Reiki

My Journey Into Reiki

~ Gina Briganti ~ 7 Comments

The year was 2005. I was finishing my bachelor of applied science degree in holistic nutrition when I met Cyhndi Mora, the woman who would become my Reiki Master Teacher. She was interested in having a nutrition analysis. I needed the practice. Cyhndi offered to trade Reiki for the nutrition analysis. I didn’t know what Reiki was, but I was open to finding out. It was a deal.

If you missed my post describing Reiki, you can read it here.

My first Reiki session wasn’t the most impressive. I sat in Cyhndi’s massage chair, in my kitchen, and let Cyhndi do her thing. I didn’t feel much of a difference before and after the first Reiki session.

A couple of weeks later, I had the busiest day I could imagine. I had two private nutrition consultations and a vegan nutrition class to teach. I was supposed to have a Reiki session with Cyhndi in between the consultations and the class. I called to tell her that I couldn’t make it. I agreed to come by for a quick tune-up when she asked if I had at least 10 minutes.

That’s when the magic happened. In those ten minutes, Cyhndi took the weight of that day off of my shoulders. I felt as though I had just opened my eyes after a restful night of sleep.

I was inspired. It wasn’t long before I wanted to learn Reiki. Cyhndi thought that was a great idea, and away I went into my level I training. My level I attunement was a nice experience, and I practiced my hand positions. I was a good level I student.

I memorized the five Reiki precepts:

Just for today, I will not be angry.
Just for today, I will be kind to myself and others.
Just for today, I will not worry.
Just for today, I will do my work honestly.
Just for today, I will be grateful.

Level II blew me away. When we agreed that it was time for me to advance, I took my level II instruction and attunement. Away I went on a journey that has changed my life in all the best of ways. My intuition opened up. My truth of who I really am, of what makes me happy, of what I truly wanted in life, all came rushing forward. Not all of the truths were comfortable, but they were fairly easily navigated.

The exhilaration I felt the day I rode in the passenger seat on the 118 freeway is almost unparalleled in my life. My teacher was telling me that it was time for me to move up to the Master teacher level. I was beyond ready. What followed that instruction and attunement was many, many hours of meditation and study.

I had my nine year anniversary as a Reiki Master in January. I’ve had the pleasure of teaching students of all levels. The pleasure of giving and receiving many hundreds of Reiki sessions. The unparalleled pleasure of living a Reiki life.

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What Is Reiki?

~ Gina Briganti ~ 13 Comments

There could be as many descriptions of what Reiki is, how it works, and even if it works, as there are people to talk about it. What I’m sharing here is my perception and experience with Reiki as a student, practitioner, and teacher. My Reiki experience began in 2005. In 2007 I became a master teacher. I have taught all four of the levels.

Reiki is a relaxing, stress relieving, technique. During a session a client can choose to have conversation, or silence, or something in between. My clients and I typically laugh because it feels so ridiculously good to let go of so many things that were weighing us down.

Reiki can be done anywhere. In health spas, for example, the client usually lies down on a massage table. However, Reiki is not a massage technique. It is a form of energy work, meaning that it works on the energy that makes up the mind, the body, and the spirit. That’s why Reiki is as effective on the phone, or at a distance without direct contact, as it is in person. Some clients feel better if you place a hand on them while they’re receiving Reiki in person. Others don’t like to be or need to be touched at all. It sounds mystical, doesn’t it?  Two of my long-term clients shared their experiences with distance Reiki.  Feel free to click on the link if you’d like to read what they said.

You can read about studies verifying the efficacy of Reiki here: http://www.centerforreikiresearch.org/
If you’d like to read a history of Reiki, follow this link: http://www.reiki.org/faq/HistoryOfReikiToCopy.html

What is Reiki good for? Literally anything. If you consider that stress is the cause of most problems, then the relief of the stress will leave you feeling better. I have to say that if I hadn’t experienced it for myself, I’d be a skeptic.

What happens during a Reiki session is this: your practitioner will help you into a comfortable position. Sessions typically last for one hour, though they can be shorter or longer. You may be touched on your head, hands, stomach, legs, knees, and feet. Or, as I mention above, not at all. Your practitioner may stay in one place and simply place their hands over you. What the client feels is anything from relaxation to a deep sleep.

Here’s a sample of a Reiki treatment by William Rand of the International Center for Reiki Training.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw9EleHuXsI

So, in summary, Reiki is a relaxation technique. Ideally the client goes into the session feeling heavy, upset, confused, etc. and comes out of it feeling refreshed, healthy, and energized.

I have openings for Reiki sessions and classes. See my Menu of Services post for more information about scheduling and costs.

To My Students

~ Gina Briganti ~ 2 Comments

I read about a famous Reiki Master Teacher that believes that the student-teacher relationship should last for around a maximum of five years.  He did allow for the occasional exception.  As I read his words I immediately thought of how much I would have missed out on if my teacher felt the way he did.  I thought about how seeing each of you live your lives since your Reiki training with me, has brought me so much joy.

Being your teacher has brought so much to my life and my Reiki experience.  I am completely grateful to each of you for the honor of being a part of your lives.

My wish for each of you is that you find peace and comfort in the Reiki you learned from me.  I hope you grow and show me a new thing or two as Reiki grows and develops with you.  I wish you happiness in all aspects of your life.  And I hope you don’t limit the length of the student-teacher relationship when you’re teaching!

Much love,

Gina

Deepen Your Understanding of Reiki for Animals

~ Gina Briganti ~ 2 Comments

“Animal Reiki: Using Energy to Heal the Animals in Your Life” by Elizabeth Fulton and Kathleen Prasad (2006) earned the “I like it” rating from me.  I’ve been recommending this book based on a skim read I did when I first purchased the book years ago.  Now that I’ve read it I am really glad that I did.  It is filled with inspiring stories that I read aloud to others because they were so special. 

These ladies have clearly done a lot of Reiki on animals!  It shines through in their respect for the animals they help, often in a shelter situation.  I particularly enjoyed learning how they approach a new animal and even their own animals for permission each time they offered a treatment.

They also have the unique distinction of sharing techniques for giving Reiki to raccoons.

The appendix is full of good resources for finding Reiki teachers and further information on natural healing for animals.

This book will give anyone interested in Reiki a lot to grow on, whether you’ve been a teacher for years like me, or you’re just starting to learn about the amazing world of animals and Reiki.