Reiki Class I - Trainer Education

I'm big on my own education and attend at least 2-5 seminars each year, not to mention the countless videos, books, magazines, organizations and coaches I take advantage of. Today's seminar was for my own personal interest on Reiki - read on to find out more : )

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Often times I feel a connection with my animals. I can't see it, I can't put scientific evidence to it, but I can FEEL it. When my dog is laying next to me, there's a certain comfort & connection that occurs when I make eye contact, smile at or place my hand on them.  I can  feel it and based on their positive reaction, I firmly believe that they can as well.  

Sure, you can argue the pleasure of a simple touch is self-rewarding for some animals and maybe even for me...and some even say that animals love us only because we provide food for them. But I'm a dreamer - I want to believe that my animals love me because they have chosen to do so.  Further, I want to believe that on some spiritual level, we're connected.

Reiki, which literally means spirit life force is one of the Eastern philosophies and is based on the belief that everything has an energy. I find this interesting since in science, all things living and non-living are made up of molecules & atoms.  No molecules, no atoms, no object, no life force...

 A little about Reiki: 

"Like their counterparts in traditional Chinese medicine who use acupuncture, as well as their counterparts in the West who use therapeutic touch (TT), the practitioners of reiki believe that health and disease are a matter of the life force being disrupted. Each believes that the universe is full of energy which cannot be detected by any scientific instruments but which can be felt and manipulated by special people who learn the tricks of the trade. Reiki healers differ from acupuncturists in that they do not try to unblock a person'ski, but to channel the ki of the universe so that the person heals. The channeling is done with the hands, and, like TT no physical massaging is necessary since ki flows through the body of the healer into the patient via the air. The reiki master claims to be able to draw upon the energy of the universe and increase his or her own energy while performing a healing."

Reiki is definitely one of those things where although it has a well-documented history, Reiki itself is not necessarily scientifically based.  I'm the first to admit that even reading the description above makes me think of voodoo dolls and magic tricks.  However, I have to refer back to molecules, atoms and all kinds of small things that make up the universe and everything in it - couldn't these things be considered a universal life force?

What did attracted me to Reiki is the following:

1. Reiki is similar to meditation. It's about letting our thoughts go, being at peace & letting positive energy flow through us. 
2. Reiki is very grounding and relaxing for the giver and the receiver. In Reiki, the universal life force creates warm hands when it flows through the giver. The giver gently places their warm hands on the recipient - think heat pad, hot soup, holding a warm coffee cup, etc. - all very comforting.
3. With Reiki, I get to take my warm hands, place them on my dog(s) and just be with them. Reiki requires no detailed & speciality knowledge by me and I don't have to try to "figure out" where or if there is a problem area on the recipient.
4. With Reiki, there is no need for physical manipulation or other specialty training (such as with massage and physical therapists) and I don't have to be a doctor, chiropractor or acupuncturist - I can just be me and simply act as a conduit for the universal energy around us.
5. Best part - I only have to focus on being in the moment and what is below my hands.

Now, I get the spiritual portion of Reiki can throw people.  I mean first there is the leap of faith that the universal energy Reiki is based on exists. Next, who is to believe that an individual is strong enough to channel such energy through their hands and lastly, common folks can do this?

I'm sure there are more questions to be asked, but at some point one chooses to take the positive and just go with it.  With Reiki, that's what I've chosen to do. I believe in the power of touch, I believe in my invisible feelings and I trust in a relationship bond that can't be measured - so why not believe that the warmth in my hands (whether from the universal life force or an increased flow of circulation) is a good thing? : )

For Reiki classes in the Washington area, I recommend http://www.tonglenhealingarts.com/  you'll enjoy Polly very much.