1
Copyright © 2019 Infinite Gratitude t/a Natural Healer.
Last version update: September 2019.
NATURAL HEALER (logo) is trademarked under Australian Trademark No. 1991324, New
Zealand Trademark No. 1114523, and U.S.A. Trademark Serial No. 88309703 (Pending).
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical,
photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may
it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for public or private
use – other than for “fair use” as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews –
without prior written permission of the publisher.
ISBN-13: 978-1986079075
ISBN-10: 1986079074
The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any
technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without
the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to
offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest to improve your emotional,
physical, and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book
for yourself or on others, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your
actions.
Cover design: Natural Healer.
Natural Healer interior images credit: Natural Healer logo, photos of Melissa, all Chakra
images/charts. All other interior images are CC0 Public domain and/or no attribution
2
Dedication
To the light within that’s been patiently waiting for you to let it shine.
3
Contents
Introduction.............................................................................................. 8
Use your intuition ................................................................................. 9
Reiki levels ............................................................................................ 9
Learning and practicing ...................................................................... 10
Chapter 1: The Basics (Reiki Level 1) ...................................................... 11
What is Reiki? ..................................................................................... 11
Who can perform Reiki? ..................................................................... 13
How did Reiki come about?................................................................ 14
What are the 5 Reiki Principles?......................................................... 15
Attunements versus healings ............................................................. 17
What’s an attunement then? ............................................................. 17
Are there other forms of Reiki?.......................................................... 18
Chapter 2: Feeling it ............................................................................... 19
How to feel Reiki ................................................................................ 19
Hand energy exercise ......................................................................... 21
Hand sensations ............................................................................. 23
Visualisation ....................................................................................... 23
Tips to help visualise .......................................................................... 24
Determining your power hand ........................................................... 25
Chapter 3: Preparation ........................................................................... 26
Are preparations necessary? .............................................................. 26
Letting Go ........................................................................................... 26
Intentions ........................................................................................... 27
Doing what’s right .............................................................................. 28
4
Protection ........................................................................................... 28
Ridding yourself of picked-up symptoms ....................................... 28
Restoring your own energy............................................................. 29
Spiritual Detox (Energy Cleansing) ..................................................... 30
Chapter 4: The Symbols (Reiki Level 2 & Master)................................... 33
The 5 Reiki Symbols ............................................................................ 33
1. Cho Ku Ray (Power Symbol) – Level 2......................................... 34
2. Sei Hei Ki (Emotional Symbol) – Level 2 ...................................... 36
3. Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen (Distance Symbol) – Level 2 ...................... 38
4. Dai Ko Myo (Usui Master Symbol) – Master Level ..................... 40
5. Raku (Grounding Symbol) – Master Level .................................. 42
Drawing & activating the symbols ...................................................... 44
Chapter 5: Chakras.................................................................................. 45
A bit about chakras ............................................................................. 45
Chakra Chart ....................................................................................... 47
Chapter 6: Get Ready.............................................................................. 48
Where to place your hands ................................................................ 48
Hands-off Method .......................................................................... 49
Hands-on Method ........................................................................... 50
Scanning .............................................................................................. 50
How to scan .................................................................................... 51
Chapter 7: Healing Attunements ............................................................ 55
Attuning .............................................................................................. 55
Perform a General Healing Attunement ......................................... 56
........................................................................................................ 63
5
Perform a Specific Healing Attunement ......................................... 63
The Traditional Reiki Hand Positions (Healing Others) .................. 63
Perform a Self-Healing Attunement ............................................... 65
The Traditional Reiki Hand Positions (Self-Healing) ....................... 66
F.A.Q. .................................................................................................. 68
What are you ‘looking’ for during a session? ................................. 68
What do the sensations in my hands mean? ................................. 68
Can I do Reiki on others without consent? .................................... 69
Chapter 8: Distance Healing Attunements ............................................. 70
Attuning from a distance .................................................................... 70
Perform a General Distance Healing Attunement.......................... 71
Specific Distance Healing.................................................................... 76
Chapter 9: Other Healing Attunements ................................................. 77
Working with animals, plants & objects............................................. 77
Perform a General Animal (Pet) Healing Attunement ................... 78
Cat Chakra Chart............................................................................. 79
Dog Chakra Chart............................................................................ 80
Chapter 10: Working with Crystals ......................................................... 81
Using crystals with Reiki ..................................................................... 81
Tips for using crystals with energy healing .................................... 82
Chapter 11: Spiritual Growth ................................................................. 83
Synchronicities, Spirit Guides & Angels .............................................. 83
Chapter 12: Starting a Reiki business ..................................................... 85
Charging for Reiki ............................................................................... 86
Setting Up Your Office or Healing Room ............................................ 86
6
Getting your Reiki practice insured .................................................... 87
Chapter 13: Important Small Print.......................................................... 88
Being accepted by others ................................................................... 88
Laws & regulations in your area ..................................................... 90
Chapter 14: Steps for certification.......................................................... 92
Steps to complete for certification ..................................................... 92
Reiki Lineage ....................................................................................... 93
Your Lineage ................................................................................... 93
Natural Healer Society ........................................................................ 93
Recommended Healer .................................................................... 93
Chapter 15: Namaste .............................................................................. 94
Thank you! .......................................................................................... 94
7
Introduction
Your exciting new journey has begun and I congratulate you on taking the
first step to learning the beautiful process of energy healing through
Reiki! I’m really proud of you – not only because you’re forging forward
to learn a new skill – but because you’ve chosen to utilize the natural,
effective, and beautiful energy around you to help yourself, and perhaps
even others, to heal.
8
Use your intuition
Although it’s essentially a form of energy healing, I’ll simply refer to the
technique as “Reiki” throughout the book. The techniques you’ll learn are
based on Mrs. Hawayo Takata’s “Western Reiki” (西洋レイキ, Seiyō
reiki) style.
While this particular form of Reiki revolves around using set hand
patterns as a guide to conduct healing sessions, I personally believe that
your intuition is truly the best guide for effective energy healing. So while
you’ll learn some hand placements to help get you started, you’ll note
that throughout the book I urge you to further develop that intuitive
ability within you to truly blossom your skills.
Reiki levels
I’d like to take a moment to point out that Reiki is usually taught in
degrees or by levels. The “First Degree” comprises of the elementary
teachings, where you get attuned, learn the basics and hand placements.
The “Second Degree” involves enhancing your skills with symbols,
allowing for stronger healings – even distance ones! And the “Third
Degree” (Master Level) is attained by performing attunements and
undertaking more advanced symbols – so by the time you’ve hit this
point, you’re performing the techniques of a Reiki Master.
You’ll learn all you need to know about being a Reiki Master in this book
– which means all levels will be covered – as opposed to learning one level
at a time, over a long period of time. I’m doing this because I don’t
believe there’s any reason why Reiki should have to take years or decades
to master.
Remember, everybody is different; some of you will learn very quickly
and achieve Master skills within several weeks, while others will take
many months or even years. However, I promise if you diligently follow
this book, make the basic principles of Reiki part of your life, and stay true
to the goodness of your heart, you will confidently use these techniques
9
on yourself or others well within a year!
Learning and practicing
There are a number of elements to learn and practice as you progress
through this book so make sure you take your time. Remember, at any
point during this journey, you can reduce or quicken your learning pace.
When you get to portions of the book which provide steps and prompts
to practice, be sure to do so – and log your notes in the provided
workbook (for your own reference and records)! Most importantly, trust
your intuition and enjoy the learning process.
You can conduct as many self-healings as you like; but, please only
conduct Reiki on others with their consent and once you’ve learned
everything within this book.
Please note that while you’ll be learning the skills of a Reiki Master, you
will not be certified as one until you complete all the steps as outlined in
Chapter 14, successfully complete my final review.
Now, before you immerse yourself in the glory of universal loving energy,
I want to add one last reminder: As long as you come from a place of love,
you can do no wrong. You are beautiful just as you are.
I’m thrilled to see you learn how to acknowledge your innate beauty
and goodness to share with others.
Namaste,
♥ Melissa
#biglove
10
Chapter 1: The Basics (Reiki Level 1)
What is Reiki?
Reiki is essentially a beautiful form of energy healing.
To explain this properly, let’s go back a few steps. Energy is at the core of
everybody and everything – it’s the essential, unifying element for the
universe. And when I say unifying, I truly mean it.
Even the scientific community has proven and officially recognized that a
“field” of energy exists everywhere and surrounds us all the time. You
might have seen it referred to as “The Energy Field” or “The Field” in
11
other publications; what’s more exciting is that this web of energy not
only affects us, but it is us.
With this knowledge in hand, we now know everything must be
energetically connected to everything else, at some degree, including you
and me.
When you think about it, that’s pretty major stuff, but we often talk about
energy without much notice: “Wow, you have a lot of energy today!” or
perhaps “I’m tired, I have no energy!” Or have you ever noticed when
you’re around a really “up vibe” person, you get a bit of a “pick me up”
just being near them? Or when someone’s energy is really low or
negative, it makes you feel bummed out?
So, if we’re intrinsically part of universal energy, why so much ebb and
flow in us? Why up one day, down the next?
