By Rev. Kenneth C. Dyer, Jr.

Reiki Master Teacher

Reiki originated in Japan with Dr. Mikao Usui. It is one of many dif­ferent modalities of “energy healing.” Reiki is not connected with the medical field, it is holistic healing and a Reiki practitioner is not a doctor or a medical professional, nor is Reiki intended to be a re­placement for medical treatment. The word Reiki comes from the Japanese word “Rei” which means “Universal Life” and “Ki” which means “Energy.” Being quite similar but much more gentle than acupressure or acupuncture, Reiki Masters work with the chakras and meridians of the electromagnetic energy field (aura) of the physical body. It is administered by “laying on hands” but touch is not necessary, it can be done either directly on the body, just above the body or via long distances.

Energy healing is based upon Eins­tein's scientifically proven fact that we are all made of nothing but pure electromagnetic energy. All matter is composed of atoms, and all atoms are composed of electrically charged particles (protons, neutrons and electrons) which interact magnetically with each other. The protons and neutrons make up the nucleus of the atom in the center, while the electrons travel around the nucleus similar to the way that the earth travels around the sun. The electromagnetism of the nucleus is what keeps the electrons traveling in circles. Our bo­dies function the same way, on a larger scale. We are all bodies of light and electromagnetic energy. Nothing is solid. Everyone has an aura. We also have seven main chakra points that I will illustrate in this article which correspond in color to the colors on the electro­magnetic spectrum, basically the seven colors of the rainbow. Our aura, which is an egg shaped body of light that surrounds us, tends to have one dominate color but depending on what’s going on in our lives it can also be composed of several different colors. It has also been scientifically proven that the dominate color in our aura changes when our emotions change, and as we go thru our day. Pos­itive thoughts and positive energy literally heal physical illnesses. If your aura contains too many negative vibrations, or if you think too many negative thoughts, then you are more likely to get physically and mentally ill or feel stress, and if you are high in positive energy and positive thoughts, you are more capable of being happy and healthy. What I do as a healer is remove negative energies and re­place them with positive energies. I also remove blockages in the flow of energy through the chakra system.

 

Reiki promotes relaxation, emotional and physical healing, spiritual and personal growth and recovery and addresses all levels of mind, body and spirit. As a person who was once very alienated from people, depressed and generally stressed on life, I can attest that it has completely changed my life and has been nothing short of a mi­racle for me. I feel that Reiki has saved my life. It also works in conjunction with and is a very nice compliment to all other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recov­ery.

 

When applying Reiki people often tell me that my hands feel like a heating pad, and they report tingling sensations and a very comforta­ble state of relaxation. Many have reported miraculous results:

 

One example of my personal successes was when a co-worker had a shoulder that hurt so badly that he couldn’t raise his arm above his head. His condition was like that for one full year and had been seen by medical doctors. During a slow period at work one night, I ca­sually did Reiki on him for about fifteen minutes. The next day he came into work waving his arm around above his head and told me there was only very minimal pain. Fifteen minutes of Reiki cured a one year old shoulder problem that medical doctors were unable to fix.

 

Another example is Steve, who had suf­fered from severe back pain. He had been to doctors for years and had been taking heavy narcotic pain medications daily. Nothing was helping. I talked him into coming to my free Reiki circle, he came limping in like an old man and it took him much effort just to get onto the massage table. He was a hurting unit. I did a full one hour treatment on him for three consecutive Sundays, and by the fourth week he was giving me credit for literally “curing” his back pain. He is now a very serious Reiki Master and goes out playing basketball, does yard work, etc. and says that Reiki has been a miracle in his life and changed his whole perspective.

 

Reiki Masters intuitively tune into the energy of the aura and use various methods of psychic ability and intuition to guide their heal­ings. Different Reiki Masters have different psychic gifts. Some, like myself, are empathic and feel people’s energy. We feel the client’s headache like it’s our own headache. Or back ache, neck ache, emo­tional pain, stress, happiness, etc. whatever the person might be feeling. Some of us, including myself, are clairaudient and can hear things like messages from our spirit guides, the client’s spirit guides, the Reiki guides, the client’s deceased rela­tives, and so on and so forth. Some of us are clairvoyant and some just have an inner knowing about things. Everyone has psychic gifts, it is just a matter of unlocking them by ridding yourself of negative energy (baggage) from the past because negative energy and stored pain from the past block intuitive abilities. That is why many of us had experiences as children with psychic abilities but no longer have them. As we grew older the baggage began to accumulate and the abilities started to dissipate. The more you purify your aura, the more you let go of pain from the past, the more intuitive you’ll be­come once again. We can all develop these abilities if we work on healing ourselves of past pain, and Reiki is a very effective way to accomplish that.

