Reiki

If I was to mention the single most important event in my life it would be the day I was initiated into Reiki.

I first came to know about Reiki when my father gave me a book titled the 'Joy of Reiki' written by two Reiki masters Renoo and Nalin Nirula. It must be mentioned that my father is not a very spiritual man by nature and for him to give me a book which was primarily spiritual in nature was highly unsual. To this date I have not yet asked him where he got the book from. It never occurred to me at that point in time to ask him that question. It just happened so naturally
that I did not question the process. Now 6 years past when I look back I know that it was meant to be.

At that point in my life I had just finished my undergraduate studies and was preparing to come to the US for higher studies. My undergraute years were not very happy times and I was lacking much in life and looking for some meaning to what lay ahead of me. When I read the book it offered me much hope and was like ray of sunshine in my otherwise dreary outlook towards life. The positive message of Reiki and its ability to heal and bring joy to your life touched me deeply. I spent much time researching Reiki on the internet and becoming familiar with it.

Reiki is composed of two words 'Rei' and 'Ki'. 'Rei' means Universal Spirit and 'Ki' means life force energy. Reiki means Universal Life Force energy. This is the energy that permeates all living things. It is called by different names in different cultures, Chi in China, Qi in Japanese, Prana in Hinduism and western science recognizes it as the biomagnetic field that surrounds every living thing. Reiki in essence is a highly refined form of spiritual energy that is highly conducive to spiritual growth. Its primary purpose is to bring about a transformation in the individual's conciousness and bring about a spiritual awareness. Most people however view and percieve it as a healing energy as it has healing properties to heal the body, mind and spirit. This however in my opinion is secondary to its intended purpose. Spiritual healing is a natural by product of its primary function which is to refine the individuals concicouness through spiritual cleansing. Once you are attuned to Reiki by a master you can then channel this energy through your hands and use it for your own healing or for the benefit of others. During the attunement the master opens up your own energy channels (energy centers or chakras) in the body and tunes you into the higher refined frequencies of Reiki thus making you a receiver for Reiki. Traditional Reiki has 3 different levels. The Reiki practitioner moves on from one level to the next after he has mastered the previous level. Each level opens the practitioners capacity to receive more Reiki. This is similar to wiring your house for electricity. Reiki I level is like being wired to 110V, the second to 220V and the III has no limits. At the masters level your capacity to channel Reiki would ideally be unlimited. It is important to note however that it is up to each individual to enchance his own capacity to receive Reiki through practice and inner work. Only when one has mastered each level should one progress to the next else the 'wiring' will be incomplete. I am currently at the II level.

Coming back to my story. After I learned about Reiki I had an intense desire to be attuned to it. There was a stumbling block however and that was the price of getting a Reiki attunement. Reiki masters usually charge high prices for the attunement and I was afraid of asking my father for that amount of money. I never did summon up enough courage to ask my father for the money needed to get an attunement. I however kept up my research on Reiki and talked to people on the internet who were Reiki practitioners. My desire to experience Reiki grew in leaps and bounds as I gained more knowledge about it. Six months passed and we relocated to a new place. My father being in the military meant that we would tend to move often. One day my father received a circular in the mail that a Reiki master, who was a retired Major General, would be coming to our area and would be conducting a Reiki seminar especially for the army families. The fees that he had asked for was very affordable too. Even at that point I knew this was a prayer answered. This drove home to me two very important lessons.

1) When something is desired with a sincere and pure heart it will always be fulfilled.
2)The master appears when the student is ready.

Needless to say I attended the seminar and the day I received my Reiki attunement was the day my whole life changed. The attunement itself was a very profound process for me. During the attunement I felt like a huge burden had been lifted off of me and I felt truly happy and
joyful to be alive for the first time in my life. I felt connected to people and things around me. It made me realize there was much inside of me that I had not yet discovered. That was the day in March of 2000 that I awakened from a deep slumber and started a journey that continues to this day. Along the way I have grown to love and cherish Reiki and share it with anyone who so desires it. Reiki has helped me heal on all levels, physical, emotional and mental. I have found Reiki to be wonderful for inducing deep relaxation and 99% of the people to whom I give a Reiki session tend to fall asleep after reaching a state of deep relaxation. I have also found Reiki to be wonderful with pain of all kinds. Reiki is also great for inducing a meditative state. The uses of Reiki are truly endless. Reiki gives a jumpstart to everything. It certainly jumpstarted my life and I will be forever grateful for this beautiful and blessed gift of spirit that is given to all who choose to accept it.