When I became initiated into Reiki Level One, my psychic channels opened like flood gates bringing through all of these abilities and senses. Some of these senses I had access to at different times in my life, and others read differently and had more direction with an organized system like Reiki to work with.
The hardest part was understanding how much of these senses were Reiki and how much was me intuiting and receiving psychic information separate from Reiki’s insight.
I remember in Level II, my Reiki Teacher, Shirley Lynn Martin, discussed the values of Reiki. She spoke clearly about how Reiki is a whole source of healing all on its own. Reiki requires nothing from me other than being a grounded channel.
I do not need to know why something is coming up.
I do not need to intellectualize with my client what happened.
I do not need to add anything else to the session.
Reiki is enough.
I remember hearing this and thinking, “but if there is more that comes down the channel, shouldn’t I share it all?”
Looking back on my Reiki Teacher’s discussion on the wholesome abilities of Reiki, I can see that adding more to a Reiki session is neither “good” nor “bad.” That is how I first interpreted my teacher’s words, and instead, I have come to understand communication and consent as the defining aspects of what is or is not healing.
For example, Reiki has its own intelligence; it knows where energy needs to go, and it moves it there. While this is happening, I may become aware of a guide that is present or receive direction to tap the body in a certain area or sweep down a limb to encourage energetic redirection.
These intuitive directions hold healing value; however, they are not sourced from Reiki’s insight, they are coming through my psychic channel. If my purpose as a practitioner is to serve my client/student, then it would make the most sense to make sure that the information I am about to share has a space and belief system to be integrated.
As practitioners, we must step back and recognize the privilege that we receive when our students trust us to connect to their energy and work alongside them.
It is just as integral that we, as practitioners, maintain self-care by practicing informed trust rather than naive trust, so that we can ensure we are saying yes to what we are receiving.
Let this blog be a check-in for those of you who practice Reiki or other forms of energy healing, as well as an informative guide to any of you who may be interested in exploring Reiki or energy work. It is helpful to get clear about what it is that you are doing or opening yourself up to.
What is Reiki?
According to Indian, Tibetan, and Chinese philosophy – and recently, modern science – we have uncovered an incredibly lively universe that is made up of energy. Reiki is one of many methods that can be used to activate, harmonize, and reconnect the Self with universal energy. Reiki is a channel to undiluted, unbiased, universal energy. It works with the nervous system, Hindu energy centers (major and minor chakras), the Chinese (TCM) meridian lines, and acupuncture points within the body.
Reiki brings us back in touch with our innate, all-pervading life energy. For some, Reiki is body-work; for others, it is an alternative healing approach or a basic meditation tool. Reiki can be offered to all individuals – children, adults, those who are conscious or unconscious – animals, spaces, and objects.
Reiki knows no religion or dogma; Reiki does not discriminate or forcefully push its energy on you. Reiki is a wonderful non-invasive form of therapy that requires only that the client/student consent to the healing light and love of Reiki. Reiki does not require you to re-live traumatic experiences or find the words to articulate your feelings. Reiki will never ask you to go beyond your boundaries unless you’re ready and willing.
In healing sessions, your Reiki Practitioner’s hand chakras have been initiated and opened to the flow of Reiki. Over time and other levels of study, your practitioner may come to understand what certain sensations mean or learn how to follow them further, understanding where the flow of Reiki is leading them within their student’s body.
What are Psychic Gifts?
In mainstream conversations, there has been an influx of blogs and discussions about intuition. Whether it is a gut feeling, instinctual reaction, insight from a dream, or a certain knowing you just can’t kick, these are all examples of your intuition.
We all have intuition; however, some of us are more consciously connected to this wisdom. Of course, how our intuition communicates with us can be unique from one person to another.
Psychic information can come through many different senses, the most common being: Clairvoyance: Clear Sight, Claircognizance: Clear Knowing, Clairsentience: Clear Feeling, & Clairaudience: Clear Hearing.
Clairvoyance offers extrasensory impressions and symbols in the form of mental images in what some of us would refer to as the imagination (creation space) or inner mind’s eye/third eye.
Claircognizance is when you suddenly know something to be true without proof, justification, or evidence. You just know, and it makes deep sense within your mind
Clairsentience is when you receive intuitive insight through physical, sensory feedback. For example, you have a “gut feeling,” goosebumps, or you’re “sick to your stomach.”
Clairaudience is when you are able to hear words, whispers, or sounds from the spiritual or ethereal realms. This could mean hearing messages from ascended masters, animal guides, ancestors, loved ones from the past, or even voices that seem to come from within YOU.
[If you’re wanting to learn more about your own intuition and how your spirit may be trying to communicate with you, check out my interactive blog, The Clairs - What is your Dominant Psychic Sense. I bring you through each of our psychic senses, providing you with activities to identify which psychic sense(s) are naturally more dominant for you.]
In healing sessions, depending on your Reiki Practitioner’s innate gifts, they may:
see pictures, images, colors, storylines play out, or ancestors
become aware of medical information, past injuries, traumas, or other information about yourself or your lineage
feel where you have had an injury, where you’re storing trauma, where you hold tension and/or pain, where there is energetic stagnation, overactivity, or leakage.
hear messages about your health, receive information about connections between different areas of your body/energetic centers, may receive information about your past (from this life or others), relay messages from ancestors or guides.
All of these are examples of psychic information coming down your practitioner’s channel. As you can tell, this information is not ‘bad,’ however, it is important to add that it is an addition to what Reiki brings. This information, when shared ethically, can be complementary to the healing that Reiki brings, providing the student with a deeper (intellectual) understanding of their circumstances and steps leading towards harmony and health.
Practitioner Privilege & Informed Trust
As a psychic, empath, and healer, I have devoted my life to increasing my sensitivity for the purpose of being able to connect to energy and communicate with it, come to understand it, and then translate my intuitions with clarity. With this comes a tremendous responsibility: I have to be crystal clear with myself so that I can tell the difference between my voice of judgment and my voice of intuition.
If I am going to share additional information that I’ve received from my psychic senses, then I need to be sure that this information will help my student heal, doing no harm.
As my client or student, consider what it would be like to be held in a safe space where you get to decide what you want to receive. Here you are practicing more than just speaking your truth. As a student, you get the opportunity to explore what it is that you want - deepening intention setting - and building or reclaiming your self-agency to direct your experience. This alone can be incredibly empowering and healing.
Informed trust comes from knowing what you are saying yes to and showing yourself that you can keep yourself safe. And, if you’re not sure what your practitioner’s practice embodies or what they mean by “energy healing” or “messages” then ask them for more information. Any professional practitioner will value your questions and be excited to welcome you into their psychic world.
Remember, adding more to a Reiki session is neither “good” nor “bad,” it is communication and consent between healer and student that will define what is or is not healing.
AUTHOR: Natasha Allain is an Igniter and Mirror of Truth, Modern Medium, Healer, Yogi & Intentional Artisan. Her main purpose is to truly see You. She is here to mirror your Gold and hold space for you to reclaim your Spirit! Together, you will journey inwards and foster a stronger communication line between your body, mind, and Spirit.
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