Articles

Using EFT to Support People Through the Experience of Cancer

13th March 2020 by Christine Sutton

Phoenix Notes 8:

Christine Sutton. February 2020

This article is taken from material presented at the EFT Gathering, 2020.

Introduction:

Many of us have had some experience of cancer, either personally or we have known someone close who has been affected. Just the word “Cancer” can evoke strong emotion in many people and the effects of cancer diagnosis reach into and disrupt every area of life. The experience of cancer changes lives in many ways. It really is a journey into Fear and back again but if the client is up for it and the practitioner is not afraid much can be achieved - it is possible to regain a sense of personal peace, no matter what happens along the way.

Where does Cancer come from?

The truth is that no one knows for certain where they come from but everyone develops multiple tumours during their lifetime. Mostly the immune system spots them and destroys them before they have a chance to get large enough to be noticed. Occasionally, for reasons that are not yet clear, the immune system does not cope, and the tumour settles in, makes itself at home, begins to grow and eventually becomes large enough to cause problems.

There are many theories about the origin of cancers. Here are just a few:

It is just random, just bad luck – nothing we can do about it!
It is environmental - Something in our food, something in the air, something in the water. Maybe we could do something about that?
It is genetic. We are all born with an array of genes that might pre-dispose us to develop certain cancers. However we also know that not everyone who has those genes actually develops the cancer.
It seems that other “epigenetic” factors are also in play which moderate gene expression.
Holistic theory says that the physical body does exactly what it is instructed to do by various levels of the mind. This is the concept of the Creative Triad: Thought> Word>Deed.
Our thoughts, conscious and unconscious, generate our words and also emotions.
Our thoughts, words and emotions are translated by the body into action as electrical or biochemical activity that creates states of health or non-health.
EFT theory says unresolved traumatic core events disrupt energy flows to generate consequences such as thoughts and emotions. From these come the Writings on our Walls, Limiting Beliefs, Behavioural and coping strategies. All of these may interact to produce the conditions in which a serious disease such as cancer might arise.

It seems those early events plus our thoughts may have enormous power.
Those are definitely areas which EFT can reach. If we follow the theories through logically, then if we resolve those core events and change our thoughts we might also change the effects and consequences of those thoughts. If so, might a cancer go into remission or even resolve?

There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that resolution is possible and has happened in some cases, but as practitioners we can never and should never suggest that outcome. Even if those theories are true much would still depend upon the ability and willingness of the client to keep on engaging with the EFT process and see it through to the end, so we do what we can, as much as the client can handle or wants to allow at that time.

Interesting as these theories are it is always more productive to focus attention on what the client is bringing to each session. Maybe asking the client where they think the cancer comes from might open up interesting areas when and if the time is right.

Working with Clients:

The process of dealing with cancer, or helping someone else to deal with it, can seem huge, complex and overwhelming. EFT used as a complementary therapy alongside the normal medical treatments can be a superb tool for navigating through the whole cancer experience. It supplements whatever counselling or other therapy sessions may be available and aids resolution of whatever issues can be resolved along the way.

Phoenix EFT tapping image EFT Practitioners can help themselves or their clients though the whole journey through cancer. There is now a growing scientific basis for the efficacy of EFT. As a result many charities and organisations that support cancer patients now offer EFT sessions as part of their programme, e.g. The Breast Cancer Haven and other charities and many hospices. Many practitioners work in private practice.

To begin this work EFT practitioners don’t need to have expert knowledge of cancer and the various treatment regimes. However we do need good training and some experience in practice plus awareness of the legal and ethical guidelines for work with cancer patients. Some clients are hoping for a miracle so careful pre-framing at the start of EFT work can be used to manage expectations of how EFT might help. We can say that we are working with the emotional effects of cancer and cancer treatment but not that we are working directly with the cancer. We can set expectations of an increase in well-being and relaxation but not guarantee any particular outcome.

