Shaun’s Reiki Articles

Shaun Mckeown 28/04/2020 Shaun Mckeown 28/04/2020

Reiki Training Levels Explained

This article is primarily for those looking into Reiki and are looking to understand the levels of training, or titles people use within Reiki. The first level of Reiki training is Shoden, which means beginner level. This level is commonly termed as level 1 in western approaches to Reiki, which are more common, so you will more likely come across the term Level 1 than Shoden, when looking into Reiki.

This article is primarily for those looking into Reiki and is looking to understand the levels of training, or titles people use within Reiki.

The first level of Reiki training is Shoden, which means beginner level. This level is commonly termed as level 1 in Western approaches to Reiki, which are more common, so you will more likely come across the term Level 1 than Shoden, when looking into Reiki. Although there are huge variations in what is actually taught within this first level of training, you can think of them in terms of a course level as the same thing. These courses tend to be 2 days in duration, which is how we tend to deliver this course in Jikiden Reiki.

As a side point- all formal Reiki courses need to be conducted in person. These courses irrespective of approach, or style of Reiki should be held in person with your Reiki teacher- anything that suggests you can learn Reiki remotely and that parts of the course such as receiving Reiju (commonly termed attunement) can be delivered remotely and is sufficient is misguided- there is a teacher there for a reason. It’s a bit like trying to learn a martial art via an E-book, or pre-recorded online course. You have elements in the training that you need to be there in person.

The next level is Okuden, which means deeper level. This is comparable to what would be commonly termed a level 2 Reiki course. This tends to be conducted as either 1 or 2 days of training. In Jikiden Reiki we tend to deliver this training in one day. Again what is taught varies greatly.

From a traditional Japanese/ Jikiden Reiki view, at that point you have completed the formal Reiki training as taught by Usui Sensei the founder of Reiki, and unless you wish to become a Reiki teacher that’s it. In the West many schools of Reiki suggest or commonly require taking the second level of training after a period of 3 months of experience. This tends to be due to the fact that in Western teaching it is common for the teacher not to see a student that many in-between levels of training and it’s deemed a good idea to have some experience before performing Reiki on the public.

With Jikiden Reiki we tend to deliver both courses back to back. This was partially due to travel in old Japan that was challenging, especially in winter. It was part of the study of Reiki to repeat training and attend workshops to practice, and develop understanding and you would see your Reiki teacher again many times, so it was less of an issue learning both levels together. I find there are techniques we teach in the second course that is useful for the complete beginner, so many times I would recommend both levels to be taken at once for most people.

Level 2 in Western schools of Reiki might be termed as a practitioner level, as it is at that point deemed that some experience has been gained to practice Reiki on the public. In Jikiden Reiki you have all the skills to work with the public from Shoden (level 1) the norm is that insurance companies require Okuden (level 2). Some Reiki courses discuss professional practice within level 2 also, so lean towards the term practitioner level. So up to this point, things tend to be similar, then it gets interesting. The next step is if you wish to become a Reiki teacher. Collectively this can be termed as Shipiden.

Originally in Japan and very much in Japanese culture teacher levels are granted in a gradual, controlled, permission-based way. Commonly controlled by the head of the organization. When Reiki spread in the West variations appeared immediately, Most notably in the West, we see the term Master used to denote a Reiki teacher. Someone called a Reiki Master is just a teacher of it, they are the same thing.

In the West, a common variation after Okuden (level 2) is what is termed Master practitioner, sometimes termed Level 3, or 3A. Suggested additional techniques learned some may learn their attunement process- how to activate Reiki at this level. Other groups may call this an ‘Advanced’ level, or ‘Advanced Reiki Techniques’ course. Having previously been a teacher in western Reiki approaches and modified approaches as well, I have taken such courses myself, these tend to have additional healing techniques that are not Reiki related, that in my opinion kind of ‘pad out’ the content in a superficial way, rather than offer any additional depth.

Commonly we then have a Reiki Master Teacher, 3B or similar. Most require a period of 9 months of experience to take this level. At this point, they tend to learn how to teach ALL levels of study, level 1, level 2, Master Practitioner, and Master Teacher in one go. Then have permission to go into the world and teach all levels the next day (anyone else sees a problem here?). Well From a quality perspective, it has caused many problems, however, it has helped, indeed is largely responsible for the speed of the spread of Reiki in the world.

With Jikiden Reiki, as in the traditional way of Reiki, we have a stepped permission-based approach with the level Shihan Kaku (assistant teacher) as the first teacher level, which means you have permission to teach the Shoden (level 1) training course. This training tends to be a couple of days and is completed after a period of time, a minimum of 6 mths, but commonly a year, gaining experience and various prerequisites, such as repeating all training levels at least once again. This training and assessment process can only be conducted by a select number of senior teachers (Dia Shihans).

The second teacher level is called Shihan (full teacher) this permits the teacher to teach the complete Reiki system, so both Shoden (level 1) and Okuden (level 2). This tends to be a couple of days of training after more prerequisites, further repeating of all formal Reiki course levels and assistant teacher level again, with additional tracking of skill level, teacher proficiency, etc. Key to note Jikiden Shihan-Kaku or Shihan teachers doesn’t make other teachers. This level is granted by the Representative (president) or vice Representative of the organization only.

In Japanese Reiki, there are no further course levels you can take, further levels tend to be awarded to a few individual teachers after many years of dedication to the organization and are not something ever to be asked for. The next level is Dia Shian (senior teacher). This group is permitted to teach Shoden, Okuden, and Shihan-Kaku course levels. In Jikiden we then have a Vice Representative and a Representative- the President or head of the organization, who teach all levels. These titles are more organizational titles.

In a few approaches to Reiki in the West, there is another less common variation to this which started in the 1980s at an organizational level when a Western Reiki association created a new title level to try and reinforce the head of their organization after Western teachers started to split and were off doing their own thing, which is a term ‘Grand Master’. This term was created in the USA and was intended for one person, so in a similar way that Usui Sensei was the President of the original Reiki organization, and My Teacher Tadao Yamaguchi is the head or ‘Representative’ of the Jikiden Reiki organization. This term, however, has found its way into a level of study with a few Reiki teachers/organizations, where it’s a course level you can take. I do not wish to spend much effort on this point, I just mention it as I am aware of this in the area I operate from, so if you are in my area, you might come across the term. I know a teacher locally to me who creates grandmaster teachers, who by the way is a gifted healer, however in terms of levels of Reiki, this level does not exist in Usui Reiki. There are sub-parts to Reiki training. Shoden has 3 parts, Okuden 2 parts, then there are teacher levels. In early Japanese times, there were pre-formal training parts, like public workshops, that were dropped when stronger legal restrictions to healing in public in Japan came into force. If this term for a course level was created from a marketing or ego view, I do not know, but it feels to me to be going in the opposite direction to Reiki and is nothing to do with authentic traditional Japanese Usui Reiki. So to summarise

Western Reiki Approach (most common you come across, just by volume)

Level 1
Level 2
Master Practitioner (or some kind of Advanced level)
Master Teacher

Japanese Jikiden Reiki Approach

Shoden (beginner level)
Okuden (deeper level)
Shihan Kaku (assistant teacher)
Shihan (teacher)

Dia Shihan (senior teacher)

Organisationally- The founder Usui Sensei was the President of the organization originally, with Jikiden Reiki we have a vice representative & Representative heading the organization internationally.

So that is enough understanding to get you through navigating the differing terms and understanding levels of Reiki courses and titles used. For more discussion on the differences between Jikiden Reiki and Western Reiki see my Article: Jikiden Reiki and Western Reiki, Whats the Differences? If you would like to find out more about authentic traditional Reiki, click on the link to find out more: Jikiden Reiki Courses

I am mainly known nowadays for my work with Reiki, as a specialist in authentic Japanese Reiki. I am an experienced, Reiki teacher and practitioner with a proven track record of results. I offer Jikiden Reiki training courses, promoting authentic Japanese Reiki teachings. I am based in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, in the UK. I have a background in coaching and training in the areas of exercise coaching, holistic lifestyle, fitness, and performance coaching. I also have a BSc.(Hons) degree in Sport and Exercise Science, for more information visit: www.shaunmckeown.com

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article. Shaun Mckeown, disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article.

Shaun Mckeown 23/01/2020 Shaun Mckeown 23/01/2020

Is There Such A Thing As ‘Styles’ of Reiki?

The idea of this article topic has come from a recent conversation I had with a Reiki student, however, it is a conversation that I have on a regular basis with those with an interest in Reiki, or are looking to Reiki to help them in some way. In this example, the conversation topic was after this person took Jikiden Reiki training and was trying to get their head around what they should now call their previous healing therapy that had the word Reiki in its title, yet they now realized what they were previously taught actually bears little resemblance to Reiki.

The idea of this article topic has come from a recent conversation I had with a Reiki student, however, it is a conversation that I have on a regular basis with those with an interest in Reiki, or who are looking to Reiki to help them in some way. In this example, the conversation topic was after this person took Jikiden Reiki training and was trying to get their head around what they should now call their previous healing therapy that had the word Reiki in its title, yet they now realized what they were previously taught actually bears little resemblance to Reiki. However, I have similar conversations with others around just trying to understand the options when searching online for Reiki courses, when faced with a sea of different titles of courses, all with the word Reiki in them.

So in this article, I wish to present my view from my experience and observation as a Reiki teacher and practitioner, having been trained in various approaches to Reiki, both original Japanese, western and modified with a variety of different titles that all have the word Reiki in them, as such might be classified as different styles of Reiki. I have also taught many healing professionals authentic Japanese Reiki who themselves are trained in all manner of healing approaches with various titles, many with the word Reiki in them. This article is primarily speaking for those newer to Reiki, so is an overview rather than an in-depth investigation, however, the points are relevant for any level of practice. Hopefully, I can at least reduce confusion a bit (as you will see its not totally clear cut) or at least simplify the process of selecting Reiki training for those looking for a Reiki teacher/ Reiki courses, saving you going in a direction that is not what you are looking for. For those trained in Reiki, this article simply offers a perspective on this topic of interest.

In this article, I’m not going to get on my soapbox and rant about all the reasons why this way is authentic and accurate and that way is not. You are welcome to look at my other articles, and will not have to go far to find me ranting about such topics. The question here is: Is there really such a thing as different styles of Reiki at all?

If we start with Reiki itself, let’s define it as ‘the practice of Reiki’, as an original practice developed by its founder Usui Sensei in Japan, in the early 1920s. The term Reiki was specific to this practice and the system developed by Usui Sensei, so for the purpose of this article let’s package that as the specific techniques, methods, philosophy, the path of daily practice, a way of life, and an expression of compassion in action.

There is now a huge variation just under the banner of Reiki/ Usui Reiki itself today in both the West and indeed Japan (as modified Western Reiki approaches were taught in Japan from the mid-1980s). With no central standardized training, content, and quality control is a bit patchy (that’s me attempting to be humorous). There is no ‘Reiki police’ and in many approaches to Reiki, teachers are free to amend what is taught at will. So to start with even if everything Reiki was just called the same thing, from a consumer perspective there would still be a huge variation in what you would learn, so that wouldn’t solve the issue of differing approaches to Reiki completely.

Now let’s add a bit more confusion into the mix. What I teach, is Jikiden Reiki (meaning directly taught: a name to symbolize its focus on the original Usui Reiki teachings). Jikiden Reiki itself could easily be misunderstood and could fall victim to being categorized as a style of Reiki, as a formal organization it’s only 20 years old (when the original teachings came to light to us in the west). At that time it needed a name, a trademark to add to the word Reiki, to centrally control the teachings from Japan, so what is taught and who could claim to be trained to teach it was managed. So it might look like a later addition or style of Reiki, yet in reality Jikiden Reiki is actually the original Usui teachings, bringing back the original teachings of Usui (more so than things commonly titled Usui Reiki). Jikiden Reiki is the only known authentic original Usui Reiki teachings available for the public to learn. In Japan or the West. So you thought it was confusing before!

In Japanese culture, in general, the focus is on simplicity and depth of understanding, in the west the dominant thinking is adding more at a superficial level, more techniques, symbols, etc. Sometimes such additions are even presented as an advanced next step beyond conventional Reiki training. Reiki is more about letting go, rather than adding. I invite to pause and ponder on that for a moment………..

In my Reiki path I have come across these different styles and tried to make sense of it all myself in my selection of Reiki courses and ongoing development, so I do understand it from the consumer side of the fence as well. Over the years some Reiki teachers looked at Reiki and thought: if I add ‘xyz’ to it, or merge it with this other helpful method I will improve it/ build on it, develop it, and evolve it in some way. Look my brain is wired to innovate and improve things, however, in regard to Reiki, that way of thinking is misguided. My view is that such thinking will only complicate that which should be simple, and will not add much to our ability to help ourselves and others. A point that resonates with me is that one of my Reiki teachers said words to the effect of: “In one way the idea of improving Reiki, is like saying: today with my level of human comprehension of existence I will improve on nature itself”. We need to also bear in mind the reality that most Reiki teachers have not been trained in the original Reiki teachings, so even with sound intentions may not realize what they are doing even if it was in the aim to improve Reiki and it is not needed at all.

Many rebrand what they do and add a word in front of the word Reiki to identify it, indicate a style shift, or separation from the original, this does at least help us classify what they teach and their perspective on things, so we understand the teachings will deviate from the original. My common observation is that you might get max 50% of the teachings having roots from the original Usui Reiki, 25% misunderstandings of the original Reiki, and 25% parts that are nothing to do with the original Usui Reiki. Not to say they are not helpful in their own right, but commonly the way of thinking with such additions is actually opposed to the way of thinking of Usui Reiki, so rarely help and they would not be enhancing Reiki, they are simply a different method to healing joined to it in most cases (but not all) without a full understanding of Reiki.

So in a way with no central control of Reiki when it came to the West and with so many people with differing interests, motives, and views around Reiki and healing, added to which a sprinkle of desire for control of ‘the creative direction’ of courses, decision making, income, etc, is it just inevitable that different breakaway approaches would form and try to stand out and stake their place in this ‘wild west’ world of Reiki? (that has got to be the first time I’ve written the words wild and Reiki in the same sentence). Much in Reiki circles is to focus on similarities, rather than differences. However are variations of the original just increasing separation, and hindering mainstream acceptance of Reiki?

Add to this we have Associations and governing bodies looking to be inclusive of all approaches with broad criteria for acceptance under the banner of Reiki. My view is that Reiki is Reiki there is one practice/system that is Reiki. The one Usui Sensei founded. Then under the banner of Reiki, there are a variety of healing approaches, they may have their roots in the teachings of Usui Sensei, yet have all moved differing distances away from the original teachings and ideas of Reiki. Indeed many have migrated far away from the original teachings, in thinking, techniques and focus of the Reiki Usui Sensei developed. The distance between different approaches (what might be termed as styles of Reiki) can be far away from the original and what is taught varies hugely. As much as we talk about inclusion and ‘honoring differing schools of Reiki’, should honoring what the founder of the practice that we claim to be teaching be of primary importance to any school of Reiki rather than honoring a school’s deviations from the original teachings?

