Non-traditional Reiki Techniques
Since its original inception, reiki practice has been supplemented by practitioners around the world, who have added their own original techniques or practices borrowed from other healing traditions. In this chapter, we look at a variety of techniques that vary in origin. Some derive from Japanese traditions, such as those taught by Chûjirô Hayashi or Hiroshi Doi’s system of Gendai Reiki, while others originated in the West.
Breathing Techniques
Hui Yin is an acupuncture point, the first point on the Conception Vessel meridian. It’s considered to be a yin point, and two other lines converge with the Conception Vessel here: the Governing meridian and the Penetrating meridian. To connect to this point, inhale and contract the perineum, the area between the anus and genitals, placing the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth, just behind the front teeth. Hold the breath for a few counts and release. Inhale again and repeat the contraction.
Exercise: Breath of the Fire Dragon
Begin with a few rounds of the Hui Yin Breath to calm and center yourself. Continuing this breathing pattern, when you inhale and contract, visualize breathing blue light into your kidneys, and release white light on the exhale. Do this three times. Visualize a white mist around the crown of your head, and breathe in all the way down to the Hui Yin point at the perineum. Hold your breath here, and allow the energy to rise up your spine. When it reaches your brain it will turn white, blue, purple, and gold. Visualize each of the traditional symbols once, chanting their mantras three times, and breathe the energy of the symbols out.
Exercise: Chakra Kassei Kokyû Hô
Sit comfortably, spine upright, hands in gasshô. Calm and center yourself. Raise your arms to the sky, hands shoulder width apart, palms facing each other, and connect to reiki. Feel the flow of energy down through your arms and into your head. Place your hands, palms facing up, on your knees. With each inhale, feel energy entering your crown chakra and move it down through the entire body. Relax on each exhale.
You can work with each of the chakras individually from top to bottom, bringing energy down through the crown, or you can follow this basic pattern: Breathe in through your root chakra and bring the energy up to your heart. Pause, then breathe out through the heart center. Breathe in through the heart, bring energy up to the crown, and exhale through the crown. Breathe in energy through the crown, bring it down to the heart center, and exhale through the heart. Finally, breathe in through the heart, bring the energy down to the root chakra, and exhale here. Repeat for a few rounds, then bring your hands into gasshô and give thanks.
This technique is designed to boost the immune system, detoxify the body, and raise energy levels while simultaneously promoting a sense of calm. Bring your hands in gasshô, close your eyes, and center your mind. Rest your hands on your knees, palms facing up. Take a deep breath in, then let it out with a “haaa” sound, like you’re trying to fog up a bathroom mirror. With practice, the exhale will lengthen, with the final aim of releasing the breath for roughly forty seconds (quite a long time!). At the bottom, release any tension in your abdomen to initiate the next inhale. Repeat for a few rounds, or longer if you have more practice and you can do so without becoming light-headed. End with hands in gasshô, giving thanks.
Exercise: Saibo Kassei Kokyû Hô
Sit comfortably, spine upright, hands in gasshô. Calm and center yourself. Raise your arms to the sky, hands shoulder width apart, palms facing each other and connect to reiki. When you feel the connection, move your hands down to rest briefly on top of your head, then bring them to your knees, palms facing up. Begin to mentally scan your body, and when you reach an area where you sense an imbalance, breathe in, and on the exhale send reiki to that area. Talk to the area, asking for insights and expressing your appreciation for what it has taught you and for the balance that is currently unfolding. With practice, you can simply say thank you to the imbalanced areas, and it will carry all of these sentiments of gratitude without your needing to voice them. When finished, bring your hands into gasshô and give thanks.
Exercise: Sekizui Jôka Ibuki Hô
Some Japanese traditions believe that our karma is recorded in our spine, and this technique is designed to clear the energy within the spinal cord (sekizui), bringing balance to the entire body. Sit comfortably, spine upright, hands in gasshô. Calm and center yourself. Raise your arms to the sky, hands shoulder width apart, palms facing each other and connect to reiki. When you feel the connection, move your hands down to rest briefly on top of your head, then bring them to your knees, palms facing up. Imagine that your spine is a river of energy running from crown to tailbone, and practice the hadô breath: Take a deep breath in, then let it out with a “haaa” sound, like you’re trying to fog up a bathroom mirror. Gradually lengthen the exhales, up to forty seconds. As you do this, imagine the breathing clearing and purifying the river of the spine until this process feels complete. Then, imagine water entering at your tailbone and rising up the third eye. On the exhale, the water flows down and out through the tailbone. Repeat this seven times. End with hands in gasshô and give thanks.
