self attunement

Originally Posted by iolite

Brightlight....

I think that at one time you required a master to receive attunements. But now that the symbols are not secret anymore, anyone with the ability to meditate and visualize, can probably self-attune. I've got a document, somewhere on my hard drive that gives instruction for self attunement. Diane Stein also lays it out in her book: Essential Reiki.

Give it a try.

Greetings, iolite,

Respectfully, I must correct your assumption that to receive attunements it was only done at one time (as in the past.) Actually, it still requires a master who has been thoroughly trained and who is qualified and certified to pass on the initiations.

About the symbols being revealed, yes, they have been most unfortunately. And we say that because those symbols are considered to be very special tools used by those possessing the Second and Third Degrees in Reiki to do their work. Reiki cannot be learned by meditation, positive thinking, or any visualization. That would not be correct in The Usui System. I further realize that methods of attunement appear to be all over the place these days but that does not mean that it makes it right or that a person could simply self-attune and call it being properly attuned to The Usui System.

I am presuming that a person wanting to receive Reiki training and initiation has enough integrity and pride in themselves to go and have it done properly. That would involve going to a qualified, certified Reiki master to teach the new initiate about Reiki and then attune them. After all, would any other professional merely be satisfied by just picking up literature, etc. and saying they were now qualified to practice? Please know that nothing can ever take the place of a one-on-one training and initiation into Reiki. Now, there may indeed be other Systems that are different from The Usui System of Reiki (and I could not speak to those.) Therefore, techniques other than those used in The Usui System might be employed, but in Dr. Usui's method (and he was the one who rediscovered Reiki in Japan) there is no such thing as a self-attunement and it would be erroneous to pass on information saying otherwise.

Those who would say that Dr. Usui was "self-attuned" are incorrect. He received enlightenment and the gift of Reiki by a very special process whereby after 40 days of fasting on Mt. Kuriyama he saw a light coming from the sky which hit him on his third-eye area and he received the information with which to train others into Reiki. His initiation did not reveal to him that people could thus self-attune to Reiki, and that distinction must be clearly made.

There has been great controversy over the years due to mis-information and discussions saying this can be done and that can be done, etc. but again, if a person wants to learn Reiki properly and maintain the integrity of the System to which they are going to learn and be initiated into, they would need to invest some time and effort on their part in order to do it correctly and not feel they can rely solely on papers, etc. to give themselves attunements.

Apparently, there are some who may not know or understand this, but many masters who teach The Usui System would be quick to point out that nothing can truly take the place of a master to train you properly, and be there to answer your questions, and to allow you time for practice, and initiate you properly, as well as offer you the support of a true friend and teacher as one engages in their Reiki work.

And wouldn't it be much better to know that you received good and proper instruction and a Reiki certificate after being initiated than to think that just by reading something you can now go out into the world and do Reiki, which would not be correct. And also very important to note is that whomever would be the recipient of Reiki services would deserve to know that the individual giving them "Reiki" merely read a book or article and is providing that service to them. And it does not matter if they charge for it or not. The point being that they would have received information from another source other than receiving it personally and having the attunement or initiation administered on a one-on-one basis so they could be able to say they personally trained in person with a master.

And that is why a qualified, Certified Reiki master takes pride in pointing these things out to those who believe they can just do Reiki by other means other than through a Reiki master who is right there with them to instruct them and personally initiate them. It is in providing this loving information that can prevent Reiki from becoming a second-class modality whereby anyone could think they have Reiki by using whatever method they would care to employ when nothing could be further from the truth.

Thank you for your posting, it is much appreciated! Thank you also for the opportunity to lovingly provide the other side to the coin.

Have a wonderful day!

Originally Posted by AngelBreeze

Greetings, iolite,

Respectfully, I must correct your assumption that to receive attunements it was only done at one time (as in the past.) Actually, it still requires a master who has been thoroughly trained and who is qualified and certified to pass on the initiations.

About the symbols being revealed, yes, they have been most unfortunately. And we say that because those symbols are considered to be very special tools used by those possessing the Second and Third Degrees in Reiki to do their work. Reiki cannot be learned by meditation, positive thinking, or any visualization. That would not be correct in The Usui System. I further realize that methods of attunement appear to be all over the place these days but that does not mean that it makes it right or that a person could simply self-attune and call it being properly attuned to The Usui System.

Have a wonderful day!

I respectfully disagree. It may be possible, just because you've (and I) have been told that it can't doesn't make it true. At one time we were told that spinal cord injuries don't heal. Christopher Reeve proved that wrong before he died. Besides, what does she have to loose if she tries? If it doesn't work, then it doesn't work. She's lost nothing in trying. Some Reiki Masters say attunements can't be passed on from a distance. That's not true either.

As far as the "proper Usui system" I don't think she cares about that.. she just wants to be able to heal others. There are at least 2 dozen different forms of reiki that I know of. How did they evolve? This planet NEEDS healers, how it gets done and whether it remains "pure" is less important than creating healers. The constraints of insisting that it must be done a particular way or it must be taught a particular way or it must follow this set of traditions and conditions only serves to make it elitist and does humanity a disservice by putting up rules and conditions and barriers that limit the creation of healers and that probably don't mean a hill of beans in long run.

Originally Posted by iolite

I respectfully disagree. It may be possible, just because you've (and I) have been told that it can't doesn't make it true. At one time we were told that spinal cord injuries don't heal. Christopher Reeve proved that wrong before he died. Besides, what does she have to loose if she tries? If it doesn't work, then it doesn't work. She's lost nothing in trying. Some Reiki Masters say attunements can't be passed on from a distance. That's not true either.