The factors underlying cancer are a complex system, but they can be picked apart into aspects and successfully handled with EFT. This is never “quick fix” work. It takes time to cover the multiple aspects and issues that show up plus willingness by the client to show up session after session and do the work.

For a client, working through the cancer process is frightening but when the process is underway, and they are dealing with it step by step, moment by moment, it is not uniformly awful. It is a truth that a person is never more alive than when they are staring the possibility of death in the face. Senses, emotional awareness and the preciousness of each “Now” moment are all heightened. It is a journey that will take the client through some deep emotional lows but there are also moments of laughter and some amazing highs when all of the fear suddenly drops away.

It is the ultimate roller-coaster ride, never dull and never routine! As EFT practitioners we go along with the client on the ride, borrowing benefits and learning as we go.

The Cancer Process:

Usually when a cancer has been suspected by a patient or a doctor, a well defined sequence is triggered and the person becomes part of the ongoing cancer process, willingly or not.

There may be:

Initial appointments with the GP.....Waiting time
Referral to a specialist.....Waiting time
Multiple diagnostic appointments and procedures.....Waiting time
Choices to be made about treatment....Waiting time
Stages of treatment, maybe surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or more recently immunotherapy....Waiting time
Maybe more tests and more treatment.....Waiting time
Treatment over.....what now?

The process varies slightly for different types of cancer but overall it is a structured process that rolls along like a conveyer belt. UK Government guidelines give maximum times that should elapse between the stages, but frequently these are not met. People are swept along by the process. They frequently feel that it is going on forever and they have little control of anything.

The level of stress generated by this process is huge, long lasting and toxic. The aim of EFT sessions is to reduce it substantially, introduce some coping strategies and encourage a return to a relaxed and well-resourced state.

Ideally an EFT Practitioner should teach and encourage the client to tap for themselves as early as possible in the process. Self-tapping can be very simple – the client just notices how they feel in that moment and taps with no words, or using very simple words. Often the set up is not needed. Tapping around the points saying “I`m scared.....” or “I feel sick....” or “I feel angry....” is enough to reduce that uncomfortable feeling.

Even that very simple level of engagement helps the client to regain some sense of control of a chaotic situation. Clients who are prepared to engage and help themselves with tapping seem to handle the physical and emotional effects of treatment much better than those who are not willing to engage.
It seems that taking responsibility for our own well-being is very much a part of the healing journey!

Working with someone who is going through cancer is essentially a 2-phase process:

Phase 1: Diagnosis and Treatment.
Working with a client in this phase is mostly “fire-fighting”, dealing with the immediate concerns raised by the diagnosis and treatment processes and reactions to those processes.

Phase 2: Post treatment - After the “Conveyer belt stops!
This stage of work only happens if the client is willing to continue after their medical treatment has ended.
Some are not and will leave the process thinking that the problem is solved. If they stay in the process the work is still with immediate concerns, but now there may also be time and opportunity to explore the trauma history and other factors, past and current, that may have encouraged the development of cancer. This stage requires persistence by the client and encouragement and validation by the practitioner.

The types of issues that might come up during the 2 phases of work are:

Strong reactions to the word “cancer” – the Writing on the Walls about this from media hype can be very powerful
Volatile emotions about what is happening and the possibility of death.
g. anger, fear, frustration, anxiety, guilt, betrayal
Awareness of feeling stressed in body and mind
Physical effects, e.g. pain, nausea, restricted movement, digestive issues, fuzzy head, insomnia, nightmares, restless legs syndrome, nerve pain, tingly fingertips and toes.
Issues about relationships, family and friends – they do not always react as expected or desired.
Traumatic events, e.g. Biopsies, The diagnosis, Surgery, Treatment sessions. The body shock from these events can linger for a long time. PTSD is a possibility.
Core events from earlier timeframes and their consequences.
Limiting Beliefs triggered by media hype and “what the doctors said” (Nocebos)
Issues with body image after surgery or chemotherapy.
Expectations (their own and other people`s) of how the client should feel and act.
Loneliness and Isolation
A need to re-evaluate self, life and all relationships – Who am I now? How am I now?

