What is Reiki? .  Reiki is one of the most profound and effective natural healing techniques available today.  Through the ages people have used their hands to aid someone, as in “laying on of hands” or touching someone for comfort.  Reiki means Universal Life Force energy.  Rei means universal, in the sense of spiritual energy.  Ki means the vital life force which flows through all that is alive.   We can actually  “send” energy to each other to make things better. The essence of Reiki is unconditional love.                 (More … )

The word ki is chi in Chinese, prana in Yoga and called light by Christ.  This Reiki energy is inherent in all living things. Everything is indeed energy and Reiki can harmonize the energy and organize it. 

  Reiki is a technique that adds and balances the life force energy. Acupuncture, acupressure, tai chi and yoga are examples of other systems that attempt to increase and balance the flow of ki in the body. Another way of saying it is that entropy is a process of aging, and Reiki reverses that by organizing the energy fields in the body.

In Eastern philosophy this ki energy is vital to our health. The amount and balance of ki within us determines our overall state of wellness. Any imbalances or blockages of the flow of ki through our bodies can result in dysfunction of our physical, psychological, emotional, or spiritual levels.  Disease then is a result of an imbalance of ki energy. 

Another concept that helps to understand Reiki comes from quantum physics.  At the lowest subatomic level, matter becomes “virtual particles”, high-speed, vibrating somethings whose mass and location are harder and harder to pin down.  That means that when we break down matter to its lowest level, we find highly oscillating energy and “probabilities”.  At that level, matter and energy are interchangeable, forming patterns and knots that cause matter to appear solid.  Therefore, everything is really energy, only manifesting itself in different forms. Quantum physics also confirms that at some level everything in the universe is interconnected. Mystics throughout the ages have espoused this belief, and now it is being confirmed by science. Reiki is a “tap in” to this cosmic universal force. Just as we tap life force energy when we breathe in air, so too do we tap into energy with Reiki.

  Who learns Reiki?  Anyone can learn Reiki. All one needs is the desire to learn and the energy activations (attunements). Once the Reiki energy is activated, anyone can use it.  It requires no special talent.  In addition, Reiki lasts a lifetime; it cannot be lost or taken away. 

Parents can use Reiki with their children as a kind of “first aid”.  A friend stepped off a porch and felt and heard her ankle snap.  Three of us that knew Reiki just held her ankle for about fifteen minutes, chatting about things.  Then she stood up and tested her ankle.  It was a little sore, but she could walk on it without a limp, where she thought she had broken it in the fall.  My daughter used it through college to help her study, relax and concentrate.  Such diverse arenas as nurses, nuns, massage therapists, hair stylists and other health care professionals find it invaluable in their work.

  How is Reiki taught?  The ability to tap the Reiki energy is provided by a Reiki Master through several attunements to activate the Reiki energy.  The attunements open and align the energy points of the body, increasing your capacity to bring in the life force energy.  (Very little actual touch is involved in an attunement.)                 (More … )

Reiki dramatically amplifies our own natural access to energy, no matter what our normal capacity is already. We then act as a “channel” whenever we touch anything alive. However, we are actually more than a channel, for we are Reiki. We are universal life force energy. We are more than just conduits, wires that electricity runs through. Reiki takes human ego completely out of the healing situation, allowing our higher self to take over. Because we have a direct tap to an unlimited supply of universal energy, Reiki requires no concentration, thought, or belief system to activate the energy. Nor do we deplete our own energy, so we are never tired from doing Reiki.

  How long does it take to learn? Reiki doesn’t take long hours of study or practice.  It is learned in one day, along with receiving the attunements that activate the energy.  At the same time you are giving Reiki, you are also receiving it (the “cosmic straw” concept).                   (More … )

The more you do it, the more it seems to enhance you and harmonize you, and the more the cosmic energy moves in. Everyone already has the Reiki energy within in them – it is our natural ability,  and Reiki enhances it.  The mind is neutral. You make your connection with the energy and without trying to analyze the person or situation, move into a state of quiet presence. This is your birthright.  Because you can get it in one day, it is naturally yours.