As I write this article one Reiki association I am a member of has just emailed me clarification of their position regarding differing Reiki styles and what they recognize. No doubt in response to membership requests from people with qualifications with the word Reiki in them, they likely have little resemblance to Usui Reiki. Look there are many good teachers out there teaching what I might class as Western approaches, or a bit away from the original Japanese Usui Reiki and they could be helping many people, my primary concern is those very far away from the original teachings still using the word Reiki. My question would be how far would something need to get away from the original for it to no longer resemble it? Be that in content missing or content that is not Reiki at all. Personally from a consumer view if I was looking for Reiki, or to sign up for a Reiki course and be trained in it, I would want the authentic Reiki, -what I thought I was getting, not a dilution, variation, or mix of it with other things.

My take would be if as a Reiki teacher, you are going to deviate from what Usui Sensei developed (Reiki) then call it something other than Reiki. For those looking for original Reiki to learn, my advice is to speak to a Jikiden Reiki teacher. There are more of us internationally now (all training being controlled and registered from Japan). I recommend if you want to learn Reiki, learn the original, then if you still wish to explore other approaches to healing or feel drawn in a different direction, you do so from a great place of understanding of Reiki. I am aware of teachers who have done so and still wished to create their own style of Reiki. One such teacher termed it in a way I like, comparing it to a tree, emphasizing the importance to ensure the roots and trunk are strong (take authentic original Japanese Reiki training, i.e. Jikdien Reiki training) then from that place, if you still wish to go off in a different direction (the branches) do so and your tree is strong. However, if you have a lack of understanding of the original and go straight to the branches, your practice will be compromised. The practice is built on a weak foundation of understanding of Reiki. What we find common with Jikiden Reiki, is that once you know the original, anything else doesn’t make that much sense to learn As such Jikdien Reiki tends to attract those looking for authentic training, as it did with me.

My place in this space is to help people with authentic Usui Reiki teachings. Be that with reiki treatments, Reiki training for those new to Reiki or who have had Reiki training before, as well as educating Reiki professionals. Everyone can benefit from what the original Reiki teaching offers us, so I would suggest anyone with an interest in Reiki look into Jikiden Reiki. I hope you found this article of interest and got you thinking and explained some considerations in regards to this topic and hopefully, I didn’t add too much confusion to this topic. For more discussion on the differences between Jikiden Reiki and Western Reiki see my Article: Jikiden Reiki and Western Reiki, Whats the Differences? For information about Reiki training see my website for Jikiden Reiki courses.

Shaun Mckeown 06/12/2019 Shaun Mckeown 06/12/2019

What is Reiki?

As someone who teaches Reiki as well as delivers Reiki treatments, the most frequently asked question I get is, "What is Reiki?" In the western world, Reiki is commonly defined as universal healing energy. A more accurate definition, taken from the meaning of Reiki in the original Japanese language, where Reiki originated would be soul energy with 'Rei' meaning soul and Ki meaning energy (above is the original way of writing Reiki in Japanese kanji characters).

As someone who teaches Reiki as well as delivers Reiki treatments, the most frequently asked question I get is, "What is Reiki?"

The practice of Reiki is an original method of natural healing developed by Mikao Usui in Japan early 1920s. Reiki is a natural healing energy that works on every level, not just the physical, and is understood to promote the body’s regenerative self-healing ability. We live in a world of energy that nourishes and maintains all living things. When this energy flows uninterrupted there is balance and harmony within and around us and we experience a sense of well-being. Our body uses Reiki energy to bring us into balance and is believed therefore to reinforce the body’s natural ability to heal itself at all levels, whether physical, mental, or emotional, to bring us more in alignment with our natural state.

As a natural form of healing, Reiki can support and enhance other forms of treatment. The method of receiving a Reiki treatment from a practitioner is simple. The recipient remains clothed and lies on a couch or sits on a chair and relaxes. The practitioner gently places their hands non-intrusively, on areas of the body and channels energy through them to you.

At its core, Reiki is a path of personal growth and development, however, most people’s first experiences of Reiki will be from receiving a Reiki treatment, it is commonly seen as a natural therapy, people can even be trained in Reiki, to further support healing, helping themselves and others with Reiki. It is a tradition that is open to any belief system. Reiki is a healing process that anyone can benefit from in the normal course of their life.

It can appear there are various types of Reiki. In reality, to those who really understand it, there is the original, then various approaches, some term ‘style’ out there that are just various distances away from the original, in both understanding, philosophy, techniques, etc. Original Usui Reiki makes up only a fraction of the Reiki out there. If you are interested in the original, or authentic Reiki my advice is to find a Jikiden Reiki teacher or practitioner. That point aside people can see great results with all manner of healing approaches under the title of Reiki.

The Reiki practitioner’s ability is in their technical understanding, perception, and interpretation of the signals the recipient’s body is presenting them as to where the areas of disruption, stagnation, and tension are in the body and where the need for healing is. However be aware it is your mind/ body’s wisdom at a deep level that is directing the healing, think of the energy as the fuel and the practitioner as the channel rather than a practitioner having special powers. Each person’s patterns of imbalances or disruptions in their flow of energy can come from various sources including their physical well-being and emotional stress, so each person’s needs and benefits differ, but everyone can benefit from Reiki.

The benefits of Reiki are on many levels. Some levels people can be aware of, while others are more subtle but no less important to personal growth, healing, and well-being. Although many have reported Reiki has helped them with specific conditions, it can be helpful (and professionally more appropriate) to view benefits in a holistic way, with key benefits of promoting relaxation, promoting balance, and inner calm, supporting the body's natural healing mechanisms, as well as a person’s personal growth as a whole as benefits of Reiki. Reiki treatment is non-invasive and is used holistically to restore balance in mind and body, which anyone could benefit from. The most common and most widely accepted benefits of Reiki are its beneficial effects on emotional healing and a sense of overall well-being. Reiki’s ability to bring about deep relaxation is also well-known. Many also report Reiki bringing about a deep sense of overall calm and peace.

Someone can also channel Reiki energy after a period of in-person study and crucially after a series of specific 'Reiju' when the existing channel/ connection in all of us is cleared allowing a person to then channel Reiki energy. This is conducted by the person’s Reiki teacher in person. The word attunement is commonly used for this event in the Western world, however, Reiju is the correct term (attunement suggests something is out of alignment, which is not the case, it is more of a clearing). In the application of Reiki as a therapy, with a practitioner delivering a Reiki treatment to a recipient, the influence of Reiki energy is believed to be within a person's whole being: their body, and mind, viewed as one interactive entity, rather than separate functioning systems. Within the Japanese language, the word for body and mind are the same, as they understand there is no separation between the two. Eastern systems of health have understood this for thousands of years, understanding that we live in a world of energy, which flows through all life. The balanced flow of energy within a person is considered to be the foundation of health and well-being.

Reiki is believed to work by stimulating the clearance of both stagnation and disruptions to energy flow, as well as supporting the effective function of the body's natural healing mechanisms to promote balance. The smooth uninterrupted flow of this Ki energy is the basis of health and well-being from an Eastern view of medicine which believes that nature has equipped our body with mechanisms and its own wisdom to cleanse and hold a point of balance.

However, in the modern world, the increased total loads on physical and psychological well-being have lessened these abilities as a result of what the body is exposed to in terms of stress, the pace of life, pollution, nutritional toxicity, mental and emotional stresses, as well as migration away from nature and increased challenges on the mind and happiness living in the modern world. Reiki offers a practical mechanism to support the body's natural cleansing processes to promote the body's migration towards a state of balance, well-being, and greater happiness.

Reiki in its original application was a path towards being in our natural state, during this journey we will have opportunities for the development of our-self, with a focus on our thinking and actions. A person would receive Reiju and thereafter have the ability to channel Reiki themselves. In addition to the benefits already listed, as a student of Reiki, you would have the potential for further progress in personal healing and the development of thinking and character.

As a student of Reiki, there is also a focus on living with gratitude, helping others, being present, a focus on dissolving anger and worry and migrating to a place of peace of mind, contentment, and happiness. The potential positive effects on a person at this depth of Reiki are even deeper than receiving Reiki treatments alone. Learning Reiki is available for those who wish to benefit from the greater potential this level of involvement in Reiki has to offer. Reiki is independent of any religious system yet can benefit a person of any religious or spiritual belief system. You do not need to have spiritual beliefs to receive the benefits of Reiki. People are drawn to Reiki at a time when they are ready to receive it, or at a time they are in need of it. With many, the actual benefit gained from Reiki can be more subtle, such as calming their minds and allowing their own intuition to be heard to guide them in decisions in their life. I hope this overview of Reiki, has been helpful and deepened your understanding of it. To find out more see my website Jikiden Reiki Courses and Reiki Healing. There is also more information about Reiki in my other Reiki articles. Or common Reiki questions are answered on my Reiki Frequently Asked Questions page. If you are in the mood to read another article, a good one to read after this one to help your understanding is the one called: What is Jikiden Reiki?

Shaun Mckeown 01/11/2019 Shaun Mckeown 01/11/2019

What is Jikiden Reiki®?

This article is primarily written for and to help those who are looking to learn Reiki and are considering which is the right course for them, who have come across my website and maybe for the first time the term Jikiden Reiki and wish to understand a bit more about it. My aim is to provide an insight into Jikiden Reiki, as well as highlight some of its characteristics.

This article is primarily written for and to help those who are looking to learn Reiki and are considering which is the right course for them, who have come across my website, and maybe the term Jikiden Reiki for the first time and wish to understand a bit more about it. My aim is to provide an insight into Jikiden Reiki, as well as highlight some of its characteristics.

Although it can be considered to be desirable to focus on our similarities, rather than our differences in the Reiki world, in the context of understanding what Jikiden reiki is, a comparison to other approaches to at least be able to see where Jikiden Reiki sits in an environment of multiple variations and approaches out there all under the banner of 'Reiki' can be helpful. Better understanding the characteristics and methods of Jikiden Reiki, can help you make a more informed choice as to the best direction for you in your study of Reiki. Just today I had a conversation with another person looking to learn Reiki who was trying to make sense of all the choices out there for Reiki training.

In a nutshell, Jikiden Reiki is authentic Japanese Usui Reiki, as practiced and taught in the late 1920s and 30s in Japan, with no Western influence or adaption to the original teachings of the time. Most people assume, and why wouldn't they, that everything under the banner of Reiki is the same thing. It is a correct statement that Reiki energy is Reiki energy, regardless of approach or what is commonly termed ‘style’ of Reiki. To a degree, they have strong similarities: they all channel energy through the practitioner's hands to the recipient; Most have their roots in or originate from the Usui Reiki system of healing and they all help people. Yet there are marked differences in understandings, teachings, techniques, and applications between differing Reiki ‘styles’. Many in the professional Reiki community are completely unaware of this fact (Reiki masters included) so do not worry if this is new information for you.

Having personally had the pleasure of learning Reiki at the teacher level in various ‘styles’ of Reiki, I am grateful to all those who I have learned from. I am writing this article with an understanding of what is taught in differing Reiki styles and that this understanding has come from teachings and professional practice rather than a place of academic research, or reading books. I have witnessed great healing in all Reiki styles I have learned, and with the knowledge and understanding of Reiki I have now, I have made a personal choice to practice and teach Jikiden Reiki exclusively. Jikiden means 'directly taught'. The significance of the word 'directly' being the teachings is not modified in any way as they are passed down by teachers to students. They are taught the same way as in Japan in Reiki's early days.

The Jikiden Reiki Institute was founded in 1999 by the late Chiyoko Yamaguchi and her son Tadao Yamaguchi (My own Reiki teacher). At first glance, it may appear as though it would be a new style of Reiki having only been formed in 1999 but this is not the case. When forming the organization it was important to choose a name to protect the integrity of the teachings and authenticity of the training. Hence the choice of Jikiden Reiki, which is now a trademark, with the Jikiden Reiki Institute in Kyoto, Japan. Today, following Chiyoko sensei's death in 2003, Tadao sensei is the Representative, or head of the organization, or president, with Frank Arjava Petter (the prominent Reiki author and authority on Japanese Reiki history) as its vice Representative. It has teachers all over the world now in various countries including the UK, of which I am one based in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, UK.

In order to understand some of the characteristics of Jikiden Reiki, we need to overview some historical events. The roots of Jikiden Reiki came from the discovery in the mid-1990s that a direct student of Hayashi Sensei, Chiyoko Yamaguchi Sensei, was alive in Japan and had been practicing Reiki every day since the mid-1930s, however receiving it for quite a few years prior as well. Up until this discovery, it was thought that no one was still alive who was directly taught Reiki by Hayashi Sensei who was a prominent student of Usui Sensei, the founder of Reiki. Hayashi sensei is widely acknowledged as having facilitated the spread of Reiki to the rest of the world as he taught Mrs. Takata from Hawaii, in the mid-1930s as well. It was through Mrs. Takata that Reiki spread from Hawaii to the USA and then globally, including importing the Western version of Reiki to Japan (the original Usui Reiki teachings were not taught publically after the second world war). These imported styles all came from the teachings and lineages of Mrs. Takata who died in 1980. Both Chiyoko sensei and Mrs. Takata were trained to Shihan (full teacher level) directly by Hayashi sensei around 1939 and 1937 respectively.

As Reiki spread in the USA, into Europe, and then Asia the original Usui Reiki system was modified: key components were omitted, new approaches added, and key focuses were diluted. The traditional controls on who became a teacher were removed around the time of 1981. It was, therefore, an amended version of Reiki which was re-introduced to Japan in the mid-1980s.

It is only fair now to make the point that these adjustments supported Reiki's spread and indeed Reiki may not have survived globally without such amendment. However, the point is that by this stage the Reiki being taught had many differences from the Reiki taught by both Usui sensei in the 1920s and continued by Hayashi sensei in the late 1920s up until his death in 1940.

The term 'Western Reiki' is a term sometimes used to identify these amended teachings and is by no means meant in a disrespectful way, it is just a way of classifying what kind of Reiki, or what teachings are being described. The term was first coined by one of the presidents of the Usui Reiki Gakki (the original Usui Reiki society) in Japan in the early 1990s in reference to the imported Reiki being taught in Japan at the time and its thinking and approaches being somewhat away from the original Usui practice of Reiki. This term tends to only be used by Japanese-trained Reiki people anyway. In the context of this article, I use the term to help in identifying differing Reiki teachings.

I have seen some Reiki teachers presenting their Reiki classes as traditional Japanese teachings when they are clearly not, bolting on some granted very useful Japanese Reiki techniques onto a Western Reiki syllabus. It is again important to note that any Reiki style has value in helping people and all approaches to Reiki have the potential to work. So rather than saying that some of what is being taught is incorrect in the Western styles, it is a better way to view such teachings as say being further away from the original teachings of Usui sensei to varying degrees. From a consumer point of view if you wish to learn authentic Japanese Usui Reiki, then understanding the differences is important in order for you to be able to make an informed decision as to what Reiki training course you would like to take.

So as I have already mentioned the way Reiki is taught within Jikiden Reiki comes from the teachings of Hayashi Sensei, as taught to Chiyoko sensei in the mid-late 1930s. She then passed on these teachings to her son Tadao Sensei. The key point is that the culture and integrity of the Reiki teachings, or system are intact. With regards to the teachings themselves, they have a simplicity, yet depth within them. There is much emphasis on the Gokai (the guiding principles we live by as students of Reiki) to support us in life and our growth. You learn techniques that have disappeared in Western Reiki styles. There are key components of how Reiki was used in Japan in Usui sensei and Hayashi sensei's day that are not found in other Reiki courses.