Imagine a white mist around you and draw in the Hui Yin point at the perineum (like you’re trying to halt the flow of urine), placing your tongue on the roof of your mouth, just behind the front teeth. Imagine a white light entering your crown, moving through the tongue, and out of the mouth, traveling down the front of the body, all the way to the Hui Yin point. From there, it travels back up the spine and into the center of the head. Visualize the white mist filling your head. Then, the mist turns blue, then indigo as it rotates clockwise. The mist turns violet, and within this violet mist, visualize a golden Dumo symbol (see page 160). If you are using this technique as part of an attunement, at this point you would blow the breath into the student’s crown chakra, visualizing the symbol entering their head while you chant the mantra three times.
Chakra Techniques
This version of the technique doesn’t treat the crown chakra directly, with the understanding that this chakra will naturally come into balance once the rest of the chakras are harmonized. You can perform this for another person, adapting the instructions to hover over any areas of privacy.
Lie down on your back, and place one hand over the third eye and one hand over the root chakra. Stay in this position until you receive the cue to move on, then place one hand over the throat chakra and the other over the navel chakra. Stay in position until the energy flow tapers off, then finish with one hand on the heart and the other on the solar plexus, staying there until the process feels complete.
This technique opens and balances the chakras, allowing for a more harmonious flow of energy in the body, making it a wonderful preparation for an attunement. The client will be standing with the side of their body facing you. Hold your hands, palms down, over their crown chakra for a few minutes. Hover your palms, one over the third eye, the other on the back of the head, holding for a few minutes. Repeat this process at each chakra with one hand on the front of the body, the other at the back for the throat, heart, solar plexus, navel, and root chakras. Then, hold your hands over the knees on the front and the back (palms facing each other) and hold for a few minutes. Turn the palms up and slowly lift the energy up to the crown chakra. Sweep down the aura, smoothing the energy, moving down to the knees. Snap your fingers to end the energetic connection.
Exercise: Seventh Level Technique
There is an important energy gateway at the base of the skull, sometimes referred to as the “zeal point chakra” or the “mouth of god.” This technique activates and sends energy via this gateway. Hold one hand at the base of the skull and the other at the crown of the head, holding for five minutes. Keep one hand at the base of the skull and move the other to the third eye, holding for five minutes. Finish with one hand on the crown and one on the third eye, again holding for five minutes.
Exercise: Six-Point Energy Meditation for Energy Awareness
This technique is designed to harmonize the flow of energy through the body. Center yourself with three even breaths, then bring your awareness to your crown chakra, noticing any energetic sensations. Repeat this process at your third eye, then your throat chakra, heart chakra, solar plexus, and finally the chakras on the palms of your hands.
Crystal Healing Techniques
The following techniques combine the power of crystals with reiki healing.
Exercise: Cleansing and Charging Crystals
Before using crystals, it’s helpful to cleanse them, removing any unwanted energy they may have collected over time. I like to do this when I first acquire a crystal, and then I periodically clean them, especially before and after using them for healing and other purposes. There are a number of ways to cleanse your crystals, from submerging them in a bowl of salt or spring water (not all crystals can withstand the same treatments, so make sure to do a little research to see if it’s safe to get your crystals wet), passing them through sage or other sacred smoke, placing them in the sun (again, make sure the type of crystal you’re using won’t be damaged by this), putting them in a bowl of uncooked rice, or burying them in the earth. Dispose of the water, salt, or rice after using, as it contains the energies cleansed from the crystal.
You can use reiki to cleanse your crystal by simply holding the crystal in both hands and setting the intention that reiki is cleansing all harmful and unwanted energies from the stone. Let reiki flow, filling the entire crystal with pure energy. The process of filling the crystal with reiki energy is also considered a form of charging, and you can fine-tune this process, if you like, by adding another layer of intention. For example, while filling the crystal with reiki, you can hold the intention that this crystal will channel reiki as needed by whoever is using it. You can charge the crystal with other intentions, too, perhaps for specific occasions, such as programming a stone to help you find calm in stressful situations. Periodically cleanse your crystals and recharge as needed.
