Reiki

What is Reiki and how does it work?

Reiki is an energy therapy that is beneficial for relaxation and stress management for people and animals and combines well with essential oil treatments. Many riders have found that Reiki treatments on both themselves and their horses help them to work through training issues calmly and systematically, as the emotions of the rider can never be separated from the emotions of the horse. Reiki is non-invasive, or intrusive, completely safe alongside other therapies and is particularly helpful when combined with "conventional" medicine to help support the body and emotions during illness, treatment and recovery and to boost the immune system and help prevent further illness.

A treatment works on both an emotional and physical level and is given by placing the hands on or over the body, sometimes in a specific sequence, sometimes according to intuition. Energy is then channelled through the therapist's hands to the body where it is used as required according to the needs of the individual. It is carried out with the recipient fully clothed (that goes for rugged-up horses too!) and can also be used for distance (absentia) healing if the recipient is too far away or unable to travel Finally, it is a wonderful way to treat yourself when you feel the need to unwind.

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How Do I learn Reiki?

Reiki is taught in 3 levels each with it's own dedicated manual and involves theoretical teaching, practical sessions and the attunement process which enables you to both receive and channel the universal energy which we call Reiki. While there is no compulsion to do all 3 degrees, to get to practitioner level it is advisable to do the first 2 in order to have the greatest flexibility and the ability to channel the energy effectively and it is also important that you have had time to work on your own self-healing during this time.

First degree is the basic hands-on where you learn to channel energy to the recipient through your hands to work with physical and sometimes emotional problems. Whilst some people will become a practitioner and charge for their services after first degree , I encourage people who learn with me to use this time to work on self-healing and to practise without charge on friends and family in preparation for second degree.

Second degree, also known as The Therapists Degree, deals with the mental and emotional aspects of healing and provides an approximate 3 fold increase in energy, although some people have felt it is nearer 10 fold and it also enables you to send energy through time and space so is particularly effective for healing past issues, working on future fears and also continuing the contact with a client when you are unable to be there in person if they require additional treatments on an occasional basis.

Third degree is the Master or Teacher degree and while this also increases the energy levels a little and continues your own personal healing and development, it is also about learning to teach others and pass on this amazing gift ethically and responsibly. Third Degree Reiki is split into two parts...Reiki Master/Practitioner and Reiki Master/Teacher.

The Master/Practitioner level is open to all who wish to take Reiki to the highest level which is the healing of the soul but the decision is never taken lightly and must be given much thought. Most students do not intend to teach and so this level completes their formal Reiki tuition.

The Master/Teacher level is only taken by those who intend to teach and have a deep understanding and practical experience of Reiki and this level follows on from Master/Practitioner. Case studies are required along with a period of co-teaching Reiki 1,2 and 3 workshops with me to demonstrate your commitment to ethical and thorough teaching. The fee includes as much ongoing support and tuition as the student feels necessary and the opportunity to sit-in or co-teach on further workshops until he or she is confident in his or her ability to teach effectively . This is a huge commitment and requires much thought and preparation so please contact me for further details of the programme if you feel that Master/Teacher level is the right step for you.

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What can I expect after my attunement?

For 1st degree especially but for the other 2 degrees as well the emphasis is on self-healing as first and foremost, Reiki is about personal growth and healing and so although most of us have working with others or our animals as a final goal, we need to be sure that we are prepared for the changes it will bring into our lives as it almost certainly will and to be prepared to face some issues from our past as the process of letting go and personal healing is triggered. This is known as clearance and for 21 days after your workshop and attunement to each degree of Reiki you will be encouraged to self heal and treat yourself gently as this can sometimes be a difficult time. You may typically experience feelings of sadness, anger, restlessness etc but they don't last and you will have the methods of self healing that you will be taught to assist you and get you through it. It is not a forgone conclusion that you will experience anything at all and from the experience of the people I have taught, it seems to be connected with the type of person you are and how you normally "deal" with life.

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My Reiki Courses and Workshops

I teach several types of Reiki course according to the needs of the individual . I try to keep groups as small as possible to maximise individual attention and ensure you get the most from your course. Depending on which course you book, there is normally a maximum of 4 people although the Reiki With Animals workshop for those already attuned to Reiki may have up to 6 participants.