Key Skills needed by the Practitioner are:

The willingness to meet the client exactly where they are in the moment.
The ability to listen deeply and accurately reflect what is said.
The ability to ask good, open or clean questions to find more information.
The patience to wait for the client to fill the gaps in conversation with their own words.
The grace to keep self out of the way and avoid any judgment or pressure as the client`s journey unfolds in perfect order, guided by the knowledge embedded in their subconscious levels of mind.
Knowing what to say. Usually the way the client talks about the situation gives some clues.
Some may buy into the media hype about “the fight”, “the battle”, “cancer as a hostile takeover”. Some may prefer to communicate with the problem area and work with it peacefully and lovingly. Mostly clients just want to know that you are there for them and that they are free to express how they are feeling, no matter what that might be, without judgment or censure.
Flexibility of approach and flexibility of access
The sense to match the work attempted to the capacity of the client and the time available – client safety is paramount at all times.

So, are you up for this as a practitioner?

It is not going to be a quick-fix; persistence and skill are required to see it through as far as the client will allow.

You may never know just how much has been achieved, but it is entirely possible that you may help to save a life!

The 4 A`s of Healing

20th August 2019 by Christine Sutton

Phoenix Notes 7

For EFT and other modalities as well no matter what the issue the healing process always goes through 4 key stages, the 4 A`s of Healing. Recognising where you or a client might be in that process at any point in time can help to bring structure and order to a complex system and some reassurance that progress is being made.

1. Acknowledgement: “Even though I have this problem……..”

The first stage is to actually admit that there is a problem, whether it is a physical, emotional or a complex mix of factors. There must be an acknowledgement that somewhere, something is out of alignment in that person’s life.

This can be very hard to do for some people. It is frequently much easier to push the problem down and try to ignore it or divert attention away from it rather than admit that something needs to change. If we ignore or push problems down below the surface they become blockages at an energetic level and they will eventually surface in another form if consistently ignored. The only thing they will not do is go away!

A therapist’s function at this stage is to listen and encourage the acknowledgement with no censure or judgement, simply holding the space for the problem to be stated.

If you cannot acknowledge that you have a problem then you have no chance of healing it!

2. Acceptance: “……I deeply and completely accept myself”

Once the problem has been acknowledged, the next stage is to accept that although the person is not happy with the problem it is actually OK to be where they are right now in terms of spiritual, emotional or physical health.
This is not just a passive acceptance or a giving up on it, but the beginning of an active contemplation of how life could be better. It may also be a peaceful acceptance that even though things are bad right now there may be a purpose to whatever has happened. Sometimes the purpose is simply to show the person that all is not well and that something needs to change.

A therapist`s function here is to help the person to recognise and frame the issue appropriately and to support the Acceptance by identifying and dealing with any resistances which show up at this stage.

Think of the Acceptance as just a starting point –this is where you draw a line in the sand and say “That is enough! Where can I go from here?”

3. Awareness:

This next stage involves developing awareness of what lies at the root of the problem which means taking a good, hard look at everything in that person’s life and working out how and why the present situation has developed.

This is where a therapist can use gentle, open questions to begin exploration of the issue(s), begin to work with the more accessible levels and then gradually work towards the core events and their consequences. Usually, somewhere in this stage, cognitive shifts begin for the client – they begin to see how they got to where they currently are.

The answers always lie within and every person always has all of the resources already within or accessible to them to begin their own healing process. A therapist`s function at this stage is to ask the questions to help the awareness to open up and for the inner resource states to be identified.

Remember that just as the problem was created from within so is the solution.
We are all In-cure-able!

4. Action:

The final stage is for the person to begin to take action on what has been learned – to work out what changes need to be made and implement them. The changes can be anything from huge or minor life-style changes to inner conflict resolution, releasing traumas and then reaching a state of forgiveness.

