7 things I’ve learned as a new Reiki Practitioner

Starting out as a Reiki Practitioner can seem quite overwhelming to some. For myself, the most challenging part of being a Reiki healer was self confidence. As the months went by confidence wasn’t so much a factor as other challenges started coming my way. Since becoming a Level II practitioner in June of 2014 I have learned quite a bit and would like to share what I’ve learned. These are in no type of order, they are all equally important.
1. Patience
When I received my Reiki II degree In 2014 was ready to dive into this world of healing. I went and out bought some business cards and came up with this fancy Reiki name and was looking into building this fabulous website. While focusing on the outer shell of healing I forgot to do the most important part which was to practice actual Reiki. I forgot to do the inner work, strengthen my channels, and gain some experience. I jumped way ahead of myself and missed the important steps in between. I had to fall back, do the actual work of Reiki, do some inner self work, and learn patience. That is when things started to flow.
2. It’s not all about the money
When starting out as a practitioner it’s best to have other sources of Income. It may take some time to build clientele and there’s also the room rental or healing space to take into consideration, unless you’re working from home. Once you have your steady clientele and a space to practice you will see a nice exchange of energy (healing in exchange for currency.) Here’s where it can get tricky. There’s nothing wrong with charging for your time and energy. When starting out, practitioners may charge less, as they gain experience and confidence they may raise prices. The tricky part is the intension. When it starts to become more about the money and less about the betterment of the client then your Reiki business will not work in your favor. Reiki is very smart, knows intention and does not respond well to greed, for greed is of a much lower vibration. My best advice is to keep a good balance. There’s no need to fear making money in the healing business. As long as your intentions are pure, the flow of energy (money) will flow naturally.
3. It’s not a competition
I was told by my Reiki Master, Brian Bruinius that Reiki is not a competition. There is an unlimited source of universal energy to go around. If you have a Reiki Practice and someone up the block is opening up his/her practice, I would advise you to be happy for them. They are helping others just as you are. Don’t worry about losing clients because the clients that resonate with your energy will feel a pull towards your Reiki business and clients that resonate with the business down the block will go to them. Looking at other Reiki businesses as competition will only hinder your growth as a practitioner and may even hurt your practice as well. Reiki is smart and vibrates at such a high level of love energy. Competitiveness, just like greed does not align well with the practice of Reiki. Whether someone is starting out at level 1, 2 or Master, we should all love and respect one another.
4. Set an Intention
When I say set an intention it doesn’t mean that you have to set an intention for one thing specifically like curing a client’s back issue. It is not our job to intent on a 100% cure. We cannot force Reiki to do as we specifically want. It is for us to completely trust and let the Reiki flow through us for healing at it’s best ability.
5. Ground yourself
It’s important to ask your guides to keep you and your client’s energy fields’ separate. Although it’s very rare, there has been instances where Reiki Practitioners have left there energy field completely open to receive their client symptoms. This is usually temporary but it’s a very uncomfortable and draining feeling. It happened to me once and I didn’t feel like myself for days, my energy was low, I had a headache, my stomach felt sick and I just didn’t want to do anything. Taking sea salt baths as well as soaking my hands in cold sea salt water with the intention of ridding of any energies that weren’t my own helped tremendously. I think what happens is that sometimes we want to help the client so bad that we open up ourselves subconsciously and unknowingly give our own vital energy source during healing. Other factors can play a role too when it comes to drainage after giving Reiki. This is why grounding is so important. Also, set an intention and put all your trust in the power of Reiki, for it will take care of all that needs to be done…just trust. These are some things that have helped me:
A. Imagine a root from a tree coming down and wrapping around your legs from your root chakra and into Mother Earth. Feel the roots keeping you stable and firmly planted to the ground.
B. Keep a crystal stone near you or in your pocket. A stone that works well with healing and or grounding and protection. I use a small piece of Hematite.
C. Picture a bubble around yourself separate from the bubble around your client. You can even picture your bubble white and your client’s bubble blue if it makes it easier (or any color that you choose.) Ask that your energy source stay with you at all times (ask your guides for help if need be.)
D. Set intention for the betterment of your client and that the Reiki energy will flow where it shall.
E. After each session close out by saying thank you for keeping my energy close and that you shall not carry on any unwanted energies from the client. (You can say this in your mind)
F. Brush off/Rake method starting from your head, to your upper torso, to your arms, legs and feet. Get all the leftover energy fragments off.
G. Saging yourself and client is also helpful to do ((before and after.)
H. Wash your hands well with cold water (before and after.) I’ve sprinkled some sea salt on my hands and washed. Works wonders.
6. Not every Practitioner is the same
I’ve noticed while speaking to other Reiki Practitioners and even receiving Reiki by different healers that we are all different. No practitioners are exactly the same. This does not mean that one is better than the other, it just means that we all have our unique gifts to bring forth along with Reiki healing. Reiki is an amazing powerful healing tool all in itself, and some practitioners are extremely good at being the channel needed for Reiki to flow. There are also some practitioners who are psychic and will be able to give you messages from your guides or loved ones who have passed and there are empathic practitioners who can feel the issues you may have in the body (this usually passes quickly.) Then there are some who are all of the above. Like I said, everyone’s different and what I listed above are just some qualities that some practitioners may have. I’m sure there are many others to list. In my Reiki experiences, I am able to feel the issues of the client as well as give messages from guides and loved ones.
7. Trust your instincts
Trusting in yourself sometimes isn’t easy when starting out. For instance, I was giving Reiki to my sister and had this strong urge to Ohm, but I was embarrassed to just flat out Ohm out of nowhere and decided not to. The urge went away but I wondered what if my sister really needed that Ohm? I decided from that point on to just trust my instincts. Whether it’s to Ohm or to place my hands in a specific area that feels right. Nobody is judging you and remember that all you do is for the greater good of your client.
These tips come from my experience as a healer and I’m so happy to share what I’ve learned so far. I know that I will continue to learn and experience more. Looking forward to sharing my experiences with you as I continue to grow as a Reiki Practitioner. Good luck on your journey to healing!
Love and Light,
TheFlowerDeVida