I generally take bookings as students contact me and then offer the date to other enquirers until the maximum number is reached. However, if a student books on the understanding that it may be a group workshop but it turns out that there are no other participants, you will only ever be charged at the group rate agreed on booking!

There is no compulsion for you to continue your Reiki training with me and while most people stay with the same teacher, it isn't uncommon for people to have a different teacher for each degree. The right person often comes along when you are ready, but when I accept a person to teach them how to use Reiki, I feel it is my responsibility to be there for support at all times, if at all possible.

Personal and Family Healing Courses

If you just want to learn Reiki for personal healing and development and for the benefit of your friends and family and/or pets too then I would recommend my one day Reiki for Personal and Family Healing workshops (below). If at any point you decide you would like to attend the full therapist course then there is a discount available for those who have already attended the basic workshop.

Reiki 1 for Personal and Family Healing...£85  

This workshop is a one-day attunement workshop to teach the basics of Reiki to those who wish to use it for their own personal development and healing, and on close friends and family members only.

The cost is £75 and includes lunch, refreshments, a very comprehensive course manual, a certificate of attunement, a copy of your Reiki lineage back to Usui and on-going support for as long as it is needed. The day is split between theory in the morning and practical, hands-on work in the afternoon.

Reiki for Personal and Family Healing plus animal Reiki...£85  

This workshop is as above but also includes basic tuition on treating your own animals plus a practical session on an animal of your choice (dog, cat, horse, small animal e.t.c.). The day is split between theory in the morning and practical, hands-on work in the afternoon.

2nd Degree Reiki and 3rd Degree Master/Practitioner workshops for Personal and Family Healing

Tuition is also available for those who wish to continue their personal healing journey to a higher level at the cost of £100 for 2 nd Degree and £150 for Master Practitioner.

Certificated Therapist Courses

The second option is to complete one of the full Therapist training courses.

These courses have been developed in response to recent discussions on National Occupational Standards and Voluntary Self Regulation for the teaching and practise of Reiki and have been developed by me to both educate the individual to Therapist standard and to provide support for the on-going personal development of the Student of Reiki Healing in both animals and people. These courses will also enable him or her to develop a standard of professional Reiki practice, which it is expected will equip the therapist to fulfil any potential future criteria. All courses are certificated and include a copy of your full Reiki Lineage back to Dr. Usui.

1st Degree Reiki Therapist Training (Human)...£200  

This is an intensive two day workshop run over either two consecutive days or two consecutive Saturdays/weekdays depending on the situation of the individual and is designed to give students the information and confidence required to carry out professional treatments on the general public (paid or in a volunteer capacity) in a professional and ethical manner. This workshop will introduce the student to the principles and practise of reiki and give a solid foundation for progress on to 2 nd and 3rd degree Master Practitioner level if required.

It involves up to 16 hours face-to-face teaching and is backed up with a minimum requirement of 50 hours practice including self-healing. Students are required to keep a healing journal and submit this with 6 case studies for assessment. On successful completion, Students will be issued with a Certificate and copy of their lineage and will be eligible to join the Reiki Federation and take out practitioner insurance.

On-going support and contact is given for as long as the student requires it.

The cost of this Therapist level course is £200 and includes lunch, refreshments and all course material.

2nd Degree...£150

Format as 1 st Degree

3rd Degree Master/Practitioner...£175

Format as 1 st Degree.

1st Degree Holistic Partnership Healing (1st Degree Reiki Therapist Training for Human and Animal Healing)...£250

Because of the close relationship we have with our animals, it is impossible to separate healing the animal from healing the human and the most effective approach is to work on the animal and his or her human carer as a "Holistic Partnership". For this reason, tuition in human Reiki and personal (self) healing is vital to your understanding of healing and is a pre-requisite for animal work.

This course is as the human course above but includes further, comprehensive tuition on the safe and ethical treatment of animals by Reiki within current Veterinary legislation and gives a solid foundation for progress on to 2 nd and 3rd degree Master Practitioner level if required. Students will be required to submit 4 human and 4 animal case studies.

The cost of this therapist level course is £250 and includes lunch, refreshments and all course material.

2nd Degree...£150

Format as 1 st Degree

3rd Degree Master/Practitioner...£175

Format as 1 st Degree.

Post-Graduate Courses...open to all.

