Reiki flow in treatments

Perhaps it would be different if I regularly treated other people besides myself, but I've noticed that during Gassho the Reiki flows nicely, i.e., the hands warm up, the energy covers my body, and I know it's working well. However once I start applying self treatment, unless I hover my hands a few inches away, I don't so much as feel myself receiving the Reiki in that area. And soon enough the warmth feeling goes away, and I find that if I sometimes try to concentrate on the feeling itself (my mind typically wanders), sometimes it will come back, sometimes not. I know that it's flowing regardless, but I'm curious as to why the warmth sensation goes away. It's not just in specific areas which would indicate a blockage, but rather during the course of the treatment itself. Any ideas?

Bastemhet wrote:Perhaps it would be different if I regularly treated other people besides myself....

I doubt it... I think it would just get more confusing.
;-)

Bastemhet wrote:...Gassho the Reiki flows nicely, i.e., the hands warm up, the energy covers my body, and I know it's working well. However once I start applying self treatment, unless I hover my hands a few inches away, I don't so much as feel myself receiving the Reiki in that area.

I've met a lot of people who testify to the same. When I facilitated an in-person training group, there were some individuals who preferred to hover their hands a few inches above the person on the table as they did not feel the energy flow when their hands were placed directly on that person.

Distance reiki in on form or another has been a regular part of my practice since 1996, and I've met even more people online who testify that distance attunements oftentimes feel more powerful than attunements performed in-person. With distance treatments, it seems there has always been predictably polite responses and feedback, but it seems to be with distance attunements that a greater impact is felt than when in person. It's interesting.

Bastemhet wrote:I know that it's flowing regardless, but I'm curious as to why the warmth sensation goes away. It's not just in specific areas which would indicate a blockage, but rather during the course of the treatment itself. Any ideas?

I doubt the warmth goes away. I think it's a matter of perception. Here's a demonstration that you may wish to try (please do so only if no physical or mental harm will result):

Position one hand somewhere in front of your body that is within reach of your other hand. Using your other hand, repeatedly tap the edge of one fingernail onto a sensitive area of the other hand. Tap only strong enough to sense the edge of the fingernail (not to break the skin, bruise muscle, draw blood or break bones). Repeat the tapping process while paying attention to the sensation.

At first, the sensation of the edge of the fingernail striking the hand seems strong and distinct, but after a few moments of tapping, that sensation lessens. The strength and impact of the fingernail striking the hand remains the same, but the perception of its strength changes to one of lesser impact.

I've met many individuals who, in the beginning of their practice, sense a tremendous flow of energy through them and within the client, but after a time, they sense the flow less and less. It seems the be the same principle at work as with the fingernail exercise.

However, and this is where it gets really interesting, I've also witnessed the testimony of many individuals receiving a treatment or attunement from someone claiming to not feel anything who testified that they experienced a tremendous flow of energy.

LightBody wrote:I doubt it... I think it would just get more confusing.
;-)

Ha!

Actually, I've noticed that while doing distance healing the warmth sensation stays for a considerably longer period as opposed to doing self-treatments.

I've met a lot of people who testify to the same. When I facilitated an in-person training group, there were some individuals who preferred to hover their hands a few inches above the person on the table as they did not feel the energy flow when their hands were placed directly on that person.

That is interesting. Besides the desensitization phenomenon that you described with the fingernail exercise, could it also have something to do with that feeling of magnetism? I remember from some of the in-person treatments I've done that when held away from the body, the flow is noted more because there is also a slight rubbery magnetic feeling. When placing the hands directly on the body, however, that goes away. And yet when pulling them back a bit, again, I have that magnetism.

Distance reiki in on form or another has been a regular part of my practice since 1996, and I've met even more people online who testify that distance attunements oftentimes feel more powerful than attunements performed in-person. With distance treatments, it seems there has always been predictably polite responses and feedback, but it seems to be with distance attunements that a greater impact is felt than when in person. It's interesting.

Indeed! Both my attunements have been in person and strangely I didn't feel the actual effects until at least 30 minutes afterward. Why could that be...? And funnily enough, one of the posts I had in mind was to ask about people's experiences with distance attunements and whether they felt that they were successful or not. Perhaps we could split this off into a new topic?

However, and this is where it gets really interesting, I've also witnessed the testimony of many individuals receiving a treatment or attunement from someone claiming to not feel anything who testified that they experienced a tremendous flow of energy.

Hmm, perhaps this comments on the fact that one of the most important uses of Reiki is that it be shared. Clearly it is helpful when doing self-treatments, but it seems like when shared with pure intent, it tends to flow more freely. At least, that's how it's been for me.

Bastemhet wrote:That is interesting. Besides the desensitization phenomenon that you described with the fingernail exercise, could it also have something to do with that feeling of magnetism?

Magnetism... That reminds me of Franz Bardon's work, Initiation Into Hermetics, and vocabulary used to describe the sensation of spiritual energies during the 19th century (mostly through Blavatsky & her contemporaries).

