Preparing For Reiki
Find a quiet, distraction-free environment to practice your Reiki healing. Try a room in your home where you feel safe and comfortable. It’s best to be alone so you can focus inward without being interrupted by another person. Turn off your phone, television, or any other electronics that might distract you. Try to use the same space regularly for each Reiki session. There are no specific requirements for what kind of room you need. As long as you can get comfortable and stay focused, you’ll be good to go. Try playing soothing, instrumental music in the background if it helps you focus. There are lots of Reiki session videos with soothing music you can play, or put on anything that calms and centers you.
Sit or lay in a comfortable position where you can relax your whole body. Tension-free skin and muscles allow the healing energy to flow more freely. The 7 chakras are located along the spine, so find a position where you can straighten and elongate your back. You can sit in a chair or on the floor, or lay on a couch, bed, or the floor. If you’re laying down, place a pillow under your head or under your knees for comfort. Put a blanket over your body if it makes you more comfortable or if you're chilly. Remove your shoes for added comfort and to increase your connection with the space.
Focus on deep breathing to calm your body and clear your mind. Close your eyes and begin taking slow, deep breaths while you meditate on your intent. Start with 5 to 10 breaths, going longer if you need more time to soothe your mind. Continue focusing on your breath throughout the session as you change hand positions. You can breathe and meditate in silence, or chant an “oom” or “mmm” sound as you exhale to lengthen the breath and deepen your focus.
Remind yourself of the healing energy flowing through your body. Release your doubts as you exhale and reassure yourself of your own healing power. Treat the Reiki session as a special time for you to relax, clear your mind, and merge your mind and body. There is no “perfect” Reiki session—doing your best with a good intention is enough.
Unblocking The 7 Chakras
Begin with the root chakra located at the base of the spine. It’s the foundation for balance among all 7 chakras and connects your mind, body, and soul to the earth. Place both of your hands palm down on your lower abdomen and visualize a flow of energy from your hands into your body while you relax your muscles. The root chakra is associated with the color red. Meditate on this color, or visualize a red ball of spinning energy spreading warmth through your lower abdomen. There's no set length of time to stay on this (or any) chakra. When you feel grounded and connected to the earth, move to the next one. Your work on other chakras will be more effective after clearing your root chakra.
Move your palms up to the sacral chakra just underneath your navel. It governs your lymphatic system and helps you express emotion and get in touch with your sexual desires. Keep your hands palm down and move them up over the sacrum (the triangular bone right under your lumbar vertebrae). Stay here for a few minutes while you visualize energy running from your palms into your gut. Meditate on the color orange to enhance the healing energy being directed at the sacrum. You’ll know it’s been unblocked when you begin to feel deeply in touch with your emotions. Remember to keep focusing on your breath as you move your hands between chakras. Don’t worry about getting the hand positions just right. As long as you’re in the right area with a strong intent, you will begin to feel healing effects.
Continue to the solar plexus chakra behind your navel, just under your rib cage. It’s responsible for your instinctual “gut” feelings and provides self-confidence, discipline, and wisdom. Slide your hands upwards above your belly button, keeping your palms down, and send energy into this area. Focus on the warmth and weight of your hands on your body, and allow your muscles to loosen up and relax. The solar plexus chakra is yellow. Meditate on this color and imagine a spinning ball of yellow energy, like the sun. You’ll know this chakra has been cleared when you feel a sense of confidence, calm, and self-respect. Stay here until your intuition tells you to move on.
Move upward to the heart chakra located in the center of the chest. It governs emotional healing and stabilizes your mental health. Move both hands up to your chest (not over your actual heart), continuing to send healing energy from your palms deep into your body. The heart chakra is green. Like with the other chakras, meditate on this color and imagine green light and energy radiating from this spot and filling your body. Focus on the idea of forgiving and forgetting while you breathe here. When you feel yourself letting go of the past and embracing the present, you can move to the next chakra.
Unblock the throat chakra at the base of your throat, near your heart. It allows you to express yourself, voice your opinions, and be creative. Place one hand lightly over your throat and the other over your heart or collar bone. Keep breathing deeply and slowly while you let the weight of your hands relax the muscles in your throat, neck, and upper chest. For comfort and ease of breathing, keep a light grasp on your throat. The gentle weight of your hand is enough. Meditate on the color light blue or picture the expansive blue sky or ocean. Imagine a ball of spinning blue energy in your throat, spreading light through your whole body. Move on to the next chakra when you feel confident in your voice and creative expression.
Clear the Third Eye chakra between your eyebrows. This chakra, also called the brow chakra, allows you to gather information beyond the physical world. For this, gently place your hands (palms down) over your eyes and forehead and send dark blue energy behind your eyes. Relax the muscles and skin in your forehead, face, and eyes underneath the warmth of your hands. For ease of breathing, keep your nose unblocked while you cover your eyes. This chakra is indigo. Visualize a blue-purple color, darker than the throat chakra, filling your body.
Finish with the crown chakra found at the top of the head. It’s a direct connection to the divine energy of the universe and is responsible for spiritual transformation. Place your hands on top of your head, continuing to breathe deeply and slowly. Feel the balance of energies from all of your chakras swirling through your body as you radiate healing power from your palms, through your head, and down the length of your spine. This chakra can be bright violet or white. Imagine a light at the top of your head radiating spiritual energy down into your body and up into the universe. Some say that a human can never fully balance or unblock this chakra. Stay here until you feel a deep sense of inner peace and balance. A balanced and unblocked root chakra is essential for a clear crown chakra. Work from the bottom up to get the most out of your Reiki session.
Enhancing Your Reiki Session
Use essential oils to activate your palms and your sense of touch and smell. Rub just a drop or two of a scented essential oil into your palms before performing Reiki. You’ll feel more grounded, and your healing energy will pass more freely through your hands. The oils aren’t necessary to a successful session, but will help you focus on your intent. Match the oil to a specific chakra you want to unblock: Root chakra: cedarwood or cypress Sacral chakra: grapefruit, jasmine, orange, or rose Solar plexus chakra: lemon, ginger, peppermint, or sandalwood Heart chakra: jasmine, lavender, marjoram, or rose Throat chakra: frankincense, lavender, or peppermint Third Eye chakra: frankincense, geranium, or sandalwood Crown chakra: frankincense, lavender, petitgrain, or vetiver
Use crystals to help stimulate your chakras. Each chakra has a corresponding crystal that aids with unblocking and balancing. You don’t need them to perform Reiki, but they can amplify your healing energy and make for a more effective session. Place the desired crystal in your lap or over the corresponding chakra during Reiki. A clear quartz works on all 7 chakras, or use one of the following to target a specific one: Root chakra: red jasper Sacral chakra: carnelian Solar plexus chakra: tiger’s eye Heart chakra: rose quartz or green calcite Throat chakra: lapis lazuli Third Eye chakra: amethyst Crown chakra: selenite
Create a Reiki schedule to balance your chakras long term. Try starting with a 20 minute session in the morning and a 20 minute session in the evening each day. There is no minimum or maximum time limit per session, and some can be as long as an hour. Listen to your body and perform Reiki until you feel healed, calm, and ready to move on. Reiki is flexible and can be done on your schedule. Any time or frequency that is convenient and peaceful for you will work. If you only have a few minutes, try honing your energy into unblocking one chakra. Spend about 10 minutes radiating energy into the root chakra, or another one if you notice a specific blockage.
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