Please help me understand

[The Cheshire Cat]

I have read the books about reiki and from internet sites as well, but I still haven't understand the prayer (gassho  ) before the start of the reiki session. Are there specific rules or is it more necessary for concentration? If possible, please share your experiences.


Thanks for all!

[Naropa]

Ritual can help but I tend to be more lackadaisical.  As always, a formula help you learn and set space and once you have the hang of it, you can pick and choose how you use Reiki.

Naropa

[biminidave]

Most people don't understand gassho.  You won't understand gassho as long as you think gassho is somehow associated with praying.  The only connection it has with praying is the name people use for it - prayer position - and the fact that when you see a person in that position you probably assume they are praying.  Most people do.

Gassho isn't prayer. It's just a position, you don't have to say or think anything to be in gassho. It's for the collection of oneself, and offers time to become centered and open to the energy.  Energetically centered because you are bringing your hand chakras together and moving them into the center of the energy of your heart chakra.  Open to the energy because you're taking action to focus your thoughts, breathing, and total being on gassho and bingo, the energy starts to flow.

That's not to say that you need to use the gassho position in order to get the energy flowing.  The energy flows whenever you express your intention that it should flow.  When you take the time to use gassho you're taking an action to step away from whatever distractions that you were involved in a moment ago, and stepping into a time when you can open to the energy and channel it to someone who might be able to use it for healing.

Now stop and think.  How often have you seen people clasp their hands and hold them near their chest when they're stressed or in danger?  We don't have any big secrets in this healing deal, people do what we do all the time, they just don't know it.

[The Cheshire Cat]

Thank you very much, biminidave!

That was exactly what I ment! So, I do not need to take very seriously what my teacher said. I don't need to do kanji I (hands on chest) and kanji II (hands in front of the third eye) and say a prayer before the transmission of Reiki energy? The prayer was like "Dear master Usui, and all the other enlightened reiki masters, please help me, that I could be a pure channel for Reiki energy. Please provide protection to me and my clients, if we need it. Please do so, that everything what happens during the session, would be the best welfare of all parties concerned. If I'm wrong, please correct me." I hope you understand me, my english may not be very correct, but I tried to communicate my teacher thoughts.

[biminidave]

Like Naropa said, Ritual can be helpful, and many teachers do use use rituals something like the one yours did to help their students develop certain good habits prior to treatment sessions.  But some rituals are downright silly.

I don't want to tell you that your teachers ritual was not good because it uses some of the things that I teach my students.  I teach them to place the symbols in their hands before treating, to meditate with their hands into the gassho position, to focus on being a pure channel of Reiki energy, and eventually to stand out of the way and let the energy flow so that the greatest good that can be achieved. 

They don't learn to pray to dead people who used to practice Reiki and I don't suggest they seek protection.  Reiki alone provides all the protection they need.

You probably learned a lot of good Reiki information from this teacher, so don't think poorly of her/him because of one silly ritual.  ;-)

[Naropa]

Please don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

Naropa

[Coin]

Like Naropa said, Ritual can be helpful, and many teachers do use use rituals something like the one yours did to help their students develop certain good habits prior to treatment sessions.  But some rituals are downright silly.

I don't want to tell you that your teachers ritual was not good because it uses some of the things that I teach my students.  I teach them to place the symbols in their hands before treating, to meditate with their hands into the gassho position, to focus on being a pure channel of Reiki energy, and eventually to stand out of the way and let the energy flow so that the greatest good that can be achieved. 

They don't learn to pray to dead people who used to practice Reiki and I don't suggest they seek protection.  Reiki alone provides all the protection they need.

You probably learned a lot of good Reiki information from this teacher, so don't think poorly of her/him because of one silly ritual.  ;-)

Great feedback Biminidave!!

When I started with Reiki I used the rituals to get a grip on it.
Otherwise I was to focussed on to understand what is happening.

Now I don't feel any need to understand and just let it flow.
Rituals seems to be less neccessary now but still is a great tool to get me out of my day by day ratio and get me grounded.

Just do what feels right, then it can't be wrong

Love, Johan

[The Cheshire Cat]

Thanks again!

