The Reiki Cafe 

Hi,

Just wondered if this had happened to anyone else and what other's thoughts were....

Approxmately 18 months ago we taught and attuned a lovely lady to Reiki I and then about 6 months later we taught her Reiki II. Everything was fine, she took to Reiki like a duck takes to water and was working really well with it, both on herself and friends and family. We held regular Reiki shares and everything was fine. Anyway a few months later she attended a trans mediumship workshop at which she had a rather 'odd' experience, one that she was not entirely comfortable with. After that the Reiki flow diminished greatly to the point where she felt that she just could not get it to flow. We re-attuned her a month ago and the Reiki is now flowing fine again, we are just puzzled as to how she 'lost' Reiki or rather than lose it, did she through fear put blocks up against the Reiki?

I would be interested to hear others' thoughts and/or experiences.

Gentle Blessings
Helen

My only experience with "losing" the flow was when I had lots of doubts and uncertainties. In hindsight, the flow didn't stop, it just went underground for a while. I feel that even when it doesn't feel like it's flowing, there's still a spark, waiting to re-ignite when the kindling is dried out enough.

Some questions maybe to think about: did she feel as if it stopped flowing, or did others feel and report diminished flow when she put her hands on them? Some folks identify heat with Reiki flow, and then think it's gone when the heat diminishes, even though it may be flowing stronger than ever.

Did she stop doing Reiki for a time, assuming it was lost?

And how does she feel about that experience now? Does she worry that maybe it could happen again?

Just for myself, I believe that Reiki is not "lost" or "gained" -- it's more a question of awareness. We have been fooled in the first place, before ever learning Reiki, into thinking it is not with us, then the first attunement reawakens us to its everpresent reality.

All is not henceforth light and love, there is also our shadow work, going into the dark to retrieve other treasures that we hid from ourselves with our fears. So sometimes when we spend time in the shadowlands, we can forget our awareness. Just a speculation, mind you. A visualization I use, when diving deep into darkness, is to imagine a tiny, infinitely long silver thread (you choose your favorite colour), connecting me back to the Source. It just comforts me that I won't truly lose my way in the labyrinth. Maybe the flow will appear to slow to a trickle for a time, but no matter, it will return in its due cycle. It's all relative -- clients may still experience great healing when I put my hands on them, even though I might feel lost in the dark.

After all that is said, it never hurts just to keep doing Reiki, on oneself at the least, even if the subjective feeling has changed.

And also, one that I often forget, to just be quiet and still for a time. There is nothing that really needs "doing".

Blessings,
Aronaya

Otoharo

Rainbow, I have experienced times when reiki does not flow. But I have learned that it was that I myself was blocking, as it always flows. It can only squeak through our blockages, doubts, distractions, etc. I have been taught how to focus my energy. As an air person my focus is naturally expanded. Reiki flows with a lazaar like focus which is very difficult for me to maintain, but I can sure tell the difference in reiki.

finality

Hi Aronaya,

Namaste.

Many thanks for your thoughtful reply.

She kept trying to do self Reiki throughout, but could feel nothing, wheras before she had felt the flow very strongly. She did not try and treat others during that time.

I agree with you that it is more a question of awareness with Reiki. My intuition leads me to think that her fear over an uncomfortable spiritual experience(which had nothing to do with Reiki)led her to put up blocks.

Gentle Blessings
Helen

Finality,

Namaste.

Thankyou for your reply.

Yes my intuition leads me to think that she was putting up blocks against the flow. In my own experience with Reiki, the strength of Reiki ebbs and flows but is always there.

Gentle Blessings
Helen

helen,

Hi.

It may or may not be relevant what the trans-mediumship workshoppe was all about and what she did there. Although I am told that Reiki attunements can be 'undone' if a person wishes it, I am also told that such work cannot really not be done without the practitioner's permission.

Thus, I have to conclude she did not lose Reiki. Did she 'lose touch' with her connection to the flow of energy via Reiki practices? Possibly. Shifts in mindfulness can have such consequences. Personally, I do not know anyone who has had this sort of "lose reiki" experience but have read many similar reports. I tend to feel that many of the 'blocks' referred to may simply be some interference with mindfulness. I suppose "doubts" could be one of those culprits.

I find it interesting, though, that it is some of these same folks who report 'losing reiki' (or similar) who also say Reiki knows what to do or where to go and all that sort of gobbledy-gook. Does this mean that Reiki knows when to leave? Or go on strike?

Somehow, I doubt it.

The re-attuning you did perhaps got her mindfuilness back to Reiki. But I would be mildy curious as to what actually she did or presumeably had done to her during that workshoppe.