In practical terms, the Reiju (termed attunement in western Reiki) you receive is again technically different from other Reiki styles. You can be confident that you are learning correct information regarding Reiki history and applications. You are trained in the traditional understanding of Byosen, which Usui sensei observed in treatments and can be classed as the cornerstone of Japanese Reiki and is the primary treatment method used in all Jikiden Reiki treatments. You learn other components that work in partnership with this understanding to enhance treatment effectiveness. You also learn how Japanese Reiki treatments are conducted, with long periods of time at locations, without the preset hand position sequences as commonly seen in many other Reiki styles.

Who becomes a Jikiden Reiki teacher also follows traditional ways. To become a teacher requires repetition in learning followed by permission to become an accredited Jikiden Reiki Shihan Kaku (Assistant Teacher) and Shihan (Teacher) is granted by the head of the organization/representative of the Institute Tadao Yamaguchi (or the vice representative alone). Following various assessments and repetition of training, the grade of Shihan Kaku is granted which permits the teaching of the first (beginner) level of Jikiden Reiki Shoden. After commonly a year or so of gaining experience teaching, further assessments are carried out, and all training levels are repeated with the addition of a further teacher course before the grade of Shihan is granted. This permits the teaching of the second level, Okuden (deeper learning).

For those of you with knowledge of other Reiki styles, you will again notice distinct differences in Jikiden Reiki with regard to teacher levels. Rather than being a 'become a teacher and off you go' setup, it takes time and investment in both experience and repetition of training in order to gradually be permitted to teach the two levels that are the Jikiden Reiki system. For example in my case, at this time, in attaining Shihan (full teacher) I have taken Shoden and Okuden levels (comparable to levels 1 and 2 in the west) both six times (three times with Tadao sensei himself), Shihan Kaku tree times plus my Shihan training twice (having completed all levels with the vice representative- Arjava Sensei as well). Furthermore, as set by Usui sensei and observed by Hayashi sensei, Reiki teachers are not permitted to create other teachers they simply train people to Shoden or Okuden, dependent on their own teacher grade. It is primarily the President of the organization, so with Jikiden Reiki Tadao Yamaguchi, plus a handful of Dai-Shihans (Senior Teachers) globally, who are permitted to teach Shihan Kaku level, with an even smaller number who are permitted to teach the full Shihan level. These senior levels are granted many years of service and contribution to the Jikiden organization rather than a course to ask to do.

So from a student perspective, the complete Jikiden Reiki system is taught at the Shoden and Okuden levels. Teacher levels are purely for those who wish to teach and learn the Japanese Reiju method to be able to teach Reiki to others. This original Japanese way helps to preserve standards in teachings, and from a consumer view, it is a good way of having confidence in the teacher's ability, knowing they are accredited by the central organization. In Western Reiki styles, and therefore with most Reiki in the UK, a teacher can create another teacher with no pre-screening or ongoing observation or control, who then, in turn, can create more teachers and can modify the teachings at their discretion. There are some great Western Reiki teachers, what I am pointing out is the open approach to becoming and creating other teachers seen in other Reiki styles leads to great variability in teaching quality as well as variations in teaching content.

As was the case in the 1920s and 30s Japan, with Jikiden Reiki there continues to be a great emphasis on the value of receiving Reiju (the process of clearing the channel to use Reiki energy) and there are events set up for the ongoing receiving of Reiju and to practice Jikdien Reiki, to build experience and confidence alongside other students of Jikiden Reiki. So Jikiden Reiki offers a high level of structured, ongoing support to students, which again contrasts with many other styles of Reiki. This repetition in teachings also adds depth to someone's understanding of Reiki.

My view is that when repeating a course you are at a different place in terms of self-awareness and growth, your view or perspective is at a different place, you have been using the techniques so your questions are coming from a place of some experience using the material and concepts previously taught, so the experience is reinforcing and supportive, deepening your study of Reiki. I personally found I wrote just as many notes the third time of repeating Shoden and Okuden as I did on the first occasion, and of course, with a different group come differing Q and A topics as well. Jikiden Reiki is set up to support this by offering opportunities to repeat Shoden and Okuden training at markedly reduced costs. What is more, all UK pricing is fixed for all authorized Jikiden Reiki teachers in both the initial and repeating course fees by the Institute in Kyoto, Japan.

Jikiden Reiki will tend to suit people who value authentic Japanese teachings, and who value learning accurate information and teachings. My view is that there is value in everyone with an interest in Reiki taking Jikiden Reiki Shoden and Okuden level training, even if they do migrate towards more amended approaches to Reiki, at least you have correct core teachings as a foundation. Jikiden Reiki is practical, solid, and authentic. I hope this has been an interesting article for you. Should you have any further questions look at the information on Jikiden Reiki courses with the link below, or if you are looking to take Reiki training and are interested in taking Jikiden Reiki training with me in the Midlands area of the UK, you can get in touch. If you are further afield in the UK contact a Jikiden Reiki teacher in your area/country. For more discussion on the differences between Jikiden Reiki and Western Reiki see my Article: Jikiden Reiki and Western Reiki, Whats the Differences? You can find out more about Reiki training here: Jikiden Reiki Courses

Shaun Mckeown 06/10/2019 Shaun Mckeown 06/10/2019

Finding The Right Reiki Course & Teacher For You

With many people, who they select to learn Reiki from can be a bit pot luck, dependent on who happens to be in their local area. The aim of this article is to help give you some considerations to think about as you look to select a Reiki training course and which teacher to learn from.

What you might expect, or be looking for in a Reiki course will likely be influenced by your previous exposure to receiving Reiki treatments, reports of others’ experiences of Reiki, friends who are trained in Reiki, or the books and articles you have read on the topic. So what you believe Reiki is, or what might be a good course of action regarding learning Reiki is likely to have many influences. The accuracy of the information that you have been exposed to obviously I am not aware of, however, you do not have to research very far into the topic of Reiki to find conflicting information and indeed the articles I write here might be adding to that sea of differing information.

To begin with, it is a common belief or assumption that all Reiki courses teach pretty much the same thing; that all courses listed as Reiki, Usui Reiki, traditional Japanese Reiki, etc are all the same. This is far from the case. So the first thing I would suggest in relation to selecting a Reiki teacher is actually to select the Reiki course. When first looking at different course options, you will see many different names linked with the word Reiki, which can appear to look like different styles of Reiki first. Learning any Reiki is a gift and can be helpful to people, so I would say any Reiki training is better than none. However, we need to bear in mind that as great as any Reiki teacher might be, if what you are being taught has misunderstandings about Reiki within its teachings, or is not what you are looking for, you are unlikely to be satisfied with the training you receive. This may leave you feeling disheartened by the experience and drop out of practicing Reiki in the future, or you may later come to the realization you need to take additional Reiki training to get what you were looking for in the first place.

I see this often in the fact that many people who seek to learn Reiki with me have already learned Reiki from others. They commonly tell me they are looking to retrain due to the teachings they received in their initial training in Reiki, be that to fill in the gaps, or to build upon it, rather than the teacher quality in most cases. This is why I place prime importance on the right course selection first. You can find details of my Beginner Reiki Courses here. The question many have is what are the best reiki courses to take?

Although I am qualified as a Reiki teacher in various Reiki styles, I have chosen to teach only Jikiden Reiki because of its authentic teachings, how it was taught in Japan in the late 1920s and 1930s. The Jikiden Reiki Institute (which authorizes who can teach this style of Reiki) is based in Kyoto, Japan. To find out more about Jikiden Reiki see my article 'What is Jikiden Reiki'

To determine which Reiki course is right for you, first determine if you are drawn to traditional, authentic teachings, or are looking for modified teachings that often have influences from other healing methods infused into the teachings which tend to be further away from the original Reiki teachings and perspectives. If authentic Japanese Reiki is what you are looking for my recommendation is to seek out a Jikiden Reiki teacher. If a more modified style is for you, then it is more about matching your preferences with the course content/teachings you would receive. To further this point on the importance of finding the right Reiki teachings, I would suggest you look beyond any governing body's acceptance of a course. Such approved courses would be suggestive of a good course structure, and best practice, suggest a level of professional practice, yet ironically do not guarantee the accuracy of the teachings, therefore, allowing various Reiki styles or teachings to be accepted as they meet a generic professional best practice award criteria, not a what are you teaching criteria.

So initially I would suggest that you get a list of courses/teachers that look like a fit for you in what you are going to get with any training. The easiest way is usually an online search. My view is that you are better to travel a bit of distance for the right training than going with what may be on offer on your doorstep. As Jikiden Reiki Shoden (beginner level) training is conducted over a one-weekend distance is rarely a factor; indeed I have many people who travel to train with me even when they have multiple Reiki teachers closer to home. With regard to course dates, be patient! Again it’s better to wait a month longer for the right training than get training that doesn't match what you are looking for just because it's next week and you're keen to learn. So I would suggest committing to the right training and then making arrangements to be able to attend, if not the next course, then the one after that. Look also beyond the price of Reiki courses. Reiki courses completely (Shoden and Okuden- levels 1 and 2) tend to be no more than £500 - there is no need to pay much more than that. Equally, I would also question the wisdom of selecting a course based on cost, i.e the cheaper the course the better. Just because it is cheaper doesn’t mean it’s better value. Select your teacher for all the right reasons rather than just shopping for the cheapest deal. Again just emailing a teacher for their prices and then selecting a course based solely on their response is no way to select Reiki training, or in any area of life for that matter.

From the above filtering activities, you will probably have created a shortlist of courses/teachers that you feel closely match what you are looking for. What I would then suggest is that you have a deeper look at the teachers’ training experience and previous student participant feedback, you can see some of my reviews. So that you gain a flavor of their approach.

Bear in mind that learning Reiki s a face-to-face experience, especially receiving Reiju (after which you can channel Reiki energy) any distance training or remote approaches are not advisable and are far removed from Japanese Reiki thinking. In fact, many Reiki associations won’t even accept such online training courses as qualifying as adequate training to join their organization. In addition, Reiki is something to be taught by a teacher, they can teach you the subtleties of authentic Reiki practice and techniques that you would completely miss otherwise.

Now having done all the rational research and mind-focused selection, sit back and turn your focus internally and let’s switch the focus to the heart as well as your internal wisdom and see if you are drawn to any teacher or course in particular. In my experience, there can commonly be an element of synchronicity with such things as learning Reiki, I see this all the time. Many times people have just been drawn to learning Reiki with me, nothing more, nothing less. The fact you are reading this may not categorically mean you are meant to take training with me (although you are most welcome to), you are fact-finding and so this article may provoke your thinking and thereby help you find the right course/Reiki teacher for you.

By now you will most likely have come down to just a couple of courses/teachers. Now ring them! (You will be limited in what you will gain solely by an email exchange). If you never speak to a teacher to find out about the course and ask any questions you may have you will not be able to build a picture of that teacher’s approach knowledge, style of teaching, experience, etc which will give you confidence in that the decision you ultimately make is the right one for you. For example: if you have come across some conflicting issues in your research, ask them about it and listen to their answers. You might still get conflicting views but you will gain a sense of which teacher’s approach feels a better fit for you. This exercise is invaluable in helping you select who you might like to learn with. After that simply commit to the course date and take the training. Watch your fears and doubts don’t trip you up into deviating from the right path for you. Whoever you decide to train with I wish you well. For those of you who would like to learn authentic Japanese Jikiden Reiki and are in the Midlands area of the UK, well may come from further afield to learn with me so let’s say the UK, have a look at my Jikiden Reiki Courses page with further details of course content and training dates, and prices. If you are looking to take Reiki training and would like the opportunity to speak with me directly get in touch

Shaun Mckeown 08/09/2019 Shaun Mckeown 08/09/2019

Finding The Right Reiki Practitioner for You

For many their first experience of Reiki will be from receiving a Reiki treatment, the start point of which would be selecting a Reiki practitioner and booking their first Reiki treatment. The aim of this article is to provide some considerations with the aim to help you in your selection of a Reiki professional.

The first point I would say is that there is a huge variation in professional training, approaches and indeed understanding of Reiki between Reiki professionals, a practitioner’s own Reiki training heavily influences how any Reiki treatment is delivered in the first place, as it provides the reasoning to why they are doing what they are doing, as well as the techniques available to them, etc. People have had great results from many different approaches, yet just be aware there is a huge variation in approaches.

An observation I have found, having been trained in and taught various approaches to Reiki, I have observed both my own Reiki students who are Reiki professionals themselves as well as those who are already Reiki professionals who have then taken Jikiden Reiki training with me report that they have seen better results with their Reiki treatment clients after taking traditional Jikiden Reiki training. Indeed many of the people I have helped with Reiki treatments personally have had Reiki treatments from other Reiki professionals before, yet our results are different, the point I wish you to take from this is that booking a Reiki treatment is not a standard commodity like buying a pint of skimmed milk, which wherever you buy it from, you are going to get a standardized product, or in this case experience.

It can be a bit of a mind field when you go online and search Reiki in your area, you are likely to find quite a few differing choices in Reiki professionals. So how do you work out what might be a good choice for you? The choice of Reiki professional you select for Reiki treatments would have less bearing than say selecting a Reiki teacher to teach you Reiki, for training in Reiki I believe is imperative that you make that selection with great consideration. With regards to Reiki treatments, there can be many different approaches and a lot of times methods from other non-Reiki methods find their way into a Reiki treatment with many Reiki professionals out there, which although might not technically be Reiki if it helps you, great.

With finding a Reiki professional to deliver Reiki treatments, location does play a part, just logistically to get to them regularly, to see the best results, I would also advise you to consider receiving Reiki treatments as a process, rather than a one-off event. As to the right Reiki professional to deliver Reiki treatments, there are various factors that can come into the mix, I will discuss a few below for you to consider;

Firstly a question that some people ask me, or consider is- is it helpful to seek out a Reiki professional who is on an industry register, or a member of professional organizations? This can from a consumer perspective, give an indication that the professional is a commitment to professionalism, ongoing high standards, and best practice. I myself am registered to the highest professional standards for delivering Reiki treatments in the UK, as well as being a member of Reiki professional organizations, that ensure ongoing professional development, etc. However does such registration or membership translate to such a professional is going to help you get better treatment outcomes than a professional not meeting such standards, I would say not necessarily. My view is that yes it is suggestive they are professional and committed to best practice and have a good level of experience, but more a nice to have.

Another consideration is the Reiki professional qualification level. In the UK gaining insurance tends to require what is termed a level 2, what we call Okuden in Japanese Reiki, to work with the public professionally). Although with original Jikiden Reiki, you learn all you need to deliver treatments in level 1 Shoden, so it’s more an insurance industry thing than a technical thing. I will refer to this group as practitioners, but again huge variation in what they would have been taught. Beyond that, the next level up is a Reiki teacher, whom many will deliver Reiki treatments as well as teach Reiki as I do. The traditional term for this is Shihan (teacher), however, you will find many teachers use terms such as Reiki master, but that’s just a different name, they are a teacher. Some other terms have been created by styles of Reiki as they move further away from the original Reiki teachings, but are nothing to do with Reiki. I would just consider Reiki professionals in two camps, practitioners and teachers. I have seen variations in results between teachers as well as practitioners, so it’s not a guarantee, however, you tend to get much greater experience and skill level with teachers, but not everyone needs a Reiki professional at such a level to get great results with Reiki.

