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

 

What is Reiki?

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.

 

An Introduction to Celtic reiki

 

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.

 

The History of Celtic Reiki

 

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…

 

The Human Energy System

 

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.

 

When the Chakras are closed

 

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.

 

When the chakras are spinning too fast

 

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.

 

 

 

 

A Description of the Practitioner Degree 1 Celtic Reiki Symbols

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Examples of Practitioner Treatments

 

Using the Symbols

 

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:

 

1. To develop sufficient sensitivity in your hands that you can detect energy imbalances, so that you will know where to put your hands and how long they should be in place for a particular patient 
2. To develop sufficient knowledge concerning the sensations your hands produce in different circumstances and conditions, that you can use the information coming from your hands to diagnose disease.

 

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:

 

1. To allow the flow of Reiki through your hands to guide you to problem areas, even before the patient has been 'scanned'.
2. To know intuitively what the problem is, to intuit or to 'see' what the disease is.

 

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

 

1. Fold your hands in front of your chest/heart, close your eyes and connect yourself to the Reiki source
2. Ask for the health and well-being of the patient
3. Move your hands up so that they are in front of your third eye and ask the Reiki energy to guide your hands, to guide your hands to where the energy is needed most. Say to yourself something like 'please let me be guided' or 'please let my hands be guided to where they need to go'
4. Blank your mind and hover your hands over the patient; allow your hands to be moved of their own accord

 

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:

 

1. Connect to Reiki
2. Become one with the energy, focus yourself on intuitively knowing where the problem is
3. Hover your hands over the patient, and let your hands be guided and moved by the energy to areas of need
4. Focus on being open to the source of the problem: what is the disease?

 

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:

 

1. Start a treatment by resting your hands on the shoulders for a while.
2. While treating the head and shoulders, be guided to any variations that seem appropriate
3. Use Byosen and Reiji on the torso.
4. Whenever you feel that you should move on to a new treatment position, use Reiji or Byosen to locate the next best hand positions.

 

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.