Distance Reiki. How the Heck Do You Focus?

A lot of people take a Reiki 2 class because they want to share healing energy with people who live elsewhere. It makes total sense. Distance Reiki is amaaazing!

(I like to think of Reiki as magically bridging the gap between here and there, now and then. Apparently people who understand quantum mechanics sense that it’s all here and now and time and space are just constructs. That hurts my brain, so I go with magical bridge, but you can think of it any way you want. Better yet, experience it for yourself and then decide!)

Photo by Wai Siew on Unsplash

It’s an incredible tool to have in your pocket when loved ones across the world need some support. It really helps me to feel empowered since I’m able to contribute during a time of crisis, even if I’m not able to be physically present.

The biggest question I hear after students have logged some practice time: how do you keep your attention of the session?

This also makes sense. Without having a live body beneath your hands, it can be more challenging to stay focused.

I have a bunch of tricks I teach. But the most important thing I want to say is this: Use whatever props or tools work for you. Or don’t. You can train your mind with practice if that’s more appealing. My point is- do whatever helps you to stay present.

I was taught to use a teddy bear or a pillow as a proxy and to Reiki the proxy, knowing that the healing energy would connect with its intended recipient. The pillow method is one of my go-to strategies.

You can use a photo or draw a picture of the client or goal. You can imagine a holographic version of them in front of you, which is super fun because you can make it big or small, reach in and connect with organs, chakras or glands, and spin it around for easy access.

I sometimes use my massage table, imaging the person lying on it and carry on just as I would an in-person treatment.

I like to make collages of symbolic images that represent the intention. You can get all kinds of crafty with this!

Do keep in mind that these are all techniques that somebody made up because they were useful. They are not the only ways. They most definitely are not the “right” ways.

The only right way is the one that works for you! So experiment. Let your imagination, your intuition and Reiki guide you. Get creative and have some fun. That’s what will anchor your attention.

If you’re into it, you could build an altar, with objects that represent this person and/or the intention you're working on. Each step of the process can be steeped in healing energy and after it’s finished, you can offer it Reiki each time you walk by.

If you’re thinking something along the lines of, “Is it ok if I…?” try it! One of my teachers said that the answer to all Reiki questions is YES!

If you want to build a pasta sculpture shaped like your gramma- go for it!

If you want to knit a doily in your BFFs favorite color and build a crystal grid on it- go for it!

If you want to write a song and play it while offering Reiki to the muse- go for it!

If you want to experiment with something I’ve never even thought of, even when I was trying to think of unusual things for the sake of this blog- absolutely go for it!

I’ll invite you to take it one step further and share your creation here as it will very likely inspire someone else. Maybe not to do that same thing, but to give their thing a try.

Reiki will guide you if you ask. One of the many things I love about this work is that it is infinitely adaptable to each unique situation. And you, my friend, are a unique situation!

At first, it might feel challenging to break out of the “this is how we do things” mentality that is so engrained in our culture. But once you give yourself permission to experiment, I suspect you’ll have a fantastic time letting the energy of creativity flow through you. At the same time, you’ll learn to rely on your inner wisdom. And that’s when it will get really exciting!

Don’t you just love it when I write a bunch of words just to say, Trust Your Inner Voice? I do that a lot as a Reiki teacher! It’s my job to encourage folks to find their own way. Other teachers go heavily into protocols, but the way I see it, holistic healing is highly subjective and needs to fit both the provider and the receiver.

I might be the first teacher to say, “Go, play, have fun.” to you since you were a child. I have faith that once you get started, you’ll remember how.

If you found this helpful, please tap the heart button, providing social “proof” of readability so others might find it. If you’re interested in beginning your Reiki training, I’ve got a class coming up in Philly, or we can discuss a remote course if that’s more your style or you’re located elsewhere.