 

While Reiki is spiritual in nature, it is not a religion. People from all different walks of life and religions practice Reiki. It has no dogma. There is nothing you must believe in order to learn and use Reiki, however if you are a skeptic and are closed off to the possibility of it producing results, then that can and will hinder or perhaps even pre­vent it from working at all. Why is that? Because thoughts are energy. Combative thoughts about it producing results can possibly overpower the healing effects. Open-minded skepticism is understandable if you're new to it. But being a closed-minded skeptic can stop it from working. Just be open minded and all is good.

 

 

The 7 Main Chakras

“Chakra” is a Sanskrit word for “wheel” and is a spinning wheel of energy. Each chakra corresponds with different colors, musical tones and “issues.” The following are only the most basic definitions of each chakra as there are several factors that can cause a chakra to function or dysfunction:

 

7^th - Crown: Color: Purple or White Musical Tone: B

Spiritual Connection, Cosmic Energy, Understanding, Knowing, Bliss, Oneness

 

6^th - Third Eye: Color: Dark Blue or Indigo Musical Tone: A

Clairvoyance, Telepathic Energy, Psychic Abilities, Vision

 

5^th - Throat: Color: Light Blue Musical Tone: G

Speech, Self-Expression, Communication,

 

4^th - Heart: Color: Green (Masculine) or Pink (Feminine) Musical Tone: F

Emotions, Love, Balance, Compassion, Humanitarianism

 

3^rd - Solar Plexus: Color: Yellow Musical Tone: E

Personal Power, Freedom To Be Yourself, Control, Mental Func­tioning, Fulfillment

 

2^nd - Sacral: Color: Orange Musical Tone: D

Desire, Emotion, Creativity, Sexuality

 

1^st - Root (Base of Kundalini Line): Color: Red Musical Tone: C

Survival, Security, Grounding, Physical Energy, Vitality

 

Crystals & Gemstones

If you have a specific chakra that gives you trouble on a regular ba­sis, for example, when I was a new Reiki student I had to constantly work on my solar plexus chakra because it was always going out of balance, getting blocked, etc., so what I did in an effort to assist that chakra even more than regular healings was carry a crystal with me everywhere I went. Crystals and gemstones all have different healing properties and benefits, and each chakra has a list of stones that are more beneficial to use than others, for example my solar plexus stone was citrine and I carried a citrine point with me everywhere I went. I kept it in my left pocket because the left side is the receiving side, and it assisted with keeping that chakra in balance throughout the day. Most generally the stones that are the same color as the in­dividual chakras are the ones to use, for example the solar plexus is yellow and citrine is a yellow stone.

 

Here is a generalized list of recommended stones to use for each chakra. In addition to the ones listed here, clear quartz is generally effective for all of the chakras, as is smoky quartz.

 

Crown Chakra: Amethyst, Celestite, Angelite, Jade

 

Third Eye Chakra: Amethyst, Celestite, Lapis Lazuli, Sodalite, Fluorite

 

Throat Chakra: Celestite, Lapis Lazuli, Blue Lace Agate, Tur­quoise

 

Heart Chakra: Rose Quartz, Watermelon Tourmaline, Jade

 

Solar Plexus Chakra: Citrine, Malachite, Aventurine

 

Sacral Chakra: Citrine, Orange Calcite, Carnelian, Tiger’s Eye, Golden Topaz

 

Root Chakra: Carnelian, Tiger’s Eye, Hematite, Bloodstone

 

Clearing & Cleansing Crystals & Gemstones

When you get a new crystal or gemstone, or if you carry one with you for a while, it is always necessary to cleanse them and purify them on a regular basis as they will tend to pick up and accumulate negative energies. You might have a bad day while you’re carrying the stone, consequently the stone becomes “dirty” and will require clearing. There are several simple methods for purifying a crystal or gemstone:

 

Running water: Simply run the stone under water for about 30 seconds, making it your intention to purify and cleanse the stone, recharging it back to its most positive vibration. Visualize all of the negative (black) energies rinsing down the drain.

