I wrote a message to my Reiki 1 Students but there were some pieces in there I thought everyone should know, so I'm reposting in part, here.
One of the things that makes Healing Heart Reiki different from many other modern schools of Reiki, is that we have a waiting period between Reiki levels. We do this to ensure that on a strictly energetic level, your body can integrate the Reiki energy, and develop the new skills in healing. You didn't take Reiki 1 in order to learn a flash-in-the-pan method and forget it a few months later. You learned it in order to change something critical in your life. Maybe at the time is was your inner state, or maybe you wanted to achieve something externally. Either way, HHR is here to support your journey in happiness.
Sometimes Reiki 1 Students feel uncertain about when to take the next level, and also how to make sure they are following the Reiki Path in the right way! So here are some things for you to keep in mind if this is you:
Reiki is a unique path and it looks different for everyone.
Reiki 1 teachings are focused on the hands-on process and your mindset. These teachings develop over the long term, so you shouldn't feel you need to master them all at once, or before taking Reiki 2.
I think in society we are fixated on trying to do things perfectly, or BE PERFECT before we allow ourselves happiness or achievement. That's gotta change. You are enough, just as you are.
Part of the deeper teaching of Reiki 1 is Surrender. You learned in class how to open to energy, receive, and trust flow. The more you practice that with yourself, the easier it will be come. If you're feeling uncertain about how to deepen into the level 1 teachings, then you can:
(a) reach out to me
(b) attend a Reiki Share, or
(c) take the level 2 class which reviews and then builds on those teachings with more tangible lessons on how to structure energy work and healing.
You DON'T have to lay hands on a certain amount of people in order to take REIKI 2.
This varies by school, but we have reasons for doing it this way. Here, we say you don't need to lay hands on anyone if that's not your healing path. Some of my favorite Reiki Masters primarily run the energy on themselves, and occasionally on family members. That doesn't make them any less powerful, healthy, or happy. And level 2 increases the flow and tools for you to do that effectively.
I spent the first few years of my practice primarily working with the level 2 teachings (crystals grids, sound healing, past/inner child healing with time portals). Once I felt comfortable with those pieces, I then ironically went deeply into hands-on work with myself and others. That just happens to be what my body needed in my path. I knew I was ready to take level 2 because I wanted more energy, or "life force" to deal with some of the issues I had coming up at the time. I wanted to allow for things to be easier and not such a fight.
You DO NOT have to "feel" the energy in a certain way. Everyone experiences astral energy differently, and many successful Reiki practitioners don't actually feel much at all beyond warm hands. If you've been feeling like a fraud because you don't sense tingles, see beauteous visions, and all that jazz, please be assured that you're fine. You are not a fraud! And even I, as psychic as I've been since childhood, didn't see much of anything for the first few years of running Reiki. My body simply wasn't attuned to that channel or way of experiencing energy. Then I noticed that after the second level, and with practice, my skills grew.
If you are interested in developing more psychic awareness around the energy, then taking Reiki 2 is a necessity, as is staying engaged with the material. In class we dive more deeply into how to sense and discern energy, not only on a massage table, but in your real, everyday life.
You don't have to feel mystically "ready." Some students have told me they just don't feel confident that they are allowed to be healers. The insecurity of learning a new healing system is common. By virtue of the fact that you have taken level 1 and are certified, you ARE a Healing Practitioner, even if you are simply laying hands on yourself at night. Readiness is an elusive quality, and I've found that the more you engage and practice, the more confident you'll become.
I used to believe that people should wait until "they feel ready." I still believe that, in the sense that if your body says "No!" you should listen to that. However, I've also found that most of my past students have really needed the level 2 teachings several weeks before they realized it. Because of that, my new suggestion is to wait three months from your first class and then take the next level in order to stabilize your healing development, your channel, and your perspective as a healer. The full Reiki system is in fact anchored by only 3 classes, so it is totally worth it to complete the system. The benefits of newer Reiki students staying in the flow is such a HUGE thing, that I'll restate it in other words....
Taking Reiki 2 will help you:
❤️ Stabilize your development & boundaries as a healer
❤️ Strengthen your channel as an intuitive AND energy practitioner
❤️ Solidify your mindset and perspectives as an empowered individual
So to deepen into your Reiki Practice, I truly encourage you to come out for a Reiki Share, read my blog for Reiki tips, and pencil in your next level class. I have been building slides to offer a web-based class for level 2 as well, so if you prefer/need that, please email me to let me know.
OUR NEXT CLASS OFFERED IS THIS MONTH. Details are here: REIKI 2 TRAINING.
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DAILEY LITTLE is a healing practitioner, ordained Priestess, and teacher who founded HEALING HEART REIKI to help others navigate life with joy. She teaches classes in Reiki, Goddess Mysteries, Shamanism, and Ancient Egyptian Metaphysics from a magical, peaceful corner of the world in Northern California. For more info see: www.SantaRosaReiki.com