Celtic Reiki Distance Course Practitioner (Level) 1
Workshop
Notes
Contents
·
What
is Reiki?
·
An
Introduction to Celtic Reiki
·
The
History of Celtic Reiki
·
The
Human Energy System
·
A
Description of the Practitioner degree 1 Celtic Symbols
·
Examples
of Practitioner Treatments
·
Byosen
Reikan Ho
·
Reiju
Ho
Reiki
is an energy balancing system and is based on the channelling of a form of
energy, or a subtle energy. This energy can be referred to as ‘chi’, which you
may have heard of. When you visit an acupuncturist they use needles to encourage
energy to flow through a series of meridians or energy channels that run the
length of your body; that energy is called ‘chi’.
You
may have heard of a Japanese massage technique called Shiatsu, which uses finger
pressure on acupuncture points to achieve a similar effect; the Japanese adopted
the Chinese view of the body's energy system. You will probably have heard of
Tai Chi (or maybe Chi Kung/Qigong), a graceful system of exercises that are
designed to build up, or cultivate, your personal reserves of this energy, and
the graceful movements that you make serve to circulate this energy smoothly
throughout your body, breaking down any blockages and bringing things into
balance on all levels. The energy is seen as animating all living
things.
When
we move from China to India, the same energy is referred to as ‘Prana’, and
breathing exercises and yoga techniques have been developed to again bring your
energy system into balance. In India they do not think in terms of meridians,
but of chakras: energy centres running the length of your body from the crown of
your head to the base of your spine, seven main ones and further subsidiary ones
in other locations.
The
intention with all these energy techniques is that if you can harmonise your
energy system, you are putting your body in the best possible position to heal
itself on all levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. In fact, the
Chinese view is that chi not only flows through your body, but surrounds and
engulfs you, too.
For
example, Feng Shui has been developed as a way of arranging your living
environment to allow for the smooth flow of chi around you, eliminating areas
where stagnant chi might accumulate, for example.
Reiki deals with this same energy, to an extent.
Celtic
Reiki is a version of Usui Reiki, which uses vibrations of the Earth and
specific plants to create a healing and manifestation contusive environment. The
Reiki energy mimics the frequency of various trees and plants to work in
accordance with channelled and Celtic wisdom. An Earth energy Reiki, Celtic
Reiki is channelled up, through the base chakra, rather than down through the
crown, as with the Usui technique. This makes it akin to Kundalini Reiki,
although Celtic Reiki does not act on the Kundalini, instead, showing results
similar to Traditional Reiki, influenced greatly by the energy techniques of the
Celts.
The
entire Celtic Reiki system is not yet known to us, however, by using what we
know, we will evolve energetically enough to proceed with the more powerful
vibrations.
In
this course, the energies will be passed on via 3 attunements – the first to
introduce the energies and prepare the student for the other energies. The
second works with manifestation energies and the third with healing and master
energies. As well as symbols and descriptions, each section will cover aspects
of Reiki, Celtic wisdom and instructions for use.
Having
studied various forms of Reiki for many years, I was guided to work with nature.
When channelling Reiki to help Animals, Plants, Trees, Rivers, Lakes, the Oceans
and the Earth itself, I found that everything has a distinct vibration – each
variety of rock, each stream, each type of flower has its own unique energy. I
would sometimes lose myself deep in this vibration, sometimes so much so that I
could mimic the energy during Reiki self-treatments.
Late
one winter’s day, whilst on a visit to my ancestry home of Wales, I discovered a
huge Silver Fir tree that had been split in two by a recent lightning strike.
One half was still firmly rooted upright and was producing a healthy flow of sap
to heal itself. The other half was lying on the ground, dying. As I walked up to
the tree, I could sense the immense loss felt by the upright section and an
urgency of the fallen half, which was completely separated from the standing
section.
I
started to channel Reiki to the standing section, but could feel a resistance,
so I asked my guides to help. I was told that I should Reiki the fallen half of
the tree and as I did, I felt a transfer of energy. As the Reiki flowed through
my hands, I felt a vibration enter my body – it was unlike anything I have felt
before – the essence of the tree – it’s knowledge, it’s energy, it’s wisdom, and
it’s love. I was then guided to give this energy to the standing section of
tree, which I then proceeded to do. It was an amazing experience, being
enveloped by the gratitude and love of the healthy section of this massive
tree.