At this stage a therapist`s function is not to offer advice and ready-made solutions from their own experience or perspective but to ask the questions that lead the client to their own solutions. If they cannot own the solution they will not implement it! This is where EFT can act as a coaching tool.

All self-healing is about change.
If nothing changes then nothing changes!
Quite often this is the hardest stage of all.

Most people are open to working out how they reached their current position but the changes needed to step out of that “Un-comfort Zone” and into another, better one can seem daunting. At this stage the reasons for staying put may outweigh the reasons to change and the work focuses on identifying those reasons, finding what is underpinning them and resolving them.

It may take a while, but sooner or later, with careful work a choice will be made – to either stay put for a while longer, but now with more awareness, or to make the critical change needed. 100% commitment is needed to bring the power of intent into action to create a new reality. If there are still doubts then the choice has not yet, in truth, been made and more time is needed.

That critical change can be scary; it can be exhilarating; it can be emotionally hard; it can be physically difficult, but once committed to, 100%, it will happen.

It is a wonderful thing to witness a client, now empowered, take steps into a new and better future and begin to explore the possibilities of their new Comfort Zone.

En-joy!

The “Send It Away” Technique

20th November 2018 by Philip Davis

Phoenix Notes 6:

"Send it away" by Philip Davis - Phoenix EFT

This is a NLP method of taking away the worst part of an event or trauma.

The technique reduces the SUDS level of a high intensity event before moving on to use the Movie Technique, or Matrix Re-imprinting etc.

When the situation arises that a client has a memory of an event in their life and you, as the therapist, think this would be a good time to use the Movie Technique, or Matrix Re-imprinting you often need to reduce the emotional sting of the event before going into the detail of the event.

This is because clients will often express great fear to even think of thinking about the event. Sometimes what might appear to be a simple, very small trauma can develop into something life-threatening as more memories are recovered.

For these reasons it is often better to start very gently and slowly work closer and closer to the event.

This technique has several advantages:

It is easy to use
It seems to be long lasting
It is dissociative
It is very gentle.
It doesn't require the client to divulge anything about the event other than perhaps to give it a title.

NOTE: At the time of writing, I have not tried this technique with BIG traumas. By that I mean, traumas that are life threatening - for example those who have been in a war zone or those who have been diagnosed with PTSD. I have no reason to suppose that this technique will not work equally well, but the usual cautions apply when working with clients who are deeply traumatised.

Starting off.

When a client recalls a memory, the first thing to do is to ask the client the following question...

"If you were to tell me what happened in that event, on a scale of 0 to 10, how much emotion do you think you would have?" (This is the "Tearless Trauma Technique")

If the client says anything above 5, then it is wise to use the "Send it away" technique before moving on to the Movie/Matrix way of working.

Sometimes, also, when there is not enough time to use the full blown Movie/Matrix technique then the Send it Away technique can be very useful as it is quick, gentle and doesn't require the client to divulge anything about the event.

The Process:

Part 1 - Getting a picture

Ask your client to get a frozen picture - a frozen moment in time from that event. Say something like..

"When you have thought about that event in the past, what is the picture or frozen moment in time that immediately comes to mind?"

Note that it is important to use the words "picture" and "frozen" because you don't want the client to start re-living the event.

If the client comes up with 2 pictures or moments, then ask the client to choose one and say that you can look at the other one later.

To check that its a real image and not part of a movie, ask them something like...

"In this picture, where are you standing/sitting/lying?"

The clients answer will tell you if they really have a picture or several pictures, movie etc. If they do have several pictures or a movie you should ask them again to get just one frozen moment.

Part 2 - Get a title for the picture.

Ask your client to give the picture a title by saying something like...

"If that picture had a title, what would it be?"

Use the title in the text below where I have said <title>

If the client says something like "It doesn't have a title" or "There is no title" Then use their exact words in the script below.

Part 3 - Sending it away.

In the following text the three dots "..." mean pause for about a second and "... ..." means pause for 2 seconds.

Ask your client to tap on their Gamut Point or Karate Chop point.

