From talking to others ive realized that there are so many different beliefs in reiki its kind of amazing. The one thing I have learned and was taught though was instead of using hand positions on the body, go where your intuition tells you to go. I was curious as to what some of you do. Hand positions from head to toe automatically or do you let your intuition guide you instead?
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
I just go woth the flow, follow intuition, it always works for me not to mention that it helps me expand my intuition on many other aspects.
When I started doing reiki it just felt so un natural to follow some sort of "map" that's what made me really believe that following my "guts" was way better.
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
Mushroom trip. I feel the exact same way. I was amazed when I found out that I actually had my intuition work for me when I thought I didnt have any at all..LOL live and learn.
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
I believe people should be given all possible options when being taught. They should learn the hand positions, and also be advised and guided to use their intuition. Mine kicked in very shortly after taking Reiki 1, but I always teach the hand positions.
Similarly at Reiki 2, when the symbols are taught. Some continue to use them, others don't, whether giving a healing treatment or sending distant healing. Again, I feel it's best to teach as broadly as possible ... give people all the tools available, and encouragement to use them in different ways.
Holistic
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
I agree Holistic. It's best to be given all the tools of the trade, and then you can pick & choose which ones suit you best. Not point weilding a 12lb lump hammer, when a small hammer would be best.
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
Thank you, Matt, and for not throwing a spanner in the works 
Holistic
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
You're welcome! Ha ha. 
I think that if you have the basic hand positions as a guide, you can use these so the client will feel they've had a full, all over treatment. Rather than just leaving your hands on their shoulders for an hour! However, if someone has a specific ailment (say broken arm, after it's been set in place) then place your hands (gently, obviously) on the arm in question. No problem in deviating from the structured positions. They're not set in stone after all.
Best wishes
Matt
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
I prefer to use intuition than the standard positions.Since I was taught Reiju Ho I rarely ever do it the standard hand position way.
SS
x
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
I prefer to use my intuition too 
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
I was taught to do it either way, I just think intuition was pushed some because its on target. I remember for my level Two My reiki master brought her daughter in there and didnt tell me what her medical problems were, and told me to follow my intuition and I did and I ended up using odd hand positions that I thought were strange but I did them anyway and they turned out to be dead on right. I felt drawn to her shoulder and sure enough later I found out her shoulder hurt, I felt drawn to her elbow and her elbow was hurt. My angles and hand positions were a lot of the traditional ones in some ways because you tend to naturally do that anyway. Its just all very interesting.
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
Hi Perfectcusp, definitely intuition for me. Although I was taught the hand positions, I find the energy flows much more smoothly when I use intuition. But then saying that, sometimes it depends on the person I'm treating. Sometimes it feels right to do the positions, but most of the time intuition is by far the best. I find myself starting at the head and then going wherever my hands lead me.
Best of luck on your journey
Louisexx
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
flutterbye- I dont know why I dont start at the head. i go right to the middle...LOL Good luck on your journey as well!
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
Aw you just follow your heart hun, and you'll never go wrong [sm=hug.gif]
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
I think for people new to Reiki, it's good for them to learn the hand positions on their Reiki I course as it gives Reiki a bit of a "format" that they can work with, and then once they become familiar with the reiki energy itself they can start to use their intuition and start to feel where their hands should go.
My Reiki I course was about specific hand positions and the Reiki II course covered using intuition, although I was already doing that proir to my Reiki II anyway.
Still, when I give a Reiki treatment, I always start at the head and do what positions feel right there and then work down the body, scanning for what is required.
Love and Reiki Hugs
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
I too depend on my intuition.
Although when I give mini 10minute treatments, I usually focus on the head.
Out of interest.. I was treaing a terminally ill cancer patient yesterday, and I thought that I would be guided to the tumours.. liver and bowel.. but my hands were drawn to the heart chakra and the throat charkra.
This reinforces that valuable lesson, that we are not the healers and that the reiki goes where it is needed.
Also, when I give, and close my eyes, I usually see a pair of blue/black hands in my mind's eye telling me where my hands should go next, they move, then I move, and so one... does anyone else experience this? I am guessing it is the reiki energy guiding me.... my intuition of sorts?!?
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
Faye,
I believe that would be your intuition manifesting itself in your visual perception. Mine is a mixture, sometimes gut instint type of intuition and other times, noticing the difference in the clients energy, as well as sometimes seeing things in my minds eye like you. Whatever comes along comes along and I go with that.
Love and Reiki Hugs
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
ORIGINAL: Energylz
I think for people new to Reiki, it's good for them to learn the hand positions on their Reiki I course as it gives Reiki a bit of a "format" that they can work with, and then once they become familiar with the reiki energy itself they can start to use their intuition and start to feel where their hands should go.
We seem to be broadly in agreement here, Giles. There's a difference between teaching the handpositions and saying use your intuition as you see fit, and telling someone not to use them, as perfectcusp's first post suggests to me if I've understood it correctly:
The one thing I have learned and was taught though was instead of using hand positions on the body, go where your intuition tells you to go.
It's the "instead of" which just concerns me a little.
Laura.
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
I was taught the hand positions in Reiki 1, and although I'd already begun to use my intuitive guidance before Reiki 2, we were encouraged to work intuitively on the course.
A year after doing my reiki 2 I did the NFSH spiritual healing course and learnt their method of scanning, which you do before the actual healing. Although I wasn't keen on it at first and felt it was too regimented, I now find it actually helps intuitive guidance rather than hinders it. Now I've been doing healing for a few years I've kind of got my own individual approach to how I work and I'm happy for it to grow and change as I do....