It’s because when we focus on certain negative aspects of life, we can
constrict our ability to connect with our universal source.
Sort of like when you’re in a stressful situation – your breathing can
become shallow because your focus is so intense – you end up restricting
the very thing you need to survive. But
when you start to feel uneasy from lack
of oxygen, your focus goes back to
breathing; therefore, permitting the
flow of air to become strong again.
Japanese symbol for Reiki
So, like the breathing example above,
when we focus on connecting, we open
up to our source. Wouldn’t it be
beneficial to learn how to focus on
allowing universal energy to flow
through us again, so we can achieve
optimum health and happiness, as well
as help others, too? Yes, of course.
12
Enter Reiki.
Often pronounced as “ray-key” in the West, Reiki is comprised of two
Japanese words: Rei, meaning Universal; and Ki, which is Life Force
Energy. Of course, there are variations to this definition because the
English translations are not exact. But based on mine, Reiki means:
Universal Life Force Energy. Throughout this book, I will refer to it as
Universal Life Force Energy, Universal Energy, or simply Energy; just know
that I refer to the same thing when I use these different terms.
So what exactly is Reiki?
It’s a non-invasive healing technique whereby you channel the glorious
universal life force energy through you then to your focus - which may be
yourself, somebody else, an animal, or even an object.
This universal energy isn’t chaotic and happenstance; it’s intelligent, so
once you’re able to channel it – it will go to your intended and do what’s
necessary for their healing or greatest good.
Your hands will be integral tools for you; however, they’re not necessarily
needed. Reiki can be done with or without physical touch in order to
stimulate your own, or someone or something else’s, natural ability to
heal. In saying that, using your hands helps you get the feel for the energy.
As you become more experienced in Reiki, you may not always need your
hands.
Who can perform Reiki?
In all actuality, Reiki can be performed by absolutely anybody! And that’s
because it’s an inherent part of ‘who we are’. You may be asking yourself
“Why bother to read a book or take a course to learn how to use it then?”
Well, for most people, you might have the ability to do something, but
not the tools or knowledge to use it. It’s like having all the ingredients to
bake a cake, but no recipe – where do you begin? That’s why having some
where to start, like this book, is ideal. Then once you learn how, you can
13
tweak your ‘recipe’ as you like!
Whether you’re learning Reiki for the benefit of yourself (and your loved
ones), as a service to add to your existing practice (for Masseurs,
Acupuncturists, Meditation Groups, Chiropractors, and so on), or you
want to perform Reiki as a career – it’s an excellent and natural healing
tool that will further benefit where you are right now in your life.
What’s more, you can perform Reiki on anybody (regardless of where
they are!), animals, plants, food, the environment, communities and even
situations! Its scope is endless!
How did Reiki come about?
Universal Life Force Energy itself has always been around, which means
no earthly being created it. I don’t
think it’s fair to give someone
‘founding’ rights to Reiki because
we’ve been tapping into it, in one
way or another, for as long as
history seems to show.
However, it did take a human to
understand, document and convey
a specific set of teachings about it.
I’ll now provide a brief ‘history’
about
how
Western
Reiki
Mikao Usui
techniques came to be. But like all
stories, there are many versions, so
don’t be surprised if you hear or see variations to what you’re about to
read.
It’s generally agreed that Japanese doctor Mikao Usui (pronounced ewsoo-ee) was the one that recognized and documented Reiki’s power in
modern times, around the turn of 20th century. He is often referred to as
14
Usui Sensei; where Sensei (pronounced as sen-say, but often pronounced
as sen-sigh) means Teacher or Master.
Dr. Usui went on a self-discovery journey which lead him to a retreat near
Mt. Kurama where he fasted for 21 days. On his last day, Reiki rushed
towards him and into his third eye; he then went into a deep state of
meditation or unconsciousness (it’s not quite clear which). While he was
in this state, the Reiki symbols were shown to him. He was then able to
use Reiki to heal himself and others and travelled throughout Japan and
China teaching his technique and the Reiki Principles.
Usui Sensei died in 1926, leaving behind many Reiki Masters to continue
administering and teaching his healing methods. One of these masters
was Dr. Chujiro Hayashi who championed the hand positions to treat
ailments. One of his students Mrs. Hawayo Takata was elevated to
Master level before he died, which ensured the techniques would live on.
Naturally, Takata Sensei taught her students, who then went on to teach
others.
So the cycle of passing on Reiki’s powers has been secured for future
generations. And here we are, carrying on the tradition – with you being
the next piece in this beautiful legacy!
What are the 5 Reiki Principles?
The principles of Reiki are quite simple at first glance. But to actually
follow the principles and live your life by them, is much harder than many
may think.
The following Reiki Principles (or Precepts) are taken directly from Usui
Sensei’s Reiki handbook:
Do not be angry,
Do not worry,
Be grateful,
Work with diligence,
Be kind to every living thing.
15
The secret art of inviting happiness,
The miraculous medicine for all diseases.
At least for today:
Do not be angry,
Do not worry,
Be grateful,
Work with diligence,
Be kind to every living thing.
Every morning and evening, join your hands in meditation
and pray with your heart.
State in your mind and chant with your mouth.
For improvement of mind and body.
Usui Reiki Healing Method
The founder,
Mikao Usui
These five principles are unbelievably effective if you can truly grasp onto
them. I recommend you digest and make them part of your life!
As a side note: I don’t believe Usui Sensei is saying he ‘founded’ Reiki by
signing off as “The Founder”, I think he’s simply stating he’s the founder
of his Reiki healing methods.
Practice! Take a moment to commit
these principles to memory!
16
Attunements versus healings
While some teachers only use the word attunement for the ‘initiation’ of
their students, I use the term attunement synonymously with healing.
Why? Because when you do an “attunement” you’re essentially attuning
into the Universal Life Force Energy and becoming a conduit of that
energy for the recipient to receive its healing benefits; and therefore they
become attuned to it as well.
So when performing any kind of Reiki, I will oftentimes switch between
calling it an attunement and a healing. When you see me using either
term, just know I’m referring to the same thing.
If I use the terms interchangeably, then what about the ‘initiation’ of Reiki
Master Certification course students?
Well, I purposely don’t use the word ‘initiation’ because of the ‘secret
society’ connection to its meaning – and I don’t believe learning Reiki is
mystical, mysterious, or exclusive to certain people. So I call the process
of attuning my Reiki Master Certification course students to become
certified practitioners as the ‘Student Attunement Ceremony’.
What’s an attunement then?
Okay, so let’s get back to what an attunement is: it’s the process of
attuning oneself (or someone or something else) back to our source, the
Universal Life Force Energy.
In all actuality, because we come from it and are always a part of universal
energy, doing or receiving a Reiki session is more like getting re-attuned
to what is intrinsically part of who you are.
I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that as we progress through life:
things gets busy, minds get cluttered, dreams foggy, paths muddled, and
so on; until one day our inborn ability to connect (to tune in) to the
Universal Life Force Energy becomes harder to do.
17
So those who learn the skills of Reiki know how to attune back to this
wonderful universal energy, and in addition they stay centred through
their own calming and healing ways, and can then help others attune
themselves back with it, too.
Are there other forms of Reiki?
Because Reiki is about tapping into the Universal Life Force Energy, there
are – without a doubt – countless other styles of Reiki practices and forms
of energy healing that one can learn, follow and use. And even though
I’m teaching you one way (Western Reiki), because it’s my adaptation –
it will be slightly different from another Master Teacher’s way – and that’s
perfectly fine.
As long as the process feels right to you, that feeling will be your
‘barometer’ of whether my way, or another way, is best for you.
I’d like to just point out though, that I don’t believe one form of Reiki
teaching is better than another. The singular connecting factor here is:
Reiki is the Universal Life Force Energy that unites us all; it’s beautiful and
powerful in all its various forms.
So if you want to combine methods, prefer hands-on over hands-off, like
using basic symbols over complex ones, prefer using intuition over set
hand positions, or want to study for many years before you practice or
not – it does not matter.
To quote one of my favourite writers and spiritual teachers Dr. Wayne W.
Dyer:
“There’s your way. There’s my way. But there is no right way.”
18
Chapter 2: Feeling it
How to feel Reiki
Let’s just pretend, you and I are both looking at the same flower; you
think it’s extremely pretty and blue in colour; while I think it’s a little odd
in shape and violet in colour. Suffice to say, we’re looking at the same
thing but experiencing something very different.
It’s the same with feeling Reiki. Some people can feel the power of Reiki
quite intensely, while others do not. Same energy, different experiences;
and just because you can’t see or feel something, doesn’t mean it isn’t
there.
19
Let’s look at another more appropriate example: listening to a song on
the radio.
You can’t see or feel the song (Reiki), until you get a radio (the Reiki
Master) and purposely tune (have Reiki performed) into the channel. As
you learn how to use your radio (become a Reiki Master), you might hear
some tunes in amongst some fuzzy noise (getting attuned to the energy),
until finally, you reach the correct setting and hear the song clearly (feel
Reiki’s energy).
