid kit!
Whether it was a dodgy tummy, constipation, diarrhea, headaches, period pains, emotional turbulence, fear, worry, overwhelm, sore back, sore tooth and more… I can say for sure it was a great first aid tool. Reiki also definitely contributed toward my becoming a more awakened, more conscious and becoming the healer I am today.
Reiki was there all along
When I began to work with Reiki energy I began to see it had been in my life all along.
As a kid I had severe and chronic Eczema all over my hands and body. It was so painful and raw and itchy. When it was really bad I remember I would ask my Dad to put his hands over it. He would heal the itch with the heat of his hands. When they were too hot I would go to my Mum and ask her to cool them down. My Dads hands were hot healing and my Mams hands were cool healing. I had forgotten about this because, well… it was just such a normal thing for me to do. But on reflection, I can see that my Mam and Dad were both using energy healing/ Reiki, in their own way.
What does it feel like for me, to work with Reiki as a Therapist?
Initially, when I began working with Reiki myself, I really didn’t ‘feel’ anything at the start. Most of us are distracted, disconnected and living lives that are on autopilot. This is unfortunately quite normal, but it is not natural. Therefore feeling any kind of subtle energy is like asking a sledgehammer to slow down and be quiet.
To really tune into the energy I had to reconnect with myself. I had to rebuild an energetic rapport with myself and learn how to tune into my own body. THAT was not so easy!
Its amazing how little time we give to tuning into the subtleties of our bodies. In fact, most dis-ease and dis-harmony that we experience physically as humans is a direct means of our bodies trying its best to communicate with us. We ignore our bodies warning shots and warning signs and usually only listen when it shouts. If we were truly paying attention, if we knew how to tune into the subtleties, we would nip so much of dis-ease and illness in the bud when it is only whispering.
When I began to practice using Reiki daily it wasn’t long before I could notice the energy in my hands, my body and my own energy field. That was pretty dang amazing.
The more you practice Reiki the more you feel it
Now, as a Reiki Master, having practiced Reiki for years and having worked on so many clients, my energetic sensitivity is vastly different. When working on a client I can sense their energy pretty quickly. I can also sense whether they are even in their body at all (most people who have suffered severe stress or trauma are quite energetically disconnected from their physical body) and it can take a few sessions to get them feeling comfortable in their own skin again.
Sensations for me as the therapist will vary. I will feel hot or cold, tingling, pulsing, shaking, heavy, dense, stagnant or light energy in my hands or even my own body, as we work through the session. I’m empathic and intuitive, so I tend to sense in my own body what’s happening for the client. The energy will change as I move and work around the body. It is different for every client and every session.
What does is feel like for you, as the Reiki Client?
For the client it will feel different for everyone. Some people are very energetically sensitive and so will quite literally feel the energy release, move, shake, become unstuck, and unblock as we work.
Others will have total bliss, they may have tears, yawn alot to release the energy, and some will simply fall asleep because that’s exactly what the body needs. Some will have ticks and jerking movements as they release old energy or experience visuals, colours, music or smells that remind them of something important. The body is a truly amazing and wonderful piece of kit and so its expression is different for everyone.
It is also perfectly normal to feel nothing at all, except to be totally relaxed.
Why do some people not feel anything, when they work with Reiki?
Some people need a few sessions to relax into the energy, to let go and surrender or reconnect with their own energy. Many people, like I had been at the start, are simply not connected in with their own bodies and have busy minds; therefore it can initially take a few sessions before they actually tap into their own subtle senses. The beautiful thing is… the energy is not dependent on you feeling it, its working anyway. In fact, the more sessions you do the quicker you begin to feel its subtle potency.
As mentioned above, it took me some time practicing using Reiki before I could truly feel it. The more I have used it and practice with it, the more I can feel it, the stronger I sense it.
What can Reiki be used for?
Reiki is so much more than simply feeling and sensing energy. Although it is incredibly relaxing, it is also aids and supports our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual healing journey.
I have had clients come to me with many issues be it physical or emotional, and Reiki has been an incredibly effective tool for them in each case. I have had clients come to me with severe depression, anxiety, worry, fear, insomnia, digestive issues, chronic coughing, cancer recovery, sports injury, back issues, emotional trauma, relationship issues, boundaries and bullying issues, confidence, parenting, asthma, bed wetting, previously unsolvable mystery illnesses, pain management, arthritis and muscle disorders, life purpose, career issues, etc
As you can see, there are limitless ways in which you can use Reiki.
My own experience as an Holistic Therapist
In my own experience, Reiki does much more than tackling the initial obvious issue a client comes to me for. It also raises your vibration and elevates your conscious awareness. When we raise our consciousness, we can solve even the most challenging life struggles with a higher perspective. When you begin to work with Reiki, your life and everything in it begins to change. You become aware of the limitless potential we have as humans and how truly magical our world is.
Reiki is essentially Universal Life Force energy. The world we live in is made up of atoms and energy. Everything is oscillating and moving at a particular a vibrational frequency (this is the science bit).
Where our attention goes the energy flows. When we are living life unconsciously we manifest into our world all the things we fear and worry about, because that’s what we unconsciously focus on.
When we are living more consciously we can become more aware of our thoughts, in control of what we focus on, and therefore begin to manifest more of what we want.
We all have access to this at every moment. However, when we work with Reiki we are using intentionally focused energy, with a higher vibration, meaning more potency. When using energy this higher vibrational energy with focused intention, you begin to see the truly miraculous potential that exists in our everyday.
Book a Reiki Session
If you are interested in learning more (click here), would like to try a Reiki Session with me and would like to learn Reiki for yourself, then drop me a message or email deborahjsoulnavigation at gmail dot com