Tying in with the above point is considering a Reiki professional’s experience, I have found that yes my experience delivering thousands of Reiki treatments and practicing over the years gives you the skill, speed, and awareness to get right to the root of things, maybe faster which can lead to better treatment outcomes. However, I have taught people Reiki to just the first level (Shoden- beginner level)- level 1, on a weekend, who have then gone out the next day and delivered a Reiki treatment to a family member with great results. So I would say that experience is a consideration, but not the be-all and end-all. The same goes for a specific experience. Many people when enquiring regarding Reiki treatments ask ‘How long have you been doing Reiki professionally and do you have experience with XYZ?’ As I look back over the years, I have experienced some strong results in areas I had no previous experience! At a deep level a person’s own wisdom, using Reiki energy and creating results, beyond our comprehension as individuals. So think of us as Reiki professional’s as vessels, or channels for the energy, I would say it is less of a factor than it might be in other professions, where skill and experience of the individual are key, say in a coaching environment, r something like acupuncture. It can be a helpful exercise to view any testimonials of a Reiki professional, as you may find they have experience in the same thing you are looking for help with, which may reinforce your confidence in that professional generally, but again if they are a new Reiki professional you would not expect to see many testimonials. Or although I don’t present myself as an anxiety specialist, I well may get better results helping someone with anxiety, than someone who does, and I have actually had some great results and helped many people with that concern. So with the more logical evaluation points covered so far, it appears less clear-cut.

This next point to consider is something beyond a logical consideration, in that in my experience at a time that is right for you the right person to help you will show up. I would say that over 75% of the people who I work with have found me by what they term as a coincidence, or are ‘drawn’ to me, be that via referral, my website, or another route. It is no coincidence to be where you are- you, your body/ heart/mind in its wisdom know something you may not be aware of at this time. It’s like your inner subconscious, the core of you (your tamashi or soul in Japanese culture) knows what you need more than your conscious mind does. I would say that this trumps all other factors hands down. Yes get a shortlist, and factor in the above points, but if you quieten your mind and your heart, you are drawn to a specific Reiki professional I would say book a Reiki treatment with them. Looking back now I could have just written the above paragraph and saved a whole lot of writing, but I wanted to present the other considerations as well for you.

To dovetail into the last point there is a consideration, that as I write this I will term it as the ‘born to do’ factor. Some people are just born to do something, over the years I see this with people I teach Reiki, some people are just natural-born healers, independent of specific qualifications, or experience. Yes, we are all born to access Reiki and have the capacity to heal ourselves and others, just some stand out. Added to this some people in my experience are just tailor-made to help certain people in a certain way, not from an ego-based ‘ I’m an amazing healer’ view, more factors that facilitate certain healing situations well).

I cannot count the number of times people I have helped say to me after working with me that they are surprised they chose me to work with, with statements like- “I never would have picked a male practitioner before, I’m surprised I did”. or “You don’t fit the usual person I would have chosen to help me with this”. Heads -up, 98% of the people I help are women, and most of my work is in the area of emotional healing, and for a reason I am unaware of I seem to be very suited to helping women with healing emotional trauma. With these examples as soon as we highlighted this, it all fell into place for them- why they found me. (as that’s what I was helping these women with). Although they may have come to me for another reason, that’s what they needed. I then know that was why they were here in front of me, rather than another Reiki professional. There are various factors within my nature and my skill set that seems to bring out deep healing in such situations. I have no clue why this is the case, the point being for them to find me in these cases was the best course of action to help them, yet was independent of logical decisions. The same might be true for someone you are drawn to. On the flip side of this, I find people that are a great fit with other Reiki professionals tend to find them instead of me.

As a final point pricing is something to consider, but it should be a secondary consideration. The priority is getting to the right Reiki professional to help you. The Reiki industry will have a huge variety in pricing for Reiki treatments and is one of those professions for various reasons you will find chronic devaluing of what is delivered by many professionals. What I would encourage you to do, is to consider who feels like the right Reiki professional for you, then consider pricing. In all other professions, you see very experienced professionals, with a track record of results, with high qualification levels, having trained with the top people in the world in their field, and having higher professional fees than those newer to a profession, so I would view selecting a Reiki professionally in the same light. As if you approach a Reiki professional with the ‘how much do you charge’ as the sole factor for your decision, (as if you were buying a pint of milk) you will likely miss the opportunity right in front of you.

Also to give Reiki treatments a chance to help you in your life, whoever you choose to help you, I would suggest viewing Reiki treatments as a process. Many Reiki professionals will offer an option to book a one-off initial session, I would suggest doing that and seeing how you find the professional’s approach, then make a commitment to the process, say approximately 5 further treatments. At that point then consider Reiki’s effectiveness to help you. Many people make the mistake of having one Reiki session and then make the decision to continue treatments based on the immediate experience of that session (against whatever prior expectations they had) and do the same any session after that, rather than commit to the process. If your GP gave you a 28-day course of antibiotics, to take one a day, for example, you wouldn’t take one, conclude it hasn’t done the job so stop the course of treatment, yet many do this with Reiki treatments. If you are going to do it, commit to the process and give yourself a chance to benefit from it. I hope this article has given you a few things to think about to help you find the right Reiki professional to help you. For those who wish to find out more about having Reiki healing with me, have a look at my Jikiden Reiki treatments page. It would also be helpful for you to see my Reviews page for examples of the experiences of others working with me.

Reiki Healing Sutton Coldfield with Shaun

Shaun Mckeown 04/08/2019 Shaun Mckeown 04/08/2019

Using Reiki to Help You in Times of Grief

This article topic is one I have had listed as a future article topic for a while, purely due to the fact that it is something many people I have helped have said it is something Reiki has helped them with and in many cases it has been the main reason they came to Reiki in the first place.

This article topic is one I have listed as a future article topic for a while, purely due to the fact that it is something many people I have helped have said it is something Reiki has helped them with, and in many cases, it has been the main reason they came to Reiki in the first place. I thought it would be timely to write this article now on a personal note, as a few months ago now my Dad passed away after a long illness, so this has been written not just from my observations, but also from my experience. I have helped many people experiencing grief over the years, be the loss of pets, parents, siblings, and children. In fact just today, the day I planned to write this article someone I have been helping over recent months informed me of such a loss in their life.

So how can Reiki help people experiencing grief? The most common route to Reiki is with people who are struggling emotionally, have recently experienced a loss who look to try Reiki treatments with the aim of it helping them feel a bit better and cope/ function with all their life responsibilities that continue, such as supporting other family members or children who are struggling, in addition to other commitments such as work, etc.

Reiki is well known now for its positive effect and its use in supporting emotional well-being. Our view of grief as Reiki practitioners is more that of something to work through, to process, to come to a point of peace with, rather than an emotional experience to suppress, deny, avoid, or remove. It is viewed as a natural process, a part of life. I find grief tends to be more problematic if it is just suppressed or buried for years and not processed effectively. Reiki tends to have a soothing, supporting effect on people at such times. Helping us move towards an internal state of greater peace, whilst soothing emotions, helping us let go, with love, and releasing feelings of sadness, loss, regret, guilt, anger, fear, or any other emotions we might be feeling. Below are a couple of experiences of people I have helped with Reiki treatments experiencing grief, these kinds of results with Reiki are usual to experience:

"I started seeing Shaun for Reiki treatments when my husband was terminally ill. I believe it made me feel calmer and reduced my stress levels whilst looking after him. I have continued to receive Reiki treatments from Shaun since his death and this has helped me to sleep better and deal with the symptoms of bereavement"

"I have had regular Jikiden Reiki treatments from Shaun for a number of years. They have helped me release grief and emotional issues and enabled me to relax in periods of high anxiety. I credit his treatments by enabling me to continue working when I felt I could no longer do so.”

In addition to receiving Reiki treatments, which we could class as a more passive experience as we are simply receiving Reiki treatments, as helpful as that can be an additional level of support is available for us as we journey through grief. This is available for those who have been trained in Reiki and really ‘live Reiki’ if you like. To start with Reiki training we receive what is called Reiju (in the West sometimes termed attunements) that in conjunction with receiving Reiki treatments and performing regular Reiki self-treatments (as most Reiki-trained people do), all go to further help clear congestion in our thinking and keep our connection to our core nature clear, all allowing us to be closer to our true natural state along with greater clarity in thinking as well as greater peace in our hearts, which can be helpful at such times.

In addition, if a lot of self-growth and healing work has been done prior to such events, as we come into such life events we tend (generalization) to be quite clear in thought, calm, and reasonably at peace to begin with, which can have a huge effect on our reactions and feelings during such times, and in preparation for future loss.

By living Reiki we also have the Gokai, the guiding life principles we live by. In living in such a way, when such events come along Reiki trained people tend to be more practiced in letting go of fear, anger, or worry as they are more habitually trained to observe the blessings in life and are living with active gratitude throughout every day. So by default tend to move through such events in a smoother way. I think of all these points as pumping air into our own ‘life’ raft. The waves of life are not any smaller, but you are able to go with the waves and stay afloat easier. There are guiding principles of life in other cultures and spiritual practices, many have similarities, what I observe is living by such principles can be very helpful at such times.

What I believe is one of the biggest factors that I have observed in relation to Reiki helping people with grief, is that as Reiki-trained people we learn about Japanese culture, for example, the Japanese view of life. Reiki itself means ‘soul energy’ with the healing taking place at a soul level. Soul, or tamashi in Japanese, is the idea of an eternal part of us that endures beyond a single lifetime, that we live on, rather than the idea that this life is more than a ‘one-off’ gig. This concept in itself is not unique to Reiki, variations on this idea are also seen in other cultures, and many other spiritual practices and regions. Any way you look at it - a personal view or belief that death is not the end, or not so final in itself can be very powerful in finding peace as we journey through these life experiences.

I have heard of many in professions such as nursing where they deal with people going through the death of a loved one or dealing with their own mortality on a regular basis report seeing a more peaceful view than many in such situations with those they might term as ‘spiritual’ in their life view. Specifically, with Reiki, I have observed people who experience grief that comes to me for help with Reiki treatments, who I later trained in Reiki, who then experience grief again at a later date, yet move through such times differently after Reiki training. There are various ways Reiki might support you through grief, both in receiving Reiki treatments as well as learning Reiki. If you have not tried Reiki, it might be something to consider to support you. Find out more about Jikiden Reiki treatments or take a look at my Reiki Courses page.

Shaun Mckeown 08/06/2019 Shaun Mckeown 08/06/2019

The Importance of Viewing Reiki as an Ongoing Practice

This article topic has come from a conversation I had with a Reiki student who regularly attends the monthly events I hold to support the study and practice of Reiki for the students of Reiki I teach. Their view was that attending the regular events provided superb value and helped them greatly with their study and development with Reiki and they couldn’t understand why every student who has taken Reiki training courses does not attend such events to help their study and practice of Reiki.

So the topic of this article has come from a conversation I had with a Reiki student who regularly attends the regular events I hold to support the study and practice of Reiki for the students of Reiki I teach. This student’s view was that attending the regular events provided superb value and helped them greatly with their study and development with Reiki and they couldn’t understand why every student who has taken Reiki training courses does not attend such events to help their study and practice of Reiki. I had observed this fact also. No surprise as a teacher of Reiki, I personally view the ongoing practical practice and support that such events offer as an important component in the study of Reiki.

This got me thinking. With something such as Reiki, where we could think of it as a life practice over years, with our understanding of it deepening over this time (like the age ring lines on a developing tree) why is the participation in ongoing practice events, be that in the form of group workshops (practicing techniques or concepts from what you learned in the formal Reiki training courses), Reiki shares (giving and receiving Reiki with other students of Reiki), Repeating training courses (the option open to Jikiden Reiki students to attend courses again and reinforce levels of training at a fraction of the cost), or any further coaching from your Reiki teacher or attending talks, etc not the norm? Participation in ongoing study with Reiki students, in general, is much lower than would be common with many other disciplines of a similar nature. So why is this the case?

Originally in Japan in the 1920s and 30s participation in ongoing study with Reiki was common, an accepted part of the practice if you like. For example in the 1930s Japan Reiju Kai meetings would be regularly held, where students received Reiju from their Reiki teacher (the clearing process that facilitates channeling Reiki energy) which was conducted monthly, or even more in some examples. Teaching would be given by the Reiki teacher and students would practice what they had been taught in the formal courses, such events also included giving and receiving Reiki from other students. These events would be well attended.

The ongoing support events many Jikiden Reiki teachers provide today for their students follow this format. So ongoing practice is not something new to Reiki, the importance of it was always emphasized from the beginning. And as Jikiden Reiki teachers we reinforce this in the formal training courses. So why has it not continued so much with Reiki in the West?

For a start, I would say culture plays a part. Culturally the relationship between students and teachers is different in Japan than we see in the West. In Japan, it is more of a commitment between both the student and teacher, a longer-term relationship and period of ongoing study would be the norm, in any practice.

As was the case with the Reiki teachings many things were lost in translation as it spread in the West, this might simply be another element of the study of Reiki that did not come through as it spread.

The way formal Reiki teaching is presented in two levels, attendance to for example 3 days of Formal training (if not doing teacher levels that is) leans things towards the idea of learning Reiki as an event rather than a process (for our western brains). It is very common with whatever approach to Reiki, that people might ‘learn Reiki’ (take formal training Courses) then that’s about the end of their contact with their Reiki teacher, or any ongoing reinforcement of what was taught, without a deeper layering of understanding as their experience grows. This has been the norm with Reiki for a long time now in the West.

Some teachers do offer Reiki share events, where Reiki students of various training approaches and teachers can meet and both give and receive Reiki, however, these rarely involve any teaching reinforcement, as with such mixed groups everyone has been taught different things anyway. So although something, although these events can be limited in helping students really develop their Reiki practice. Moves to make Reiki more recognized professionally from a view of ‘best practice’ have recognized a need for ongoing development for professional practitioners with Reiki, but that is more from the requirement of gaining acceptance from governing bodies and a sensible idea if you are going to be professionally delivering Reiki treatments. This is just a professional focus rather than for all students of Reiki.

A bit like Jikiden Reiki is ‘reintroducing the authentic Usui Reiki teachings’ to the Reiki community in the West, is this another part of Japanese Reiki practice that we are reintroducing to people who practice with Reiki?

Maybe the way training courses are set up has contributed to this way of thinking. If Reiki was a group with a weekly meeting (like weight watchers) it might make more sense to attend regularly. From another view unlike martial arts, there are no grades to attain with regular study of Reiki, or anything concrete to work towards after the initial formal training courses.

Previously before my time as a Reiki teacher, I studied martial arts. I studied martial arts for quite a few years, and for a time I was a martial arts teacher myself. I studied to a grade of 2nd-degree black belt. It would have been unimaginable that I would rock up to a teacher when I started my study, take a weekend course for each belt level, say 12 graded belt levels, without the thousands of hours of both self-practice and at a club, under the guidance of my teacher and fellow martial arts students, with the exposure to those a bit further allow the path than me, such as the higher grade students, gaining subtle tips from those with experience as well as experiencing the repetition and refinement in my understanding and skill.

Yes martial arts training itself may differ from Reiki in many ways, but it does serve as a view of an Eastern and specifically Japanese approach to learning anything really, be that martial art, tea ceremony, etc. The point is rarely is it going to take the form of a few days of formal training then your study has been completed. Yet this is an approach many take with Reiki.

If we think of riding a bike, yes you can ‘ride a bike’ with a bit of practice, say as a kid in a weekend or so, but it would be fair to say your proficiency and skill would be low if you didn’t practice after the initial learning phase. Compared to a professional bike rider, who has been racing and competing for the last 15 yrs, training 5 times a week. Your progress relative to your potential would be below as a bike rider if you have not done much practice since your initial learning to ride a bike. Yes, you can ‘ride a bike’, but as with most things to be proficient ongoing practice and coaching are required.