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
ORIGINAL: Holistic
I believe people should be given all possible options when being taught. They should learn the hand positions, and also be advised and guided to use their intuition. Mine kicked in very shortly after taking Reiki 1, but I always teach the hand positions.
Similarly at Reiki 2, when the symbols are taught. Some continue to use them, others don't, whether giving a healing treatment or sending distant healing. Again, I feel it's best to teach as broadly as possible ... give people all the tools available, and encouragement to use them in different ways.
Holistic
Agree totally! I let my intuition guide me and it works well for me but am grateful that I had the hand positions in the begining. It the best way to give people the whole 'kit' to work with and they will change and grow with time and find out what works for them.
Also lovely to have all the tools and background and as Holistic says then you can go away and try various things with what you have, often get surprised with the positive results you get too!
Reiki blessings, Reikilight x
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
Holistic im sorry you keep feeling mislead by my post. I certainly wasnt trying to sound like a know it all. I am reiki two now and In reiki one I did learn the hand positions. My Reiki Master did suggest intuition and did the use the word "instead" but thats just her opinion. Whatever works.
Someone mentioned scanning prior to the session. I just read about this last week and now is as good as time as any to bring it up. Anyone do this: [link= http://www.reiki.org/AboutICRT/Scanning.html ]http://www.reiki.org/AboutICRT/Scanning.html[/link] Reiki.org mentioned scanning the auric field first and then going into closer range. this was fascinating..
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
I am always guided as to where to heal by intuition. When I teach, I teach students the standard hand positions but encourage then to use intuition from day one.
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
yes, im realizing both is good. Reiki constantly teaches you something long after youve trained for it.
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
ORIGINAL: perfectcusp
Someone mentioned scanning prior to the session. I just read about this last week and now is as good as time as any to bring it up. Anyone do this: [link= http://www.reiki.org/AboutICRT/Scanning.html ]http://www.reiki.org/AboutICRT/Scanning.html[/link] Reiki.org mentioned scanning the auric field first and then going into closer range. this was fascinating..
Interesting description from William Lee Rand's website there. I have a copy (genuine copy, not copy copy ;)) of his Reiki Master manual which also details some good techniques to use. I always find it interesting how he seems to incorporate religious practice i.e. prayer into his teaching, but that's just him and doesn't fit with me. What's also interesting is the claim that his organisation (reiki.org) developed the scanning technique. I say it's interesting cos I was never taught scanning myself, but found myself doing it intuitively the more and more I worked with the Reiki energy... does that mean I developed scanning too?
All in all though, scanning is good to use, and I would say that you should just use what feels right for you.
Love and Reiki Hugs
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
You have that manual? where did you get that? Yeah I dont know what they mean by they developed the technique. Anyone could have thought of that if your in Reiki and understand the auric field. My question is though what i fyou dont feel anything? I have tried it and feel a little tingling sometimes but not a whole lot.
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
Hi perfect cusp
My understanding is that the scanning is a traditional technique called byosen reikan ho in japanese.
I would advise you to keep on practicing scanning with people and you should become more sensitive to feeling the energy in your hands.
I have pm'd you with further details.
Donna.
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
thanks reikidonna! Ill check
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
ORIGINAL: perfectcusp
You have that manual? where did you get that?
It was hiding in a dusty corner of a little bookshop in Glastonbury. Couldn't resist buying it cos it looked really interesting.
My question is though what i fyou dont feel anything? I have tried it and feel a little tingling sometimes but not a whole lot.
Keep working with Reiki and let your intuition guide you. If you "try" and feel for things you are letting your conscious mind get in the way. Just state your intention that you wish to feel the energy and move your hands about and then recognise where it feels different. The trick is in going with the gut feeling (however that manifests itself i.e. visually in the minds eye or through tingling or warmth etc) and not let your conscious mind start to make things up or try to hard feeling for something more physical or solid than the subtle energies.
Love and Reiki Hugs
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
Thank you! You are right about the concious mind. I have to keep reminding that to myself all the time. So stating my intention will work? It does fascinate me how even though the reiki energy is always there when you talk to it and tell it to help you or show more of its presence it does just that. When I hold my hands together and Ask the energy to flow, I feel a strong throbbing in my middle fingers. Its strange. or is it common? LOL
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
People work with the energy in different ways. Trust in the way you use the energy youself and your intention will let it work in that way. Reiki is very flexible.
RE: Intuition or Hand Positions?
Hi All
Usui system... I suppose the first thing is to say that reiki cannot do any harm, so no matter what you do, or how you do it if your intention is pure, and loving then all is well.
We were taught the hand positions, and definitely practised self treatments every day at reiki 1. I was not simply attuned, but had a full two day course with other interested people and our reiki master. I personally think itsimportant to learn the positions [much like learning to drive, you first learn the whole of the system and its highway code as well as mirror-signal-manoevre etc until you have a real understanding of the whole thing], and of course intuition... in fact reiki guides you as to where to go... but I feel that if someone just was attuned and not shown any of the positions then how can they begin to get a feel for what they are doing? Just my opinion.
Using reiki at level 1 also helps to boost it within you, strengthening your use of reiki. Also, its better not to jump around up and down the body because its the chakras that are being worked on, blockages are being cleared and the energy is flowing.
I always have, and still do, scan when I give a treatment. We all experience different things and I feel turbulences of different kinds, textural changes as well as temperature differences when I am giving treatments - sometimes being drawn, other times being directed away [for different reasons].
That's the wonder of our uniqueness even when we have the privilege of channelling reiki energy into a client, an animal, plant - or ourselves. Let the energy go where it is needed.
littleredperson