As far as the "proper Usui system" I don't think she cares about that.. she just wants to be able to heal others. There are at least 2 dozen different forms of reiki that I know of. How did they evolve? This planet NEEDS healers, how it gets done and whether it remains "pure" is less important than creating healers. The constraints of insisting that it must be done a particular way or it must be taught a particular way or it must follow this set of traditions and conditions only serves to make it elitist and does humanity a disservice by putting up rules and conditions and barriers that limit the creation of healers and that probably don't mean a hill of beans in long run.

Hello, iolite,

Speaking about Christopher Reeve, I just wish he had been able to walk again before his transition.

And about attunements being done via distance, that is not so in The Usui System therefore, any other system that may incorporate that method would be strictly on their own.

You say: "As far as the "proper Usui system" I don't think she cares about that.. she just wants to be able to heal others."

Well then I see, and that is different. If she does not care about that, she should know that she would be using her own energy that can deplete her, but it would not be Reiki she was using. But since you say you don't think she cares about that, that might indeed not matter to her.

Yes, there are different forms of Reiki that evolved from the original Usui System we are told. However, many of them appear to be using a significant departure from methods employed in the original Usui teachings.

And you further say: "The constraints of insisting that it must be done a particular way or it must be taught a particular way or it must follow this set of traditions and conditions only serves to make it elitist and does humanity a disservice by putting up rules and conditions and barriers that limit the creation of healers and that probably don't mean a hill of beans in long run."

I Strongly disagree with you in your thought that it is "elitist" as well as your assertion that you believe it is a constraint in that it be done a particular way or taught a particular way. Any well-trained certified master of Usui Shiki Ryoho would immediately know and understand that it is done the way it is simply because that is the Usui System we are talking about. Were it any other system, they could have a 'hay-day' doing it whatever way they wanted only being limited by the capacity of their mind to think up new ways or methods to do things.

We take great pride in the System we have taken time to learn. Therefore, for someone to come in and say things about the system, especially if they have not even studied it or are a teacher (master) of it, is something that we cannot just allow to happen and let go after just saying a few simple words. We must correct the inaccuracies in their train of thought to prevent the wrong conclusions that could be reached by others about this great System. I feel assured that if any other teacher of any other modality other than Reiki read that something inaccurate was being said or discussed about the system or modality they teach or practice, they would immediately rise to correct the inaccuracies and would certainly feel that it was not being respectful to those who have taken the time to actually study and know what they are talking about.

As to putting up rules, conditions, and barriers, as you put it, if that were not a legitimate concern then law enforcement, for one, would just allow everyone to go on a rampage and pilfer through whatever place or thing they wanted without any consequences. But as it applies to Reiki in The Usui System, we take great pride in it and do discuss things strongly in order to protect its integrity from those who would claim to know about it but in effect, show they do not.

And no one is impeding the teaching of 'healers'. But I strongly further believe that any person who wants to learn Reiki because they feel it is a calling in their heart to help others, are going to want to learn it in the right way. That is the least that can be expected of a true Reiki person and perhaps why there are some who would balk at learning this particular System. That is entirely their choice, however.

And while maybe there are not too many who would come forward to speak on behalf of Reiki principles, I am glad to be able to whenever the opportunity presents itself. As far as Reiki is concerned, people must know and understand how The Usui System differs from any other system or complementary modality and why we take pride in our work and the gift we have received and continue to receive through Reiki. Thank you for your attention.

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Originally Posted by iolite

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Hi iolite,

Yes, I'll have to agree with you on that!

Have a great day filled with lots of sunshine!

Anymore it seems as if there is a Reiki Master on every corner, plying their wares! Unfortunately, give one Reiki Master improper or incomplete (i.e., inadequate) training, and you loose on the unsuspecting public thousands more, for he/she will be empowering others willy/nilly, and giving them incorrect information, and... worse!.... improper training and ineffective attunements! For years and years now I have run into this again again... an individual supposedly trained, taught about, and attuned in the Usui method of Reiki and purporting to have certification as a Reiki Master/teacher, yet totally unaware of what that entails and incapable of answering even the simplest question about it! If they cannot answer the questions, how is it they are qualified to teach and empower others?? Sadly, the state of affairs with Reiki has at this point reached the point where having a desire to learn it now must fall under the same heading as any other purchase in this world... i.e., buyer beware! Interview your Reiki Master, make sure he or she has been properly trained by a qualified Master themselves, and do not be fooled by the new flock of "fly by night" Reiki Master/Teachers flooding the market place. A word to the wise.

[Roselove]

this is a good question, i think it's best to have a master attune you, I found out i have a reiki healing guide in spirit though so i don't know how this will work lol

As I have just stated in another thread "Reiki is a repackaged, Japanese version of Qi healing as promoted in Traditional Chinese Medicine and its Qigong practices."

The repackaging today consists of:
* the attunement process replacing the long period of practice a Qigong practitioner undergoes
* the redirection of the focus of healing from Self to Other.

Whether that was Usui's intention I don't know, somehow I doubt it.
Both repackaging ideas work into the western mindset so well that they were most likely produced by the western mindset.
This mindset contains "get as much as possible at a cost as low as possible", both applicable to money as well as personal time and effort, and "everything will be all right if I could only fix the world."

Originally Posted by iolite

Brightlight....

I think that at one time you required a master to receive attunements. But now that the symbols are not secret anymore, anyone with the ability to meditate and visualize, can probably self-attune. I've got a document, somewhere on my hard drive that gives instruction for self attunement. Diane Stein also lays it out in her book: Essential Reiki.

Give it a try.

thank you i do have her book so i will liik at it more i have been distance attuned now i also did it on my own and i felt more from when i did it on my own to tell the truth but i am still learning and reading and also thinking about my friend who is a reiki master to do a hands on attunement thank you for all your kind comments x