I commonly see this idea of Reiki courses as events, rather than a practice, or a way of thinking expressed by people as: ‘I know Reiki’, or ‘I’ve done Reiki 1 and 2 courses’ (suggesting the training/learning has been done), rather than ‘I am studying Reiki’ (suggesting a longer learning/ still learning idea/view). With the riding a bike example with Reiki it’s a bit like stating ‘I’ve been doing Reiki for 20 years’, yet never having invested in any further coaching, or training since your formal training courses 20 years ago. The distance of time that has passed since your formal training is not necessarily an indicator of skill or ability.

Other things to consider could be: in our increasingly time-pressured world are people less skilled at prioritizing their study of Reiki and self-care in general? Or is there a dominant pull in our society towards instant gratification that is at odds with such a gradual practice? Or are we increasingly not used to committing ourselves to a period of study? Or with so many ‘shiny interesting objects’ out there at our fingertips are we learning things on a superficial level, then hoping for the next course or approach? Or as teachers are we not reinforcing the importance and benefits of ongoing practice and coaching to students? Or is what many people looking for when they take Reiki training just the initial training and Reiju to be able to channel Reiki energy and that’s all they want and are less interested in the practice of Reiki?

Maybe it’s a combination of many things, I would simply invite everyone who has taken Reiki training (or thinking about taking Reiki training) to consider any formal Reiki training as the starting point in their study. So I would say beyond self-treatment, treatments you perform on others in isolation and reading Reiki books on your own, what are you doing to develop your study and practice with Reiki.? For details of all the ways there is ongoing support for you see my Jikiden Reiki Practitioner page

Shaun Mckeown 09/05/2019 Shaun Mckeown 09/05/2019

The Potential of Reiki to Support Health

Reiki is used quite extensively in hospitals in the USA due to it being more established and more widely accepted there than in the UK at this time. Applications include specific post-surgery recovery, to generally speed up recovery and reduce the time patients need to stay in hospital. The value of Reiki is increasingly being recognized for applications such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

In this article series viewing Reiki from differing perspectives, we look at viewing Reiki from a health perspective. In the UK all-natural therapies have major restrictions on reporting the results we observe with our therapies, especially regarding positive results around conditions people might be suffering from. So in relation to the topic of Reiki and helping people from a health perspective be aware we have a very narrow window of issues we can claim Reiki to be beneficial, so this article is written to be mindful of this reality.

Any claim of improvement in illness and health will quite rightly attract attention from government bodies that were put in place to protect the public from misleading claims in the area of health. Claims of any health benefit by any therapy can also gain the attention of companies, organizations, or individuals with an emotional or financial attachment to a different belief system or treatment approach. That said I am witnessing an increase in more open-minded medically trained professionals who are starting to appreciate the value of more integrative approaches to health utilizing natural therapies and we welcome such progressive thinking from such individuals.

Reiki is used in quite a few hospitals in the USA due to it being more established and more widely accepted there than in the UK at this time. Applications include specific post-surgery recovery, to generally speed up recovery and reduce the time patients need to stay in the hospital. The value of Reiki is increasingly being recognized for applications such as post-traumatic stress disorder. (PTSD) among others.

Many of the benefits from viewing Reiki from a wellness perspective also have benefited from a health view such as lowering stress levels. Just from a physical view lowering chronic elevations of cortisol (the primary stress hormone) is going to help physical health whichever way you look at it. In Japan Reiki has been traditionally used extensively for all kinds of conditions, including illness and physical conditions. However, from a legal and professional position in the UK, (and indeed Japan) a more conservative presentation of the merits of Reiki in regard to health is more advisable in the current climate.

For a start, the positive effect my clients repeatedly report Reiki having an improving influence on their sleep, which could be considered a key way in which Reiki can positively support someone's health. There is an array of now-accepted diseases and health problems that poor sleep patterns are considered contributing factors. In addition, the effects Reiki has on reducing stress also warrant strong consideration of the merits of Reiki in the context of improving health.

A point to consider when looking at Reiki’s use within a treatment plan for health or with a medical condition is regarding the timing, or stage of disease development when someone might look to Reiki to help them. It is almost always after diagnosis. Indeed in many situations, it is only after all allopathic, or conventional treatments have failed that someone looks to natural therapies. This is very different from evaluating the value of Reiki in a pro-active approach to building health, or at least as an integrated, holistic approach with other professionals, be they natural or medical-based.

Eastern systems of medicine have always recognized that we live in a world of energy and that the free flow of this energy is the foundation of well-being, facilitating the body’s natural healing ability. From an Eastern view of health, an emotion may be driving a physical problem: for example, buried anger from past emotional hurt, say from a past relationship, or from childhood, might manifest as energetic disruption, or stagnation of energetic flow in the body, so we might utilize Reiki in assisting healing of the deeper emotional root cause of such an issue, this could have a potential impact towards better health as well.

In my previous professional career as a holistic health coach building people’s health, I observed this pattern of energetic imbalances and an individual’s health profile with my own clients. At the time I specialized in building health, via natural/ holistic methods, as a holistic health and lifestyle practitioner and exercise conditioning specialist for many years. Witnessing the patterns in energy disruption, past/present lifestyle, and their current health problems, was all the evidence I needed as to the merits of something like Reiki.

It is sensible to suggest that it is from a proactive view of health that Reiki might have the greatest influence on a person’s or even a population’s health. Again very hard to isolate all the variables and measure to statistical significance under scientific measures, however, it only takes a little understanding of natural health and Reiki to see the potential benefit.

I have always worked in an integrative fashion with other professionals for the best outcomes for my clients and I continue to do so. I find that all areas of emotional well-being, nutrition, physical activity, posture, happiness in life, and environmental toxicity among other things all need consideration with regard to health. I would say that Reiki can have a very powerful part in that mix, especially in the root causes of imbalances. In the context of this article, I am talking about emotional healing as well as Reiki's effect in stimulating the clearance of energetic tensions, stagnation, and blocks to support the body's natural healing mechanisms to work correctly.

So to conclude, the potential of Reiki to support someone’s health is from a variety of angles, primarily, deep relaxation supporting better sleep, reducing stress, helping someone to be calmer, as well as emotional healing and well-being. Reiki will likely be best used in conjunction, or in a support role with a medical team, or other health professionals, yet it is an application of Reiki as a natural therapy that can easily be overlooked. To get an idea of different ways people have actually found Reiki to be beneficial in their life, have a look at my Reiki reviews page, Or to find out more about Reiki and how I help people with Reiki treatments and Reiki Courses visit those pages. Or for similar articles see the Reiki articles page.

Shaun Mckeown 06/05/2019 Shaun Mckeown 06/05/2019

10 Benefits of Attending Regular Reiki Student Workshops

So today I have listed 10 reasons why I believe students of Reiki can benefit from an ongoing study with regular attendance at student events, be they in the form of teaching, workshop or Reiki share format, to support their study of Reiki.

Following on from a recent article I had written looking at the importance of ongoing study with Reiki beyond the formal training courses, I thought I would pick up on a point I made about how Reiki teachers are effectively reinforcing the importance or the benefits of an ongoing study to our own Reiki students? So today I have listed 10 reasons why I believe students of Reiki can benefit from an ongoing study with regular attendance at student events, be they in the form of teaching, workshop, or Reiki share format, to support their study of Reiki.

1. With something like Reiki, you might learn a technique during training, but it is only after putting it into practice a new question comes up for you about it, that you would not have had at your formal training course. With workshops you have regular access to your teacher, to ask any Reiki questions you have, as they arise.

2. With the best will in the world, we will not fully retain every nugget of information within 3 days of training courses at the first go. Workshops that focus on a key element of Reiki training, or even repeating the training itself 6 months or a year down the line can be helpful. (With Jikiden Reiki the option to repeat training courses at a fraction of the cost is built into the approach. I myself have taken both training levels 6 plus times now).

3. For Some techniques that are new, at the point of learning a course you will be getting the framework of the technique, the finer refinement can only be taught once the framework is in place, so will come at a later time. An example is Kekko, there is a lot to take in, and refinement comes later once we have the technical level sorted. So events such as workshops and especially repeating training Shoden course with help you improve your proficiency and confidence with this and other techniques.

4. You receive Reiju from your teacher at many events with Jikiden Reiki, helping keep the channel clear for Reiki energy as well as going towards improving your perception in your hands when giving Reiki, as well as being helpful to you in itself.

5. You have regular opportunities to practice what you have learned and deliver Reiki treatment to other students, along with coaching helping you refine your skill and perception in your hands.

6. You will receive coaching, helping to build your confidence in what you learned in the courses.

7. You can receive a Reiki treatment yourself from other Reiki students. Commonly from a group which is great. For many, this also provides an opportunity to reach those areas it is hard to get to with self-treatments, such as shoulders back, and legs.

8. You can meet other like-minded Reiki students, which is helpful as many practice Reiki in relative isolation, you can discuss with other students your experiences with your practice of Reiki as part of a community.

9. You can pick up nuggets of information and subtle ways to deliver treatments, and hand positions from your teacher who has no doubt delivered thousands of professional Reiki treatments.

10. Attendance to regular workshops provides a rhythm to your regular self-care, a commitment to yourself, and your practice of Reiki. It can be a self-value activity, a demonstration that you are dedicated to your study of Reiki. It can support your healing and rejuvenation, it can be a time for you, it can support your personal growth, it could be an activity that is looking after yourself, in the busy world we live in and no doubt where we spend a lot of time helping others or depleting ourselves. An opportunity to re-center, and recover. I hope you have found these points useful to consider. For those who would like to find out more about upcoming Reiki student events, details will be announced via my newsletters, For more details of events see the webpage Jikiden Reiki student events If there are no current events planned, or you prefer support on a 1-1 basis see my 1-1 Reiju, Reiki coaching, and Reiki treatment sessions.

Shaun Mckeown 08/04/2019 Shaun Mckeown 08/04/2019

Is Reiki Really Fluffy?

In this article I want to explore a perception of Reiki that some people have who are looking at Reiki for the first time, in that Reiki is in some way ‘fluffy’, a bit ‘woo woo’ or ‘out there’. As such a perception can hold people back from trying Reiki and therefore benefiting of it in their lives, be that through receiving Reiki treatments or learning Reiki for themselves. So today I wish to simply explore this perception of Reiki, where it might come from and my thoughts on it.

In this article I want to explore a perception of Reiki that some people have who are looking at Reiki for the first time, in that Reiki is in some way ‘fluffy’, a bit ‘woo woo’ or ‘out there’. As such a perception can hold people back from trying Reiki and therefore benefiting from it in their lives, be that through receiving Reiki treatments or learning Reiki for themselves. So today I wish to simply explore this perception of Reiki, where it might come from, and my thoughts on it.

If we look at what Reiki is (quick summary) Reiki is a path of personal growth, adjusting our thinking and actions, to be more aligned to our true natural state, involving growing, and healing. letting go. This path also uses the channeling of Reiki energy to support the body’s natural healing mechanisms, helping to clear congestion of flow energetically and restore balance in body and mind. As a practice, it helps us heal, be present, and grateful, be kinder, build our resilience to stress, and move us towards a place of greater peace and stillness in mind.

Much of peoples’ skepticism, or difficulty in getting their heads around Reiki I find is related to Reiki using natural energy, which does not fit the dominance of logical thinking and cultural conditioning in the West. Nor does it fit our conditioning that tangible, physically measurable things are valid and things that may be un-measurable, or not as easy to define are less valid or have less value. In the West, we tend to struggle to comprehend things that don’t conform to our sense of logical order, or that don’t fit into a neat box. The practice we know as Reiki was developed in Japan in the 1920s. A country in which awareness of energy and respect for the power in nature and an understanding that we ourselves are part of that nature was known as fact and culturally accepted for thousands of years prior to Reiki. So for a start, such concepts can be a stretch for Western minds.

A point to consider that doesn’t support the idea of Reiki as fluffy is the environment and culture in which Reiki was created, At the time the practice of Reiki was created, Japan had left quite a long samurai period behind and entered a more Government and military dominant society and was quite a closed country. It was a time of many martial arts. A society of discipline, focus, and dedicated practice. Many people are unaware of the fact that many of the leading Reiki teachers and indeed the successor to Usui Sensei as the president of the Japanese Usui Reiki society in 1926 an ex-naval real admiral, as were a number of following presidents high ranking naval officers. Reiki was developed as a practice of body and mind and daily improvement in our thinking and actions. So this doesn’t suggest an environment of fluffy at its founding.

Another consideration in a person’s view of Reiki will be how it has been introduced to us as well as the judgments we form from the person, or people we come across who are practicing Reiki. For example in terms of the presentation of Reiki to those who learn Reiki in training courses; what exactly is taught to students and how to practice, influences how Reiki is presented to everyone they come across who asks about Reiki. As Reiki spread into the USA in the 1980’s it had already moved a good distance away from the original teachings of Reiki’s founder Usui Sensei, restrictions on what was included in training courses and any quality control of training courses were pretty non-existent, so peoples own interests and approaches to healing diluted, or changed what they were teaching under the banner of Reiki. Many had interests in new age thinking, chakras, crystals, different symbols, rituals and all manner of other things crept into what was presented as Reiki. Many of these additions only added fuel to a view of Reiki being more ‘out there’.

In the UK, as I write this the number of Reiki teachers who teach authentic Japanese Reiki (Jikiden Reiki) is around 12 active Jikiden Shihan (full teachers) permitted to teach these original teachings. There are many more Reiki teachers out there, we don’t know exactly how many, but let’s say a thousand for the purpose of this topic. So the chances you will come across more people practicing and teaching healing approaches under the banner of Reiki that has moved away from the original teachings are higher than finding a teacher or person practicing Reiki in its authentic form. So just the sheer numbers would suggest you would be more likely to find more people out there doing more alternative approaches to Reiki again reinforcing a slightly skewed view of what Reiki is.

Another observation (a generalization) I find that many people who are drawn to learning Reiki and healing approaches, in general, tend to be more natural healers, much softer-natured, calmer personalities, and many have interests in many areas of spiritual development and other approaches, be that angels, clairvoyance, auras, crystals. They are connected to nature, they may like hugging trees and walking around barefoot and other things that all tend, for people new to Reiki meeting them, reinforce a perception of fluffy or woo woo towards Reiki.

Another factor to consider is the presentation, or teaching style, the manner in which Reiki is presented by the people you know or see doing Reiki. So with me, my background includes: being an infantry soldier in the British Army, as well as a physical training instructor in the army. I’ve been a martial arts instructor, I have a degree in sport & exercise science, time as a performance and well-being coach, and a personal trainer prior to Reiki. My personality although very calm, is more to the point and rational as well, so the flavor of my presentation of Reiki is more solid and practical. When I teach Reiki, its focus is more on coaching, understanding it, and gaining confidence in using it, it’s not a hug-fest. Many I have delivered Reiki to or taught Reiki to (in addition to the many softer intuitive types) include business owners, managers, science-based people, health professionals, martial artists, and bodybuilders, so a real mix and not just something for those we might consider as overtly spiritually-minded.

In addition as legally we can only present Reiki in a certain light, relaxation, and emotional well-being primarily, Reiki can sometimes appear more just a complement to a useful approach, than a powerful natural approach in its own right, so this can also hinder our understanding and peoples’ view of Reiki when looking at it. For me, if Reiki was fluffy and didn’t do much, I wouldn’t have dedicated myself to its study, practice, and teaching others it- period. I have seen enough powerful results with Reiki alone to know what it can and has done to help many people. For me what is tangible is the results people I have helped with Reiki experience. For example, there is nothing fluffy about the experience of helping someone release and heal from an emotional trauma when they were a child, I assure you.

