Additional Techniques

In the first degree of Reiki you are taught to relax and let it flow, to let go of your own need to direct the healing, and to trust in the intelligence of Reiki energy. This principle is something you will need to go back to again and again, however, sometimes it is appropriate to give things an extra little push. The techniques listed in this section are additions to your Reiki tool-kit that can act as the catalyst—the push—to enable this to happen. Before getting on to these additional techniques, first let’s look at why energetic blockages sometimes stubbornly remain, even when we treat them with Reiki.

Dealing with blockage¹The techniques in this section are based on teachings by Richard Ellis.

kyo and jitsu

Kyo is the Japanese word used to describe an area with too little energy. Patiently giving Reiki will encourage increased energy flow to this area, thus restoring balance. Jitsu is the word to describe an area with too much energy—a blockage. Sometimes giving Reiki to this area will cause the blockage to break-up, allowing free-flow of energy and again restoring balance. However, sometimes giving more Reiki to a jitsu area will cease to provide benefit. In this case, you can choose to move your hands to an adjacent area. These areas are themselves often deficient, because any available energy gets bound-up in maintaining the blockage. By stimulating these kyo areas you encourage energy to flow away from the jitsu area, thus restoring balance. A common example is someone with a tightly-locked solar plexus and deficient sacral. By stimulating the sacral area with Reiki, the solar plexus may relax its tight grip and allow some energy to flow to where it is needed. Both sacral and solar plexus areas therefore benefit.

In other cases, jitsu will be more readily balanced by applying one or more of the following techniques.

Pulling out blocked energy

This technique takes a bit of practice, but is a very efficient way of clearing blocked areas, and is an important tool in your kit.

Place your palms over the blockage, an inch or so away from the body. Move your hand away from the body and back in again, gently moving up and down over the area, feeling for the tension point. (This is a similar feeling to making balls of energy between your palms.) When you feel the tension, slowly pull your hand out of the field, making sure tension is maintained. Once you are clear of the field, throw or flick the energy into the earth directly, asking the earth to transmute it. Never throw it horizontally across a room, or in the direction of someone else, as they may pick it up and not know how to let it go.

Repeat this several times if necessary, until the area is clear.

You can also use the power symbol by establishing the tension, and then raising your away in a reverse CKR, from the centre of the symbol outwards.

Dealing with blockage

Energy Break-up

When a muscle is knotted, a massage therapist will kneed the area until it releases. When an area is locked in tight jitsu, we need a similar technique. You can do this by spreading your fingers a little, and with your hands close to —but not touching—the physical body, shake them from side to side. This technique is especially useful in the solar plexus and sacral area where energy can become very knotted and stuck. Once the energy begins to move, go back to the original method of laying your hands on the area.

Breath

Never underestimate the power of the breath to break-up old emotional issues. Often a person will be reluctant to breathe into areas that are really stuck or stagnated, and the breath will appear shallow and weak. If you see this happen, you can guide the client through a powerful release using the power of the breath.

Ask the client to open their mouth and to breathe deeply, in and out of the mouth. Ask them to imaging breathing directly into the area that is blocked. Place your hand on that area to support them. You may wish to match your breath with theirs.

Remember that air contains ki, and as this ki flows into the area through conscious intent, old emotions will begin to shift. The client finds that the body takes over breath control. Often s/he will experience waves of emotions and tingling sensations in their hands as the block begins to move.

Please note that this technique can produce dramatic results. Reassure the client throughout so that they feel safe and secure. Once the emotion has been expressed the client will often feel very light and free. Let them rest for some time, and consider giving them extra blankets to keep warm. Also consider giving Reiki to the feet area, to help ground them.

Laser Techniques

Compare an artist’s paintbrush to a builder’s. One is for fine, delicate work, and the other for applying to larger areas. In the context of energy work, the artist’s paintbrush is your index and middle fingers; the builder’s is your palm.

When you want to be very specific in where you apply Reiki, place your index and middle fingers on the area lightly, visualise the power symbol, and relax. The Reiki will route itself through them into the recipient’s body. This is a particularly useful technique to use on the heart and solar plexus to open these areas up when very blocked. You can work the energy with very small movements, cutting through blockages as though with a laser.

Spinal Clearing, Ketsueki Kôkan Hô

To prepare for spinal clearing, ask the client to lie on their front. Stand to one side of the client, standing so that your non-dominant hand is nearest to the client’s head. (Your dominant hand energetically is not always the same as the hand you write with, though it often is.)

1. Place your non-dominant hand flat across the occipital ridge (the base of the skull) and place your dominant hand beside it, flat across the top of the client’s spine (so that the spine is actually covered by your palm).
2. With firm intent, smoothly and at an even pace, stroke down the length of the spine to the tail-bone. Do not apply any pressure to the spine. In fact, you may carry-out this sweep without any actual physical contact—your hand just millimetres above the surface of the client’s body.
3. When you reach the tail-bone, lift your hand away from the client and flick the energy away. Again, it’s best to direct the energy to the earth rather than across the room.
4. Return your hand to the starting position at the top of the spine. Do not sweep back up the spine. You can move your hand through an arc, well away from the spine, as you return it to its starting position.
5. Repeat the sweep approximately 10 times.
6. On completion of the last sweep, rest your hand on the tail-bone for about 15-30 seconds and let Reiki flow—bringing the spinal energies into balance.

Spinal clearing

Chakra Balancing

Reiki practitioners often use this technique towards the end of a treatment. Use chakra balancing to help harmonise the energy of the chakras and to stimulate energy flow up and down the length of sushumna, the central channel.

With the client lying face-up or face-down, form the om mudra with your hands. (This technique can also be done without forming the mudra. Just hold your hands in a neutral position.) Hover your hands a few inches away from the body, in the aura. Do this for as long as you feel it requires to bring each chakra pair into balance. The sequence is as follows:

1. Crown and root chakras
2. Brow and sacral chakras
3. Throat and solar plexus chakras
4. Finish in the heart

For a visual guide, see the reference cards that you received as part of this course.