What to Expect from Your Shoden (Level One) Class.

The first thing that we learn from Reiki is to let go of expectations and attachment to outcome. So it is best to go into learning Reiki with curiosity and an open mind, rather than having personal expectations as to how it might affect us. If you take the example of a blank sheet of paper, it has the potential for anything in the world to be drawn onto it, it could even be folded into a beautiful origami crane and exceed our expectations of a drawing altogether. But, if we draw even one dot or line onto the paper, or make one fold, it instantly limits the potential of the blank piece of paper. Likewise, we limit our experience when we attach expectations onto the effects of Reiki.
All of that said, the following is some of what you will learn in a level one, Shoden, class.
At the Shoden level, we first learn about the history of Reiki Ryoho and of Gendai Reiki Ho. This gives us a greater understanding of the lineage that has come before us. It also helps us form a better picture of what Reiki is all about.
Next, we learn about the attunement process and receive the Shoden attunement which opens up our energy channels to receive the light of Reiki. Some people may experience a change in sensation in their hands after the attunement, some feel nothing different at all, no matter, Reiki energy is present and flowing in you after this point.
Following the attunement, we learn the basics of hands-on healing techniques, hand positions and proper Reiki treatment sequences. We learn how to cleanse a space to prepare for a Reiki session, how to apply Reiki to our food, water, objects, plants and pets.
To strengthen our daily practice of Reiki and to cultivate inner peace and happiness, we are taught several meditation techniques, including personal chakra clearing techniques.
After the class, You will be able to use Reiki to treat yourself, your friends and family the same day. All of the Shoden classes that I teach include an organic lunch which is usually served after the attunements. The average Shoden Class lasts about eight hours and I find that it is important to replenish our nutrition during the class. It also gives us a chance to practice sending Reiki to our food!

I hope that many of you will have the opportunity to join me for a Shoden class some time and I look forward to meeting my future students!

May all beings live in harmony.

- Whitney

Gendai Reiki Ho

This is Mr. Hiroshi Doi. He is the founder and supervisor of Gendai Reiki Ho.
The Japanese word, "Gendai" means "modern" in English. Mr. Doi's intention in creating Gendai Reiki Ho is to establish a modern system of Reiki that is simple enough for anyone to incorporate and practice in their daily lives, while remaining true to the traditional teachings of Mikao Usui. In this modern Reiki method, he has combined the techniques and traditions of both Traditional Japanese Reiki and Western Reiki. There is an emphasis on the traditional Japanese teachings. The motto of Gendai Reiki Ho is, "Ayashiku-nai, (Nothing questionable) okashiku-nai, (nothing odd) muzukashiku-nai, (nothing difficult).

In Gendai Reiki Ho, There are four levels of training. In the first level, called Shoden, we are attuned to Reiki and learn the basic healing and meditation techniques needed to heal our own bodies, and to start treating our friends and family.
In the second level, Okuden, we are introduced to the Reiki symbols, the meanings behind them and how to use them in distance healing as well as healing past and future events. At this level, our ability to heal with Reiki is increased as we learn Reiki strengthening meditation practices.
The third level, Shinpiden, is the first of the spirituality based levels. At this level, we begin to learn more advanced techniques to cultivate true happiness in our lives.
The last level, Gokuikaiden, is simply the master level. This is when we we learn to spread the light of Reiki to others by giving attunements. We continue to strengthen our own happiness with Reiki and be a master of our selves with Reiki before teaching it to others.
When one decides to begin on the path of Reiki, it is up to them to decide how far or deeply they want to take their own practice. Only the Shoden level is needed to begin healing ourselves and our friends and family. One can begin healing the very day that they are attuned. This may be enough for some, while others may feel called to continue to the next levels on the path of Reiki. It is entirely a personal journey.

May all beings give and receive love today.
- Whitney

What is Reiki?

I think I've forgotten an essential post here. For you, reading this who would like to know more about Reiki, I will attempt to describe it to you here. Really, the best way to understand Reiki is to experience a treatment or to attend a level one (shoden) class.

What is Reiki?
As I mentioned in a previous post, (Introductions.) The word Reiki is a composite between two Japanese words "Rei" and "Ki" which when translated and put together essentially means "universal life force energy". "Reiki ho" simply refers to the method that we use to utilize this energy. ("ho" meaning method") The kanji symbols at the top of this post are those that refer to "Rei" (top symbol) and "Ki" (bottom symbol).
This post however, is more about what Reiki can do for you and your surroundings.
What can Reiki do for you?
Reiki heals on three levels, mind, body and spirit.
When we receive a Reiki treatment, it is usually the mind which is first healed, allowing the physical body to be healed after that. The reason is that a lot of our bodily symptoms are actually physical manifestations of lacking or dark spots of high vibration energy in our systems. These are usually caused by issues involving our minds. For instance, if we have been injured physically, our mind's attachment to the injury can actually slow down the healing process. The application of Reiki can help to speed it up again.
The third way that Reiki helps us, mostly comes with attunements. While treatments will help to grow your spirituality, nothing is more effective than the meditative practices that we learn in class even at the first "shoden" level. The spiritual growth that is experienced, can be related to any type of relious, spiritual or philosophical belief system that you have previous held. No new belief system ever needs to be adopted in order to receive or give the benefits of Reiki. Any previous spiritual practice that you have, will be strengthened as you become more and more familiar with the highly vibrational energy of Reiki.

Reiki can:

• Improve your immune system,
• Heal on the emotional, mental, physical and spiritual levels.
  
• Heal past traumas and karmas and aid in preparing you for future events,
• Help someone quit smoking or other bad habits,
• Cleanse spaces and objects
  
• Work on people who are unconscious or skeptical
• Be sent across distances to affect healing on people who are far away from us.

