In Reiki I, you learn the basics of Reiki, the hand positions and how mind/body/spirit effects the body, and how you can utilize the Reiki energy force to help those in need.
In Reiki II, you further this understanding by learning more about energy and how to utilize Reiki for those at a distance. This is often called absentee healing or healing by proxy. You learn the 3 sacred Reiki symbols and how they can be incorporated into a Reiki session.
Learning about the Reiki Energy First of all this is sort of a misnomer, Reiki energy is really Divine energy. It is the energy life-force that is within all living things in the universe and is not in anyway just Reiki. It's important to make this clear. Many people who first take my Reiki I course come into the class with an understanding they are about to receive something that no one else has. That, frankly speaking, is hog wash and arrogant. All healing energy, no matter what method is used, is Divine in nature. So it's really all the same, comes from the same source and can be utilized in the same manner. The term Reiki energy has simply become a label to name something that so many have never thought of naming before. Just remember, no one healing method is any better or worse than any other. The question each potential Reiki Channel needs to ask them before taking the next step is, "Is this method right for me?". If so, then Reiki II will probably provide each person with a new understanding and expansion of their personal healing gift and talent. If not, then you may want to look for something else that truly feels right for you. That said, let's talk about Reiki II.
Reiki II Reiki II varies to some degree from Master to Master, on many different levels. Most Masters will not train a level I Reiki 6 months to 1 year after their first initiation. This gives a person time to become familiar with what they learned in the level. To experience and gain knowledge from providing Reiki treatments. It allows time for the information of how to feel energy, utilize healing energy and become more aware of the cause and affects of thought and action on the physical body. If you're not familiar with level 1 by now, then it's too soon for you to move one to level II. If you don't understand the basic concepts, how are you going to be able to be affective on the next level? In Reiki 1 a student will receive 3 attunements, to prepare and open them to 50% of the Reiki energy. In Reiki II, the 3 attunements finish the process and prepare the student to receive 100% of the Reiki energy. In Reiki III, the final attunement, prepares the new Master to call upon additional energy, sort of a boasting of the Reiki energy when called upon. Now detractors point to the need for such attunements.
Any one who is open to the Divine energy can call upon it and use it for positive intent. That's true. But it goes back to intent. The main intent of the attunement is for the student to officially make an open commitment to the Divine that they are here, ready willing and able to offer their physical, and spiritual bodies for the service of others. Now, if you asked God to send you light and healing for your sick dog, you would indeed receive the energy. And as you progressed with your private method of healing, the energy level you could accept through your body will also grow.
Reiki II Training With all this preface to the training sessions, what actually happens in Reiki II? Two things. First is the second level attunements. I like to think of these as the graduation ceremonies. Even in a Catholic sect there are varying levels of graduation for Priests and Nuns alike. Each level represents a new commitment of service to God. These attunements, are the same thing. Secondly, you learn the three Reiki Channeling symbols. Each one has a name and purpose. And this is where another variation comes from.
Reiki II Symbols Hawaya Takata passed on her knowledge of Reiki to thousands of people. But she only initiated 21 Masters. Each of these masters however received a different set of Reiki II symbols. The names and general "outline" are the same, but some small nuances are indeed different. In addition to the pictograms, there are also some variations in meaning or usage.
Before I get to the meanings of the symbols, I
would like to give you definitions on what the proxy
is and what the power hand is.
What is Proxy?
It is Absentee Healing
One of the wonderful things about energy, is that it can be directed and channeled over great distances. If you have the talent as a healer, you might want to offer your gift to someone in need, but hesitate because they are in a different location, state, or even country. Well, once again I'd like to state my favorite quote: Albert Einstein: Thought is energy. To create it, just use your imagination. Now Albert knew something that many people are now becoming aware of. Just as a psychic can provide readings over the phone or over the computer, so too can a healer connect with a client and deliver healing energy.
