Right well now I am just plain excited and confused. There are just too many opinions on Reiki and how do I know what is right and what isn't? Reading The Essence of Reiki and it says all kinds of craziness 
(this is tongue in cheek before I receive a rollocking).
According to the authors, you should teach levels 1 and 2 together whilst I have only ever been taught that there should be a gap. I have just been taught to put 4 symbols in when attuning someone to Level 1, but this has all been done during one procedure. Should I be repeating the procedure 4 times for each symbol?
I have only ever been taught that Reiki can be for the highest good and will go where it is needed - therefore no contraindications etc.. I could go on and on.. I now feel that because this book makes a lot of sense to me (i.e. I love the science bit - I love the practicality of it, the fact that you can work in a more structured way to treat a certain condition, I love the concept of an active healer and not a passive one) I need to rethink all of my training. And then.. and THEN! What if this book has got it wrong and all of the other ways I have taught are right?? What then?!
And with all of this confusion how on earth am I supposed to write a manual and start teaching?!
I realise I am now going to probably be further confused by all the different opinions I am about to be hit with but so be it. I have donned my hard hat and have fashioned a shield from my bin lid... Hit me with it!
Hi Chloe,
Just for today, be free of worry... 
Ok, there isn't a strict "must" about whether levels 1 and 2 are taught together or not.
When Usui was teaching and also when his own students became teachers, there were differences in how it was taught. Remember, Reiki is primarily a progressive personal practice, with the ability to give Reiki to others in the form of healing as a sort of 'side effect'. When it was taught back then, students would receive their empowerments to Reiki and would return regularly for further teaching and further empowerments, progressing on their journey all the time. In the west it's quite common for our level 1 and 2 to be taught seperately with a gap in between so that the student has time to practice and learn, along with their daily needs in life (remember we lead far more busy lives nowadays - or so people like to believe). Some people do also teach 1 and 2 together in a day or weekend, but typically people don't get the time to practice and fit in as much learning material in such a short time... though if we could have the luxury of learning both levels over a couple of weeks with plenty of study and practice that would be ideal. So... you haven't been taught wrongly, and you won't be teaching wrongly by doing 1 and 2 seperately. It's the quality of teaching that matters along with the support you give in between. Yes, for some people, they may feel that just level 1 isn't enough, and like it says in that book, level 2 is ideally an integral part of level 1, but for many people level 1 is enough to get them started.
As for doing the attunements, just do them as you were taught.
I have only ever been taught that Reiki can be for the highest good and will go where it is needed - therefore no contraindications etc.. I could go on and on.. I now feel that because this book makes a lot of sense to me (i.e. I love the science bit - I love the practicality of it, the fact that you can work in a more structured way to treat a certain condition, I love the concept of an active healer and not a passive one) I need to rethink all of my training. And then.. and THEN! What if this book has got it wrong and all of the other ways I have taught are right?? What then?!
If you learn something like Jikiden Reiki etc. then you practice Reiki by scanning for the issues and working directly on them in an intuitive way, which is similar to Andy and Dawn's "active" Reiki... whereas often in the west we are taught to just place hands in certain positions for X mintes (the passive way). The passive way is ok for beginners and with progression they can learn to become more intuitive and active in what they are doing.
Again, don't feel you'll be doing anything wrong.
All Love and Reiki Hugs
Christ! Yes it is confusing, for the sake of confusing. Trust you and your intentions and get on with it is my response to it. Profound teaching is pure simplicity. Rest is all an attempt to mystify you, which is what you are going through
Humans have a way of creating jargon and complicate things to make things special and extra ordinary. Life is easy. Stop reading all the rules, there are no rules.
Listen to this! The first attunement I did years ago- I forgot the symbols, names, done a couple twice..made all the mistakes you can imagine but they were swooning not only they got it alright.
Its not about how "right" you do things.
It is all in your intention. So called experts have a need to feel experts so they come up with ludicrous shoulds and shouldn'ts. Reiki is one modality we hear all this over and over again...
Thank you Jnani and Giles, I shall stop worrying, stem the anger etc etc 
I do sometimes wish I could meet you all.. maybe some of the HP magic would be lost, or maybe it would enhanced.. but that is the feeling that I have 
Thank you Jnani and Giles, I shall stop worrying, stem the anger etc etc
How dare you Delighted!! When we see each other it will be pure magic. Meeting in presence is pure magic. Meeting from one's own projections one gets dis enchanted- Mind gets disenchanted,because it has its own hundreds of expectations. That is hardly a meeting that is just personal agendas/projections clashing. Heart has no agendas, meeting in heart we will be both fulfilled.
