How often should I get reiki?

One of the most common questions that I get after a treatment is ‘how often should I have a reiki treatment?’

The easy answer is: it’s up to you.

The longer answer is:

After your treatment, pay attention to how you felt afterwards, and that night, and the next day. And if you can, continue to try to notice what changes – energetically, emotionally, physically, spiritually – might have taken place.

Some clients just ‘feel’ the treatment during the treatment itself, and that is enough for them, to feel quiet and relaxed in the midst of their busy lives. Some feel the effects for the rest of the day, and into the next day. Others report feeling the effects for a few days, and a few have told me that a treatment creates a long-term change that can last for a week or longer.

Then there’s the question of why you came for the treatment, and if the treatment had a good effect. If you came in to be more relaxed and centred before a job interview, then unless you have another job interview right away, perhaps your intention can be met in one treatment. If it’s a long-term issue, then perhaps regular reiki is a good way to heal if you found the treatment helpful. If you’ve had anxiety for many months or many years, it’s not realistic to think that just one reiki treatment is going to be a cure.

Then there’s the practical issues which shouldn’t be ignored. Is it convenient for you to come regularly? How can you make the time to do things you want to do? Can you afford the cost and the time?

But I know that people have read online or heard that people should come for multiple reiki treatments. Why is this?

There is one very prominent reiki teacher who advised all of his students to tell clients that if they really want to address an issue, they should have a minimum of three reiki treatments (in about three weeks). He taught a lot of people, so I’ve seen this repeated on many reiki websites.

But unfortunately, I suspect that this was as much about marketing and convincing clients to return than it was about actually finding out from each client what’s best for them. I personally disagree with the idea of telling a client that they need to come back or must come more than once. I think it really should be up to you.

  • Some clients are really interested in what reiki can do for them so come back multiple times.
  • Some clients find that reiki feels good and that they find it useful and helpful to have regular treatments.
  • Some clients find that reiki helps support their other practices, like meditation.

So, there’s a huge variation of how often clients come.

  • I’ve had a few clients who have come every week or two, for a period of time (maybe a few months), and then take a break or stop.
  • I have some semi-regular clients who come about every month.
  • I have one client now who tries to come up to three times a week.
  • Many clients I see once, and then not again for another six months or year.
  • Lots of clients I see once and never again (though maybe they will try reiki with someone else).

The only however that I have is that I have heard back from clients who know that a reiki treatment was beneficial to them but then get caught up in their busy lives or stress and anxiety, and don’t make the time to come in for a treatment. I hope that by keeping in touch with my clients by newsletter that I can remind them to come back sometime! If you know that it helps you, especially at times when you’re feeling low energy, anxious, sad or not quite in balance, do try to make the time. You’re worth it!

Anyways, if you’re still reading (I do go on, sometimes, don’t I?), as I said, it’s up to you how often you come for reiki treatments. I’d really prefer you to practise asking yourself, ‘When would I like another treatment?’ and then listening to yourself!  And when you’d like another treatment, I’m here! I look forward to seeing you.

Discover the gifts and benefits of a session of Japanese reiki therapy, healing energy from an experienced practitioner. Visit my website or Facebook page for more information and SMS, email, call me or book online if you’d like to make an appointment. Since 2011, I’ve given more than 1,500 reiki treatments.
Clients come to relieve stress, anxiety and for many other issues, or to just give reiki a try to see what it does for them. Folks come from all over Sydney and elsewhere to see me. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney.

 

Bring a friend!

 

My aim during a reiki treatment is to make a client as comfortable as possible.

But I’ve been surprised over the last years when clients have shown up with their partners or friends.

As Reiki Surry Hills is a private space, I don’t have a waiting room that’s separate from the treatment room.

But in the end, I’ve learned that this is obviously the way that the client feels more comfortable, at least for their first session. I understand that it can feel uncomfortable coming into a strange space with someone you’ve never met before to have a treatment, which you may not have ever had before and don’t know what to expect!

I don’t think it’s a perfect situation as an extra person in the room can be distracting, and can take away from the focus of the energy of the treatment, but I guess if it helps to make a client feel more comfortable, this could balance that out!

So, if you’re coming for a treatment, and will bring a friend, please warn me in advance. At least that way I can have time to put out an extra cup for tea! But more importantly, make sure they understand that they will be in a room for nearly an hour, and will need to be quiet and still. If they’d like, they can bring a book, or read on their phone, or simply be quiet and meditate. The husband of one client came, looked uncomfortable and unhappy for the whole treatment, and fidgeted: not good. But another husband was very still and said after that he loved the energy in the room and felt like he had gotten a treatment too!

At the same time, I have been asked if two people can come at the same time, for a treatment at the same time… The answer is no! Although reiki practitioners can give reiki in most situations, and could practice reiki in a group setting, for someone who hasn’t had a treatment before, I really don’t think it’s the best way to have a treatment to have more than one person at a time. It could be distracting and more difficult for everyone, and the aim of reiki is to make things easier!