Based on this little example, you wouldn’t say the song doesn’t exist, you
would simply say, “I haven’t tuned into the right channel.” It’s the same
with Reiki.
Whether or not you can feel Reiki right now comes down to how aligned
your energy is with the universe.
It may - or may not - take some time for you to feel; it just depends on
where you are in your own spiritual journey and how open minded you
are to the entire concept of universal energy. This goes for both
practitioners as well as recipients of Reiki.
Whether you feel it easily or not – here’s a hand energy exercise to help
you learn to feel Reiki.
20
Hand energy exercise
The first step to be able to feel Reiki is to simply be open to the process.
What I mean by that is to not focus on the thought of “I can’t feel
anything” or to sit in anticipation. Keep your mind and heart open, quiet
and still. It will come.
1. Relax. Get in a comfortable
position, perhaps seated, and place
both of your hands on their
respective thighs, face up.
2. Visualise. “See” with your mind’s
eye, the energy of the Universe
pouring into your head – it looks like
you’re sitting underneath a soft, glowing waterfall whose source is from
the stars above – and that energy is filling your body up with radiance.
Now, look at your left hand first,
focus on your palm and visualise
bright rays of light coming out from
it. There are some straight rays,
some swirly rays, and perhaps even
some star clusters shining and
encircling it all.
3. Play. As you gaze at this glorious picture, start to shift your eyes over
to your right palm. As your eyes move, so does the beautiful dancing
energy. It magically moves to where ever your eyes go.
4. Visualise. You now complete your eye movement over to your right
palm and similar rays of light shoot out of it, too.
21
5. Rub. Once you’re ready, rub
your hands together – robustly –
for a few moments.
6. Hold. Now, part and hold them
about a few centimetres (or
inches) apart.
7. Feel. As you hold this pose, you will start to feel a connection between
your two hands.
This could feel like an invisible
box or ball you’re now holding,
and when you lightly push your
hands towards each other – you
feel a bit of a bounce or
resistance. That’s Reiki!
8. Move. Still maintaining this stance, you can now pull your hands
slightly further part, shift one up
or down, and you will be able to
feel the Reiki stretch and pull at
your palms.
9. Compress. Once you complete
this little bit of energy play, go
back to the original position of
holding your hands a few
centimetres (or inches) apart
again. You should now be able to
feel the energy compress.
10. Intend.
With this little
compressed unit of energy, Reiki,
you can now place it anywhere
you wish!
22
You can move your hands to your own body and allow it to expand within
yourself; or you can intend it to go to someone else in the room.
You have now just manifested and experienced Reiki within your own
hands! How exciting!
Practice! Take your time with these
steps to feel the energy
Hand sensations
During any of the steps, you may have experienced tingling in your
fingertips or hands, sensed warmth, or even immense happiness. All of
this is perfectly fine – just smile in the knowing that you’ve reconnected
with the Universal Life Force Energy!
And please don’t worry if it didn’t feel exactly as I described, or perhaps
it was very weak, or intensely strong. Everybody will experience different
sensations and the more you practice – you’ll start to learn what your
personal ‘benchmark’ is for feeling Reiki.
It’s also important to note that Reiki can release emotions for all parties
involved, both positive and negative, even at this early stage.
The key here is – to feel then let it go. Remember, Reiki is a natural part
of us; it only works for our greatest and highest good.
If you experience a release in emotions during this exercise, please go to
the Spiritual Detoxing (cleansing) portion of this book.
Visualisation
It’s really important to note that you shouldn’t use or transfer your own
energy when performing Reiki. That’s where visualisation comes in: it
helps you focus on channelling the Universal Life Force Energy as opposed
to your own.
23
Did you notice in the Hand Energy Exercise, that I asked you to visualise
the Universe’s energy pouring into you before you started to feel the
energy between your hands?
This visualisation connects you with Reiki, welcomes it into you, so you
can then allow it to flow through your body, and then out through your
hands.
Trying or using your own energy reserves will simply exhaust you, so
please learn to visualise, so you utilise our glorious Universe’s endless
source of energy – and protect your own.
Tips to help visualise
Some people find it difficult to visualise, when in fact it’s an inherent part
of your ‘inner toolkit’! But their hurdle is oftentimes because they get
hung up on the word ‘visualisation’ (trying to follow specific steps) or
maybe even trying too hard. Here are a few different tips on how you can
practice visualizing:
Change the terminology: Change the term to “imagine” instead of
visualise – now, imagine what it would be like to win the jackpot in
the lottery! Could you see your smile? Feel the excitement? Well
done, you just visualised!
Change the image: If you can’t see my white glowing waterfall in your
mind’s eye, that’s okay – what image can you imagine? Perhaps the
night sky? Stars? Flowers? Something else, just change the image of
what your ideal healing source looks like and use that instead!
Recall a memory: Simply recall a wonderful memory – something
that makes you feel so good! In that moment, you ‘saw’ images in
your mind, even if fleeting!
Describe an object: Place an object in front of you, like a cup of tea
or a flower.
24
Softly gaze at it, then close your eyes. With your eyes closed, describe
the object out loud – even though you think you’re just speaking from
memorization, you’re actually recalling the description from your
memory – which is a picture in your mind!
Determining your power hand
Once you work out which one it is, your ‘Power Hand’ (or dominant hand)
will likely be the one you lead with for your hand positions and healings.
It will usually be the hand you write with, but not necessarily so. I’m left
handed; however my dominant, power hand is my right one.
To work out which is your dominant power hand, simply perform the
Hand Energy Exercise a few times and while you go through the process,
assess:



Which hand seems stronger in sensation?
Has one has become more tingly than the other?
Perhaps one is very cold or extremely hot?
The one which has the stronger sensation is most likely your dominant
hand. However, if for some reason you can’t work it out, you can use
your writing hand as your power hand until you’re able to better assess.
I also want to advise that sometimes my power hand ‘switches’; meaning
for some sessions my left hand will be more sensitive or active. So, don’t
be surprised if this happens to you. We’re dynamic creatures, so a little
change should be expected from time to time.
So now you know how to feel Reiki, and might know which is your ‘Power
Hand’, it’s time we discuss a few housekeeping rules to prepare yourself
when you’re performing Reiki on yourself and others.
Practice! Try to visualise and also
determine your ‘Power Hand’
25
Chapter 3: Preparation
Are preparations necessary?
I mention in the opening chapter: Energy is at the core of everybody and
everything – it’s the essential, unifying element for the universe.
And since Reiki is a technique to channel that energy, it’s very important
you know how to set your intentions to connect, know how to be a
channel for, and then understand how to untangle yourself from it once
you’re done.
Letting Go
Firstly, since you’re a channel for Universal Life Force Energy, the
26
outcomes of your healings might not always go the way you think they
would. As a Reiki practitioner, your purpose is to connect with universal
energy, show it your intention, then let go – so it flows through you and
towards the recipient (which may also be yourself). Also remember the
importance of visualisation from the last chapter.
What ends up happening to the recipient, once the energy passes
through you, is not up to you.
In saying that, I do believe your intention gives the energy a pathway to
follow (I’ll cover that in the next section), yet there may be other more
important areas it needs to attend to, which you or the recipient aren’t
aware of.
Let go of any expectations or outcomes you may have for Reiki; trust that
the universal energy will go directly where it’s meant to go (which may,
or may not, be the same as your intention).
The big thing here is that universal energy is all goodness and love, so it
will do no wrong.
Practice! ‘Letting go’ isn’t always
easy so be sure to practice
Intentions
It’s important to set a loving intention for the energy to follow. You can
be general or specific with your intentions.
1. I usually put my hands in a prayer position, with my eyes closed,
and sit for several moments to clear my mind. You don’t have to
use the prayer hand position if you’re not comfortable with that.
2. I then visualise the recipient and say – either in my mind or aloud
– one of the following intentions:
 “Please allow this healing to serve [insert name of
person/animal/thing/place]’s highest good.”
27


“Flow through me to resolve insert
person/animal/thing/place]’s unease.”
“Please let this session go just as it should.”
name
of
Sometimes I just say whatever comes to mind; this is definitely an area to
trust your intuition with.
Doing what’s right
I want to take a moment to suggest that you not perform Reiki or set
intentions for others if you are yourself upset, agitated, or unbalanced for
some reason.
If you don’t feel in a complete state of calm and contentedness – then it’s
probably best you take some time out, relax, meditate and perform Reiki
on yourself.
Practice! Take your time learning
how to set intentions
Protection
Many people who don’t understand the power of energy (such as
inexperienced Reiki practitioners) will often pick up the ailments or
conditions of their clients, or sometimes be extremely worn out after
their session.
I’ll address both situations here and how you can avoid this from
happening by protecting yourself.
Ridding yourself of picked-up symptoms
If you’ve picked up symptoms from someone or something you’ve just
performed a Reiki on, it’s likely because you’ve connected your energy
with their energy – and/or have not disconnected from the session. To
rectify this:
28
1. Simply imagine the person or thing and visualise the energy
between you two
2. Now see that energy connection being cut, like a pair of scissors
cutting a string.
3. Then visualise yourself being immersed in white healing light,
from head to toe.