No, I didn't want to condemn anyone or I doun't doubt my teachers experiences. I think this is normal, that at a time anyone of us will have our own.. lets call it prayer. Simply it seemed to me that my teachers prayer was somehow like a help request for higher power and because of it the teacher seemed not confident to me. For my logic, here araised a mismatch, if you understand me.

I wish you the best!

[Tim]

These types of instruction and ritual are good to set a strong groove in the mind and body. If you find it easy to get yourself ready
for Reiki with only the least intention then You don't NEED this.
Whatever works for you is what you should do. and no doubt it will change as you go along

Tim.

[The Cheshire Cat]

Thanks, Tim!

I think that subject is more clear to me now.

BUT can anyone explain me the use of  kanji's or what do you think during the Reiki sessions, specially, when you are healing animals or drugs or food. Are you focus your thoughts somehow and give like additional strength in it?

Lovely last working day to all! 

[Che Guebuddha]

Hi Valkyyr,

It is only the fearful ego-self which Needs the protection. The one self which is worrying, the conditioned one. The one you call "I"

To disperse these mind games i urge all reiki practitioners to get to know them selves, the conditioned selves before engaging into the healing work.

Our egotic mind is in most cases the one creating diseases and suffering. Become mindful of it and in the light of awareness the ego will lessen and pure and actual insight will emerge. Energy is actual not intelectual
Ego is intelectual, reasoning, questioning, doubting, believing, hopeing, trusting, etc...
The energysimply Is. The energy is experiential and there is no way we can experience it via the conditioned ego self.
Shamatha meditation is helping me alot in knowing my ego self. The more i know it actualy via sitting in prolonged calm abiding silence the less of the ego stays to be.

The door is just a word not the door it self.

[Tim]

Are you focus your thoughts somehow and give like additional strength in it?

Set Your intention,
Let all other thoughts go and
Feel your way forward (with your heart)

Tim.

P.S.  I have a strong feeling You are already very good at focusing. do not get too hung up on methodology. Just do it.

[The Cheshire Cat]

You are really amazing! Thank you!

One more thing I started to wonder about  is, if the Reiki attunement lasts a lifetime and we have several lifes, do I really need to get an attunement from master, if I have got it like in my last life?

[biminidave]

Boy Oh Boy. You just opened a bag of worms.  ;-)

[The Cheshire Cat]

What do you mean, biminidave?

[Coin]

I guess biminidave suggest that you  make things more and more complex.
Who knows how it works with previous lifes or whatever...

If you like read the book of Eckart Tolle, the power of now.
It is about living in the moment and how to let go thoughts about the past and about the future.
Very powerfull stuf

Love, Johan

[The Cheshire Cat]

Thanks, Coin!

These questions arises, when I'm reading about the stuff like we are nothing but energy and things around us is nothing but energy and everything, what we want in our life, we have to visualize and the things are coming... and if our bodies are just permanent and our souls are like old and wise and already experienced (and attuned) and only switches physical shells, then.... my logic stops here.

You may laugh now, I usually make everything more complicated in my head than they are... and thats why I have so many questions always

Blessings 

[Che Guebuddha]

Isecond biminidave and Coin.
No one knows for sure about past or future lives. It is all clouds and dust
But what you can get to know is your conditioned self via actual observation aka mindfulness meditation.
Reading books like the one suggested above can help but even those one is to read and then discard.
They are just an idea not the truth itself.
The best book is yourself. By watching urself you will become wiser and will become less governed by your egotic self, the actual one which creates all ur suffering at first place.
I can suggest Freedom From the Known by J. Krishnamurti;
http://www.messagefrommasters.com/Ebooks/Jiddu-Krishnamurti-Books/Freedom_from_the_Known.pdf

Remain relaxed remain mindful

Forgett about the

[Che Guebuddha]

Forget about the past lives. Get to know this one you live now. Know thy self
Sit in meditation and observe who you really Is.

[The Cheshire Cat]

Thank you, Rose Quartz!

I'll try to find the books and I'll try to learn how to meditate in my very little and "overpopulated" home, where I have no peace and chance to spend the time alone and have so called Quality Time with myself. I'll try! 

With hugs