I suspect that the feeling of magnetism is the beginning of a shift of local consciousness because it does not remain local to a specific area -- it expands, and sometimes, it expands pretty big.

Your Guides tell me that you've already had a fair share of those expansive experiences, and yeah, it's difficult to discuss with others because it's difficult to put into words.

Bastemhet wrote:Indeed! Both my attunements have been in person and strangely I didn't feel the actual effects until at least 30 minutes afterward. Why could that be...?

Stress, but not in a bad way. Your local conscious mind was too concerned with the immediate activities occurring on this earth-plane level of reality, so it distracted your local personality from perceiving what was happening during the real-time moment of the attunement. Once you relaxed and let go, your personality was able to allow the experience of those energies to begin integrating with it.

Bastemhet wrote:And funnily enough, one of the posts I had in mind was to ask about people's experiences with distance attunements and whether they felt that they were successful or not. Perhaps we could split this off into a new topic?

My personal feelings are that it's worthy of a new topic. Please feel free to initiate one!

:-)

Bastemhet wrote:Hmm, perhaps this comments on the fact that one of the most important uses of Reiki is that it be shared. Clearly it is helpful when doing self-treatments, but it seems like when shared with pure intent, it tends to flow more freely. At least, that's how it's been for me.

Same here.

Hi,

There are a lot of people who don't feel the energy flow when doing a self-treatment.
There also are a lot of people who don't feel energy at all during treatments.

We are all different and therefore we may not be equally sensitive to energies. Some people are highly sensitive to spiritual energy, some people completely oblivious (or anything in between). Yet, it can be trained. It just means that some people require less training than others.

However, there are more possible causes for not feeling energy. I cannot tell you what the reason is in your particular situation, because I don't know you. Yet, I can give some possible causes:

- some people don't feel the energy when doing a self-treatment because there's no difference in the energy they give to themselves and the energy the body is already radiating.
(When you have a tank filled with blue coloured water and you pour in red coloured water it is easy to see where the red water goes and how it moves/behaves. It becomes difficult to see how the extra water moves when it's of the same colour.)

- some people don't feel energy (at all, or just in a particular situation) because they are too attached to their longing to feel something. They might be too focused on feeling something, while the focus should lie on the treatment itself. The focus might be too much on their attachment, their thoughts about feeling, than the actual act of feeling.

(Or, their mind is just too preoccupied with other subjects or distracted.)

- some people only think they don't feel the energy, while they actually do feel it. They might just expect the energy to feel differently than it actually does. They don't observe correctly. Some energies generate cold feelings, tingling, feelings of vibration or magnetics, pulsation or wave-like feelings etc. (might be something completely different). There are countless energy frequencies and each frequency has its own characteristics. Each frequency generates a different sensation. Warmth is only a characteristic of some of these frequencies.

If you expect the energy to feel warm, you might be blind to all the other facets of energy. Your mind is 'closed', where it should be as open as possible. Without judgement, without expectations, without attachment to the outcome or the feeling of the energy.

In any case, just treat yourself daily, or at least weekly. Take the time you need, don't rush it. First relax (you might want to focus on your breath for a while to get relaxed and to let your thoughts become quieter), then say to yourself you are going to give yourself a treatment ("I am going to start my self-treatment; may I receive what I need(?)"), connect to the energy and start the treatment.

Treating others can help as well.

Good luck!

*Gasshō*
Frank

LightBody wrote:Magnetism... That reminds me of Franz Bardon's work, Initiation Into Hermetics, and vocabulary used to describe the sensation of spiritual energies during the 19th century (mostly through Blavatsky & her contemporaries).

Let me clarify: this magnetism I felt mostly when I was starting, and it was the repelling magnetism- the sensation of the closer my hands got, the more resistance I felt. The only time I've actually really felt the deep, sucking magnetism of an area in need of Reiki is when I worked on someone who later confessed that they had chronic kidney stones. However nowadays I don't so much get this as I do a soft, gentle feeling, almost like soft fur. And then when it peters out during self-treatment, only a slight, golden sand kind of feeling. I didn't notice this when I first started with level 1 but after 2nd level and practicing distance healing and Hatsurei Ho I've become a bit more sensitive to it. Does that description of magnetism make sense?

I also saw something similar noted in Luebeck's Reiki Handbook. Perhaps when he writes about energy "pushing you away" this is what he refers to? He says it may be an old, deeply rooted blockage which impedes the vitality and life energy needed, but I honestly think in those beginning days I wasn't even sure if this was Reiki or just confirmation bias telling me it is when really all I was doing was consciously feeling the boundaries of the first layer of my aura. I hope this isn't getting too off topic!

I suspect that the feeling of magnetism is the beginning of a shift of local consciousness because it does not remain local to a specific area -- it expands, and sometimes, it expands pretty big.

Would you mind expanding upon this? I'm not familiar with local consciousness.

Your Guides tell me that you've already had a fair share of those expansive experiences, and yeah, it's difficult to discuss with others because it's difficult to put into words.