Mind creates fear, heart bridges separations. If we ever were to meet, I can say about myself I will be "delighted". ;):)
Delighted - you don't have to read books to get confused!!My scientific soul would LOVE some rational explanations of how attunements work , why different attunement systems work, (I have been taught to do 4 different rituals for level 1, but the same 1 ritual for levels 2 and 3.
I know from discussions here and on Linkedn that some people think you need level 3 to treat anyone other than friends or family, while I was taught you could start a practice with level 2.
But in the end it all comes down to that one word INTENTION. That makes sense to my spiritual soul - and that is good enough for me
Thank you Jnani and Giles, I shall stop worrying, stem the anger etc etc
Hell yeah, meeting in person we would certainly not be the people you expect us to be... but that's simply because of your own expectations and perceptions... and if you recognise that, then you recognise the person you are meeting is exactly the person you intended to meet... if that kinda makes sense.
All Love and Reiki Hugs
I have sent you a pm.
But in the end it all comes down to that one word INTENTION. That makes sense to my spiritual soul - and that is good enough for me
The more I learn about reiki and healing in general the more I feel this statement is true. I think there is many ways of unlocking the ability to heal, and as you say it's all to do with intention, and a general understanding of how to connect to what you might call universal energy, or reiki healing energy or whatever.
Reiki and me .
As I sit here reading people's post I feel Reiki Running through me and my hands prickle with Reiki energy.
I was instructed that levels are taught separately so that the attunement can settle and the learner can learn, practice and also do their 21 days self healing. Well if you feel unsettled by a Reiki attunement you will need time to allow your body to adjust to the attunement, can you imagine what an adjustment it must be to receive two attunements on one day??.
Reiki will tell you when you are ready for your next level/attunement, so go with what your intuition tells you. I attended all of my levels over a weekend for each level, it gave me that much more time to practice and understand what I had received.
I would like to ask if there is a body of Reiki healers that send Reiki to the Universe?, since receiving my Reiki III attunement I have an overwhelming need to send Reiki energy to the universe, I send Reiki distance healing to those who request it all over the world and have sent to the universe once, feeling really comfortable and in harmony with it.
I would also like to know if anyone can give me more info on "The Grandmothers" something that I keep thinking about ?
In love and light.
Hi Liz and welcome to Healthypages,
As I sit here reading people's post I feel Reiki Running through me and my hands prickle with Reiki energy.
There's a lot of great energy on these forums.
I was instructed that levels are taught separately so that the attunement can settle and the learner can learn, practice and also do their 21 days self healing. Well if you feel unsettled by a Reiki attunement you will need time to allow your body to adjust to the attunement, can you imagine what an adjustment it must be to receive two attunements on one day??.
I assume you mean the different levels of attunements. I received 4 actual attunements for level 1... two on the first day and two on the next.
I would like to ask if there is a body of Reiki healers that send Reiki to the Universe?, since receiving my Reiki III attunement I have an overwhelming need to send Reiki energy to the universe, I send Reiki distance healing to those who request it all over the world and have sent to the universe once, feeling really comfortable and in harmony with it.
May I ask... by sending energy to the Universe, what benefits you perceive in doing that? If the energy is coming from (a part of) the universe, is it not just like turning a tap on to fill up a reservoir, when the reservoir is feeding the tap?
I would also like to know if anyone can give me more info on "The Grandmothers" something that I keep thinking about ?
Not quite sure what you mean by "the grandmothers". Is this something you are getting visions of? or something you've read about? or what?
All Love and Reiki Hugs
Hello Energylz and thank you for the welcome.
I was instructed that levels are taught separately so that the attunement can settle and the learner can learn, practice and also do their 21 days self healing. Well if you feel unsettled by a Reiki attunement you will need time to allow your body to adjust to the attunement, can you imagine what an adjustment it must be to receive two attunements on one day??.
I assume you mean the different levels of attunements. I received 4 actual attunements for level 1... two on the first day and two on the next.
Yes I meant the attunements for each level of Reiki.
I would like to ask if there is a body of Reiki healers that send Reiki to the Universe?, since receiving my Reiki III attunement I have an overwhelming need to send Reiki energy to the universe, I send Reiki distance healing to those who request it all over the world and have sent to the universe once, feeling really comfortable and in harmony with it.
May I ask... by sending energy to the Universe, what benefits you perceive in doing that? If the energy is coming from (a part of) the universe, is it not just like turning a tap on to fill up a reservoir, when the reservoir is feeding the tap?
The benefits are to the whole of the universe and all that live within it. (ie Animals, trees, humans etc).
I would also like to know if anyone can give me more info on "The Grandmothers" something that I keep thinking about ?