 

Sunlight: Leave it sitting in the sunlight, for example in a window sill, for several hours. This is very effective.

 

Moonlight: Use the same technique as with sunlight while you sleep at night. This is very effective as well.

 

Salt water: Soak it in a glass of salt water overnight, or for several hours.

 

Buried in Earth: Bury it for several hours. Returning it to its natural environment will naturally clear it.

 

Healing energy: Do Reiki on it or send it healing energy while you hold it in your hands, or even from a distance. If you have a large collection of stones that need cleansing do them all at once by using distance Reiki and including them all in your intentions. The healing energy method of clearing is my personal preferred method.

 

After you’ve used one of the processes described, always hold the crystal in your left hand and “feel” it. Trust your perception. If you hold it and suddenly you get a third eye headache, obviously it’s not clear. But if you sense positive energies radiating from the stone then you’re good to go. You’ll get better at this as you go along, just learn to trust your perception, you’ll usually be right so don’t underesti­mate yourself.

 

Additionally, there are only two kinds of crystals/gemstones that ab­solutely never need cleansing because they never pick up negative energies: Citrine and Kyanite. Both of these stones actually cleanse negative energies so don’t worry about clearing them they will be just fine.

How To Channel Healing Energy

Everyone is fully capable of channeling healing energy through their hands. Most people in the United States and in the west simply have not heard of Reiki, “energy healing,” or the concept of laying on of hands healing. It is really a very simple process and anyone can learn in a matter of minutes. Developing a talent for it can take time, but learning how to channel the energy is quick and easy.

 

To channel the energy place your hands, palms down with your fin­gers closed on the recipient in the area that requires healing. If it is a headache place your hands on the head, for a sore throat the throat, for hurt feelings the heart, etc. Visualize a large golden sun above your head, radiating the most positive, loving, golden rays of energy (light) that you can imagine. See it going through the top of your head all the way down the back of your spine to the base, and then back up through the love of your heart and out through both of your hands. It’s that simple. And you need to know that intention is the most important thing that there is. Make it your firm intention to send the recipient the most powerful, loving, healing energy that you can imagine and visualize your desired results. Picture the person healed. Remember that intention is 99% of the process. Make your intent clear in your mind. As you get more comfortable with this ba­sic technique try switching colors, for example if you’re working on the heart chakra you can send the person either pink or green light. Or if you’re working on the throat chakra you can send them blue light, and so on and so forth, just send them the corresponding colors of the chakras. As you get more intuitive you’ll know what to do, so trust any guidance that you receive. If you feel an impulse to move to a different part of the person’s body or move to a different chakra, by all means follow the impulse. Also, if you’re working on an indi­vidual chakra, and then you notice a sudden change, for ex­ample the heat or tingling suddenly subsides, then it is time to move on to the next chakra. Simply work your way down each of the seven chakras to the base (root chakra) and then the healing is complete.

 

A great way to check each chakra is to use a pendulum. Anything will work as a pendulum, a key chain, necklace or whatever you have handy. It’s always best to use something that only you exclu­sively handle or touch, because then it’s more in tune with your energy, but anything will do. Simply place the pendulum in the cen­ter of each chakra and be still. Eventually it will begin to rotate by itself. If it quickly rotates in a clockwise motion, that generally indi­cates a strong, open chakra. If it hesitates or rotates in a weak fa­shion perhaps the chakra needs more work. If it rotates counter clockwise it definitely needs more work. If that is the case simply send healing energy to the chakra again, and visualize it spinning the way you want it to spin (clockwise), and then check it again in a few minutes.

 

Important: The energy that you are sending the recipient is not your own personal energy, it is universal life force energy that you are simply a channel for. You are pulling the energy from the un­iverse into the top of your head (crown chakra) and it is going through you. Do not give your own energy it will drain you. Send them energy from the unlimited supply of universal life force energy. While you do this, considering the fact that it’s running through you, you’ll benefit from it as well.

 

One last thing, you can do this on yourself, in the form of self-heal­ings. Simply place your hands in any area that’s comfortable (sto­mach, for example) and then visualize the energy going anywhere it needs to go, your neck for example, or your throat, or wherever needed. I do this almost nightly as I lay down to go to sleep.