Once you learn how to use the Grounding Symbol later in the book, you’ll
be able to use it as part of this disconnection process, too.
Restoring your own energy
If you’re very tired after performing Reiki, it’s likely because you’ve
probably tried to give your own energy to your recipient – as opposed to
channelling the universal energy through you.
It’s nearly impossible for some of your energy to not flow to your
intended as a sort of ‘by-product’ – as the universal energy flowing
through you will catch a bit of yours naturally, but you should not try and
give your energy to others. To help restore your energy:
1. Close your eyes and imagine white healing light – in the form of
mist – surrounding you.
2. It’s soft and lovely to breathe in.
3. With each breath in, you glow brighter and grow stronger.
4. With each breath out, any stagnant energy is released.
5. As you breathe this healing mist in, it goes to every corner of your
body and regenerates you from the core of each cell.
If you continue to feel worn out after sessions remember to visualise
using the steps you’ve already learned and continue to practice “Letting
Go” to help you allow the universal energy to move through you, instead
of using your own energy.
Practice! This is so important for
your self-care, learn the steps
29
Spiritual Detox (Energy Cleansing)
There are two important things to remember when receiving or
performing an attunement:
Firstly, you are purposely reconnecting with the universal energy; and
Secondly, its natural inclination is to flow through you or your
recipient. And by doing so, it will cleanse your energy; therefore, the
recipient of a Reiki session must be prepared to go through a spiritual
detox.
To further explain, think of a dietary detox: if you change to eating
healthy food and drink (and your body isn’t used to that sort of
sustenance), after a few days your body will start to expel the toxins
accumulated from the old ‘bad’ diet and replace it with good
nourishment from your new diet.
During your dietary detox, you might not feel that good (as a matter of
fact, you might feel very ill) – but you know it will pass and you’ll be all
the better for it once you’ve done it.
This is pretty much what happens to the body on an energetic level when
one performs Reiki. Whether you’re attuning yourself or others –
whether it’s a minor or major spiritual detox – the cleansing effect will
indeed happen, on some level or another. For example, some might cry,
laugh or feel great peace for no “apparent” reason; while others may not
experience any feelings, but instead get extremely tired (or even wired!)
or perhaps a cold.
Furthermore, cleansing can occur during and after (or both) an
attunement; and it may continue for several days afterward.
Just like the dietary detox though, remember – it has happened for your
greater good. So to help the spiritual detox along, please note, and pass
on these tips, in the weeks following an attunement:
30
Reduce or eliminate:



Drinking coffee/caffeine and
alcohol
Smoking
Eating highly sugared and fried
foods as well as meat (if you
can’t go without meat, then
reduce the red meat portion of
what you eat).
I’m not telling you to change your
lifestyle here, but I do ask for you to consider making these changes –
even temporarily – to increase the chances for your own personal
attunement to be more effective.
The reason for the eliminations is (aside from the fact these lifestyle
choices are proven to lead to physical health issues) that they all create a
highly acidic body – and an acidic body encourages disease; therefore,
complete healing is more difficult to attain.
Increase or include:
 Get a lot of rest/meditate
 Drink water (ideally alkaline
filtered, non-chlorinated, nonfluoride) and herbal teas (noncaffeine)
 Eat fresh fruit and vegetables
(preferably organic)
 Perform Reiki (or at least just
the scanning part, which you’ll
learn later) on yourself each day.
31
Again, the decisions you make here (as with this entire course) are yours
and yours alone.
But I make these suggestions because they will foster a highly alkaline
body – which promotes healing and an easier flow of energy through you.
I understand it’s not always easy to make lifestyle changes, even for a
little while. So, I only ask you do the best you can, with that you know
and have, right now.
Practice! What can you
increase/decrease right now?
32
Chapter 4: The Symbols (Reiki Level 2 & Master)
The 5 Reiki Symbols
As I mentioned in the “How did Reiki come about?” section, Usui Sensei
was shown symbols, while he was in his deep meditative state, to help
enhance the innate power of the Universal Life Force Energy.
The symbols themselves aren’t what create the power; it’s your focus on
their meaning and the movement that generates the strength.
As you learn the symbols, you’ll find that you may be attracted to one
over another; or that you’ll use some more than others. Either way is fine,
33
and once you learn what they are, if you don’t feel compelled to use them
that’s okay, too. They are beautiful in and of themselves, so I think you’ll
end up attaching yourself to at least one – and continue to use it. As with
the story of Usui Sensei, there are different versions of the symbols, as
well as many more than what I list here.
But, I’m teaching this particular set of symbols to you now because these
are the five traditional Usui Reiki symbols. I rotate through and use them
for healing sessions, as well as attune students with them in my Student
Attunement Ceremonies.
1. Cho Ku Ray (Power Symbol) – Level 2
Pronounced “choh-koo-ray”, this first symbol is commonly known as “The
Power Symbol”.
Its meaning can be interpreted several ways, but it essentially means
“bring the power of the universe here”. Its main purpose is to increase the
power of universal energy coming to you through Reiki.
The “Power Symbol” is the first symbol taught to Reiki students because
of its simplicity and generality in nature.
I personally love using this symbol and find it very effective because it’s
like a “one-size-fits-all” symbol. It’s a relatively easy hand movement to
use for all types of Reiki treatments.
1. Starting at #1 in the image shown here, follow the line to create
the full symbol.
2. Draw, imagine or say (in your mind) Cho Ku Ray three (3) times at
the area or Chakra you’re drawn to.
3. The motion of this symbol will pull the power of the universe
towards your focus.
Due to its general nature and simplicity, for this symbol only, if you want
to direct universal energy to yourself, simply reverse the drawing –
starting with the swirls and ending at #1 as shown in the image.
34
Cho Ku Ray
Practice! Learn to draw this
beautiful symbol
35
2. Sei Hei Ki (Emotional Symbol) – Level 2
A bit more complicated in structure, “The Emotional Symbol” is
pronounced “say-hay-kee” and is often taught to Second Degree Reiki
students because it’s more specific in its intent: emotional healing and
calming.
Again, definitions of its meaning vary, but essential it means “God and
man becoming one”.
It’s an ideal symbol to use if your focus is to clear emotional blockages or
to restore harmony to an active or troubled mind.
1. Starting at #1 in the image shown here, follow the line to create
the first line.
2. Once complete, gently move onto point #2 and draw that line.
3. Then move onto #3 and #4 to complete the full symbol.
4. The motion of this symbol will pull the power of the universe
towards your focus with an emotional clearing intention.
You can draw, imagine or say (in your mind) Sei Hei Ki at the area or
Chakra you’re drawn to. If you feel compelled, you can repeat the
drawing of the symbol.
Practice! Learn to draw this
wonderful symbol
36
Sei Hei Ki
37
3. Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen (Distance Symbol) – Level 2
Compared to the previous two, this Second Degree symbol, called “The
Distance Symbol”, is significantly more complex.
Pronounced “haahn-shah-zee-show-nen”, the name says it all: it
strengthens your ability to heal from a distance. Its meaning can be
interpreted as: “The Higher Self in Me Connects to the Higher Self in You
to Promote Enlightenment and Peace.”
Although you don’t necessarily need this symbol to perform distance
healings (that includes physical distance, as well as past or future events),
it will enhance your focus if you use it.
Because of its complexity, you can simply imagine or say (in your mind)
Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen three times to activate its power.
1. Starting at #1 in the image shown here, follow the line to create
the first line.
2. Once complete, gently move onto point #2 and draw that line.
3. Then move onto #3, #4, and so on until you complete the full
symbol.
4. The motion of this symbol will connect you and your focus
through the power of the universe.
If you find this symbol too difficult to memorise, you can imagine or say
(in your mind) the symbol’s name. If you feel compelled, you can repeat
the drawing of the symbol.
Practice! Relax, this complex will
take time to learn
38
Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen
39
4. Dai Ko Myo (Usui Master Symbol) – Master Level
We’ll now move onto a Reiki Master symbol: Dai Ko Myo. Pronounced
“dye-koh-my-oh”, it can help reach deep within one’s soul.
It not only calls the power of the universe for healing and connecting your
mind and body – it can stimulate and assist in spiritual growth, too.
Clearly a beautiful set of symbols, and glorious in intention, it’s been
interpreted to mean: “Great Shining Light” – perfect to cleanse the soul.
1. Starting at #1 in the image shown here, follow the line to create
the first line.
2. Once complete, gently move onto point #2 and draw that line.
3. Then move onto #3, #4, and so on until you complete the full
symbol.
4. The motion of this symbol will connect all aspects, including your
soul, with the power of the universe.
If you find this symbol too difficult to memorise, you can imagine or say
(in your mind) the symbol’s name. If you feel compelled, you can repeat
the drawing of the symbol.
Practice! Complex symbols take
time, so be patient
40
Dai Ko Myo
41
5. Raku (Grounding Symbol) – Master Level
The Raku, pronounced “ray-koo”, is often called “The Grounding Symbol”
or “The Completion Symbol”.
Its dictionary definition is actually thick earthenware used for a tea
ceremony, so to put it into terms for Reiki, it would be “setting in stone”
or “sealing” of the energy which was called upon during the session.