Say to your client...

"Can you close your eyes, and I want you to imagine that <title> picture in front of you ... ... can you see it?" (wait for confirmation)

"Now I would like you send that <title> picture away ... imagine moving it away from you so that it gets smaller and smaller ... ... "

"Further and further away ... smaller and smaller ... ... until its hard to make out the details ..."

"Further and further away ... smaller and smaller ... ... until its like a dot in the distance ... until you can hardly see it ..."

"Further and further away ... until its gone ... ..."

"Take as long as you need and open your eyes when its gone."

When the client has opened their eyes, tell them that you are going to do this THREE times.

And repeat the process above two more times.

If the client sits there with their eyes closed for TOO long after you have finished speaking... say something like - if you are having difficulty then open your eyes. See "Troubleshooting" below.

For the FOURTH time, say to the client "Can you bring the picture up in front of you now?"

Often they will report that the picture is 'hazy' or they can only see a part of the picture - That often happens and is perfectly normal. Sometimes it's in Black and White, or they can just see the outlines.

Whilst the client can see any part of the picture, keep on sending it away.

Sometimes you have to send it away 7, 8, or 9 times. sometimes it only takes 2 or 3 times - it all depends on the issue and the client.

Part 4 - Testing:

Test at the end by: Getting a SUDS level - "If you were to tell me now what happened in that event, on a scale of 0 to 10, how much emotion do you think you would have?"

Often the SUDS level is zero. Sometimes the client can't even remember ANY of the event, much to their surprise.

Always, the SUDS is reduced significantly in my experience, often to zero or very close to zero.

Discuss with the client what they thought of the process or whether any new thoughts arose.

If time allows, you can now do the full Movie/Matrix technique on the event. When I have done this in the past, clients can't remember parts of the movie and find it difficult to raise any SUDS levels above 1 or 2 when telling the story of the event.

Troubleshooting

Problem: Sometimes the client will report that they cannot get the picture to move any further away than a certain point.

Solution: Tap on that. "Even though I cant get it to move any further away than <whatever they said> ... etc.

Problem: Sometimes, in the middle of the process, a new picture will come up - perhaps of a related event or at a different time in the same event.

Solution: Tell the client that you will get to that second image as soon as you are done with this one, and then continue with this picture until it is gone.

Problem: Sometimes some beliefs will arise that prevent the client from letting go of the picture. EG: I don't deserve to let this go - or - If I let this go part of me will die.

Solutions: Tap on that belief.

Ask what is needed to help that part of you let go? Tap on that.

Ask what is needed to fill that void when this has gone? Tap on that.

Summing it all up:

Practice this technique on your own events to see how this works. The more often you practice the easier it becomes.

Good luck and happy tapping!

Philip Davis
AAMET EFT Master Trainer
Advanced EFT Practitioner
Clinical Hypnotherapist
NLP Practitioner
Developer of the Picture Tapping Technique

www.phoenixeft.co.uk
0121 246 9448

Reiki Shares – what can they offer?

18th October 2018 by Christine Sutton

Phoenix Notes 5:

It is a fact that there are far more people attuned to Reiki than ever practice it professionally. The vast majority of people who take Reiki attunement at Level 1 (Shoden) only ever want to use it to help themselves or to help a very small circle of family and friends. When people are working like this it is easy to become isolated in their practice of Reiki.

Isolation and Reiki

Isolation can happen if you lose touch with people from your attunement class or your Reiki Master.
It can also happen if your own immediate circle of family and friends does not approve of Reiki and thinks you are weird for wanting to try it out. This is a very common experience!

Perhaps you feel that your Level 1 attunement class was rushed, or did not give you enough knowledge or confidence to begin to work with Reiki independently. You may have tried some initial work on your own but then have experienced something which fell beyond your level of experience and knowledge, If there was no form of back-up available hesitancy or fear may have crept in and stopped you using the gift of Reiki. Even with higher levels of attunement in place it is possible to become isolated for many reasons.

