After a long contemplative study of modalities and possible teachers, I finally took my first Usui Reiki I class on Saturday (May 24th). Taught by Cathy Kane and with a total of 6 students in attendance, it was an amazing experience. Cathy is a Master of several different modalities of Reiki/energy healing. I have been told that “lineage” is important – Cathy is 7 removed from Master Usui. It was a long day, lasting from 9:30 am until 6 pm. We broke for a light lunch, and several bathroom breaks (since most of us had been fasting in one form or another, we drank quite a bit of water). There was so much to absorb! Cathy began with an overview and history of Usui Reiki, discussing the three miracles of Master Usui and how Reiki has progressed and “evolved” over time. We then went into a Healing Meditation, after which we received our first attunement. After lunch, we studied hand positions and then another meditation session before receiving our second attunement. We spent the next two hours practicing on each other, learning to scan the chakras, read auras … and for our “final exam” we worked on our teacher. Happy news: We all passed and now there are six more certified Reiki I practitioners in the world!
The physical sensation while administering Reiki is just wild – it actually felt like I was standing on a surfboard and could feel waves of energy undulate beneath me. So cool! At one point, I had my hands on another student’s head and she told me my hands felt like they were on fire. I can tell you than my hands are normally cool or just pleasantly warm and dry to the touch. My body temperature doesn’t rise easily (even when I work out or run in the summer, or lay out at the beach, I don’t perspire) so having “hot hands” is a new phenomenon to me.
Cathy did let us know, formally, what we had all heard “through the grapevine” – that yes, in the 60 days following a Reiki I attunement you may experience a physically-manifested crisis of some sort. Some people break out, others get whatever bug or virus is going around, and you may get moody or sad as you work out your “old stuff” as the Reiki energy works on you too, and clears out the junk. So far, so good – I have lots of energy but am not feeling any inexplicable illness or emotion coming on. But then, it has only been one day.
The entire class is looking forward to taking Reiki II together, which will be offered sometime late Summer/early Fall. Cathy instructed us to practice, practice, practice – I plan to get a massage table set up at Talisman and hope to get my hands on as many people as possible!
If you have any Reiki stories, healings or information you’d like to share – I would love to read your comments!
Bright Blessings, Laura