This symbol is essentially used for the final stage of a Reiki attunement to
effectively ground the energy into your focus as well as complete the
session. Visually, it’s like a lightning bolt, striking down from the sky.
1. Start at #1 in the image shown here, from the top of the
receiver’s head.
2. Follow the motion of the line down to the ground.
3. The motion of this symbol clears away negative energy, as well
as separates the energies between the Master and the recipient.
As simple as this symbol is, it’s a good idea to perform at the close of your
session so you disconnect with your attunee. Otherwise, you may
entangle yourself with your attunee’s energy and take on symptoms,
negativity, etc.
Practice! Learn to draw this simple
symbol
42
Raku
43
Drawing & activating the symbols
You can use your palms or fingertips to ‘draw’ the symbols, or you can
simply visualise them or even say their name to activate their powers.
Now that you have learned the five Reiki symbols, in order to use them
during a session, simply:
1. Go through the ‘drawing’ motion of the given symbol
2. As you do, visualise seeing it drawn in front of you
3. Once the symbol has been drawn, hold its image in your mind’s
eye
4. Take your dominant hand and encourage or nudge the symbol to
the area you want it to go
5. Watch the symbol absorb into your attunee
I actually “cup” the symbol with my hand, and nudge it gently towards
the area I wish it to go, and then I see it float towards, then get absorbed
into, my attunee.
Why do we ‘activate’? Simple: it helps us mentally, and energetically,
place the symbol’s intention into our attunee. If you don’t feel compelled
to activate the symbols, that’s okay – just remember to visualise what the
intention is as you draw it.
Practice! Activate the symbols after
you drawn them
44
Chapter 5: Chakras
A bit about chakras
Understanding Chakras is an integral part of Reiki and energy healing, so
it’s time I explain what a “Chakra” is! You’ve probably heard the term
before, but just in case you didn’t know – it’s the Sanskrit word for
"wheel".
It’s believed that each of us have Chakra ‘wheels’ at our main energy
centres in our bodies, which ‘turn’ as the life force energy moves through
us. We have seven main Chakras, with each one relating to a specific
location, function and colour.
45
The type of Reiki I’m teaching you places importance on these Chakras;
and as you progress in this book, you’ll learn the hand placements which
correspond with them.
The benefit of this is when holding your Power Hand over the Chakra
‘wheel’, the energy flowing through you will cause the wheel to start
moving – if it was slow or stuck – therefore, allowing for the Universal Life
Force Energy to move through the attunee.
Here’s a quick guide to the seven main Chakras, which will tell you where
they’re located, their specific function, as well as their colour.
Chakra
Location
Function
Colour
Root (or
Base)
Tailbone
Physical needs
Red
Lower
abdomen, hip
area
Reproduction,
sexuality, creativity
Orange
Solar
Plexus
Stomach area
Personal and will
power
Yellow
Heart
Chest area
Compassion, love,
relationships
Pink, Green
Throat
Neck
Communication,
self-expression
Blue
Third Eye
Middle of
forehead
Intuition, wisdom,
enlightenment
Deep Violet,
Indigo
Crown
Top of head
Spirituality, divine
guidance
White, Gold,
Whitish Violet
Sacral
46
Chakra Chart
Practice! Chakra locations and
functions are key to understand
47
Chapter 6: Get Ready
Where to place your hands
In this section, I’ll help prepare you to perform a Reiki attunement. But
before we begin, I want to answer a question that many people ask me:
do you physically touch your attunees or not?
When just performing Reiki, I do not physically touch my clients. I
personally believe that physically connecting while only doing Reiki
makes it a little harder to feel the strength/weakness of the attunee’s
actual energy.
48
The “Hands-off” method
allows me to ‘see’ how far
my client’s energy has
extended beyond their body
– if at all. This is just another
indicator for me on how to
assess their energy levels.
So, my way of doing Reiki
teaches that you hold your
hands a few centimetres (or inches) above the attunee. In saying this
though, there are many Reiki practitioners and Masters who do “handson” attunements with great effect.
So, hands-on or hands-off? Ultimately, the choice is yours; and that
decision really comes down to what feels right to you.
Hands-off Method
This is my preferred and
suggested
method
to
perform Reiki.




Advise your attunee
before you start that
you will not be
physically touching
their body.
Hold your hand a
few centimetres (or inches) above the attunee’s body.
Once in position, simply hold/hover your hands in a relaxed and
still manner.
Continue to maintain your hand distance above the attunee’s
body as you progress through the attunement.
And that’s it! Yes, it’s pretty simple – but as they say – the simple way or
49
answer is usually the best!
Hands-on Method
Although this is not my preferred method, if you choose to do hands-on
attunements, please be sure:




Ask your attunee before you start, if it’s okay to place your hands
on their body.
o I recommend you show them where the Chakras are, so
they know where to expect your hand placement.
o Also let them know which Chakras you won’t be placing
your hands on – the Heart, Sacral and Root chakras –
because they’re not appropriate areas for physical touch
when doing Reiki in a professional capacity.
o I must emphasize here that, despite your light touch,
physically connecting on the three Chakra areas above
can be misunderstood/misconstrued by your attunee –
so I recommend you avoid physical contact for those
Chakras.
Your hands are warm.
Apply your hand very lightly – do not push or add any pressure as
it’s not necessary.
Hold your hands in a relaxed and still position once placed.
Scanning
Scanning is like a “quick” version of a full Reiki session and can be done
on yourself or when your attunee is physically with you. It allows you to
do a cursory “overview” of their body to feel for blockages of energy
before you start.
Although scanning takes a bit of practice and patience, it really does help
your ability to pick up variations in your attunee’s energy levels. What
you pick up during scanning is helpful later during the Reiki session,
because you’ll already know which areas are low or lacking in energy.
50
Furthermore, I recommend you do scanning on yourself regularly, if not
every day – as it serves as a beneficial self-healing process.
Please remember that these steps are a guide only and not necessarily
indicative of how long a scanning session should last. Scanning can be
very quick (a few minutes) to much longer, just go with your feeling and
trust your intuition!
How to scan
1. Relax: Lay on your back, or get your attunee to do so.
a. If you’re working on someone, stand on either their left
or right side (this will be determined by which is your
Power Hand, see the next step below), near their head.
b. Prepare: As your attunee begins to relax, active your
Reiki ability by performing the Hand Exercise
2. Place: Hover your non-dominant hand above the head (Crown
Chakra) and keep it there throughout the scanning process.
a. Note: We do this hand hover over the Crown for two
purposes: (1) to help visualise the white light coming
down to the Crown, going into your hand and then
amplifying into your body, and (2) it allows you to feel for
energy fluctuations - including the level of energy you’re
channelling from the Universe into the body.
b. As you progress with the steps below, either follow your
intuition for how long to linger in each area; or if you’re
51
still building up that intuitive trust in yourself, simply stay
in each of the chakra areas for about 60-seconds.
c. Also, you may be able to feel the energy coming off the
body right away. If not, and the area just feels ‘normal’,
that’s fine - just continue on.
d. But, if you do feel variations as you scan (e.g. experience
lightness or denseness in the air, hot or cold temperature
fluctuations, or perhaps the area just feels odd) then
make a note of that energetic area. You will want to
spend more time there during the attunement.
3. Hold: Now, take your Power Hand (dominant hand) and hold it
just above the forehead (Third Eye Chakra).
4. Move & Hold: Continue on and move very slowly down (still
keeping your hand above the body) towards the neck (Throat
Chakra) and hover there for a while.
52
5. Move & Hold: Resume movement to the chest area (Heart
Chakra).
6. Move & Hold: Carry on to the stomach (Solar Plexus Chakra).
7. Move & Hold: Then onto the hip region (Sacral Chakra).
53
8. Move & Hold: And finally to the area where the base of spine
would be (Root Chakra).
9. Relax: Once you’ve completed the scan, you can pull back your
non-dominant hand, and your dominant hand, then sit back and
rest a moment.
Practice! This is a great way to get
one’s energetic ‘baseline’
54
Chapter 7: Healing Attunements
Attuning
You have learned quite a lot up to this point – well done, it’s a lot of
information to take in! And now we’re at the ‘crowning’ moment for
anyone learning Reiki – to perform a full attunement!
Be sure to take your time; remember, mastery of anything comes with
patience and practice. I also want to add that all my healing techniques
are here to guide you. If you feel compelled to do something a bit
different, or if you forget a step, or replace a step with something that
feels better for you, add or remove the Chakras you focus on – that’s all
okay. Follow what feels right!
55
Also please remember, this attunement process is a demonstration and
guide for you to follow and to develop into your own style.
A typical session can last anywhere between 30-minutes and 1 hour;
however, ones which are shorter or longer are fine, too. Just go with your
feeling and trust your intuition!
Perform a General Healing Attunement
 Prior to your session, set aside some time to rest for a few
minutes (ideally meditate) to calm your mind, body and soul;
 Also do a quick scanning session on yourself. Remember, your
energy must be clear in order to help others.