Have any of those things happened to you?

If so you may feel that there is no one with whom to exchange experiences and no one to ask for advice. You may have let your Reiki, which initially felt bright, joyful and full of potential, fall into disuse. Life with all of its challenges gets in the way and soon the memory of how good Reiki feels fades away. What a waste of a powerful gift! A good way to avoid this isolation and creeping doubt, whatever the level of practice, is to attend Reiki shares or other events in the local area and become part of the wider Reiki community.

What do Reiki shares offer?

A chance to give Reiki regularly and so reinforce the connection with the energy and allow it to strengthen and grow.
A chance to receive Reiki regularly and so gain the full benefits of treatment plus the relaxation effect.
It can be a blissful experience to receive from several people simultaneously once you get used to it!
A chance to keep in touch with a Reiki master and also meet new like-minded people.
A chance to take part in meditation sessions and find some personal peace.
A chance to ask questions, swap experiences and discuss anything unusual or unexpected that may be felt when using Reiki.

Shares vary greatly in size and form depending on the people involved but they all have one thing in common – members are interested in Reiki and are willing to give and receive treatments. The origin of Reiki shares goes back to the Japanese tradition in which Reiki training involved frequent training meetings where students came together to practice, learn new techniques, receive Reiju (the Japanese form of Empowerments) and grow spiritually.

Things are not very different in Western Reiki as all of those items may occur but there is also a strong social component. You feel welcome in a Reiki share! Reiki people tend to be relaxed, accepting and non-judgemental. All of this might be a revelation if you normally feel shy or uneasy in social groups. There is real potential to expand socially as the Reiki helps you to expand personally and spiritually.

Some shares are open only to the students of the Master who attuned them, others are open to anyone who is already Reiki attuned no matter where they trained. Most groups have several core members with others who come and go. The energy experienced within groups who know each other well can be quite startling and can allow everyone to go beyond their normal level of work.

What Happens during a Reiki Share?

Content and sequence vary, but generally this is what may happen:

Meet and greet phase as people arrive, conversation, swapping experiences, refreshments may be available
Meditation and/or Empowerments may be offered on some occasions
There may be teaching of a particular topic related to Reiki and energy healing
Reiki Healing Circle (Mawashi)
Shared Reiki Healing Session – many upon one.
Refreshments, Chat, exchange experiences

If you are feeling isolated or disappointed with your Reiki practice, then finding a local share group could be just what you need to bring back the curiosity, enthusiasm and sense of connection with the flow of energy and life. It is definitely worth a try!

Our Reiki share evenings are held in Solihull, West Midlands, UK once every 1-2 months.
Anyone who is Reiki attuned is welcome.
See our website for dates and full details.

Christine Sutton
Master Teacher Member of the UK Reiki Federation
CNHC registered
www.phoenixeft.co.uk
0121 246 9448

The Writing on the Walls

25th August 2018 by Christine Sutton

Phoenix Notes 4:

Christine Sutton. August 2018

Everyone thinks and acts in the way that they do as a result of many types of conditioning which occur throughout life. The sum total of events, attitudes, beliefs, judgements and conclusions about self and life in general which a person picks up as they progress through life functions as a database - the “Writing on the Walls”. From their personal “Wall” a person will seek information on how to deal with new situations as they occur.

From conception onwards a foetus is intimately linked with the biochemical and emotional state of the mother via the mother’s blood plus energetic and psychic links. Sound is part of that environment. At this stage of development the baby`s brainwaves are entirely in the Delta zone – wide open reception with no filters in place. Effectively there are no boundaries-mother and foetus are one!

If pregnancy, for the mother, is a calm and serene process the foetus also has that experience. If the mother is repeatedly stressed throughout pregnancy then the foetus experiences that too. When fear triggers the mother`s Adrenal Flight/Fight/Freeze reaction then the foetus learns very early on how a stress response feels biochemically. If raised voices are also present then that becomes part of the experience.
The Writing has begun!