Using A Proxy
But what if you can't speak to the person, online or on the phone? The easiest method then is to use a proxy. So what's a proxy? A proxy is an object that is utilized by a healer, to represent the recipient of the healing energy. The proxy is used in place of the person, animal or whatever, that can not be in your physical presence at the time of the healing. My favorite proxy is teddy bear. But you can use a pillow, a picture of the person, a doll, statue or whatever you feel comfortable with. The proxy helps the healing channel focus and direct the energy needed by the recipient. The client receives the energy through the proxy, because that's what you've set it up to do before you began the healing session.
Setting The Intent Of A Proxy. This is very important and is a step you can not miss or bypass for an absentee healing. When you're ready to send healing to a client you'll need to concentrate and set the intent of using the proxy in place of the physical contact with the recipient. By using your imagination, prayer and intent, the Divine forces will help you to direct the energy needed through the ethers to the client which it's intended for.
Setting the proxy is really very easy and just takes a few moments. Find an object that you'll want to use for your proxy. Prepare your space as you would for any spiritual exercise. Then set your intent and begin.
The following is a brief example of how Spring teaches Absentee Healing in her Reiki workshops. Prepare your ritual space. Choose a place where you will not be disturbed for about 30 minutes. Light a candle and say a personal prayer asking your guides, teachers, angels, and your personal Divine force(s) to assist you with this healing. Now sit in a comfortable position and place your proxy in front of you. Close your eyes and take in a few deep-cleansing breaths. Imagine a white inner glow of divine light building within your solar plexus. With each breath, the light enlarges until your entire body is fully engulfed with the Divine light. Hold your hands in front of your face, palms facing each other, but not touching. Imagine the face and essence of the individual who will be receiving your healing energy. Hold this image of them in your hands. Once you feel comfortable with the connection you've made, it's important to ask the individual if they are willing to receive this gift of energy for whatever their higher purpose deems necessary. If you sense an answer of acceptance, then slowly lower your hands to the proxy. You want to place the "essence" of their face upon the position of the proxy that will represent their head. As you place your hands on the proxy, say to yourself or out loud, "I place ('their name'), upon this object and ask that this 'teddy bear' (or whatever) signify, connect with and represent the physical being of 'their name'. For the highest good and Divine purpose of all concerned, I ask this to be at this time for the purposes of receiving a healing (or state what your purpose is to be). So be it." Now you can open your eyes if you wish and begin the healing on the proxy.
Once the healing has been conducted, inform the client that you will be raising your hands from their proxy body. Breaking the connection between proxy and body.
Hold your hands together in front of your face once more. Palms facing each other, but not touching. Imagine the face of the individual again and thank them for allowing you to bring them this Divine gift of healing. Then acknowledge the healing has concluded and they will be released at this time. Imagine their face gently and peacefully fading, closing the doorway between your psyche and theirs.
Place your hands over the proxy, but don't touch
it. Actually I like to use a feather fan for this
step rather than my hands. What ever you chose to do
will be fine. But the idea is to brush away any left
over or residue energy from the proxy. I imagine the
fan sweeping away the left over energy, allowing it
to float into space where it can dissipated and no
longer do harm to anyone. I also imagine a burst of
Divine protection, cleansing and purification energy
blasting the proxy from the inside out.
I thank the proxy for it's services. I thank all my
guides, teachers and so on for their help and
assistance. And then I give a final prayer of thanks
to the Divine forces for allowing me to be a channel
of healing and I ask that the session now be closed.
Now remember this is just a suggested method. Try
different variations for yourself until you find the
right the combination that works best for you. Just
remember your intent is what's most important here.
How you conduct the 'ritual' can be refined with
time, practice and experience. Give yourself a
chance to make a few mistakes. Keep a log of your
trials. Make notes about those practices you like
and notations about those you didn't and give
yourself a few suggestions for how to do it next
time.
With a bit of practice, you'll be able to provide
absentee healings to anyone, anywhere and at
anytime.