So to conclude in my opinion Reiki itself is not fluffy, or woo-woo (not to say woo-woo is wrong, just less involved with Reiki than people think it is), yes, there is the concept of energy to get your head around, but even that is getting increasingly recognized by science. But I accept for some that are still a stretch for where they may be at this time. The practice of Reiki involves personal growth and development, not that fluffy, as anyone who is seriously embarked on such a journey can testify. I would say if you come across people practicing Reiki with other approaches mixed in, that could well give the appearance of Reiki being a less solid or tangible practice, but remember many of those things that make it seem fluffy are not anything to do with the original practice of Reiki anyway. So if you felt prior to this article that Reiki was a bit too fluffy for you and that perception has held you back from experiencing it, I would suggest finding a Reiki professional who is trained in authentic Japanese Reiki (Jikiden Reiki safest bet) or who’s approach and style feels more a fit for you try a treatment and go from there. Find out more about Jikiden Reiki treatments or Jikiden Reiki training courses to see how Reiki could help you. More Articles can be found on the Reiki articles page.

Shaun Mckeown 08/03/2019 Shaun Mckeown 08/03/2019

10 Benefits of Learning Jikiden Reiki®-For Those Already Trained in Reiki

Written by someone previously trained in various approaches to Reiki who then trained in Jikiden Reiki.

In today’s article, I present 10 benefits of taking Jikiden Reiki training specifically for those who are already trained in Reiki. So this blog is directly speaking to those who have already taken some kind of formal training in Reiki. The inspiration to write on this topic for this blog came from a great conversation I had last week with someone who was trained in Reiki to level 2 and was considering what was their next step forward was going to be in terms of Reiki courses, they came across my website and Jikiden Reiki for the first time and was intrigued to find out more about it, so she gave me a call and we spoke about it for a while. I have written this blog as a kind of summary of that conversation (and many others like it I have had with those trained in Reiki previously) to highlight why I believe it is so beneficial for someone who is interested in Reiki and already trained in Reiki to take the Jikiden Reiki training courses.

This article is primarily for those who have been trained in Reiki who have come across Jikiden Reiki and had not heard of it before and are considering if it might be helpful to learn it and have wondered what they might gain from taking Jikiden Reiki training courses.

In addition, there is a vast group of people who have had some formal Reiki training and have not even considered there was something to be gained from them taking Jikiden Reiki training courses. A common response of this group when mentioning Jikiden Reiki tends to be along the lines of: “I’m already trained in Reiki”. So this blog may be helpful for members of this group who are open to exploring the potential of training in Jikiden Reiki as an opportunity to deepen their study of Reiki.

Indeed many of those I train in Jikiden Reiki get similar questions when talking about Jikiden Reiki to those they know who have had some Reiki training. So my students (and anyone else reading this) are welcome to share this article with their Reiki friends, to help explain why it might be helpful for them to consider learning Jikiden Reiki themselves and what they might gain.

These benefits listed below are the same for anyone with previous Reiki training, whatever name it is presented under (Usui Reiki, Japanese Reiki, etc…) regardless of however many years you have been trained, or to whatever level.

Yes, I do teach Jikiden Reiki as an accredited teacher (Shihan) with the Jikiden Reiki Institute in Japan. So you might say this is promoting what I deliver. However, my background before Jikiden Reiki was as a Reiki teacher in various ‘types’ of Reiki. Having trained directly with prominent international teachers in the Reiki world, so I understand what is being taught in other Reiki training courses. What I am presenting is from my observations from those already trained in Reiki who then take Jikiden Reiki training courses, as well as the direct experiences of those students.

1. You will gain a deeper understanding of the complete original Usui Reiki system, from the Japanese perspective in which it was developed. Jikiden Reiki is the authentic Japanese Usui Reiki teachings of the 1920s and 30’s Japan, with no external influences (before it came to the West). For more depth on this read my article: ‘What is Jikiden Reiki?’ You will understand how Usui Reiki has been interpreted by us in the West which has led to many misunderstandings about Reiki over many years. Jikiden Reiki offers the Usui Reiki system in its original form as Usui Sensei developed it. This can greatly help in our understanding of Reiki, below are a few thoughts of those who too Jikiden training who had previous Reiki training:

"I was previously trained in Reiki levels 1 and 2. I was intrigued to learn Jikiden Reiki, so I trained with Shaun. I found the training offered a much deeper level of understanding of Reiki. I feel both the perception and energy in my hands have increased following Jikiden Reiki training. I have a greater level of understanding of Reiki, gained new techniques, and even the traditional Japanese certificate is outstanding. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and would recommend anyone interested in Reiki take Jikiden Reiki training if you have previously learned Reiki or not."

Another student said: “I trained with Shaun (Shoden and Okuden) and the training was second to none. Having trained in Western Reiki previously, it was refreshing to be met with Shaun's down-to-earth, insightful teachings...I would recommend it to anyone looking for authentic Japanese Reiki training”

“I have recently completed Shoden and Okuden training with Shaun. After searching the internet to revisit Usui Reiki from 12 years previous I came across Jikiden Reiki. Everything I read about Jikiden led me to decide that this was the path I wanted to follow. I love that it is the most original Reiki that Mikao Usui taught, has no Western influence added and the lineage is short.”

2. You will gain an accurate history of events of the early formation of the Usui Reiki system and understand the social and political environment of the day and how it impacted the journey of Usui Reiki and the spread of Reiki to the rest of the world (as well as when westernized Reiki spread to Japan and back out to the west again). This will fill in some ‘gaps’ in the history of Reiki and why things are done a certain way for good reason.

3. You will learn the Usui technique of Kekko, the circulatory massage with a trained teacher, to add another useful technique you can use in your treatments with others. (this technique does not tend to be covered in Reiki training courses).

4. You will understand in depth the method of how to use specific feedback from a recipient’s body, to guide how you deliver Reiki treatments, as such is the cornerstone of delivering Reiki treatments that Usui Sensei developed: ‘Byosen’, which also provides you more measurable markers of levels of need in a recipient, i.e. if chronic, acute, and provides the ability to rate how someone is responding to your treatment plan, so you can make better treatment decisions. This all allows your Reiki treatments to be more targeted and effective, meaning better results with your treatments. A completely different approach to standardized hand placements that are commonly taught in Reiki (note 1: some Reiki courses have more intuitive techniques such as ‘Reiji-ho’ bolted onto such training, however, the underpinning foundation of treatments driven using byosen sensations that Usui sensei developed is missing. note 2: When I say ‘byosen’, this differs from ‘byosen scanning technique’ that is incorporated in some Reiki training).

5. You will learn the full method for mental & emotional healing that Usui Sensei developed in its original form (which is beyond the drawing of a symbol in isolation), learning the full original technique takes a big chunk of the entire Okuden (deeper level) training course to teach and practice (Okuden being broadly comparable to what you might know as level 2 training).

6. You receive the original Reiju (if you have had Western interpretations of Usui Reiki training, which will be known as an attunement). Most approaches should have an effect, all I can say is what people who have previously been trained in Reiki have been telling me after receiving Jikiden Reiki training with me and received the original Reiju as taught by Usui Sensei, that they feel different. To quote a common response from students: “I previously learned Reiki and was interested in seeing how different Jikiden Reiki would feel. I can honestly say that the heat and sensations in my hands were more intense than previously." We tend to stay clear of descriptive words such as stronger in relation to energy, perhaps words such as clearer, or feeling more connected might be useful words to consider in relation to this point.

7. You have the option of ongoing local support built into Jikiden Reiki training, to help you develop and build your confidence with Reiki. Many things in Japan (including Reiki) are focused on simplicity, depth, repetition, patience, and dedication to your study. I have previously been an instructor in martial arts. As we see in any martial arts study is over many years, with repetition, regular guidance from your teacher, and layering of skill and understanding. I and many other Jikiden Reiki teachers, as part of our role as teachers, offer monthly opportunities to receive Reiju, as well as to practice and receive Reiki, and are available for any questions you have. Reiki is not something you learn once then you know it, as with martial arts it is more a process of deepening understanding, refining skill, growth, and revealing layers.

8. With Jikiden Reiki you have access to an international community of both teachers and other students of the original Usui Reiki teachings. You can also repeat levels of training at a fraction of the original training fees with your original teacher, or another accredited Jikiden Reiki teacher in your home country or internationally, building on that initial foundation of your Reiki training. You can also attend other teachers’ workshops and Reiki share events.

9. With Jikiden Reiki you have the confidence that your Reiki training is authentic and is Usui Reiki in its original form (your training is centrally accredited with the Jikiden Reiki Institute in Japan). All teaching is overseen by the Jikiden Reiki Institute in Japan, teachers don’t make any amendments to the original teachings (so quality control mechanisms are built-in, as it was in Usui Sensei’s day). All course materials come from Japan as well. You can also have confidence in the quality of the teaching, as the path to a full teacher commonly takes a couple of years, with a combination of assessments, participating in the Jikiden Reiki training courses multiple times, case studies, reviews, experience in treatments and teaching before teacher courses, assessment and permission granted commonly by the president of the Jikiden Reiki Institute (not the teacher randomly creating teachers at will model).

10. The link from your teacher to the founder of Reiki, Usui Sensei himself is very short. Your Reiki lineage (should you learn with me) would be Mikao Usui, Chujiro Hayashi, Chiyoko Yamaguchi, Tadao Yamaguchi, and Me. As you are trained in Reiki already, you will appreciate that this is a very short lineage. Jikdien Reiki is the training Chiyoko Sensei gained from Hayashi Sensei in the 1930s in Japan. This is as close and authentic a link as you will get. Also, note there are no Western influences between Chiyoko Sensei and Usui Sensei, so the understanding of the training is clear. As an example when I first learned Reiki, my original teacher was about 13 or so steps from Usui Sensei. I then learned with a teacher on the same lineage 6 steps down (to see how teachings differed) I observed marked differences in what was taught. If you add to which we know much was changed by Mrs. Takata (2 steps down from Usui Sensei, the same lineage distance as Chiyoko sensei) Mrs. Takata was the first Usui Reiki teacher external to Japan. We know other changes were made by Mrs. Takata’s student teachers she trained, you can see the challenge of finding accurate training keeping with the original teachings of Usui Sensei, what is termed Usui Reiki.

I hope you have found this brief topic of interest, to finish with I wish to conclude with another experience from a student who had a wealth of Reiki training and was a qualified Reiki teacher in their own right, as I was when I first learned Jikiden Reiki: "I am an experienced Reiki professional who first learned Reiki over 15 years ago and has since taken Reiki training to high levels with various styles of Reiki and teachers. I would highly recommend learning the authentic Japanese Jikiden Reiki with Shaun, even if you have already been trained in modern Reiki. It will enhance your knowledge and understanding of the original Usui Reiki. For me, it answered many questions about Reiki that had come up with other Reiki courses. Both I and my clients have noticed differences in my Reiki treatments since taking Jikiden Reiki training." If you would like to find out more about learning Jikiden Reiki with me and the detail of the content of the courses, see my Jikiden Reiki courses page.

Shaun Mckeown 08/02/2019 Shaun Mckeown 08/02/2019

Using Reiki Therapy to Help Children

In this article, I wish to provide a brief overview of the topic using reiki to help children. I will hold my hands up now and admit my conclusions, and indeed the whole thing is likely to slide in direction of positive bias towards the benefits of Reiki for children, as frankly in my view it’s one of those things that is an absolute no brainer.

In this article, I wish to provide a brief overview of the topic of using Reiki to help children. I will hold my hands up now and admit my conclusions, and indeed the whole thing is likely to slide in direction of a positive bias towards the benefits of Reiki for children, as frankly in my view it’s one of those things that is an absolute no-brainer. This topic has come about from questions I have received from students learning Reiki and members of the public who were wondering how Reiki might help the children in their life.

So to start with, a question I sometimes get is: ‘Is Reiki safe for children?’ The answer is yes. Children I find are actually very open to Reiki, almost recognizing its nature as familiar, especially those younger children, who are at such an age to have had limited exposure to social conditioning and are more in their natural state. Children tend to require shorter treatments. Firstly just due to the fact they are smaller and secondly with children we usually see less time spent in a state of imbalance, had less damaging life experiences (in general) as well as less exposure to chronic stress and toxins compared with adults.

Having seen what Reiki can do, previously helping many adults with Reiki, in particular in relation to emotional well-being, and emotional healing, it was the potential of Reiki and its application to help children that played a big part in my move to specialize in Reiki, with my own interest in child development. The potential of Reiki to profoundly help children in need of healing and support, as part of an integrative approach with other professional fields seemed obvious to me.

In considering the potential benefits of Reiki for children, we can think of its use in the extreme as well as in everyday well-being and all things in between. I have always seen the greatest potential for Reiki in helping children to be in supporting emotional healing from trauma, be that abuse, neglect, violence, experiences of living in a war zone, or something such as grief, for example, the loss of a parent or sibling. Those who have known my work over the years likely know I have worked with adults with severe trauma, with some profound results.

One characteristic of Reiki that I have found to be a great advantage in this application is there is no need to talk about or revisit any experience, the Reiki energy is just absorbed by the person and supports healing. It is understood to move a person, in this case, a child towards a place of greater peace from within, which is a great advantage in some situations. As it is with approaches such as art therapy with children, emotions can be expressed non-verbally through drawing, with Reiki, their inner wisdom, mind, heart, and body just know- there is nothing that needs to be said. Talking therapies have a place, however, Reiki offers specific advantages or an angle that can support in a different way, for example, if a child is too traumatized to speak, or has difficulty articulating their feelings. What I am suggesting is Reiki could be a very useful tool, alongside other therapeutic approaches.

There are many areas where Reiki can support children in today’s modern world, be that helping them cope with the increasing pressures of academic exams, reducing worry, processing, and healing from a bereavement, or any number of life experiences. I have also had experience in using Reiki to support children with challenges they face, as well as improving children’s sleep. As I write this I am helping a child with Reiki therapy for sleep, to great effect. Many people have also found Reiki helpful in managing chronic conditions with children, alongside mainstream medical care. Applications, where Reiki is used with adults in hospital settings, could also be used with children, such as supporting recovery from surgery or reducing side effects of medications.

So to conclude there are many ways Reiki could be helpful to a child, all challenges we help adults with, we can help children with too. I hope this brief overview gets you thinking of the potential ways Reiki could help any children in your life. If you would like to find out more about Reiki treatments for a child in your life or to find out about learning Jikiden Reiki to help you to help them.

Shaun Mckeown 09/01/2019 Shaun Mckeown 09/01/2019

5 Ways Reiki Can Improve Your Sleep

Over the years I have helped many people improve sleep, using lifestyle coaching as well as Reiki. I like to take a comprehensive approach to any challenge and look at various approaches however I have observed people I have helped reporting improvements in their sleep when Reiki has been the only approach used. So I thought the benefits of Reiki with regards to sleep would be an interesting topic.

Over the years I have helped many people improve their sleep, using lifestyle coaching as well as Reiki. I like to take a comprehensive approach to any challenge and look at various approaches however I have observed people I have helped reporting improvements in their sleep when Reiki has been the only approach used. So I thought the benefits of Reiki with regard to sleep would be an interesting topic. In this context, it may be helpful to consider the collective effect of all of the individual ways Reiki might help when considering its value in helping improve sleep. So I have highlighted 5 key ways below for you to consider.