The Birth process itself can be intensely traumatic and is often a key conditioning event. Even with a normal birth a baby is suddenly ejected from its warm, secure environment into a cold, noisy, bright place. The security of being constantly held and nourished is gone. If there are complications and a delay in replacing warmth and security how must the baby feel? Add in the effects of medical interventions and the feeling must be heading towards absolute terror. What conclusions about the world might be created at that point? More Writing on the Walls!

From birth onwards the child takes in information at an astonishing rate about the new world in which he/she finds herself. All 6 senses are fully active as the child explores their environment and begins to work out how he/she fits in and relates to everything else. Events that occur during the early preverbal years of childhood and their consequences continue the conditioning process. Entering the educational system adds more layers. Later exposure to media, peer pressure and work environments embeds more and more material into the database, the Writing, that is stored somewhere in the mind/body system.

It is generally accepted that most of the key beliefs, behavioural patterns and coping strategies by which a person runs their life are well established at unconscious levels before a child reaches age 7. This early information is rarely challenged and therefore it is likely to remain in place throughout childhood and then persist into adulthood and affect the potential of that person!

Some people might be lucky enough to have a life history which has placed positive comments onto their “Wall” and that may guide them to “good” experiences later in life. However it is more common for people to develop very negative comments as reference points on their personal Wall such as the ones to the right.

The material on any person`s Wall is the first place that they look for information when life choices, major and minor, must be made. Choices made now determine the shape of the future so the Writing ultimately controls the future that a person can create.

What choices might a person make if these are the typical key thoughts in operation? What future might those choices create?

It is only when we become aware of the writing that we can begin to challenge it and realise how absurd or insane most of it is. What is needed is a conscious identification of what the Wall holds then a review of the writing to see if it really is true, now or ever, and then a conscious rewrite to change the beliefs that no longer serve that person well.

This is part of what can easily be done with EFT, Emotional Freedom Techniques (Tapping).

Time for a little editing of your Wall?

How would your world look if you were creating it from more
optimistic patterns of thought?

A Clean Channel for Reiki Practice

8th June 2018 by Christine Sutton

Phoenix Notes 1

The aim of giving Reiki to self or to other people is to act as a channel for the Universal Energy (the Rei-Ki).

To give Reiki effectively that channel has to be “clean”– the practitioner`s thoughts, emotions and ego-based intentions need to be kept out of the experience as far as possible so that energy can flow freely from the higher levels of being (Higher Self level), like water flowing freely through a hosepipe.

If the practitioner`s channel is cluttered by a jumble of mental and emotional clutter it is as if a “kink” has been put into the hosepipe. It is no accident that the initials of “Mental” and “Emotional” are “ME”, i.e. all ego based concerns.

If the channel is “kinked” by the presence of mental-emotional clutter then the energy channelled will be restricted in both frequency and strength. The practitioner will not receive as much energy as it flows through them to the client. The quality of their experience will be reduced and they will not receive the normal “recharge” of self that happens when channelling for other people.

The person receiving the Reiki may be aware of the reduced flow and quality of the energy received, but they will still take what they need – it is not a conscious choice. With the practitioner no longer connecting with unlimited energy it is as if they have been unplugged from mains electric. However they still transmit whatever is required by the recipient so there is potential for the practitioner to begin to transmit their own essential reserve of energy. It is as if they are now running on batteries. If this continues the result will be an energy drain for the practitioner – they will feel tired and depleted by the end of the session rather than energised and peaceful.

The solution is clear – take time to identify and clear whatever mental-emotional clutter is impeding the energetic flow. This can be done immediately before beginning a Reiki session as part of the normal preparation for channelling (Hatsurei-Ho) as well as ongoing longer term self-work with Reiki to clear any issues that may be present.

That is why the key to good Reiki practice is continuing self-work. At Level 1 of training it is the major focus so that the Reiki can come cleanly through the practitioner and not be drawn from them. This sets a really good foundation for the higher levels of practice which come later….