Oh my, now you've tickled my curiosity. I'll pm you about this so this doesn't get too derailed.

Stress, but not in a bad way. Your local conscious mind was too concerned with the immediate activities occurring on this earth-plane level of reality, so it distracted your local personality from perceiving what was happening during the real-time moment of the attunement. Once you relaxed and let go, your personality was able to allow the experience of those energies to begin integrating with it.

That makes perfect sense. Thanks for that.

My personal feelings are that it's worthy of a new topic. Please feel free to initiate one!

:-)

Will do!

Frank wrote:- some people don't feel the energy when doing a self-treatment because there's no difference in the energy they give to themselves and the energy the body is already radiating.
(When you have a tank filled with blue coloured water and you pour in red coloured water it is easy to see where the red water goes and how it moves/behaves. It becomes difficult to see how the extra water moves when it's of the same colour.)

I suspected it was this but I didn't know how to articulate it. Thanks for doing a great job of it! I think this is exactly what I'm experiencing.

If you expect the energy to feel warm, you might be blind to all the other facets of energy. Your mind is 'closed', where it should be as open as possible. Without judgement, without expectations, without attachment to the outcome or the feeling of the energy.

This is an important consideration for all practitioners. Thank you for the reminder. I will try to remember this so as not to form attachment to the results.

Bastemhet wrote:Would you mind expanding upon this? I'm not familiar with local consciousness.

Hi Bastemhet.

Basically it's the immediate personality that we perceive the world through day to day, often likened to the current operating software a computer is using.

I am casually writing an article about the term. It's about 900 words right now, and growing. When it's complete it will appear on my website, but I do not have an estimated time of completion just yet... too many other writing projects have priority on my time right now.

Buddhists would call it "ego", I believe.

Bastemhet wrote:I suspected it was this but I didn't know how to articulate it. Thanks for doing a great job of it! I think this is exactly what I'm experiencing.

I'm glad to hear the description could help ^.^

Good luck with your treatments!

*Gasshō*
Frank

I don't really have anything to add. Just wanted to say thank you for sharing the information. When I'm do my Reiki, I only feel my hands tingling while I'm getting set up and praying. When I start the actual session I don't feel it any more...and sometimes my hands get cold and other times they are warm...

Mike has introduced some excellent points for discussion. I've split the topic and it continues here:
http://www.reikilearninglounge.com/t2160-providing-reiki-attunements-without-permission-is-it-right-or-wrong

hi there...

during in-person, hands-on, reiki sessions, there is one thing the practitioner should be careful about...


when our hands give us 'signals' like warmth, tingling, pain, push, or pull, etc. we are very 'ready' to interpret them as something coming from client, and that it is the 'client-thing'. On the contrary, however, we have to consider that our own body and cutaneous / dermal layers of our hands do interact with energy during the process... feeling of warmth is not a sure sign that client is drawing good energy... and similarly absence of warmth is not a worry factor as well.

for example, if you try reiki on a non-living object, lets say a glass of water, you might feel similar warmth in your hands that you experience during in-person treatments... so what is the catch ?


perception plays a big part in shaping up the reiki treatment experience. we feel warmth (maybe) because we are generally inclined to expect such warmth in each session ? is that a reason that sometimes we are not feeling any warmth when the client exclaims huge energy surges in his body ?

when we practitioners will start controlling our ego in treatment sessions and when will we train ourselves to minus the 'wow factor' from reiki treatments ? i ask this from myself at least !!

take care

salman

hello lovely!
Gasho is gratitude, Gratitude is Gasho, for lots of healers it is the presence of this most wonderful energy that can bring that deep energy flow that we all look for at times, taping into and working with our own unique pathway is a fine and clear blessing.

work with the energy flow that is presented in the way that feel's good and comfortable xxx

Dharma wrote:hello lovely!
Gasho is gratitude, Gratitude is Gasho, for lots of healers it is the presence of this most wonderful energy that can bring that deep energy flow that we all look for at times, taping into and working with our own unique pathway is a fine and clear blessing.

work with the energy flow that is presented in the way that feel's good and comfortable xxx

 Hi Dharma, Happy summer with Reiki Blessings.

LightBody wrote:
However, and this is where it gets really interesting, I've also witnessed the testimony of many individuals receiving a treatment or attunement from someone claiming to not feel anything who testified that they experienced a tremendous flow of energy.

that for me is the key. - the clients reiki session is nothing to do with you and is all about them.  
i often feel that if i sense very little - they are going through drastic rebalancing that i dont need to be part of, and if i sense a lot - they talk to me about it afterwards and receive not only validation, but an understanding that soothes their emotions too.

occasionally, we both see and feel a lot - and those are wonderful shared experiences.

never do i feel that i felt nothing, and they have felt nothing.

Carina_NZ wrote:that for me is the key. - the clients reiki session is nothing to do with you and is all about them.

The Reiki community definitely needs more people like you!