Grounding, Cleansing, Protection & Meditation

Here are a few popular techniques to practice that will strengthen and maintain your energy level, but feel free to use any other method you feel more comfortable with. The important factor is that you use or do something, rather than nothing.

Grounding

This should be done before you start a Reiki treatment in order to ground your energy to the earth’s energy field, which will further prevent your energies from “flying” off, so to speak. If you find that you are “floating”, or feel “tired”, “headachy” or “spinney” after a Reiki session, it usually indicates that you were not fully grounded beforehand.

Tree Root Method:

1. Sit comfortably on a chair or you can also do this standing
2. Close your eyes, take 3-deep belly breaths and relax
3. Your intention and focus is to visualize tree roots spreading from your root chakra (the base of your spine or buttocks) down through the soles of your feet and continuing to the center of the earth
4. See the tree roots spreading out in all directions, attaching themselves to the earth’s center
5. Feel and know that you are grounded firmly to Mother earth’s energies

Cleansing

This is especially important to do after each Reiki treatment in order to disconnect your energy from your client’s (this is done apart from washing your hands after each treatment). Cleansing can also be done during the day, as needed, especially if you are out in crowds – monitor your feelings and thoughts for negative changes to your overall well-being.

Dry Brush Method

1. From a standing position, use the palms of both hands to gently brush or dust yourself off starting from the top of your head and working down to your feet
2. Your intention and focus is to feel and know that you are cleansed from all debris, toxins, impurities, energy blockages or lower vibrating energies (also called negative energy)
3. Feel and know that these will flow to the center of the earth to be transformed into higher, finer vibrating energy that will be re-used by the universe at the appropriate time

Waterfall / Shower Method

1. Sit comfortably on a chair or you can also do this standing
2. Close your eyes and take 3-deep belly breaths and relax
3. Visualize standing under a waterfall or shower (this can be clear, a specific color or a rainbow)
4. Your intention and focus is to feel and know that the water is washing and cleansing away all energy blockages, all lower vibrating energy, plus all toxins and impurities from your body. Know that these will flow to the center of the earth to be transformed into higher, finer vibrating energy (also called positive energy) that will be re-used by the universe at the appropriate time
5. You can cleanse several times per day if you feel that you have absorbed outside energies (E.g. you may start to feel a headache, or your energy may feel drained or you may become irritable or uneasy, etc.)

Protection

This helps to separate your energy from your surrounding environment or from the energies of others. After giving a Reiki treatment, make a habit of putting your client inside a soothing, protective bubble of color to induce further relaxation, protection and healing.

Bubble of Color

1. Close your eyes and take 3-deep belly breaths and relax
2. Visualize surrounding yourself in a bubble of color – use any color that you like; don’t be concerned about the significance of the color’s meaning
3. Visualize surrounding the other person in a different bubble of color
4. This separates your energy from the other person
5. Know and feel that you are always protected from outside lower vibrating energies (also called negative energies)

Many deep breathing techniques are influenced by martial art teachings and if you recall, Mikao Usui Sensei was an expert Aiki Jutsu martial artist; therefore, he would have utilized this knowledge and skill to strengthen and maintain his energy state while practicing Reiki.

Other benefits for practicing deep breathing are that it helps reduce stress levels by lowering your heart rate, blood flow and the amount of adrenaline produced during your “fight or flight” mode. You become calmer, less agitated and more focused with increased clarity as your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies become aligned and balanced.

Change Your Regular Breathing Pattern

Most of us are used to breathing in quick short breaths from our chest, otherwise known as shallow breathing. But you can actually control and protect your energy level through conscious awareness in which you take deeper slower breaths. It takes time to change from old habits, but once mastered, you can then consciously move or circulate Ki or energy throughout your body at all times.

1. With your inhalation, slowly push your stomach out and then pull the air up into your diaphragm, hold for a moment
2. On your exhalation, slowly push the air down from your diaphragm and then contract your stomach inward toward the small of your back
3. Continue breathing like this slowly and rhythmically
4. Your goal is to adapt this method of breathing as your new, regular breathing pattern