Exercise: Crystal Chakra Healing
There are numerous ways to incorporate crystals into a chakra-healing session, but one simple way is to place an appropriate stone on each of the chakras before giving a reiki treatment. Alternatively, you can administer reiki, and after treating a particular chakra, place a stone there to continue and enhance the treatment before moving on to the next chakra. Use your intuition to determine which stone is needed where, or experiment with some of these crystal-chakra pairings. (Note that some of these suggestions differ from the crystal-chakra pairings listed in Chapter 3, to give you additional options for your explorations.)
Root Chakra: Garnet, hematite, ruby, red jasper, red calcite
Navel Chakra: Carnelian, orange calcite, sunstone, amber
Solar Plexus Chakra: Citrine, topaz, yellow tiger’s eye, pyrite
Heart Chakra: Green calcite, emerald, rose quartz, green kyanite
Throat Chakra: Celestite, lapis, blue lace agate, sodalite
Third Eye Chakra: Amethyst, sugilite, purple fluorite, lepidolite
Crown Chakra: Clear quartz, Herkimer diamond, selenite, moonstone
Grids are a popular way of using crystals, and there are numerous grid patterns that you can use. A simple yet effective grid utilizes five crystals, ideally with a pointed end, or termination. Mentally trace out a five-pointed star, and place a crystal at each of the star’s points with the crystal’s terminated end pointing inward. In the center, you can place a photograph of the recipient or something that you wish to charge, such as a piece of jewelry or a deck of tarot cards. Connect to the flow of reiki in whatever way feels best. You might bring your hands into gasshô, centering and calming yourself, then raise your arms to the sky, arms shoulder width apart, palms facing, and open to receive the flow of reiki, down your arms, into your crown, and through your entire body.
Activating the Grid
This is typically done by tracing the geometric shape of the grid, and methods vary. I like to trace in threes, so using the above five-pointed star as an example, I would trace out the pattern of the star, starting at the top point (use your intuition—other starting points are equally valid), tracing to the bottom right, top left, top right, bottom left, and ending back at the beginning. This would constitute one pass, and I would repeat this for a total of three passes. If you’re using a circular grid, you might pass around the circle three times, then trace from each of the crystals toward the center, like the spokes of a wheel. Again, use your intuition to find the activation pattern that feels right for you. Imagine the center of the grid filling with reiki, which is then transmitted to the recipient or absorbed into the object being charged. The grid will deactivate once the person or object has received the proper amount of reiki. You can continue sending healing on consecutive days by reactivating the grid each day. You can also experiment with drawing the symbols of your choice over the grid or create a grid in the shape of a symbol.
I love charging crystal jewelry with reiki; it’s such a great way to carry a little reminder of my True Self with me throughout the day. Use whatever technique you prefer to connect to the flow of reiki (see an example method in the Crystal Grid Exercise), and hold the jewelry in both hands, envisioning the piece filling completely with reiki. Set the intention that the jewelry will emanate reiki as needed. If you have a specific intention, you can focus on that now to charge the jewelry. Examples of intentions include “I am in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing” and “I am connected to Higher Guidance.” Jewelry provides a wonderful touchstone, allowing you to tap into the healing power of both reiki and crystals during your daily activities.
Distance Healing Techniques
These techniques are suitable for administering reiki to a person who is not physically present or to a time in the past or future.
Exercise: Standard Distance Treatment
Get situated in a comfy place where you won’t be disturbed during the treatment. You can use a photograph of the recipient, or write their full name, age, and location on a piece of paper. If you don’t know all these details, simply visualizing the recipient works just as well in my experience. Some practitioners visualize the recipient in tiny form in the palm of their hand, so they can give reiki to all parts of the recipient’s body simultaneously. You can also use what’s called a “correspondence.” A teddy bear is a common correspondence, but you can use a pillow or your thigh, too. The idea with the correspondence is to visualize this as a stand-in for the recipient; you can move your hands over the teddy bear, pillow, or your thigh, representing different areas of the recipient’s body. One note: take care with the correspondence during the treatment; don’t toss the teddy bear aside, for example, to grab a drink of water, as energetically sensitive people can perceive this movement and may find it jarring or otherwise unpleasant.