Discover the gifts and benefits of a session of Japanese reiki therapy, healing energy from an experienced practitioner. Visit my website or Facebook page for more information and SMS, email, call me or book online if you’d like to make an appointment. I’m away until 9 June 2017 but happy to see you after that!
Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney.

 

 

Reiki metaphors: describing reiki

cimg3549A few comments from clients lately made me think of how we use metaphors.

I think because the effects of reiki and the feelings experienced during a treatment are so unusual that it’s quite hard to articulate what exactly is happening.

And metaphors, using something unrelated to refer to something else, can be useful in life and reiki, proving us with more clarity or useful understanding.

When I have my hands on different parts of a client’s body, I know what it feels like, but when trying to describe it, I often come up short. Usually, I feel warmth, but sometimes that warmth is hot, or light, or has a bit of electricity and charge mixed in. And when a client says it felt hot, and I think it felt hot, I still don’t know if we’re describing the same energy.

The woman who a regular client, E., used to get reiki treatments from used the metaphor of our lives as cups that are overfilled with thoughts and activities and worries. Reiki, she said, is like punching a hole in the cup so that you let out enough so that instead of overflowing, you can manage on a day-to-day basis what’s in your cup!

Meanwhile, a recent client told me that he felt his vision was like a dirty windscreen, but after the treatment, it was clear.

Sometimes, when I’ve had a treatment, what it feels like most of all is like sitting in a nice, warm bath!

One of my favourite reiki metaphors comes from my teacher Frans Steine which is advice on how, as a reiki practitioner, I should give treatments. He said that we should like a sheet of clean white paper. As soon as you write on it, or just put the smallest mark or dot, it is not longer the same. So, instead of putting an expectation on how the treatment should be, or imagining in advance what healing I want to occur or what will occur, I should be like that clean sheet of paper to have the best effects for a treatment.

Even if both I and a client set the intention that the client should receive what it is that she or he needs at this time, I think that still allows the paper to be pretty blank!

In any case, metaphors are useful for reiki but more important is how you feel during the treatment and what effects you notice afterwards.

What are your favourite reiki metaphors? Feel free to share them here!

Discover the gifts and benefits of a session of Japanese reiki therapy, healing energy from an experienced practitioner. Visit my website or Facebook page for more information and SMS, email or call me if you’d like to make an appointment.
Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney.

Review: Helping to solve problems with reiki in Sydney

I think if someone wants certainty, then a reiki treatment won’t be quite right for them. Aside from setting the intent that a client will take from the client what she or he needs, there’s no guarantee that a treatment will fix a physical problem, or a worry or an issue.

But I guess that’s true of most treatments, or perhaps, most situations in life.

What I do know is that when clients give themselves the gift of a treatment, it means they are taking a positive step to do something good for themselves, and if they have an issue, a movement towards addressing that issue.

Relaxing, though perhaps problem-solving at the same time!

Relaxing, though perhaps problem-solving at the same time!

Then, by relaxing in a safe, healing space, even without the reiki, it’s a good thing for people. Most people are busy in their lives, have too much stress and don’t get enough sleep.

At the same time, I’m always pleased to hear back from clients about what their experience was. Here’s some comments from Lou, a new client. I love how her reiki treatment helped her work through some challenges and problems in her life, during the treatment, and we’ll see how it continues! I’ll ask Lou for some more feedback in the next days. Thanks, Lou, for your feedback:

‘I found it really interesting how I felt wide awake the whole time, but my mind, rather than racing (which it normally does) was very purposefully moving from challenge to challenge, and creating ways in which to solve them.  I felt very focused and calm during this process.’

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Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney. SMS, email or call me if you’d like to make an appointment.

Learn Reiki in Surry Hills

If you’ve been a client of mine, you’ve been to the suburb of Surry Hills in Sydney.

And if you’ve ever wanted to learn Reiki, here’s a great opportunity:

My teacher, Frans Steine, is teaching Level 1 of Reiki, in Surry Hills on 30–31 May 2015. It’s from 10am to 5pm both Saturday and Sunday at 99 Crown Street.

More information is here.

Frans is known as one of the world’s leading reiki teachers and practitioners and we’re really lucky to have him here in Australia. He travels the world where students are anxious to learn with him. These days, after the International House of Reiki’s studio in Newtown has closed, Frans teaches less often in Sydney (and more often in the Blue Mountains where he lives).

So, it’s a really good opportunity, if you live in Sydney, to be introduced to reiki from one of the best teachers around.

There are three levels of teaching in Reiki. This level, Shoden, is the first. You’ll learn meditation techniques and to treat yourself and others.

Reiki has been a great gift to my life; I’m clearer and stronger in myself, more able to deal with external problems, and my internal life is richer and more at peace. If you have any questions, just ask!

And there’s more information about reiki and Frans’ teaching at their website at the International House of Reiki.

Frans Steine

 

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Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney. SMS, email or call me if you’d like to make an appointment.