When
the energy flow ceased, I was able to return to the usual Usui Reiki and work on
healing the tree’s broken trunk. My guides told me that the tree was very
grateful for my assistance and would allow me to use it’s vibration to help
others. I was instructed that I could help people to “see” with that particular
type of energy vibration.
As
I left the site, I touched the fallen part of the tree and felt very little, as
if the consciousness of the tree had gone, leaving only the
wood.
In
order to remember the energy of the tree, I gave it a symbol – as is the usual
way with many other forms of Reiki and energy work. The symbol would be a way of
triggering this energy to flow for others and myself and be a simple way to pass
on the energy to others. When deciding what use as a symbol, I turned to the
wisdom of the Celtic people; my ancestors and discovered that the letter used in
the ancient Ogham for the Silver Fir was the equivalent to the letter A in the
modern alphabet.
This
led me on a further journey of discovery – for the Celts believed the Silver Fir
represented the ability to see over long distances – to view the horizon – to
“see”. I began to understand the meaning of the tree in Wales and the wisdom of
the Celtic people. I now firmly believe that they knew the essence of each tree
and plant type – so complete was their relationship with Mother Earth that they
were sensitive to the resonances and energies around them, harnessing and using
these energies to assist them in life.
I
decided to work with other genuses of trees to see if there was a pattern to
this energy. I had been given a beginning in the letter A, so decided to work
with the last letter of the Celtic alphabet – Y, or the Yew Tree. I had a chance to visit a cemetery in
Gloucestershire, where 99 Yew tree’s grew – several attempts have been made to
plant a one hundredth tree, but the tree always dies. Here I found resonance
with a particular Yew tree that allowed me to work with it’s energy, informing
me via my guides that it would “guide me passed endings”. I attached a symbol to
the energy and started to work with the energy – finding that it helped me to
cope with any type of change, or loss: Speeding up the recovery process, or
guiding me through “rough” patches with ease.
I
have since worked with many trees and plants in this way, guided by the wisdom
of the Celts to choose locations and types of energy. I was finally guided to
work with another Celtic energy – the Sea – This was an incredibly powerful
experience and it was revealed that the Celtic Reiki system was ready to pass on
– for the other energies were so powerful that humankind was not ready. I was
told that when the signs (symbols) are complete, that the Sea would allow the
full potential of it’s energy to be discovered. Thus, the final symbol in this
system contains a highly diluted form of the energy.
The
Celtic Reiki system is one of evolution, by using the system, the nature of
energy work will evolve and as this process happens, more Celtic Reiki secrets
will become known to us…
A
Guide to Subtle Energies & Bodies
Everything
is energy. The universe is made of energy. And everything you can imagine (even
your imagination) is at some level constructed of energy. Quantum Physics
describes the very atoms that make up our physical reality as being constructed
of energy. All energy is separate and yet interconnected with all other. The
result of this is that one type of energy can affect all other energies and a
change in this particular energy can create a change in that particular energy,
even if it is energy in a “physical” form.
The
energy we focus on in this course is called “subtle energy”, of which there are
many types. Reiki and the other life energies are all examples of subtle
energies and the things that deal with, or are created from subtle energies are
called “subtle bodies”. The subtle bodies we shall discuss here are: meridians,
chakras and the auric field.
Meridians
Oriental
medicine sees a set of 12 pairs of meridians, or energy channels, passing along
the length of the body, and an acupuncturist, for example, would take 6 pulses
on each wrist to determine which meridian was blocked. As well as these 12 pairs
of meridians, they see two extra meridians channelling energy along the front
and back of the body in the midline: the functional and governor channels. If it
was possible to connect up these meridians then any Reiki coming into you would
be channelled out of your hands and would not leak out' anywhere else: you would
be maximising the benefit of the energy entering your
body.
Connecting the Circuit
To
connect up this energy circuit you have to contract your HuiYin point (basically
your pelvic floor) and press your tongue to the roof of your mouth behind your
front teeth; you make an energy circuit that prevents Reiki from leaking out.
This means that if you are treating someone when the circuit is made, you will
be channelling the maximum amount of Reiki through your hands. With practice (or
maybe straight away) you may be able to feel an increase in the tingling from
your hands, which corresponds with you having made the circuit, and many people
can feel other effects throughout their body.