I have focused on those things that are more specific to Reiki. For example, laying in a quiet room with relaxing music for an hour (as is commonly the environment in which a Reiki treatment is delivered) may promote a restful state but that can be achieved anywhere and is not the unique way in which Reiki helps people with sleep, so I will just class that as a supportive environment and focus on those things that are specific to Reiki:

1. To start with Reiki promotes deep relaxation, commonly during Reiki treatments, it’s that place between awake and asleep, a level deeper than what would be experienced by traditional relaxation methods and Reiki tends to take people there (so independent of us need to do or learn or do anything). It’s not uncommon for people to fall asleep during a Reiki treatment. This enhanced state of relaxation can still be experienced beyond the treatment appointment itself. So with the objective of helping with sleep, having Reiki treatments in the evening can work well, to promote good sleep that evening especially.

2. Many report Reiki helps them with clearing the mental clutter in their minds. Or the calming effect of Reiki reducing internal conflict and easing the tension in our mind, which may not be supporting our sleep.

3. Reiki is well known for helping people reduce stress and supporting emotional well-being. The common state of high stress that many of us live within itself can be a major factor in people’s sleep problems. So Reiki’s stress-reducing effects can promote a calmer environment mentally and physically, by reducing the volume or intensity of stress a person might be feeling, so could be thought of as a supporting foundation for good sleep.

4. Ki is the non-physical energy that animates all life. The specific frequencies of Reiki, Rei-Ki, is believed to transmute or dissipate byoki (unhealthy Ki) from both around and within the tissues of any segment of the body, helping to promote balance and reduce tension in an area. As an example of sleep problems, it is likely that the head of the person receiving the Reiki treatment will receive a significant degree of attention during the treatment. The pineal gland located in the brain, is of particular interest in the context of sleep, due to this gland’s role in the production of the hormone melatonin, involved in sleep cycle regulation. In addition, the tension in secondary areas, such as a build-up of toxins and tension in the upper shoulders and neck will not help you with sleep either, so dissipating that tension can also help as a by-product as well.

5. In Reiki, as it is in Japanese culture the body, heart, and mind are one. Reiki by its nature in addition to working from an integrative physical/ energetic perspective is believed to work more deeply on a core level of our being. With ki being the energy of our thoughts, Reiki is also believed to have a positive effect on our thinking. It tends to have a way of migrating us toward greater inner peace by default, bringing us toward balance and peace from within.

Each one of the above points has the potential to positively improve sleep on its own. Taken collectively it is obvious how Reiki could contribute significantly to helping to improve sleep. I would encourage you to also consider that with Reiki you also get benefits that can positively impact other areas of your life in addition to improving sleep. From experience, the best results in improving sleep come from looking at lifestyle, environment, and behavior (such as evening routines and habits). In addition to approaches such as Reiki. However from experience, Reiki can be very helpful in improving sleep even on its own, so I would invite you to consider its merits should improving sleep be something of interest to you. To find out more about Reiki click on the link below. To find out more about Jikiden Reiki treatments or Reiki courses take a look at the links.

Shaun Mckeown 09/12/2018 Shaun Mckeown 09/12/2018

6 Ways Reiki Can Help You Reduce Stress

Many people initially look for Reiki with a desire for it to help them to reduce stress. So in this article, I thought it would be useful to Approach this topic in a different format and highlight some of the most common ways I see Reiki helping people every day with stress. Reiki can have a positive effect on reducing someone’s excessive stress load in many different ways as it targets the problem from multiple angles at the same time so compounding its positive effect.

Below are seven different ways in which I have found Reiki has helped people in reducing stress, just bear in mind that although these points are individually listed, they commonly have their effect at the same time, rather than in isolation. I thought it would be helpful to list a real-world experience from different Reiki clients I have helped for each point. Even by taking just one sentence from an overall experience, you can still see many of these 7 points repeated in each person’s experience.

1. Relaxation Effect

Reiki Commonly induces a sense of deep relaxation. From an immediate perspective, when someone comes into their Reiki treatment in a heightened state after work with their sympathetic nervous system dominant, i.e. stuck in turbo - Reiki will commonly induce a state of balancing the body and mind which promotes a parasympathetic dominance - an immediate relaxation response which goes beyond that experienced by common self-relaxation techniques. This can often be seen in physical changes with a Reiki treatment, such as you can feel the tension leave, be that a shift from stress breathing (rapid, short, shallow chest breathing), to relaxed diaphragmic breathing (smooth, with expansion from ribs and diaphragm). Shoulder and Jaw relax, or reduced tension in neck and shoulders.

”I felt the benefits of Receiving Reiki from Shaun from the very first treatment. The immediate effect was a deep sense of relaxation, with more lasting effects of improved sleep, and a calmer, more positive outlook."

2. Creating An Internal Environment of Calm

Reiki commonly helps us develop a calmer internal environment in our minds. Reiki tends to affect people in a manner that provokes a level of underlying calm that will commonly last hours, or a day or so after the first treatment. This benefit deepens and holds for longer as subsequent treatments are performed progressively becoming the norm or baseline level for many. This commonly is communicated to me by clients as having greater tolerance for stress in general, or previously stressful things don't bother them as much, be that other people’s driving, what people think, or they have a higher threshold before something feels overwhelming to them.

"After each Reiki treatment with Shaun the relaxation seemed to grow, I found myself much better able to respond to stressful situations. This reduction in my stress levels. I don't understand why Reiki works but I know it has made a difference to me."

3. Balancing Internal Disruption

Reiki is believed to work to balance internal disruption (stress) and achieve better balance within the body. From an Eastern view of health and well-being, there is the belief that during Reiki treatments on an energetic level chronic load or tension, be that in the shoulders, or an organ can be identified and dissipated with Reiki energy, thereby clearing stagnation’s in energy flow to organs and the body in general so promoting a healthy functioning body and mind. Reiki by its nature has a strong focus on internal emotional stress which a person may have been carrying around with them and can be stored energetically in the body which, again from an Eastern perspective on health, can be very stressful for that person. Reiki provides a release valve for such issues that can have a very powerful positive effect.

"My treatments are always relaxing, and calming I find Reiki helps me in both my personal and professional life. Since starting Reiki treatments with Shaun I feel more positive, can handle demanding situations and stress easily, and make decisions with clarity and confidence. I would definitely recommend Shaun to anyone juggling the demands of a busy life! "

4. Moving You In A Direction Of Greater Internal Peace

Reiki tends to help someone move in the direction of greater inner peace. This might come through as improvements in mood, outlook on life, being more patient, more forgiving, worrying less, etc. This is even stronger in those who learn Reiki and the Full practice of Reiki.

"Receiving Reiki from Shaun has been a wonderful gift. I have seen improvements in my mood, Reiki has helped me become more patient, calmer, happier, less stressed, and better able to cope with the demands of my busy life."

5. Improving Sleep

Reiki also can help improve sleep. Sleep deprivation is a big stressor on the body and Reiki can help in this way so reducing the total stress load.

"I have found Reiki to be enormously beneficial to help me relax, both during the treatments themselves as well as day to day afterward, my sleep is always improved after my Reiki treatments. Reiki has provided balance and increased energy in busy working life"

6. Greater Clarity & Resolving Internal Conflict

On a deeper level, for many people, Reiki treatments induce greater clarity in thought and intuition/inner awareness that can help a person identify deeper causes of internal stress for them. It can also help them more clearly realize what in their life is right for them and what is in conflict with who they are as a person, as well as any deep internal conflict within them which is a cause of stress that can then be addressed. Within some, the weight is lifted and peace replaces the pain. With others an action that needs to be taken is highlighted from the wisdom within that can lead someone towards greater fulfillment and happiness in their life.

"Jikiden Reiki treatments with Shaun have changed my life in such a positive way. I feel better both physically and psychologically. The powerful Reiki treatments have helped me process past traumatic emotional and physical abuse at such a deep level. The pain and fear were accessed in a nonverbal therapeutic manner. This has helped my self-esteem, trust, and relationships, helping me develop a healthier mind and body connection."

Just broadly viewing the ways in which I have observed the positive effects of Reiki on my own clients helping them in relation to reducing their stress levels, you can see its potential. To find out more about Reiki treatments with Shaun in Sutton Coldfield, click on the link Reiki treatments

Shaun Mckeown 09/11/2018 Shaun Mckeown 09/11/2018

Using Reiki for Relaxation

A common reason many people try a Reiki treatment in the first place is to help them relax. In my experience, in addition to the many other ways Reiki can help people, increased relaxation is the most immediate effect of a course of Reiki treatments. Indeed, an improvement in relaxation is commonly experienced from the first Reiki treatment, usually experienced during the actual Reiki treatment itself. Then in subsequent treatments, as a person becomes more comfortable with their treatments, as they feel more at ease and gain a greater trust in both Reiki and their practitioner the levels of relaxation progressively deepen.

The immediate levels of relaxation experienced during the treatment itself tend to be of a deeper nature when compared to alternative relaxation techniques. This is due to the nature/deeper effect of Reiki energy on a person which is to a much greater level than would be achievable via other relaxation methods. Another benefit of Reiki is that the recipient just has to lie there and receive the treatment rather than learn a skill or practice a technique to receive deep benefits, which is great if your brain is fried after a long day at work! Commonly Reiki holds a person’s consciousness somewhere between deep relaxation and sleep, so they are aware but deeply relaxed. It is also quite common for people to fall asleep during a Reiki treatment.

By default modern lifestyles promote people to spend an exaggerated proportion of their day in a heightened state of alertness, in the active part of the autonomic nervous system - sympathetic nervous system dominant - or, in other words, stuck in turbo. The immediate physical effect of a Reiki treatment on a person’s body is that Reiki will commonly induce a state of balancing the body and mind promoting a parasympathetic dominance - a shift to the calmer branch of the autonomic nervous systems - as an immediate relaxation response which restores the natural baseline level of alertness which is congruent with optimal health and well-being. From a physiological view, this effect is the same for other relaxation methods however the depth of relaxation tends to be deeper with Reiki. I will commonly observe this as a shift in breathing, or a release in shoulder or neck tension during treatment.

Beyond the immediate relaxation effect induced by a Reiki treatment, I find that there is an extended relaxation response experienced well after the treatment has ended. This might be just a few hours or, more often, a couple of days after the first treatment. However, during a course of Reiki treatments, I find that this extended relaxation response deepens as well as progressively extends. This is commonly communicated to me by my clients as an increased level of calmness that stays with them in between their Reiki treatments.

So not only does Reiki appear to encourage relaxation at the event of the Reiki treatment itself it also seems to, as a chronic, or lasting effect, to have a sort of 'resetting' of an individual’s baseline level of alertness in the direction of its natural optimal parasympathetic dominance- when in a rested, or going about your day state. Just viewed from a physiological view alone this would have significant implications to the body in terms of health and well-being. For example on a chemical level, such a chronic relaxation influence/migration towards parasympathetic dominance would reduce elevations in stress hormones, such as cortisol, which would be advantageous from a health and well-being perspective. Such an effect has the potential to positively influence issues such as sleep quality, reducing stress, and reducing immune system suppression, among other benefits. It would be a fair assumption to suggest the merits of Reiki would be even more helpful to someone currently managing a health condition where relaxation would be beneficial or a condition that would be aggravated by stress.

The extended relaxation effect of Reiki progressively strengthens with subsequent Reiki treatments experienced, especially when they are conducted reasonably close together - acting if you like as a layering effect of deepening the level of calmness within a person. This tends to become a permanent benefit with many as they progress with their Reiki treatments and even more so with those who take Reiki training; by just embarking on a journey of healing, acceptance and personal growth, as is the case with a life filled with Reiki, that person tends to progressively migrate to a baseline place of greater peace, compassion, and acceptance, towards themselves as well as others. You could say this in itself produces a much greater constant state of relaxation.

Experiences with regard to relaxation are generally consistent; it is more the duration in time/ number of treatments required to achieve a strong relaxation effect that differs, with various contributing factors influencing the outcome or degree of relaxation experienced and the volume of Reiki required to experience the effect. Some treatment sessions might sometimes be less relaxing than others, dependent on what needs to be cleared at the time for the person however the trend is usually toward increased relaxation.

For a start where a person is relatively 'at' emotionally when coming for their first Reiki treatment plays a part. Some people are mentally uncomfortable physically lying still (i.e. have a strong compulsion to be 'doing something' from a point of conditioned guilt). People can also have differing degrees of racing of the mind and differing ability to calm their minds down at the point they start their treatment plan. Indeed for some being still in mind can be an uncomfortable experience to start with, as can being 'present' with themselves in the here and now be daunting for others, as it can draw their attention to a life experience that they are not happy with, or draw attention to what actions they need to do to be happier in their life. This can be frightening. (For some people, being busy mentally and physically can be a distraction strategy to avoid looking in the mirror as such). The other main factors I would say are the degree a person's guard is up and their ability, or trust, to let their barriers down and accept the healing offered by the treatment.

There is not a direct correlation between those in a good place emotionally commencing a course of Reiki treatments, and experiencing a superior relaxation response. In some, the effect can be dramatic and quick even with strong emotional challenges. Commonly someone who is very busy in mind and very analytical in thinking might find they hold back a bit at the first treatment and progressively let go and relax more as they progress through their course of Reiki treatments. So to conclude, yes it is very effective in helping people to relax. Bear in mind there is much more that can be gained from Reiki. To find out about how Reiki treatments could help you click on the link below. Find out more about Jikiden Reiki treatments or Jikiden Reiki Training Courses

Shaun Mckeown 09/09/2018 Shaun Mckeown 09/09/2018

Viewing Reiki from A Personal Growth Perspective

In helping our understanding of Reiki, I write a series of articles viewing Reiki from differing perspectives, in this article we look at Reiki from a personal growth perspective. Firstly I wish to explore Reiki from its original intentions in relation to personal growth and then explore the applications of Reiki to support personal growth in today's modern world.

Reiki can be thought of as an expression of Love and compassion in action, as a way of being. There is a strong focus on personal development and growth, but more as a ‘part of the course’ or ‘requirement’ to evolve to a point of living as an expression of Reiki. Primarily mental/ emotional healing, bringing physical restoration. As stated by Usui Sensei himself who described Reiki is a practice of improvement of body and mind. who named the Reiki system: 'Shin Shin Kaizen Usui Reiki Ryoho', which translated means: Usui Reiki treatment method to improve body and mind.

Although Usui sensei observed great healing events with people who received treatments in the Reiki system of healing he formed, he also observed that with some people after receiving some healing treatments, some problems might manifest, or ill health might reappear at a later date in a differing form. Usui sensei realized that where the root cause of the imbalance or build-up of tension within a person’s body was the result of a lifetime of habitual poor thinking, internal conflict, or holding onto feelings, such as anger, worry, resentment, guilt, or ill will towards anyone else, then something more than passively receiving a therapy treatment was needed. For example, for someone to receive Reiki treatments without making positive adjustments to their own thinking and actions would result in limitations to the long-term results of any Reiki treatments and so reduce the likelihood of a permanent correction of the challenge that person was suffering with. In other words, that person would still be actively contributing to their reality of pain and ill health every day via their own thoughts and actions.

