If you practice Reiki long enough, you will surely come across a lot of things you shouldn’t do.
Do not do Reiki on people with jewelry.
Do not do Reiki on the crown of the head.
Do not reiki women who are pregnant.
Do not do Reiki on the spine, etc.
Sometimes they get even sillier, like ‘Don’t do Reiki on anyone if you’re dressed in red’.
As ridiculous as some of these no’s sound, they’re usually backed up with enough of a rational explanation to make you wonder.
Red, for example, is the color of the root chakra, and according to some, giving Reiki could cause the Kundalini energy (found at the base of the spine) to inadvertently rise when a person is not ready for it. .
Since this can genuinely cause problems for people if their body is not energetically ready, then you start to wonder if the theory, no matter how crazy it sounds, might not hold some validity.
Fortunately, almost everything not to do in Reiki is affected by one very simple point: it is the recipient who determines the amount of energy that flows, not the giver.
Think of the recipient as someone sucking on an ‘energy straw’. If they suck hard, a lot of energy will flow. If they suck gently, it won’t flow much.
It’s all up to them and the only thing a Reiki healer can do is provide an opportunity for the energy to flow. And the better the healer, the greater the possibility of a greater flow of energy.
What this means is that there is a safety valve built into the system, because an individual will only consume as much energy as is healthy for him or her. Taking more would be like sticking a dagger into your flesh, something you’re not likely to do.
If you are talking to someone who cannot accept this line of logic, you would like them to define ‘Reiki’. If they know anything about the origin of the word, they will tell you that the most literal translation (which makes sense) is ‘spiritual’ (Rei) ‘energy’ (ki). Does it make much sense that this ‘spiritual energy’ is a destructive force?
I do not think so.
So the next time you’re itching to give someone Reiki, remember that it can never hurt them.
It may not be the right time to give them energy. It may never be the right time to give them energy. But if an accidental drop of Reiki landed on her path, she wouldn’t lose any sleep.
If a drop fell, they summoned it.
(Note: While Reiki can’t harm anyone, it certainly can produce a ‘healing crisis’. This can cause emotional upset, physical distress, and other things, but ultimately it’s good for the individual. Think of it as Kind of like the cleansing process that takes place when someone goes on a fast, they may get headaches, pimples, rashes, and all sorts of other nasty stuff, but once the cleanse is done they feel better than ever. The same goes for Reiki.)
Copyright 2011, Jeremy O’Carroll