Locating the HuiYin point
The
HuiYin point, or perineum, is located at the pressure point that is felt as a
small hollow between the anus and the genitals. The HuiYin point needs to be
contracted as if trying to pull the point up gently into the body and held.
Frequent practice will allow the point to be contracted for considerable lengths
of time.
Strength of the Contraction
What
you should not do is try to attempt a major contraction, tensing up all the
muscles from the ribcage downwards and stopping you from breathing. This is
unnecessary! All that is required is a gentle but definite contraction of a very
small part of your anatomy.
Practical use of the HuiYin
Some
people recommended that you make the circuit when you are visualising the
symbols, whether that be over a person's body, over the walls of the treatment
room, or in your imagination. You can certainly make the circuit whenever you
want to during a treatment, or indeed throughout all of a treatment, but like
the many hands technique it is probably best kept for hotspots. This method can
be combined with the many hands technique.
Contracting
your HuiYin consistently does take a bit of practice, but it gets easier with
repetition.
Practice
To
practice contracting the HuiYin, try to begin with to make the contractions
twenty times, and then maintain the contraction for as long as you can. It gets
a lot easier with practice. Try to hold the HuiYin contraction when you are
doing mundane daily activities: washing up, going
shopping.
Other
Energy Techniques use the HuiYin The use of the HuiYin point is an important
part of Qigong exercises, and can be found within Yoga practice also: two
different cultures having come to the same conclusion about the energy anatomy
of human beings.
Chakras
The concept of charkas originated in India and whilst Usui did not base Reiki practice on this system, they work very well together. The Sanskrit word “Chakra” means “spinning wheel” and it illustrates the gyrating vortices of energy, which create the individual chakras very accurately! This is exactly what chakras are – spinning wheels located all over the human body that draw in energy from the world around. The type of energy drawn in by a single chakra depends on which chakra we are denoting; there are hundreds of chakras, most of which we refer to as “minor chakras”, however there are nine main chakras and two pairs of minor chakras we deal with in Reiki. These are the Crown, Brow, Throat, Heart, Solar Plexus, Sacral, Base, Soul Star, Earth Star, The Palm Chakras and the Foot Chakras.
Each
chakra is said to have an associated colour and organ system. In fact there are
a whole range of associations related to each chakra, some of which will be
covered in this course.
Although
Reiki was developed with the meridian system in mind rather than the chakra
system, it is perfectly valid to see Reiki energy as dealing with the chakras,
because Reiki deals with the human energy system and chakras are one way of
viewing that system. A chakra may be seen as 'open', or spinning in a balanced
fashion, or as 'closed', spinning sluggishly, spinning too fast, rotating the
wrong way, etc.
Base
chakra closed
Emotionally
needy, low self-esteem, self-destructive behaviour,
fearful
Sacral
chakra closed
Oversensitive,
hard on him/herself, feels guilty for no reason, frigid or
impotent
Solar
Plexus chakra closed
Overly
concerned with what others think, fearful of being alone, insecure, needs
constant reassurance
Heart
chakra closed
Fears
rejection, loves too much, feels unworthy to receive love,
self-pitying
Throat
chakra closed
Holds
back from self-expression, unreliable, holds inconsistent
views
Third
eye chakra closed
Undisciplined,
fears success, tendency towards schizophrenia, sets sights too
low
Crown
chakra closed
Constantly
exhausted, can't make decisions, no sense of 'belonging'
When
the chakras are open and balanced
Base
chakra open
Demonstrates
self-mastery, high physical energy, grounded, healthy
Sacral
chakra open
Trusting,
expressive, attuned to his/her own feelings, creative
Solar
Plexus chakra open
Respects
self and others, has personal power, spontaneous,
uninhibited
Heart
chakra open
Compassionate,
loves unconditionally, nurturing, desires spiritual experience
in
Lovemaking
Throat
chakra open
Good
communicator, contented, finds it easy to meditate, artistically
inspired
Third
eye chakra open
Charismatic,
highly intuitive, not attached to material things, may experience
unusual
Phenomena
Crown
chakra open
Magnetic
personality, achieves 'miracles' in life, transcendent, at peace with
self.