Cheers (Cornish pasties on top),

RC

Hello RC,

I wasn't present at the workshop, but from what
I have been told by three of the people that attended it was run by a medium who perhaps wasn't as experienced in 'controlling' trans mediumship as perhaps she liked to think. Apparently a meditation was held and those present allowed their guides or spirits to enter their body. With some nothing happened but our student felt a very powerful energy enter her body, others in the group reported that her face changed, contorted and she looked completely different to her normal self. She said that her hands felt larger and that her face felt as though it was being stretched. Others were uncomfortable about the whole incident and workshop too. The strength of the energy made her feel 'wierd' to say the least, she told me afterwards that she felt that it was a 'male' energy, she wondered if she has a male guide who once given permission to occupy moved in too strongly. I have been unable to comment, because I did not see it and I have no experience of trans mediumship.The medium running the workshop tried to close her down and ask the energy to step back which eventually it did. However our student felt quite shaken and unwell afterwards and from that point on felt that the Reiki flow had greatly diminished. I still feel that somehow this was fear based and that she put up blocks but who knows....hence the re-attunement.

Anyhow that's about the long and short of it! :)

Now then did someone mention cornish pasties? lol

Gentle Blessings
Helen

helen,

Hi.

Since your student did not 'know' this "energy" (or has not said anything specific about this "presumed guide") I will cautiously suggest that it was an energy that was not actually welcome. For some the 'contortion of the countenance' would suggest that this energy was resisted by her at some level (perhaps her own 'guides' were leading the resistence). I have 'seen' intended change of countenance during ritual and the ones to which I have been witness were very smooth and remarkably peaceful (for those accepting the energy and those able to view some of the changes to the outward appearances). The 'transformers' made no reports of feeling weird, etc

Anyhow, sounds like quite an adventure for those whom some might dub "thelessthanmindful"

How about a pint to go with those pasties? Or perhaps a Pint and a bit roast beef and Yorkshire pudding?

:)

Cheers,

RC

RC,

You're making my mouth water now although I must admit to preferring roast lamb to beef! lol

Thanks for your thoughts on what happened. Intuitively when she told me about it, I felt that all was not well and to be honest I think she did too. I didn't feel that a guide would act in this way. Personally I am very wary of opening up to unwanted energies and think that you very much have to know what you are dealing with. Reiki aside is there anything that you would recommend after an experience like this in the way of cleansing and making sure that you are well rid?

Gentle Blessings
Helen

helen,

Hi.

Oh yes!! Lamb would be a brilliant substitution in that menu. So, by all means. Too, Brussels sprouts fresh off the stalk or really fresh pencil asparagus would round it out nicely.

If your student is still feeling "1\2-a-bubble-off" I might suggest a session of that distance Ketsueki-kokan. It can be an interesting and useful bit of clearing. As for Reiki work? Perhaps do a progression from Sacrum up to Crown, chakra area by chakra area. If there is still any of that energy lodged anywhere this may also help sort it out.

Cheers (but we still need an after-dinner sweet to put on top),

RC

Hi RC,

Ah yes KK...is it still on the menu here at the cafe?

We are due to meet for a Reiki share soon, so I will suggest that we go from sacrum to crown....thank you for your help, it is much appreciated.

Now then pudding! How about Apple and Blackberry crumble with lashings of custard or perhaps that is a 'trifle' too much lol

Gentle Blessings
Helen

IMO eating beef later requires sweets:

2 dark chocolate/amaretto truffles partaken with 1-2 small flutes of Asti Spumante, that should take care of the sweet as well as toast in the New Year.

Donna

helen,

Hi.

I hear rumors that FK is still accepting requests for that practice on a 1:1 basis. Since I sat for this not so long ago I might actually conclude that it is not rumor.

lol

Cheers (with some of your brilliant crumble 'n custard on top)

RC

Hi RC,

Thank you for clarifying the rumours! lol I will check with our student and ask her permission before I approach FK

After all this food, I'm now feeling rather full, best I go look for that New Year's diet sheet! :)

Gentle Blessings
Helen

Hi Donna,

That sounds just perfect. And perhaps a nice irish coffee to round off a perfect meal and wake everyone up :)

Gentle Blessings
Helen

Here's a thought about self Reiki from my own experience: at first I felt strong sensations, depending on where I put my hands on my body, which areas needed attention. Then, over time, those sensations started to dissipate, to the point where I thought it wasn't flowing any more. But yet, when I put my hands on someone else, they would report strong tingling, warmth or what have you, and often I would as well, being guided by subtle knowing as to where to put my hands on them. But I still didn't feel that signature "heat" as I had in the beginning.

Now, a few years later, people I put my hands have ever more dramatic healing experiences, very gratifying and affirming, but my hands rarely reach that heat sensation they did before. Once in a while, when the client has a fairly severe physical imbalance or injury, I'll get that "flare up", and then I know to keep my hands at that spot as long as the heat is there.

But still, when I treat myself, the sensations are faint and subtle. I know this can't be because the Reiki isn't flowing anymore, by my experience with all these clients.

So here's my theory: over time, as I have opened up more and more to the Reiki flow, my physical body has acclimated to it so that there is less contrast between the Reiki and my cellular vibrations. So, less contrast, less cellular resistance, less heat sensation.

With enough validation from doing Reiki on others, I switched my thinking about it to say, well, cool is good too, that means the flow goes right where it's needed, without having to do self-healing within to fire up the furnace so to speak. Often I feel my hands as cool, but flowing, while the client feels great heat.