1. Relax & Advise: If your attunee is a person; allow them to get into
a comfortable position before you start. Perhaps sitting in a chair
or laying down.
a. You may want to have some calming music or sounds
playing very gently in the background in order to help the
attunee feel relaxed. You may also want to place an eye
pillow over their eyes to help them from feeling fidgety
or insecure as you move around them.
b. Let your attunee know you will not be touching them
(unless you have decided to do a Hands-on session,
56
then let them know you will be placing your hands on
them), and you will be activating a series of Reiki
Symbols during their session for healing; take the time
to explain if they enquire.
c. Your attunee may, or may not, want to talk about the
reason for needing Reiki – which is fine. However, it’s
important to remind them that you will be guiding Reiki
energy to them, but the Universal Life Force Energy will
heal what is most necessary despite their wishes, and
that the session will be held in silence once you begin.
2. Prepare: As your attunee begins to relax, active your Reiki ability
by performing the Hand Exercise.
3. Prepare: Also take a moment to remember how to Let Go; this is
especially important if your attunee has told you about any
ailments or concerns.
4. Intend: Now, set your general Intention for the session, but do
not hold the intention in your mind. Set it, and let go.
5. Scan: Conduct your initial Scanning over the attunee.
57
6. Visualise & Move: Once the scanning is complete, go back to the
top of the attunee’s head and, with your mind’s eye, “open” the
top of their head (Crown Chakra). You do this by simply making
the motion with your hands as though you’re opening double
doors or a book.
7. Activate: Draw and place the symbol(s) into the “open” Crown
Chakra of your attunee; refer to the Activating the Symbols
section.
58
a. You can draw the Power, Emotional, Distance or Usui
Master Reiki Symbols as you progress through the
session, or you can just use one that resonates with you
most – remember, there’s no right or wrong here.
8. Move & Activate: Move onto their forehead (Third Eye Chakra)
and repeat.
9. Move & Activate: Move onto their neck area (Throat Chakra) and
repeat.
10. Move & Activate: Continue to their chest (Heart Chakra).
59
11. Optional - Move & Activate: Now, if you want to help your
attunee bolster their own healing abilities - do the same into each
of their palms.
12. Move & Activate: Continue to their stomach area (Solar Plexus
Chakra).
13. Move & Activate: Continue to their hip area (Sacral Chakra).
14. Move & Activate: Continue to their tailbone area (Root Chakra).
15. Visualise: Step or sit back, and with your mind’s eye, see your
attunee glowing within a healing and loving ball of energy – and
with each breath they take in, their luminosity radiates brighter
and happier.
16. Move & Visualise: Enter into this glorious glow and go back and
“close” the top of their head (Crown Chakra) – once you do you
60
see them glow even brighter with the healing universal energy –
because it is now encapsulated within their physical body.
17. Set & Disconnect: Move back around to the most appropriate
place and draw the Grounding Symbol to “set” the energy into
the attunee, as well as complete the session and untangle your
energy from theirs.
18. Gratitude: If you’re comfortable with this, place your hands in a
prayer position and mentally say, “Thank you for allowing this
healing session to go exactly as it should for <insert attunee’s
name>.”
61
a. If you don’t want to put your hands in the prayer
position, simply express (in your mind) the gratitude for
letting the session go just as it should.
19. Advise: You’ve now completed the Reiki session, so if the attunee
is a person, move towards their head and gently say “The session
is complete” so they know you have finished.
a. If you placed an eye pillow over their eyes, you can
remove it now.
b. Tell them to continue to breathe steadily and relax a few
moments more.
c. You will also need to tell them to expect a Spiritual Detox,
if they didn’t already experience it during their session.
62
20. Relax & Protect: Once the attunement is done, ensure you take
a moment to reflect through the Protection section of this book
Practice! Enhance your skills by
practicing these steps
Perform a Specific Healing Attunement
To perform a more specific healing, simply repeat the General Healing
steps, except:
1. Intend: Set your specific intention to the area or illness; and,
2. Activate: Draw the symbols either entirely into the specific area
of concern, or ensure you go to the specific area of concern and
place the symbols there in addition to the General Healing
chakras; and,
3. Visualise: See the healing glow of the universal energy in the
specific area more robustly than the rest.
The Traditional Reiki Hand Positions (Healing Others)
Whilst I've taught you how I perform sessions up to this point, it's
important that you also know the "Traditional" Reiki hand positions for
healing sessions, too.
You can use my techniques, or the traditional one below, or a
combination of both - whatever you feel resonates with you (and your
client) best. Here's an easy reference guide for the traditional hand
positions when healing others.
63
64
Perform a Self-Healing Attunement
As a Reiki Master, it’s likely you’ll be using your skills to help others on an
ongoing basis. However, how can you help others if you do not help
yourself first?
Performing Reiki on yourself
(self-healing) every day is
the most ideal scenario, but
I understand that’s not
always possible.
So at the very least, ensure
you self-heal after any
session you do for others.
I personally conduct Reiki (at the very least, I do a quick scanning session)
on myself as I wind down each night. I like to do a series of stretching and
meditating before I get into bed, so after I come out of my meditative
state – I will do a self-healing.
I usually feel so good after this that I sometimes do a distance healing on
someone else, too!
Unless I have a specific issue I’d like to focus on, I usually follow the steps
from a ‘general’ healing; then allow universal energy to flow from the top
of my head (Crown Chakra) all the way through to my tailbone (Root
Chakra), then on and out through my limbs.
Of course, I will set an intention, again either specific or general, such as:


Specific: “Please flow through me and relieve any pressure in
my body and soul.”
General: “Thank you for serving my greatest and highest
good.”
65
If I don’t have a lot of time (meaning, I’m pretty tired and I want to get
into bed!), I will simply keep my hands on my Solar Plexus Chakra
(stomach area).
What’s amazing about doing this process every day is that over time, I
find that I can channel energy at various times during the day, during
normal activity – with little effort – yet feel the benefits of it.
The Traditional Reiki Hand Positions (Self-Healing)
Whilst I've taught you how I perform self-healing sessions up to this point,
it's important that you also know the "Traditional" Reiki hand positions
for your own self healings, too.
You can use my technique, or the traditional one on the next page, or a
combination of both - whatever you feel resonates with you best.
Up next, you’ll find my easy reference guide for the traditional hand
positions when self-healing.
Practice! Mastery comes through
patience and practice
66
67
F.A.Q.
What are you ‘looking’ for during a session?
When you’re doing an attunement, you’re effectively feeling for energy
fluctuations or density changes in your attunee.
Oftentimes the fluctuation, change in density or different feeling is a sign
for you to focus on that area. Because we’re all energy, these can be
signals of emotional blockages or issues which you should focus on
clearing.
Fine-tuning your perception skills is one the reasons why I teach you to
do an initial ‘scanning’. When scanning, you can get a ‘baseline’ for what
the energy feels like between you and your attunee (or yourself).
So when you go back to do the full steps of an attunement, you’ll either
already know the areas of concern, or you’ll be able to notice differences
between the quicker scan and the slower attunement steps. And from
there, you can focus more intensely on the areas you’ve picked up on.
What do the sensations in my hands mean?
As you perform either a scanning or an attunement, you may feel
sensations in your hands.
These feelings could be warmth, coolness, tingling, prickling, denseness,
and so on. I often times get asked “What do these sensations mean?” and
the best way to answer this is to actually ask yourself! Only you can
interpret what those feelings mean for you, but how do you do that?
As you practice and notice a change in your hands, ask yourself “What
does this mean?” or “How do I feel?” when it happens.
Be mindful that the answer might not come right away, just be open to
receiving it when it does! The more you practice, and the more you build
your intuitive ‘muscle’ – the easier the interpretation becomes.
But if you’re performing a session on someone else, you may want to ask
68
them those same questions when you feel a change in your hands – to
see if they have insights on what you’re picking up on. If they don’t know
or aren’t experiencing anything – that’s okay, just continue on with what
you’re doing.
Part of this journey is for you to develop your intuition, you know, that
internal radar that just understands the differences in what’s right and
what’s wrong. So continue to practice, learn, and enjoy the process and
pretty soon you’ll start to understand what the sensations mean for you!
Can I do Reiki on others without consent?
As best practice and a general rule, you should always get consent when
performing Reiki on someone else.
However, there may be instances when the recipient may not be of sound
mind or is unable to make that level of decision (e.g. unconscious or a
young child), so if they have a guardian (real life or even spiritual) – you
should ask them.
If they don’t have a guardian, then again – go into your intuitive self and
ask, “Does this feel right to send them this healing?” and you’ll almost
instantly feel the answer.
Whilst the Universal Life Force Energy will always serve our greatest and
highest good, it’s important to note that you never want to force your will
onto others, even if your intentions are good at heart.
So if someone doesn’t want an attunement, or if you get the feeling it’s
not right to do – then please, honour and respect the process and please
don’t do it.
69
Chapter 8: Distance Healing Attunements
Attuning from a distance
One of the many magnificent aspects of Reiki is that its healing ability is
not constrained by space or time – you can perform distance
attunements on anyone, anything, anywhere at any point in time (past,
present, or future).
You can also do more than one attunee at a time, such as a whole family
or group, an entire area or region, etc.