Not quite sure what you mean by "the grandmothers". Is this something you are getting visions of? or something you've read about? or what?
My intuition is telling me that I need to send Reiki to the universe and that "The Grandmother's" are requesting more healing.
InLlove and Light
The benefits are to the whole of the universe and all that live within it. (ie Animals, trees, humans etc).
Ok. Still not sure why that would be any more beneficial than setting your intention to send Reiki to specific things, or how Reiki sent to the universe would go to those that need it without such an intention.
My intuition is telling me that I need to send Reiki to the universe and that "The Grandmother's" are requesting more healing.
Well, that's a new one on me... never heard of "the grandmother's" in relation to Reiki. What meaning does your intuition/perception have for them?
All Love and Reiki Hugs
Originally Posted by lizjkp
The benefits are to the whole of the universe and all that live within it. (ie Animals, trees, humans etc).Ok. Still not sure why that would be any more beneficial than setting your intention to send Reiki to specific things, or how Reiki sent to the universe would go to those that need it without such an intention.
I was taught right from the start of my Reiki journey and still believe to this day that REIKI goes to where it is needed most. Can you imagine someone having to send Reiki energy to all the trees and then all the animals etc, they would be busy every day of their lives.
My intuition is telling me that I need to send Reiki to the universe and that "The Grandmother's" are requesting more healing.
Well, that's a new one on me... never heard of "the grandmother's" in relation to Reiki. What meaning does your intuition/perception have for them?
If I had all the answer's I would not have asked the question.
Hi again Liz,
I was taught right from the start of my Reiki journey and still believe to this day that REIKI goes to where it is needed most. Can you imagine someone having to send Reiki energy to all the trees and then all the animals etc, they would be busy every day of their lives.
Likewise I was taught that Reiki energy goes where it is needed. However, since I was taught, I've gone away and studied reiki in more depth to futher my understanding, so no longer believe that Reiki just goes where it's needed. That's not to say you can't send Reiki to e.g. a situation etc. but in such a case there is some intention behind it as to where the reiki should go and for what purpose.
Let me ask you this, if I may...
When you were taught Reiki, were you also taught the various hand positions for giving a treatment i.e. start at the crown of the head, then over the face, shoulders, chest etc. etc.?
If so, ask yourself why you would need to place your hands in specific positions if Reiki will just go where it's needed anyway.
If I had all the answer's I would not have asked the question.
Ah, no offence intended. :hug:
My question was not what you see the answer as, but how you perceive, or what "the grandmothers" means to you in your own understanding and beliefs.
For example, if I use the word "god" to different people, they will all have their own understanding of what this means, based on their own religion of faith. Therefore, as "The grandmothers" are not something that is known to be a part of Reiki, the meaning of them (and likely the answer) will actually come from what you yourself understand of that term. What images, senses, emotions, understanding do you get when you think of "the grandmothers"?
All Love and Reiki Hugs
Let me ask you this, if I may...
When you were taught Reiki, were you also taught the various hand positions for giving a treatment i.e. start at the crown of the head, then over the face, shoulders, chest etc. etc.?
If so, ask yourself why you would need to place your hands in specific positions if Reiki will just go where it's needed anyway.
I was taught that the hand positions were originally designed for those long ago military students who were unable to work intuitively. Could it be hey were too used to following orders?
But direct application of reiki to a specific part can be needed . I did a reiki taster for someone today with a hand problem. So I focussed on his hand and I got guided to treat the wrist and got the idea there was a blockage somewhere. So I don't believe reiki would have got through to hand as efficiently if I hadn't put my hands on his.
Hi Sally,
I was taught that the hand positions were originally designed for those long ago military students who were unable to work intuitively. Could it be hey were too used to following orders?
Yes, as the history is told, the positions were given to the military based students for that reason, but if Reiki just went where it was needed, then they could simply have been taught "place your hands anywhere and give reiki energy to the person, and it will heal whatever needs healing". So the positions were more a case of ensuring all the major areas of the body were treated so intuition wasn't necessary.
But direct application of reiki to a specific part can be needed . I did a reiki taster for someone today with a hand problem. So I focussed on his hand and I got guided to treat the wrist and got the idea there was a blockage somewhere. So I don't believe reiki would have got through to hand as efficiently if I hadn't put my hands on his.
Lovely example.
All Love and Reiki Hugs
It is also the last Reiki book I bought and I highly recommend it.
Some parts I can relate to, others brought a new perspective to me, while some I disagreeable with and have discarded.
I liken Reiki to parenting, as long as you have good intentions and achieve positive results, follow your intuitions and go with the flow.