Base
chakra spinning too fast
Bullying,
overly materialistic, self-centred, engages in physical
foolhardiness
Sacral
chakra spinning too fast
Emotionally
unbalanced, a fantasist, manipulative, sexually addictive
Solar
Plexus chakra spinning too fast
Angry,
controlling, workaholic, judgmental and superior
Heart
chakra spinning too fast
Possessive,
loves conditionally, withholds emotionally 'to punish', overly
dramatic
Throat
chakra spinning too fast
Over-talkative,
dogmatic, self-righteous, arrogant
Third
eye chakra spinning too fast
Highly
logical, dogmatic, authoritarian, arrogant
Crown
chakra spinning too fast
Psychotic
or manic depressive, confused sexual expression, frustrated, sense of unrealised
power
Opening the Foot Chakra
To
open the foot chakra, imagine that the chakra looks rather like a flower, with
four or eight large petals that can flap open and shut on four/eight sides of
the energy centre in the sole of the foot. Contract your HuiYin and use your
fingers to brush open each petal a few times in turn, rather as if you were
gently brushing aside a small insect from someone's face. You are focusing your
intent here, and the precise hand movements are not vital.
When
you have opened the chakra in one foot, hold your hand over the sole of the foot
and channel energy for about 10 minutes, visualising the energy travelling up
the person's leg further and further. Then open the chakra in the other foot and
channel energy for another 10 minutes in the same way.
The
Auric Field
The
energy vibrations of all physical, emotional, mental and spiritual functions
resonate within and around the physical body and forms layers – rather like an
energy onionskin! This is due to the different densities of energies, identical
to the effect of mixing oil and water. The denser energy collects closest to the
Physical Body (The densest energy of all), becoming less dense as you move
outwardly. Whilst we talk of layers in the auric field, each section does not
actually finish where another begins – there are intersections where energy of
different densities intermingles. There are four main layers, or “bodies” in the
auric field, although these too, are subject to layering. The four sections are:
The Etheric, the Emotional, the Mental and the Spiritual.
The
Etheric body carries the blueprint for the Physical Body, governing how healthy
a person is physically. Throughout the Etheric body is a system of energy
channels called “nardis” and it is the flow of energy via these that govern the
health of our Physical Body. Certain types of energy filtering through from
other levels of the aura can block, or hinder this flow, causing
illness.
The
Emotional Body is reflected in our emotions and desires and the Mental Body is
where our thoughts are housed. This idea is not to be confused with “where we
think” – that is our brain. However, the thought patterns created in our brain
are influence by the energy in our Mental Body – the healthier the energy, the
more positive the thoughts we think!
Lastly
we have the Spiritual Body, where our inner wisdom, or Higher Self resides. This
level relates to our spiritual growth and how we progress along our path. The
Spiritual Body is divided into various sections and in this course we shall be
looking at the level next to the Mental Body – the Causal Body. Here is where
our actions and inherent nature are stored – everything we came into the world
with, our “soul” is within this level.
To
use the symbols as part of a treatment, write the symbol on each palm, visualise
it appearing in your third eye chakra, coloured gold and chant, or tone the name
of the symbol, either aloud, or in your mind. The thing to remember about
thinking the chant, is that you are not just repeating it over and over again in
your thoughts, you are “toning” it; creating that same resonance. Each time you
mentally chant the name, you feel the deep vibration flooding out of your body
and out across the universe, connecting and encompassing everything with you at
the centre.
By
means of the scanning techniques detailed below, you can discover the area
requiring treatment and then use and tone the symbols in order, channelling each
frequency until you feel guided to use the next.
Scanning Techniques
Now
we explore some traditional Reiki techniques that can be used to scan for areas
that require treatment and then treat as appropriate. There are two related
scanning techniques that are an integral part of Reiki training.
The
first is a Japanese scanning technique called 'Byosen Reikan Ho' and the
intuitive 'scanning' technique is called 'Reiji Ho'. We deal with Reiji Ho
later. The 'Byosen' scanning technique can through long practice lead to these
abilities:
The
advanced Byosen ability is developed through regular practice and exposure to a
large number of patients. The technique requires you to focus your attention on
the sensations in your hands in a dedicated fashion. As well as requiring
regular practice to be developed, it seems that these skills are only maximised,
they will only reach their full potential, through receiving regular Reiju
empowerments.