How is this so? Because at a quantum molecular level, we are all
connected and can affect one other – just the mere intention of sending
70
love to someone can ‘move the needle’ (so to speak) in their being!
Quantum Physics can be quite mind-boggling, so if this interests you, I
recommend you look into it more, in addition to this book. Learning even
just a little bit about this intriguing area of science will reveal quite a lot
about how the process of distance attunements works.
Okay, so distance attunements are very similar to ‘standard’ ones, but
just require a bit of practice with visualisation, or seeing with your mind’s
eye.
As with all of my steps, this process is a guide for you to follow in order
for you to develop your own style. A typical session can last anywhere
between 15-minutes and an hour; however, ones which are shorter or
longer are fine, too. Always go with your feeling and trust your intuition!
Perform a General Distance Healing Attunement
 Prior to your session, set aside some time to rest for a few
minutes (ideally meditate) to calm your mind, body and soul;
 Also do a quick scanning session on yourself. Remember, your
energy must be clear in order to help others.
1. Relax: Get into a quiet place, or perhaps have some calming
music or sounds playing very gently in the background.
71
2. Visualise: Focus on your attunee, visualise or “see” them in your
mind’s eye.
a. If you have a hard time holding the image in your mind,
you can repeat their name (or whatever it is that you are
performing Reiki on) instead.
3. Prepare: Start your session by performing the Hand Exercise.
4. Prepare: Also take a moment to remember how to Let Go.
5. Intend: Now, set your general Intention for the session, but do
not hold the intention in your mind. Set it, and let go.
6. Visualise & Move: “See” your attunee (or say their name), move
your hands out in front of you, as though you were going to their
head (or equivalent area) and, with your mind’s eye, “open” the
72
top of their head (Crown Chakra). You do this by simply making
the motion with your hands as though you’re opening double
doors or a book.
7. Activate: Draw (activate) and place the symbol(s) into the “open”
Crown Chakra of your attunee; refer to the Activating the
Symbols section.
a. You can draw the Power, Emotional, Distance or Usui
Master Reiki Symbols as you progress through the
session, or you can just use one that resonates with you
most – remember, there’s no right or wrong here.
8. Move & Activate: Move onto their forehead (Third Eye Chakra)
and repeat.
73
9. Move & Activate: Move onto their neck area (Throat Chakra) and
repeat.
10. Move & Activate: Continue to their chest (Heart Chakra).
11. Optional - Move & Activate: Now, if you want to help your
attunee bolster their own healing abilities - do the same into each
of their palms.
12. Move & Activate: Move onto their stomach area (Solar Plexus
Chakra) and repeat.
13. Move & Activate: Move onto their hip area (Sacral Chakra) and
repeat.
14. Move & Activate: Move onto their tailbone area (Root Chakra)
and repeat.
15. Visualise: Sit back and with your mind’s eye, see your attunee
glowing within a healing and loving ball of energy or mist – and,
if a person or breathing creature – with each breath they take in,
their luminosity radiates brighter and happier.
16. Move & Visualise: Move your hands into this glorious glow and
“close” the top of their head (Crown Chakra) – once you do you
see them glow even brighter with the healing universal energy –
because it is now encapsulated within them.
17. Set & Disconnect: Draw the Grounding Symbol to “set” the
energy into the attunee, as well as complete the session and
untangle your energy from theirs.
74
18. Gratitude: If you’re comfortable with this, place your hands in a
prayer position and mentally say, “Thank you for allowing this
healing session to go exactly as it should for <insert attunee’s
name>.”
a. If you don’t want to put your hands in the prayer
position, simply express (in your mind) the gratitude for
letting the session go just as it should.
19. Relax: You’ve now completed the Reiki session
20. Protect: Once the attunement is done, ensure you take a
moment to reflect through the Protection section of this book.
75
Specific Distance Healing
To perform a more specific distance healing, simply repeat the General
Distance Healing steps, except:
1. Intend: Set your specific intention to the area or illness; and,
2. Activate: Draw the symbols either entirely into the specific area
of concern, or ensure you go to the specific area of concern and
place the symbols there in addition to the General Healing
chakras; and,
3. Visualise: See the healing glow of the universal energy in the
specific area more robustly than the rest.
Practice! Perform both general and
specific distance healings
76
Chapter 9: Other Healing Attunements
Working with animals, plants & objects
As you well know, universal energy is a part of each and every one of us
– including animals, plants and all the objects you can imagine.
This means that they can also benefit from the power of the Universal
Life Force Energy; therefore, performing Reiki on those souls is definitely
worthwhile, too! To perform Reiki on anything else, simply replicate the
General Healing and coordinate Chakra areas as best you can with
whatever it is you’re attuning.
77
For example, if you’re healing a cat, the Chakras are going to be in pretty
easy spots to locate. However, if you’re healing a plant, you might have
to get more ‘creative’ and imagine its head as just the very top of the
plant. The same thing goes with geographical areas, inanimate objects,
etc.
The great thing about humans is that we have the ability to easily
imagine. I’m sure if you glanced over at your couch, you could probably
imagine where its head is or perhaps where it’s heart it. Same with a
house, a car, or anything else you set your thoughts to.
I particularly enjoyed performing Reiki on my cat Twinkie (bless her sweet
soul, 2001-2016), who was thirteen years old at the time of the original
writing of this book.
She would go about her grooming routine while I did it, and sometimes
she even stopped to watch me. She was always quite calm and to put a
human emotion on her – she seemed to ‘enjoy’ it, too!
Once again, please remember, this is simply a guide for you to follow and
to develop into your own style. A typical session can last anywhere
between 5-minutes to an hour; however, ones which are shorter or longer
are fine, too. Remember to follow what feels right to you!
Perform a General Animal (Pet) Healing Attunement
To perform a healing on an animal, simply repeat the General Healing
steps, except:
1. Distance: Keep your distance initially from your pet until they get
used to your motions and energy
2. Accept: It’s okay if your pet moves, grooms, plays – or even
moves away from you during the session. You just want to get
the Universal Life Force Energy moving to them.
3. Chakras: Animal Chakras are relatively easy to locate; I’ve
included Cat and Dog Chakra charts on the following pages for
easy reference
78
Cat Chakra Chart
79
Dog Chakra Chart
80
Chapter 10: Working with Crystals
Using crystals with Reiki
The human love for crystals is apparent: from rare diamonds to common
quartz – we’re drawn to them.
Usui Sensei did not teach how to use crystals with Reiki; however, since
crystals have their own vibratory traits – it makes ‘sense’ that they would
be able to add benefit to a Reiki session.
Although this is not a book about crystal healing, I’d like explain the
crystals which correspond to the seven main Chakras and then suggest a
few ways they can enhance your Reiki skills.
81
There are many more crystals associated with each Chakra, but to keep
things simple, I have listed only two for each here.
Chakra
Associated Crystals
Root (or Base)
Bloodstone, Snowflake Obsidian
Sacral
Carnelian, Topaz
Solar Plexus
Yellow Tiger’s Eye, Citrine
Heart
Rose Quartz, Serpentine
Throat
Amazonite, Blue Lace Agate
Third Eye
Sodalite, Amethyst
Crown
Clear Quartz, Chevron Amethyst
Tips for using crystals with energy healing
 Place the appropriate crystal on a Chakra (or multiple crystals on
multiple Chakras), then perform Reiki.
 Hold a crystal in your hand while performing Reiki.
 Keep crystals in your healing room or area.
 Meditate with appropriate crystals prior to conducting an
attunement
 Use crystals to enhance your Reiki for a distance attunement
82
Chapter 11: Spiritual Growth
Synchronicities, Spirit Guides & Angels
Again, this little bit isn’t part of what Usui Sensei taught with his Reiki.
However, I feel that when you dive into the world of universal energy –
some pretty amazing things start to happen to you – which aren’t
considered “normal” to people stuck in the mainstream.
This has nothing to do with religion, but everything to do with your
personal spirituality. As you become more attuned to the Universal Life
Force Energy, and gain more inner clarity through self-healing meditation
you may....
83







Begin to notice an increase of synchronicities of events – which
align themselves in your favour.
See with more clarity the solutions to your own issues.
Gain a significant amount more patience and understanding for
people and situations, when in the past you might have been very
irritated by them.
Feel love and peace very deeply when you become quiet.
Be able to see, with your eyes, the energies of others.
Visually see the energies of spirits or angels.
Be able to communicate with your Spirit Guides or angles, by
simply using your own energy.
Of course, I’m not saying that the practice of Reiki itself will do this for
you. Developing your spiritual abilities is indeed separate to learning
Reiki; however, it’s something that can naturally occur and is easy to
develop once you start to practice Reiki and its principles.
84
Chapter 12: Starting a Reiki business
Clearly, you will need to be certified as a Reiki practitioner to start an
actual Reiki business. So if you’re reading this book to learn Reiki for
personal use only, feel free to skip this section.
Otherwise, this chapter will be helpful for those who plan to obtain my
Reiki Master Certification in order to start their own healing practice, as I
cover the basics of getting started with your practice once you’re
certified!