Reiki Surry Hills on holidays, 27 Sept – 13 Oct 2013

Reiki Surry Hills is on holidays 27 Sept – 13 Oct 2013.

I’m off on holidays to Scandiwegia from tomorrow until 13 October. Back starting work on 14 October, possibly with a Swedish, Finnish or Danish accent, but probably not.

(I didn’t come back with an accent, but I loved the trip!)

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Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney. SMS, email or call me if you’d like to make an appointment.

Reiki and Pop Sugar

I gave a reiki treatment to an editor and journalist from the website Popsugar, which they call ‘women’s lifestyle media’.

The main focus is on entertainment and gossip, but they also include lifestyle items, i.e. health and beauty.

Alison was lovely, and with a stressful job, was the perfect person to experience reiki.

It was actually part of a series where she tried different ways to slow down and deal with stress.

You can read the whole series, ‘The POPSUGAR Diaries: Alison Seeks the Motivation to… Slow Down’.

Her description of her visit to Reiki Surry Hills is here.

But I’ll quote it here too!

‘I went to see Andy Quan at Reiki Surry Hills and I must admit, I was a bit nervous. He talked me through process and although I didn’t have to do anything other than welcome the energy, I was a it worried I wouldn’t be able to switch off (a big challenge for me).

Our session went for 50 minutes but I only felt like I was out for 15 minutes, it was quite surreal. I woke up feeling like I’d slept for a year. When I say “out”, I don’t mean asleep. I was fully aware of Andy’s palms hovering above different sections of my body, but I kind of felt like I was floating.

He assured me he was helping spread my own energy where it needed to go, and move me into a state of deep relaxation. I must admit I haven’t felt so calm a very long time, and I’d go back for that feeling alone. Reiki is also used to treat and heal different illnesses and ailments, something to note if you’re having back problems or the like.’

Nice, huh?

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Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney. SMS, email or call me if you’d like to make an appointment.

Testimonial: A clearer mind and less stress

‘The session really helped release some of the stress and I did find I had a great sleep that night. After the session, going back into work, I did find I had a clearer mind and seemed to really enjoy the rest of the day.’ – Aleen

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Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney. SMS, email or call me if you’d like to make an appointment.

A good overview of Reiki

As I’ve mentioned elsewhere on the site, I regularly practice reiki with the International House of Reiki in Newtown with my teacher, Frans Steine. In this article, he’s being interviewed for a yoga magazine by another of IHR’s students, Molly Furzer.

The article gives a good general overview of reiki including why it’s important for reiki practitioners to meditate and ‘work on themselves’ in order to give effective treatments:

‘The clearer our own body, mind, and energy becomes, the clearer we are to help others. You could see yourself as a garden hose – if there are lots of knots and bends in the garden hose hardly any water will come out of it. These knots and bends are our anger, worry, attachments etc. The more we undo these knots and bends, the clearer we will be as a vehicle for helping others.’

It also discusses similarities between reiki and yog, helping with the flow of energy and discovering one’s own ‘true self.’

Well done Molly and Frans for an excellent article.

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Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney. SMS, email or call me if you’d like to make an appointment.

 

A client describes her treatment

Natasha came for a treatment with Reiki Surry Hills in March 2013, and had a particularly powerful experience, which she’s allowed me to share with you here.

‘During reiki, it felt very powerful. I felt very relaxed and it felt like I was sleeping sometimes, because I could hear myself snoring. At times, I saw colours, like a kaleidoscope and I had lots of visions.

When you were at my feet, I could feel energy coursing through me. I had some small pains, in my left ear and at the front of my right shoulder. Afterwards, it felt as if I was made of a completely different material.

One of the things that I was hoping that reiki would address is that I’ve lost some sensation in my feet lately. I can knock my foot and it will take time to feel anything. After the session, I could feel sensation coming back to the area of my feet. The first day after the session I could occasionally feel a light pain in the certain spots on my body – one spot in the middle of the left knee, and another in the middle of right foot.

The treatment was very successful and beneficial at so many levels. I noticed that afterwards, I was more energised but also more serene and grounded since the treatment. It was very obvious because over the last two days, I have been in intensive professional training, a  situation that usually triggers my anxiety and social phobia. I have noticed that my response has been much better than usual – I was focused, relaxed, receptive and very sociable, which is, I am sure, a result of the session.

My main goal is to learn how to be at peace and balance with myself, and my intuition tells me that reiki is good way of achieving it. You’ve definitely got a follower and admirer in me.

One more thing – I was in some special state of mind after the treatment, as if I had just woken up or come out of meditation. So, I was not quite “on earth” yet. I didn’t notice the glass door at the exit from the building and hit my head against it. It was painful and awakening!’

As a note from me, sometimes reiki can bring up sensations (or small pains) that are uncomfortable during or after the session, but I believe this is something in the end healthy, as the negative sensation arises and works its way out of the body.

Thank you Natasha for letting me share your experience!

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Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney. SMS, email or call me if you’d like to make an appointment.