Traditional Reiki for Our Times: Practical Methods for Personal and Planetary Healing

by Amy Z. Rowland

A comprehensive training manual for the introductory levels of this popular healing therapy.
• Takes the reader step-by-step through traditional Reiki level I and II classes, with comprehensive instruction in the basic hand positions.
• Includes photographs and medical illustrations.
• Discusses Reiki's origin and purpose, the attunement process, and the many scenarios in which Reiki can provide appropriate healing support.
Reiki, a touch therapy used to recharge and rebalance the body's energy, is quickly joining other complementary therapies like acupuncture and massage in such conventional settings as hospitals, hospices, and psychotherapy practice. An ancient hands-on healing art with origins in the Tibetan sutras, Reiki is a means for both active self-care and administering to others.  This comprehensive book takes the reader step by step through traditional Reiki level I and II classes, discussing Reiki's origins and purpose, describing the attunement process by which a student is imbued with the power to channel life-force energy, and illustrating the many scenarios in which Reiki is an appropriate support for healing. Comprehensive instruction in the basic hand positions and extra positions used in administering Reiki are accompanied by photographs and medical illustrations. Considerations for establishing a professional practice and opportunities for further learning in both traditional Reiki (level III) and nontraditional schools complete the discussion, making this the first book to serve as both an extensive training manual for students and compelling reading for those considering taking a Reiki class.

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1998

About the author

AMY Z. ROWLAND, M.A., is best known for her books about Reiki, a form of bodywork and energy medicine, which she has been teaching since 1994, but she is happy when readers discover her other writing as well: fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. As a child, she was encouraged by her parents, who met each other in art school, to be creative. When she realized (at about age six) that focusing on becoming an artist would result in even more parental advice, she decided she would rather write. She hasn't really stopped since.

Reviews

[Silas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a reasonable introduction to Reiki that hews closely to the idea of not conveying the symbols used in level 2 or in attunements. It also features an origin story that clearly shows how the author needed Dr. Usui to be Christian and for Reiki to be older than he is. If you can put that aside, this is a good introduction to what you will encounter if you go through the attunement process and then decide to set up a Reiki business. Unfortunately, it is clear that the material here is rather dated. That won't affect many things, such as the attunement process, but has a profound effect on some of the material presented, like licensure requirements in various states, and whether or not organizations presented are still active. If you are completely new to Reiki and wondering what it is all about, this might be a good way to learn more, as long as you don't take the history as pure fact, but as one interpretation, and don't rely on the dated information for your only source.

[Steven Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good starter and history book.