In such an example, resolving the concern would require a combination of Reiki treatments to disperse the accumulated load, supported by a change in attitude, thinking, and behavior of the recipient to facilitate the healing, which could be the recipient taking responsibility for their own thoughts and actions and making them more supportive to their health and well-being. The point is that, in this example, the recipient might be required to take personal responsibility for their own thoughts and behaviors in conjunction with receiving Reiki treatments to expect a favorable long-term improvement to their current reality. This point is as relevant to any therapy, or approach as it is to Reiki.

To address this issue as well as provide a framework for the system Usui sensei complimented the original Usui Reiki system with guiding principles to live by on a daily basis, which is infused with emotions of love, compassion, selflessness, cooperation, and respect. These are called the 'Gokai'.

Kyo dake wa (Just for today):

Ikaru-na (Do not be angry)

Shinpai suna (Do not worry)

Kansha shite (Be grateful)

Gyo-o hage me (Do your duties fully)

Hito ni shinsetsu ni (Be kind to others)

So there is more to Reiki than the actual Reiki treatments themselves. The ‘Gokai’ are learned and discussed in-depth in terms of interpretation and application within a Jikiden Reiki training course/seminar, but from seeing them in print you can get the idea. In addition, in a Reiki training course a person will receive ‘Reiju’ (the event of clearing our connection to our true state). This is a powerful event in terms of a person’s own personal growth, beyond anything you can read in a book or technical skill you could learn. This event can be the catalyst for personal growth, (personal growth in the fast lane for many).

So it is no wonder that this aspect of Reiki, like a path of personal growth, is commonly seen strongest in those who seriously study and practice Reiki, as both the Gokai and Reiju are specific to Reiki training. However, just considering the spirit of the above principles as a filter for your thoughts and actions and incorporating the approach into your everyday life can be a very positive step in itself.

The Reiki-trained group of a population tends to be those who have progressed someway along a path of personal growth already, although there is much variation in the distances traveled between individuals. The further a person develops with their study and practice of Reiki, the more a person is likely to be ‘living Reiki’ so to speak. Reiki teachers, for example, tend to be in this group. However, technical ability and participation in courses to be qualified to teach Reiki is not a determinant of the degree of progress a person may have made on their path of personal growth, or development. Nor is the progression to teaching levels of study a requirement to have a life filled with Reiki, or experience profound personal growth. Many of my own Reiki students have experienced some pretty strong personal development and evolution in their lives! (they read this article with a smile at this point).

The expression of the personal growth side of Reiki commonly translates to a person living in a more selfless way, which may be actively helping others or contributing to society, living a more peaceful and accepting life towards others, orientation to living in cooperation, and working through personal challenges, life lessons, developing as a person.

For those not wishing to study and learn Reiki, much personal growth can still be experienced. Many find the biggest influence on personal growth is your inner voice, gut instincts, or intuition, with your own intuition having a louder voice after receiving Reiki treatments (we all have such a voice - in some, it’s too faint to hear, in others, it is just ignored). Reiki can act, almost like clearing away the clutter, creating some stillness, and allowing you to think with clarity. Many find Reiki also seems to help give people the courage to do whatever they need to do to move forward in their life or realign to the right path for them at that time.

The applications of Reiki to personal growth in the modern world are many. For a start, it can provide some 'breathing space' to think. Reiki can help you release feelings of anger, fear, guilt, hurt, regret, or pain, for example. It can encourage feelings of kindness (to both yourself and others), and encourage compassion, cooperation, love, forgiveness, and peace. It can serve to support you in your life, as a compass to your intentions, actions, and direction in life as well as fortify your resolve. There are many other ways Reiki can promote personal growth, but hopefully, you can see its value and potentially positive effects from this perspective of personal growth.

All this said, still think of this as steps towards a way of being and helping others, rather than the personal development as an endpoint itself, maybe more as a prerequisite. Again we have the Japanese cultural view (with influences of Buddhism) of self and ‘I’ itself- the ego, the soul (tamashi), being in a perfect state to consider. I hope this has been of interest and given you some things to consider with your practice of Reiki. Find out more about Reiki training courses

Shaun Mckeown 09/08/2018 Shaun Mckeown 09/08/2018

Viewing Reiki from a Healing Perspective

A common result of Reiki is to experience various healing responses, most commonly on an emotional level. The healing effect with Reiki is such a common result, that many Reiki professionals label what they do within a session/ appointment as Reiki healing. People have reported various healing results with Reiki, however, if we simply focus on emotional healing the positive knock-on effect on well-being is not hard to see.

Many times people have come to me for Reiki treatments, purely to help them with a well-being benefit, such as to help them de-stress or relax, yet the real benefit they gain from Reiki is much more profound, such as helping them to let go of some deeply buried emotional hurt that is causing a chronic disruption in their body that they have been holding onto for 25 years, or help with issues such as grief, be that current of past grief buried in the body. Many of these people would have (and many did) state categorically that they did not have any healing that needed to be done, they just needed help to relax, sleep, or similar.

This deep healing capacity of Reiki is not so surprising when we consider what Reiki energy is, that mystic, or core energy of life. This part of Reiki can be the hardest to comprehend, however in the context of this article relating to the healing capacity of Reiki, an awareness of what it is, is all we need. So if we look at the nature of energy, the glue that holds all existence together along with a person’s soul (tamashi) as universal consciousness itself. Then we are in effect working at a soul level with someone, so it’s no real surprise, with this deep awareness and knowingness of what needs healing within each person, that strong healing responses are common with Reiki.

Reiki’s work is interwoven within a person’s physical, emotional/mental body and our body knows how to best promote healing in the healthiest way for us at a given time. In a Reiki treatment, this might unfold as creating a healthy flow of energy within an individual whilst also dissipating the tensions and disruptions in the body, whilst going deeper within a person’s consciousness and healing on that level also.

Healing can take a more physical form, in its application could be supporting healing after something like surgery (as it is starting to be used more in hospitals in the USA) and supporting recovery, yet most of the time we see Reiki used for emotional healing.

Commonly as a practitioner, within the first couple of Reiki treatments, we can get a sense of the degree of healing needed in a specific area, but we don’t know how the healing will unfold. I have consistently observed with my own clients that Reiki can help people find the courage to do what they know they need to do to heal something that isn’t working in their life. Reiki can also gradually or sometimes more dramatically dissipate, congestion around an issue, so someone might feel they are not weighed down by the issue and that the burden has been lifted. Commonly clients have said that they feel lighter after such an event. Sometimes the person might release the issue through tears during treatment or at a later date. Sometimes the healing involves some action to be taken, sometimes this is easy, sometimes less so. This can happen in one event or over a few treatments.

Another point to consider is the effects of Reiki treatments can become even more profound and healing for those who seriously pursue training and practice in Reiki. It is also worth noting that this healing capacity of Reiki is always a positive event in the long term. It can help people feel much happier and at peace with themselves, and their past, more content, and less restricted in life. find out more about Reiki healing or Reiki Courses other articles on similar topics that may be of interest to you can be found on the Reiki articles page.

Shaun Mckeown 06/07/2018 Shaun Mckeown 06/07/2018

Why Repeating Reiki Training Could Be A Good Idea

This article highlights the benefits of ongoing practice and training to deepen your study of Reiki after the formal Reik training courses and how this way of thinking was part of Reiki practice. In this article, I will focus on another option that is available to Jikiden Reiki trained students in addition to regular Reiju meetings with a workshop element or Reiki shares. That being repeating your formal Reiki training courses.

In this article, I wish to bring your attention to some benefits of repeating your formal Reiki training courses, after having attended the formal Jikiden Reiki training courses- Shoden and Okuden. The option to repeat formal Reiki training courses is available to all students of Jikiden Reiki and is something all Jikiden Reiki teachers agree to do. The cost to a student to do so is a fraction of the original training fees, the fee is set by the Institute in Japan for each country. In the UK to repeat Shoden and Okuden is £150, not each, that’s for both, so just under a third of the original cost of training, so at a huge reduced fee.

The idea of repeating training is in keeping with the idea that formal Reiki training is the starting point of your study. Let that point sink in. I encourage you to think of your training as well as your individual study of Reiki as an ongoing practice. A bit like martial arts, your learning is not complete with one lesson, or attending a training course. I see a common view in our culture with things that are presented as a course, I see a view of ‘I have taken the training’, like the topic has been done, or completed. Rather than dig into reasons why this might be the case, here I wish to simply look at a few reasons why I believe repeating the formal Jikiden Reiki courses might be helpful for you to consider.

I have personally found repeating a helpful thing to do myself in my own study of Reiki. In addition to all the Reiki training courses, I had attended differing approaches to Reiki before I found Jikiden Reiki. I have taken Jikiden Reiki Shoden and Okuden about five or so times now, with three different teachers. Shihan Kaku three times and Shihan twice. (note: as a Shihan, it is part of the teacher training process to have done some repeating). You will see the same picture of repeating with any dedicated Reiki teacher.

So what can we gain from repeating courses we have already taken? Firstly, as with any course, with the best intentions in the world, we do not retain all the information presented to us in our first exposure to the information. I personally wrote a lot of notes the first time I took formal Jikiden Reiki training, yet found I wrote just as many notes the second time around. I was at a different place with my practice compared to when I first took the Jikiden Reiki training. Be aware some questions will only appear after practice, so you would not yet be at that place when the content is new.

Repeating training can also be helpful in layering your technical ability and understanding of an approach or the idea being taught. An obvious example is the Kekko technique taught in the Shoden course. The way I tend to approach it in teaching it is, the first time learning is about getting the sequence and process down and trying it. The next time I observe the student performing Kekko technique. I can further coach and help them refine the finer points of the technique. The same is true with concepts such as Byosen as well.

What you also tend to find with attending different courses is there are different people there, as will be their experiences, so the questions asked in the training tend to be different in each class. The mix of beginners, repeaters, those previously trained in more Western approaches to Reiki, and those who are professional practitioners are commonly different. It might even be a useful thing to do for a newly qualified teacher to observe how an experienced teacher delivers the content and manages the flow of the courses, to help them as they prepare to start teaching themselves.

Repeating Reiki training courses is also a great way to receive more/regular Reiju. Reiju was delivered on five occasions over the two courses. Increasing the occasions you are ‘brought back to your original self’ during say your initial year or so of early training would also be supportive of your study, or development with Reiki.

My advice is if you would like to repeat training that the most value of repeating training is gained when repeating is done around 6 to 12 months after first learning Reiki after you have had a period of practice of what you learned. Many find it helpful to first repeat with the teacher they learned from. Beyond that, I would encourage you to consider taking some training with other teachers. For example, the Jikiden Reiki teachers in the UK have differing experiences and styles of teaching, some are a more practical focus, some have a lot of experience delivering treatments, some have lived in Japan and have more depth in understanding Japanese culture, some have a lot of experience with western approaches to Reiki so understand the misunderstandings that have come through with Reiki in the west. All this can aid your study of Reiki. My view is that once you have repeated training 1 or 2 times, you might only then wish to do so as a recap every year or a couple of years. You can also look out for an opportunity to learn with key figures in Jikiden Reiki who are international teachers such as Tadao Yamaguchi, or Frank Arjava Petter when they visit the UK.

With Jikiden Reiki we have the benefit of having a pool of Jikiden Reiki teachers in the UK all teaching the same content, so get to know who the teachers are both in your area and further afield. Have a look at the teacher’s map on the Jikiden Reiki UK Association (JRUKA) website to see where they all are Jikiden Reiki Courses UK. In the JRUKA teacher members also post upcoming UK course dates on our website, which we keep up to date, usually with courses for the next 3 months ahead in the Uk, so you can view them here: Jikiden Reiki training courses UK If you are international and looking to repeat your Jikdien Reiki training see the International Jikiden Reiki Association (IJRA) website for teacher members in countries other than the UK see the international Jikdiden Reiki teacher directory. For information about upcoming Jikiden Reiki training courses in the Birmingham area of the UK see my Jikiden Reiki courses. As a reminder of all the support available to you see my Jikiden Reiki Practitioner support webpage where I list support available to you.

Shaun Mckeown 09/06/2018 Shaun Mckeown 09/06/2018

The Value of Reiki for Your Well-being

In this article, we look at the value of Reiki purely from a wellbeing perspective. This article looks at well-being in Forthcoming articles will discuss Reiki from health, healing, as well as personal growth and spiritual perspective. I will share my insights into Reiki from each perspective and invite you to consider how Reiki might enrich your life. Although each article will focus solely on one area or perspective, please remember to view Reiki not just from an isolated application, but from all perspectives in a holistic fashion.

In this article, we look at the value of Reiki purely from a well-being perspective. In reality, Reiki works in multiple areas of our lives at the same time. We are not the body in one part and then the mind in another, we are an integrated whole of our mind, heart, and body. As such our mind, thinking, and physical and mental well-being all interlink. So although I am talking about one area, keep in mind the effect will be over a range of areas. For example by affecting mental well-being- we have a knock-on effect on physical well-being by default. Or the effect of Reiki in areas of health, healing, well-being, etc all interlink.

The merits of Reiki are commonly communicated by the Reiki community at large from a well-being perspective. The reasons can be many, one example, it is the easiest way to explain Reiki to a person unfamiliar with natural therapies and energy work and for the public at large to comprehend it; also natural methods of building health via natural therapies are not integrated into society in the western world. Society is conditioned to think and view the merits of any therapy solely from a quantitative, analytical, scientific view which, by default, means that the value of any natural therapy is taken from how it fits into the criteria, method, limitations, capacity of measure of modern science. Reiki, by its very nature, doesn’t lend itself easily to this compartmentalization.

The attitude of the established allopathic or mainstream medical community and the central government policy position on natural therapies play a key part. There are subtle shoots of change in some quarters, where the application or integration of Reiki as therapy has gained more appreciation in differing situations, where its results, rather than its ability to be measured, have won through. I think this situation will improve as more medical professionals see the value in integrative approaches involving professionals of both medical and natural fields to best support their patients.

In addition, from this well-being perspective, Reiki is tolerated/enjoys partial, and increasing acceptance from the mainstream medical community and those controlling policy regarding public health, acceptable advertising, etc. So, it is only natural that Reiki has positioned itself from this well-being perspective, where it can survive as a professional therapy and will be best understood, and have the ability to help the public.

Under this well-being perspective, we might list the benefits of Reiki as enhancing relaxation, and as a result, reducing stress, or sleep, with Reiki treatments providing a calmer undercurrent in daily life resulting in less agitation or anger. Other benefits are a general feeling of being less burdened with the challenges of life, and a person feeling more at peace within themself.

There are occasions, however, where viewing Reiki solely from a well-being perspective can be helpful to a person. For example, a person may be in great need of reducing stress or improving their sleep, yet this person might initially struggle to comprehend anything metaphysical in nature - just from it being something new, or the fact that they are very analytical in thinking and only used to dealing with things that are easily measurable. In this instance, it might first be appropriate to ensure Reiki is the right natural therapy for where this person is in their life at this time. If it is, then it might be helpful to the person to just view Reiki from a well-being view, until they see the results and become more open to its nature.

So, in conclusion, the value of Reiki for our well-being can be to recharge, provide space, calm, reduce stress, and aid relaxation in our busy lives. With the study of Reiki (attending a Reiki training course) these benefits can be developed in a deeper way, however, from receiving a Reiki treatment, which tends to be people’s first experience of Reiki, I find it can support a person’s well-being very well indeed. To see some real-world results of people I have helped with Reiki and some of the ways it has helped people have a look at my reviews page. Or click on the link below to find out more about Reiki healing or Reiki courses