I could list all the types of ailments that Reiki can help to heal, but because Reiki permeates everything in the universe, it's application can be used to reverse every kind of trauma. It can be applied, to people, places, things, animals and plants. So that list would be very long. It affects us on the physical level right down to our cellular structure and DNA. It reaches every deep corner of our minds, every untouched space in our hearts and the farthest away places in our souls.

What Reiki is not:

• A religious practice
• Psychic healing
  
• Mysterious or miraculous
• A substitute for medical advice
• "Energy work" (no intention is to be sent by the Reiki healer nor is the healer to use thier own personal "ki")

In my eyes, Reiki Ho is more like a scientific endeavour. We all know that meditation is good for us, and we also know that there is an unseen force in the universe which calls on us from time to time to sit with it in peace and reverence. Reiki is simply the application of that force through clear mind of meditation to affect whatever changes are needed.
If you have further questions, please don't hesitate to contact me by e-mail: healthy.happy.hikari@gmail.com

May all beings receive harmony, light and love.

- Whitney

Mikao Usui - Founder of Reiki Ryoho Gakkai

Mikao Usui Sensei (1865 - 1926)

In March of 1922, Usui Sensei Spent 21 days fasting and meditating on Mount Kurama and it was there that he was awakened to know that the universe was within him. It is said that a big Reiki entered him through the top of his head and he acquired the healing power of Reiki. Usui Sensei developed a system to help lead others to the same enlightenment and healing abilities which he had experienced. He named this system Reiki Ryoho (Reiki healing method).

In April 1922, Usui Sensei founded the Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, an institution to teach and promote Reiki Ryoho in Japan. Before his death in 1926, Usui Sensei was able to teach 2,000 students and 21 masters to carry one the lineage of Reiki Ryoho. What a wonderful thing that he wanted to share this gift so freely with the world.

Today, there are two main schools of Reiki. One is called Western Style Reiki which includes Usui Shiki Reiki, the Radiance technique and other forms which have stemmed from these styles. They all have lineage leading to a Hawaiian woman named Takata who brought Reiki to the US around 1970. The second school is called Traditional Japanese Reiki which includes the Reiki practiced within the original Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, Gendai Reiki, Komyo Reiki Kai and Jikiden Reiki. There may be more that I have not been made aware of. The Original Reiki Ryoho Gakkai recognizes only these forms as true branches of Usui Reiki as many of the Western Reiki lineages have been lost.

Due to the modesty of Usui sensei and the fact that he was unknown before his enlightenment, there have been many stories invented about his life and the origins of Reiki. Mostly by the early Western Reiki masters who we can only assume were trying to fill in some holes for their students. Unfortunately, many of these stories are still taught by Western Style Reiki masters across the US and Canada. Traditional Japanese style Reiki Masters are instructed to always remain true to the foundations of Reiki laid out by Usui Sensei himself. Often they adopt an additional philosophy that Reiki must not be made to appear mysterious or miraculous.

There are many who are still thankful for the work of Takata and other Western Reiki masters for bringing the knowledge of Reiki to the world, for it may have remained a closely guarded Japanese secret or even died out due to skepticism.

May the spirit on Mikao Usui Sensei live on in the hearts of every Reiki practitioner.

- Whitney

Introductions.

So, where to begin?

"Hikari" means "light" in Japanese, the name of this blog is Healthy Happy Light. Here I hope to share with you how I have used Reiki to make my life Healthy, happy and full of light.

I have been studying Gendai Reiki Ho since June of 2005. It has been a wonderful journey for me and I am pleased to announce that in October 2009, I completed my training to become a Gendai Reiki Ho Shihan (master), which means that I am now able to teach Reiki Ho as I continue my own journey with it. I've decided to start a blog dedicated to my musings on Reiki. Mostly to help spread the ideas which come up in my mind as I grow spiritually and hopefully, to help people wishing to get started on a path of Reiki, to be able to make an informed choice when choosing a teacher, discipline and lineage.

To start, I'd like to share with you the difference between Reiki itself and Reiki Ho.
Reiki, is a combination of two Japanese words, "Rei" and "Ki". If you translate the meanings of these words, you will essentially get a meaning like: "universal life force energy" or "soul force". So when we refer to Reiki we are referring to the actual vibrational energy found in the higher dimensions of our universe. This is the vibration of love, harmony and light. The term Reiki Ho however is the accurate term describing a practice in which one uses Reiki to heal, meditate etc. "Ho" meaning, "method" infers a method for utilising this vibration of light and love.

I will be offering some classes and retreats soon in BC and Ontario, I can also suggest other teachers to anyone looking to learn in either area. I can recommend teachers of my discipline (Gendai Reiki Ho) and of other disciplines if desired. I am also happy to answer anybody's questions about Reiki in general or Gendai Reiki Ho. Whether you've learned Reiki with someone else or not at all.

Blessings of love light and harmony to all beings.

- Whitney

The First Post on a New Blog.

The first post on a new blog, it's kind of like writing on the first page of a new notebook. Something which I have never been able to do actually, I always leave the first page blank in a new notebook. Nothing ever seems "front page of a notebook" worthy enough. On that note, a poem that I wrote on my recent train trip from Ontario to British Columbia. I remember I wrote it, while passing through some of the most amazing forest wilderness of Northern Ontario. The forest was calling me, it felt like home. I had to write about it and I was headed back to see Jeremy so there's a little love in this poem too. I think I would call it "Sacred Calling":

Sacred woods,
speak to me,
of trees
and leaves
and how I love thee.
Awaiting the arrival,
yon destination,
there stays thy love,
and we love
thine rocks and greens.
Oh! Sacred woods,
speak to me,
of trees
and leaves
and how I love thee.

May all beings experience harmony and love.

- Whitney