  What does Reiki feel like?  To the receiver, Reiki can feel like heat, warmth, coolness or deeply relaxing.  One lady told me that she got beautiful, vivid pictures in her mind as soon as the Reiki started, that continued for several hours.  Many people just drift into a deep, restful sleep.  The giver of Reiki may notice a temperature change in their hands.  They may be aware of certain qualities or sensations like vibration, color or intensity in the recipient.  They too usually experience a peacefulness.  What exactly does Reiki do? During a treatment, Reiki acts to speed up your own natural healing process. It helps release blockages of energy and balances the flow of ki. The client is not actually healed by the practitioner, but by the universal life energy and its balancing effects. Since the energy is natural life force energy, it cannot harm anyone, or can it be controlled.  Reiki works on all levels of our being --- physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. It can relieve pain and acute problems quite rapidly. Chronic illness may take multiple treatments, depending on the specific ailment, how long the patient has had the problem, and the frequency and duration of the treatments. The more energy a patient needs to revitalize the injured part of the body, the longer the healing will take. Reiki has a cumulative effect.                 (More … )

On the physical level, the Reiki can undo the blockages so that energy flows.  It increases the vibrational rate, allowing the locked energy to release; it reorganizes by harmonizing and balancing; and it can increase energy where there is depletion.  On an emotional level, people frequently experience emotional releases during a treatment. Unexpressed or negative emotions can be thought of as blocked energy held in our bodies. Reiki helps unblock and release those feelings. It can assist in relieving such things as depression, resentment, fear, and mental confusion. It also can be used with other therapies or methods of treatment without any interference. On the mental level, Reiki can aid in releasing unwanted thought forms.  It can re-balance and harmonize the brain, clearing out disharmonious thoughts.  It can help with study or concentration,  Reiki can also support spiritual growth. It has a cumulative effect upon a person: the more you use Reiki, the more it builds up within you and grows stronger. The chakras (energy centers in the body) continue to open up.  As one continues using Reiki, ones sense of interconnectedness with the universe grows stronger.Think of it as becoming a “cosmic straw”, take on an attitude of gratitude and an attitude of non-doership. You may think that x should happen, and instead y happens. Reiki does what it is supposed to do and has intelligence of its own. You just let go of thinking that you are doing something. This is in contrast with other healing approaches where the person can take on “negative energies” from the client. 

  How many levels of Reiki are there?  There are three levels or degrees to Reiki, plus becoming a Reiki Master.  The first degree is hands-on.  The energy comes through the heart and and out the hands.  Students learn the basic hand positions for treatment on self and on others.  They give and receive a full Reiki treatment.   The second degree provides attunements to higher levels of Reiki energy which give a powerful boost to intuition.  Students receive ancient symbols which amplify the Reiki energy and are used to do absentee treatments.   The attunement energy goes all the way down the spine (all of the chakras).   Students learn to use the three Reiki symbols in giving “distance” Reiki treatments.  Level three is for those who want to teach Reiki or who want an even greater degree of “leverage”, adding a deeper spiritual power. Reiki Master is for those who want to teach Reiki.  When is the next class?  Reiki I – January 28 and March 3,  9-5.  Reiki II – April 21 and 22, 6:30-9:30, 9-5.  Reiki III and Reiki Master – by individual appointments.  About Instructors:

Usually there are several Reiki Masters or Assistants available at each class, so the individualized attention is very high.  Classes are kept small and attunements are individualized rather than done in a group.

  Jane Battenberg:*  Reiki Master since April, 1993*  Taught by Dr. Gabriel Cousens, M.D., Dr. Tad James, and Don Alexander (Buddhist monk)*  Reiki Master in the Usui, Sei Khem and Modern Systems*  Teaching Reiki I, II, III and Reiki Master classes for 8 years         

What others have said:   

“My mother’s neglect of an injured toe wit poor circulation resulted in a medical diagnosis that she would probably have to have it amputated.  After a week of medical treatment and Reiki, she was released from the hospital with a much better prognisis.  I was amazed to experience what a profound healing and relaxing effect Reiki had on her, which must reflect on the quality of my instruction. “

–Herb Maher, V.P., C.F.A., Securities Analyst, Boston, MA. 

“After experiencing an incredible Reiki session with Jane, which produced deep relaxation, I wanted to learn it!  I took Reiki I and II from her and now Reiki is a way of life for me to use and to continually explore.  I have felt the “pull” of my energy at different speeds and levels of vibrations.  I have felt my hands pulsate and become warm.  I have felt the energy fields of others.  When we send Reiki energy to people at great distances, they seem to respond to this energy and get better.

–Mary Cardullo, M.A. Psychology, Fountain Valley, CA 

“When I first experienced Reiki, I was determined that it wasn’t going to affect me like theyhad advertised.  But when I sat in the chair and received Reiki on my head for about 5 minutes, I was dizzy, and my body knew it wanted more, even if my conscious mind was trying to deny its benefits.  As a nurse, I find that patients respond in a positive way to Reiki, such as uncooperative patients becoming cooperative.  I have used Reiki on myself this past year to eliminate the painful gallstone flare-ups I used to get.  I received my Reiki III from Jane, and changes are still happening.  She is torough and a veryclear channel for the Reiki energy.  I find Reiki energizes and motivates me to pursue positive changes on spiritual, physical and mental levels. 

–Joie Detre, Nurse, Reiki III, Kailua-Kona, HI