Take a few minutes to center yourself and connect to reiki. Draw Symbol Three over the photograph, paper, or correspondence, if using, saying the mantra three times. I like to state the person’s name in the following format: “Reiki is now connecting me to [name],” repeated three times. Draw Symbol One over the correspondence, saying the mantra three times and the recipient’s name three times. You can imagine Symbol One entering the person’s aura or surrounding them. Set the intention that this person will receive whatever they most need right now, in accordance with the highest good. You can then carry out the treatment, either by holding the photo or paper in your hands, or moving through the standard hand positions (see Chapter 11) on the correspondence. If you feel guided to do so, you can also move through the hand positions in the air above the photo or paper. When the treatment is complete, smooth over the person’s aura (over the photo, paper, or correspondence, or in your mind’s eye), and draw Symbol One over the recipient, saying the mantra three times with the intention of leaving the person balanced on all levels and ending the treatment. You can use a variety of methods to end the connection. This is one of my favorites: snap your fingers or clap your hands three times, bring your hands into gasshô, and give thanks, stating, “This session is now done.” Finish with kenyoku hô if you like.
Exercise: Mental-Emotional Distance Treatment
This technique is a great way to shift habitual thoughts, behavioral patterns, and other energetic ruts. Prepare for the session as outlined above for the Standard Distance Treatment by readying a photo or other correspondence and connecting using Symbol Three, its mantra, and the recipient’s name. Draw Symbol Two, visualizing it going into the recipient’s crown chakra while you chant the mantra three times. Draw Symbol One, again imagining it entering the crown chakra while you chant the mantra three times. Place the photo or paper between your palms, or place your hands on the forehead and back of the head if using a teddy bear or other correspondence. Allow reiki to flow, and if you are working on a particular mental-emotional issue, you can use an affirmation at this stage. The affirmation should be worded in the first person and in the present tense, for example, “I am in the process of positive change,” or “I am open to love and support.” Focus on this affirmation for three breath cycles (or longer, if you feel guided). An alternate method is to focus on the five precepts. When the process feels complete, end the session by drawing Symbol One into the recipient’s crown chakra, saying the mantra three times, and intending that the session has ended. Use whatever techniques work best to end the session for yourself (e.g., gasshô or kenyoku hô).
Exercise: Healing the Past or Future
This versatile technique can be adapted to a variety of situations, but the basic process is choosing an event to focus on, connecting using the symbols and intention, and sending reiki. For the past, you may already have a specific event in mind, or you can choose an issue in your present life and meditate with reiki, perhaps using a technique like hatsurei hô, asking to be shown the past event or events that are influencing this current-day issue. Once you’ve chosen a past event, connect with reiki in whatever way works best (again, hatsurei hô is one option here), and bring the event to mind, filling in as many details as needed to help you feel connected. Draw Symbol Three onto the scene, chanting its mantra three times, and see the energy of the symbol infusing the entire scene. Draw Symbol One and chant its mantra three times, again seeing the energy completely filling the scene. Give reiki for as long as the energy continues to flow.
This step is optional, but I find it to be quite useful: Throughout the treatment, observe the scene and notice if and how it changes. You might see events unfolding in an alternate way or receive insights that you can apply to your present-day life. Feel free to ask any questions about the event, such as “What effect has this event had on my romantic relationships?” or “Is this event impacting my current physical health in any way?”
When the process feels complete, draw Symbol One over the situation with the intent that this session is now ended. Bring yourself back to the here and now, and use any techniques that feel right to finish, such as gasshô or kenyoku hô.
Exercise: Distance Treatments for Multiple Recipients
You can use a photo of each person or a piece of paper, one per person, with their name, age, and location. You can also pair these tools with a correspondence, such as a teddy bear or pillow. To begin, connect with reiki in whatever way feels best to you. Working with one photo or paper at a time, draw Symbol Three over the paper and say the mantra three times, the name of the person three times, and their location once. Then, draw Symbol One over the paper and say the mantra three times. Repeat this for each person. If using a correspondence to represent the recipients, at this point you would draw Symbol Three over it, saying the mantra three times, followed by, “This [teddy bear, pillow, etc.] represents [say each person’s name three times and their location once] for this session only.” For example, “This pillow represents Tina Martin, Tina Martin, Tina Martin in Chicago and Lee Henley, Lee Henley, Lee Henley in San Diego, for this session only.” Then, draw Symbol One over the correspondence, chanting its mantra three times. Allow reiki to flow, either hovering your hands over the stack of photos or papers or the correspondence. You can also simulate moving through the standard hand positions over the papers or correspondence. When the treatment is complete, draw Symbol One over the correspondence and/or stack of photos, chanting its mantra three times while intending that the session has now ended. Finish with any techniques that feel best, such as gasshô and kenyoku hô.
In the next chapter, we’ll look at different ways to incorporate reiki into your daily routines, because you will reap the most benefits of this powerful healing system through regular use.