Anyway, that works for me. There are others who, no matter how long they practice Reiki, will always feel their own hands to be hot. Maybe I'm different because I was a smoker for so long and the capillaries are damaged, who knows?

So, I tell my students, don't get attached to the particular sensation when you're giving Reiki, as it will very likely change over time. Your validation is, do Reiki on someone else, see what their experience is. After a while, you will detect your intution, knowing, and subtle sensations being validated by their experience (often months later I will hear back).

All that being said, fear of course does tend to constrict, although I have found, with persistence, Reiki is stronger (because it is gentler!). One approach might be for someone to arrange to receive as much as possible, as in your re-attunement of her. Then the Reiki seems to re-awaken, as the fear dissolves into the love received.

Fun topic -- you caught me in a gabby phase!

Thanks and
Blessings,
Aronaya

Otoharo!

Helen, when I learned under Cole in the 70's and 80's, we had this type of training. I never saw benefit in doing it. Certainly not, when you do not know who it is that is coming in. Some people I would welcome to come in. Xaris talks to us while in R's body, for instance. The best way this is done is to leave your own body completely, that way you will not feel anything. But I would not trust just anyone running a workshop unless I knew who that person one and that they were fully qualified.

finality

Otoharo!

Aronaya, I enjoyed your sharing. I might add one thing. Xaris said that heat is caused from resistence. Hands do mnot get hot when there is no resistence to Reiki.

finality

namaste finality,

did xaris mean resistance on the part of the practitioner, or the recipient?

thank you,
lunarreikin

i was glad to see that this discussion distinguished one's perception of reiki flow in self-reiki, from whatever happened in the trance mediumship workshop (and progressed to yummy food. mmmm!)

i studied mediumship for many years in these kinds of environments, and was blessed to have experienced and gifted teachers. i have come to believe that only much experience and study on the part of the instructor provides a safe structure for such events, or any event where metaphysical or energetic instruction occurs, including of course reiki.

i agree that your friend probably never "lost" reiki to begin with, and with the reasons posted why, but i do think she suffered from a poorly run workshop. it is true that when participants are asked to, say, channel spirit guides or angelic beings, or others, that the channeler must set strong protection -- or as is preferred in the reiki world, set strong intention. boundaries are necessary when working with spirit or energy, otherwise the participant opens themselves up fully to any possible psychic experience, including the unpleasant ones. the setting of boundaries is the responsibility of the instructor who leads the workshop. in my first class years ago, one young woman was so sensitive, and so able to open herself up with seemingly no boundaries at all, that she was overcome by the spirit she was channeling (for the first time), and keeled over, and was not able to snap back out of it without a lot of help on the (happily very experienced) teacher's part.

although in some workshops teachers request such experiences as healing energies, cleansing of the chakras, opening of channels, etc. etc., none of these should stop reiki flow. if, however, it were a workshop that focussed on acquisition of a particular form of spiritual healing, or a specific set of attunements or techniques, then yes, the person's experience and perception of their own reiki flow might be altered somewhat, although not replaced.

i have a reiki friend whose reiki flow changed after she went to see john of god in brazil for some psychic surgery, but it didn't ebb or die.

mind you, trance workshop or not, be careful what you ask for -- if you're asking an archangel to channel their healing power through you, better be grounded, and have a turbine prepared to handle all that overflow!

reikicurmudgeon's and your suggestions sound good, and a chakra cleansing in the shower sounds like a nice antidote to me (if you'd like to know how i do it, just email me). being invaded like that is not nice, and she might do some psychological work for herself by practicing setting boundaries with affirmations -- a simple one is: "the energy in my aura is my energy". and since she believes in spiritualism, she might ask her guides for help in feeling better, or her higher self.

and lots of self-reiki, natch.

imho
namaste,
lunarreikin

I have remembered something else. When a teaching person desires to come in for that purpose, they choose the body they want to come through. That is, I can't just say to spirit, I want my body to be used by a teacher, then try to voluntarily leave your body and wait for someone to notice it. That is not the way it is done. I have seen workshops where this sort of thing happens and the entities coming in are usually much less evolved than we were. It is not the aim of guides to communicate through your body, else they would have incarnated the same time you did and could talk with you easily. The guide's purpose is to whisper suggestions to you, allow you to learn to discern these whisperings. They are more like advisors rather than guides anyway.

finality

In response to losing Reiki, I don't think you completley lose it, However I was once attuned to another energy at one time and realized immediately that my ability to channel the Reiki energy was little to none. In my case it shut down for awhile. A reattunement cleared the way.

helen,

Piece of cake. Oops, I hope that is not entirely forbidden by the diet sheet. Sorry. Here the New Year's Day menu was roast duck with wild mushroom stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts, chocolate mousse.

Then we organized the diet sheet. lol.

Cheers (with fat free cream cheese on top),

RC

Hi RC,

That sounds yummy, even though I hold a soft spot for ducks and find it hard to eat them! lol

Don't you just hate diets! lol

Gentle Blessings
Helen

Hi Trueheart,

I agree I don't think we ever completely lose it, more like we lose sight of it for a while :)

Gentle Blessings
Helen