85
Charging for Reiki
There are Reiki practitioners who perform attunements for free, while
others will charge quite a premium for their services – but no matter
where on the price scale, there is no right or wrong.
Charging for Reiki all comes down to how you feel, what you put into your
sessions, what your clientele is willing to pay, as well as what your clients
get out of it.
Some practitioners will start off by doing free healing attunements, at
least until they get a good feel for how a whole session will go, or until
they feel confident enough to charge for their time.
For those already practicing in some healing capacity, perhaps you can
try to combine Reiki with the healing modality that you already do (such
as chiropractic or massage services), so you can get feedback from your
existing clientele.
Remember, like many professions, you are charging for your skills and
time (not for the energy). Suffice to say, what you charge is up to you.
Go in your heart, you’ll know what price is right.
Setting Up Your Office or Healing Room
Warm, welcoming and loving – those are the feelings which your clients
need to experience in order
to open up and accept your
loving energy healing.
So when setting up your
Reiki office or healing room,
please remember to infuse
the area with those colours,
visuals, and sounds which
evoke calm, peace and
trust.
86
I choose to keep my healing area simple, with just a comfy couch,
massage table, candles, a painting of flowers, and stereo.
Getting your Reiki practice insured
For those who become certified and decide to practice Reiki
professionally, just like any business dealing with the public, you should
look into obtaining Liability Insurance to ensure you’re covered for
unlikely mishaps.
Because every state and country has its own laws, it’s important to do
due diligence here and look into what qualifications and/or memberships
you’ll need to obtain insurance in your area.
Some states and countries require additional qualifications for Reiki
practitioners to actually practice, so please make sure to research this
first (I touch on this point in the next chapter, too).
To start, simply contact the business registration department of your
local governing council, as well as a respected insurance company. Advise
them of your business intentions and they’ll let you know what’s required
in order to start and get insured.
For my online Reiki Master Certification course students in Australia, my
certification will allow you to obtain insurance coverage, just refer to the
relevant lecture in the Student Platform.
For my students outside of Australia, my certification will also allow you
to obtain coverage, but as mentioned, check with your local regulations
first in case additional requirements need to be met.
87
Chapter 13: Important Small Print
Once again, this is a section for those who plan on practicing Reiki in a
professional capacity.
If you’re purely learning this beautiful healing art for personal use, feel
free to skip this section.
Being accepted by others
Okay, so if you plan to become certified and practice Reiki professionally,
88
please remember that you have chosen a career which is not ‘common’
or part of the Western culture’s mainstream.
A lot of what we believe, as energy healers, will oftentimes be
misunderstood through a lack of knowledge and understanding. Be
prepared – and patient – for confusion (even outright negativity) from
those who might not ‘get’ your chosen occupation.
What’s more, there are even some Reiki practitioners and Teachers who
may not be open to how you learned Reiki energy healing, believe it or
not.
Why? Because they may not support the method of online or remote
learning, nor the idea of attuning a student to do Reiki via distance.
Please understand that while I completely respect my fellow healers’ and
Master Teachers’ opinions, I do not agree with them on this point.
As you’ve learned thus far, Universal Life Force Energy is everywhere, is
part of us, and we are a part of it. Because it is not bound by space or
time, when speaking in an energy healing capacity, there is no distance
between us.
This means Reiki can be done in-person or at a distance. And that stands
for Student Attunement Ceremonies, too.
So, if and when you ever come across anyone – be it a total stranger,
friend, family member, or even another energy healer – who isn’t
accepting of you, just keep the following in mind:


Are they living their lives by the 5 Reiki principles (Do not be
angry, Do not worry, Be grateful, Work with diligence, Be kind to
every living thing), like you?
Are they trying to help spread more love and light in this world,
like you?
When you recognise that those who are not accepting of you, are in fact
89
either confused about what you do – or upset because you’re learning it
‘differently’ to how they did – it will be easier for you to be patient,
understanding, and to let them have their own opinion on the matter.
Even if they aren’t showing you that same respect.
Remember, you’re walking the path to mastery here and the best way to
help others ‘get’ what you’re doing is to show them through your own
example.
Lastly, I’d like to remind that nobody owns Reiki, nobody owns universal
energy, and nobody is better or worse than the other, so it’s important
not to make any claims of the sort – regardless of if you’re going to be a
professional in Reiki or not.
Laws & regulations in your area
Depending on where you live – there may be certain laws regulating Reiki
Practitioners. For example, some States in the U.S.A. require Reiki
Practitioners to be a Licensed Massage Therapist in order to practice.
Whether or not you decide to physically touch your clients during Reiki, I
recommend you contact your local Massage Board or regulating body to
find out more to avoid any issues.
Furthermore, although you are using your natural abilities to help others
heal, it’s very important you do not make any claims that you can ‘cure’
a disease or illness. The strictness of this will vary depending on where
you’re located in the world.
As an example: in the U.S.A., the American Medical Association controls
certain terms, such as “diagnose”, “prescribe”, “recommend” and
“advise” – when used in a healing capacity – whereby those words can
only be used by licensed medical doctors. That means using those terms
are illegal if you’re practicing in the U.S.A. or its territories, unless you’re
legally allowed to do so.
But please, don’t let all this unsettle you – remember, you have now
90
joined the natural and holistic healing world, not the medical industry.
There is nothing illegal about helping others stay healthy and heal
themselves through their own natural abilities. You will have a wonderful
career as a Reiki Practitioner, just as long as you follow your local laws
and do not allege to cure diseases.
91
Chapter 14: Steps for certification
Steps to complete for certification
Because you have been prompted throughout this entire course to
practice and complete exercises, by the time you’ve reached this chapter
– it will simple to obtain your Natural Healer, Reiki Master Certificate.
Unless you’ve already done so, complete the steps below:
1. Complete your own self-healings, as per the Workbook Exercises.
2. Complete all the other exercises as outlined in this book,
including the Workbook Exercises.
3. Complete your final review. Note: You will need to complete all
the lectures 100% in the Student Platform to gain access to this.
Once all three steps are completed, please allow up to 2 weeks for
assessment after your final has been submitted. We’ll then contact you if
any further information is required; otherwise, your Certificate and
relevant documents will be emailed directly to you.
You will be able to use the following certification with your name for your
92
website, emails and business cards:
<Your Name>, Reiki Master Practitioner, Cert. NH
Or
<Your Name>, Reiki Master Practitioner, Cert. Natural Healer
Reiki Lineage
Once you’re a Reiki Master, some might enquire as to what your “lineage”
is – meaning, what line of Masters you learned from.
In all honesty, I don’t think lineage is important, because we all have the
innate ability to tune into the Universal Life Force Energy. However, your
lineage will be presented on your Certificate, just in case it matters to you
or someone else.
Your Lineage
Mikao Usui  Chujiro Hayashi  Hawayo Takata  Phyllis Furomoto 
Claudia Hoffman  Mary Shaw  Christine Henderson  Bruce Way 
Ariane McMinn  Mona Khalaf  Dharmadevi  Melissa Crowhurst 
You.
Natural Healer Society
If you’re going to practice Reiki as a profession, you might want to
consider joining the Natural Healer Society. Often times your clients will
feel more comfortable if they know you are not only a certified Reiki
Master, but that you also subscribe to a professional code of conduct set
by an industry association.
Recommended Healer
As a member of the Natural Healer Society, you’ll be listed as a
Recommended Natural Healer (if you choose to make your details
available to the public), which can help increase exposure to your new
business. Recommended healers will have their details published on my
website.
93
Chapter 15: Namaste
Thank you!
With heartfelt gratitude, I want to thank and congratulate you for
completing this book! You have all the knowledge and resources to tap
into that universal energy to help yourself and others heal through Reiki.
I encourage you to continue practicing, go at your own pace, not to judge
yourself or others, allow yourself to do the best you can with what you
have, and to simply ‘be’ who you truly are! #biglove
94
About the author
In the early 2000s, Melissa embarked
on a journey of self-discovery which
lead to a very rewarding and beautiful
spiritual awakening.
She has since mastered the healing
arts of massage, Reiki, and meditation;
sharpened her intuitive skills and
awareness; as well as created her own
‘spin’ on healing, which she refers to as
“loving energy healing” – you’ll often see her hashtag it as #biglove!
Melissa is the founder of Natural Healer where, as a Usui Reiki Master
Teacher (2014) and Practitioner, Registered Natural Healer, and Certified
Meditation Teacher, she offers online courses that help blossom the soul.
She is also an author, podcaster, blogger, and speaker who loves sharing
easy, actionable ways for people to heal themselves and others.
Deeming herself as an ‘everyday’ person, Melissa enjoys spending time
with friends and family, loves a good laugh, adores animals, gets excited
about cooking creative vegetarian meals, and delights in sharing life
experiences with her husband Shawn.
Subscribe to Melissa’s Blog!
naturalhealer.com.au/blog
95
Ways to connect with Melissa:
Melissa’s Blog
https://naturalhealer.com.au/blog/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/naturalhealerau
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/c/NaturalhealerAu
ITunes
https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/naturalhealer/id1133780594?mt=2
Twitter
https://twitter.com/naturalhealerau
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/naturalhealerau/
96