Byosen
Reikan Ho
When
a person has a disease, you can feel 'something' transmitted from the source of
the disease. This is called 'Byosen'. What you feel as Byosen varies depending
on the type, severity and status of the disease and from person to person. But
some samples are: sensations of "something moving, pulsating, or piercing" or of
an insect crawling, biting or of pain, numbness, heat, coldness, tickling,
tingling, etc. (The sensation you have in your hands are called "Hibiki" or
"Resonance" and you can judge by it the cause of the disease, the status of it
and the time it will take to heal.) As long as a person has a disease (even if
the person is not aware of it), there never fails to be a "Byosen". So if you
are careful enough to detect the Byosen, it is possible to treat the disease a
couple of days before it actually shows up. Also there could be a "Byosen" in
people who are said to have recovered completely from his/her disease. If you
get rid of the Byosen In these cases, you can prevent the disease from
developing again.
A
Byosen could show up in the obvious problem area but also could be sensed in
areas different from the problem area. For example, the Byosen for stomach
disease often show up in one's forehead, roundworm under one's nose, liver
problems in the eyes, etc.
At
first the ability to sense Byosen differs depending on individuals but as you
practice healing others anyone can develop the ability gradually. Do not rush
this process, take your time and get used to the feelings, not just in your
hands but what you think, your intuition. If you do Byosen at the start and
finish of a treatment, it will help to re-balance the aura after you have been
working in it.
Once
you have developed Byosen, it will be automatically decided where and how long
your hands should be put in place.
Working with Your Intuition
In
the previous section we dealt with the Japanese scanning technique called
'Byosen Reikan Ho', which is basically an intellectual activity, focusing
intently on all the different sorts of sensations you can experience in your
hands, and through long and dedicated practice making a link between these
sensations and your clients' medical conditions.
In
this section we will deal with a related intuitive 'scanning' technique called
'Reiji Ho', which means 'indication of the spirit'. By contrast with Byosen,
Reiji is most certainly not an intellectual activity, and involves emptying your
head, getting you and your intellect out of the way, just merging with the
energy, and allowing the energy to guide your hands directly to the right places
to treat, even before you have scanned the body to see what is going on. I have
found that the vast majority of people who try this technique find that it works
for them almost straight away. Anyone can do it with a bit of
practice.
So
Reiji Ho is the name given to an intuitive technique, which can through long
practice lead to these abilities:
As
was mentioned before, a Gakkai trainee would expect to have developed either the
Reiji or Byosen ability before being moving on to Okuden (Second Degree). Reiji
and/or Byosen are developed through regular practice and exposure to a large
number of patients. As well as requiring regular practice to be developed, these
skills are only maximised, they will only reach their full potential within the
individual, through the regular experience of Reiju
'empowerments'.
Reiji Ho
There
are 2 different types of Reiji Ho technique, which are described below. In the
end, they produce the same result, so it is up to you which one you decide to
use in practice. Try them both.
Reiji Ho #1
Reiji Ho #2
This
version is based on the idea that students develop the intuitive abilities of
Reiji or Byosen through opening themselves fully to Reiki energy, by becoming
one with the energy. The view seems to be that the ability comes from within,
through the regular practice of specific techniques and through dedication,
rather than by opening oneself up to external guidance. Here are suitable
instructions:
Using Reiji Ho in Practice
Reiji
Ho (and Byosen Reikan Ho) can be used at the start of any or all Reiki
treatments in order to locate areas of need, to develop an insight into your
patient's condition, and as practice to develop your intuitive ability. The
techniques can then be used at intervals during the treatment, if you wish, to
gauge the energy needs of the patient and to see how the patient's energy
priorities change as a result of your treatment.
In
practice, it seems most suitable to do as follows:
Reiji Ho or Byosen?
Whether
you are more likely to develop the Reiji ability or the Byosen ability seems
difficult to predict. The Reiji ability may come through the regular practice of
Byosen, by focusing your attention on what is going on in your hands, by opening
yourself fully to the energy and to intuitive knowledge - becoming one with the
energy - and through regular and dedicated practice.
It
seems that it is relatively straightforward to develop an ability to be guided
by the energy into specific hand positions for each person, but the other aspect
of Reiji - of knowing or seeing what the problem is - is something of a quite
different magnitude.