What Is A Power Hand?
When you're born, you have a predisposition for utilizing one hand over the other. You're either a righty or a lefty, or if you are very talented you can be ambidextrous.
This predisposition is often called dominance. One hand is dominant over the other. The same is true in the energy world. You will have one hand, or sometimes one entire side of your body that is more sensitive, or stronger than the other side. In metaphysical healing terms, many people call this your "power" side or "power hand". In the healing world I've seen this dominance work without failure. As you learn to utilize energy, you build up something like a tolerance to the different levels that can be guided from the Divine, through you and into a client. The more you practice, the more you learn, the more energy you can channel during a healing session. But even with all this practice, one hand might be able to channel more energy than the other. That same hand will also be the one that is often more sensitive to feeling energy in someone else's body. That's great for helping you to discover the location of illness or weakness in your client.
Which Is Your Energy Dominant Hand? It's easy to find out. Experiment with it for yourself and see if it rings true for you too. Your physically dominant hand is not always your energy Dominate hand. So you don't want to go into this with any preconceived ideas.
As you're reading this posting, clasp your hands together. Fingers intertwined, palms touching. Make sure the position is natural. In other words, it should feel comfortable and normal for you. Now take note at which thumb is on the top of the other. The one that's on the top, signifies the hand that's energy dominant. You can test your results through a meditation or a special session where you're trying to sense energy. Test an energy field with one hand and then the other and see if you can sense a difference. Which one "seems" to pick up more than the other.
How Is Knowing This Helpful?
Other than being able to sense energy in a client
for a healing session, you might find it useful
during the session itself. For instance, many people
experience physical sensations when they use their
hands in a healing. Some people report a change in
temperature. Their hands get very hot when they're
over a particular part of the clients body, then
after a few moments, they cool off. This sensation
is often more noticeable in their "power" hand. The
cooling off is an indication that the area you've
been working on has received sufficient energy for
this session and you can move on.
Other people, may have involuntary spasm in their
weaker hand during a healing session. For example,
your right hand shakes back and forth when the
energy being channeled is at its peak. It is at
this point that you know to move to the next
position at which time the shaking stops. It's a
sign that this area has received all the healing
energy it needs and I can move on. Being able to
recognize the very subtle changes in your hands
will help you recognize your own internal signals.
It's a great barometer for finding trouble spots,
and recognizing when an area has been treated
sufficiently.
Now, on to the symbols.
Symbol 1 ~ Calling upon 100% of the Reiki energy.
The first Reiki symbol is called: Cho Ku Rei Pronunciation: Cho Koo Ray. General Meaning: I call upon the Divine and ask for 100% of the Reiki energy be sent through me and placed here upon this person (or whatever) in need. Purpose: Used anytime to focus additional energy in a particular area that feels as if it needs an extra dose of healing. It can be performed over any area of the body, or over a proxy for absentee healing. Usage: Using your power hand, draw the symbol over the area in need. Repeat the name of the symbol with each circular counterclockwise movement. There should be three full circles, so you need to repeat the name of the symbol three times. Remember the circles maybe counterclockwise to you, but from the perspective of the receiver it's clockwise. This is an important notation. Especially if you are a Wiccan practitioner.
In most spiritual sects, counterclockwise motions
are used with the intent of causing disarray. Clock
wise is used for clearing up energy, issues or
whatever. ~
Symbol 2 ~ Connecting to the subconscious mind.
Symbol 3 ~ Initiate an absentee healing.
The third Reiki symbol is called: Hon Sha Ze Sho
Nen. Pronunciation: Hone Shah Zay Show Nen. General
Meaning: The Divine within me greets the Divine
within you. To promote enlightenment and peace.
Purpose: Used to begin and connect with a recipient
in an absentee healing. Usage: Using your power
hand, draw the symbol over a proxy. As with the
other two symbols, repeat the name of the symbol
three times with the drawing.