Reiki with Animals...£75

A one-day workshop designed for those who have already been attuned to Reiki at any level and have not received tuition in animal healing.

This workshop teaches the basics of Holistic Partnership Healing (see above) to educate the student in the safe and ethical treatment of Animals and their carers according to current veterinary law. Includes a certificate of attendance for insurance purposes, lunch, refreshments and a fully comprehensive course manual, plus on-going support and advice.

This workshop may also be taken by those who have been attuned to First degree by another teacher and wish to go on to complete their case studies and gain the 1 st Degree Holistic Partnership Healing Certificate with me. Please ask for further details if you are interested.

Reiki Master Teacher level training...£300.

Please ask for details of my teacher training and mentoring plan.

•  One to one tuition for all the above is available at an extra charge of £50 per course.

•  Discounts are available on all courses for group bookings from individual organisations and for those directly involved with animal charities. Please ask for further details.

•  Please note that due to other work commitments and the calving and lambing season on the farm, I am not able to teach workshops between late March and the end of May but I am otherwise available for workshops on both weekdays and Saturdays.

Animals and Ethics.

I teach Reiki so that the student can work with animals of all types with knowledge, empathy and understanding. When teaching Equine Reiki, I place a particular emphasis on holistic methods of looking at healing. My main passion is the ethics of using energy work on horses along side sympathetic training and handling methods as opposed to merely using it to "paper over the cracks". For this reason I have always emphasised the value of teaching people who wish to use Reiki for their own animals, as well as those who wish to become therapists in a professional capacity. It is important to realise that Reiki is not a "cure all" and must be used ethically and with the correct intention at all times. You sometimes see statements in books and articles on healing that as Reiki is a wonderful way to calm an animal, it can be used to encourage it to accept a situation that it would normally reject. The classic example is using it to calm a horse before saddling/rugging rather than looking into the reason why the horse tries to rip your throat out when you do the girth or straps up!!

Reiki should always be used intelligently and the animal must always be allowed the choice to accept or reject healing, however difficult that may be for a dedicated, and often-desperate carer to accept. If the actions of a human, management conditions or training methods are blocking the animal from reaching a state of balance or, if there is a physical illness and/or pain is involved then no amount of reiki will help. Sometimes, the solution to any animal problem is a purely practical one....changes in diet, management or attitude on the part of the owner or formal veterinary diagnosis and correct treatment of any physiological condition where necessary...but the real value in Reiki is to help the animal and its carer deal with the emotional aftermath; to understand, forgive, release and move on. This is the difference between curing and healing.

"Many horse "problems" can be solved or even better prevented, simply by giving our horses more time out at grass and in the company of other horses where they are free to express normal behaviour."

As holistic practitioners we also have to comply with the veterinary act and so legislation is covered in all courses in order to give you a good grounding of what is and is not acceptable practise and so that students are fully aware of their responsibilities if they wish to start up their own Reiki practise.

In short, we may not treat any specific condition and may only give a holistic treatment for the purpose of helping support the individual animals natural healing ability and so reach a state of balance. We may neither diagnose nor recommend treatment although it is permissible to provide resources and suggest further avenues for the owner to investigate, with the support of their vet if possible. Therapists are encouraged at all times to contact the case vet out of courtesy and inform them that they will be working with the animal and carer, provide information on Reiki therapy when requested and respect the wishes of the vet if he or she does not wish the animal to receive Reiki.

I carry full public liability insurance and as an Associate member of the UK Reiki Federation I adhere to their guidelines and code of conduct. www.reikifed.co.uk

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The cost of learning Reiki

Traditionally, up to several hundred pounds, even several thousand for the Master degree, are charged in order for the student to "value" Reiki. I prefer to charge an affordable amount to those who wish to experience the benefit of Reiki for personal and family healing. You will find that my fees are purposely at the lower end of the scale so that Reiki stays accessible to those who need it, without compromising on either the quality of teaching or the on-going support you may need. Likewise, I understand how difficult and daunting it can be to embark on a new venture and so I aim to keep the cost of my Therapist training at a level that is both realistic and attainable whilst providing a high standard of teaching and on-going support where required.

Please note, a non-returnable deposit of £50 is required on booking all workshops although this will be held over against another workshop if it is necessary for you to postpone for any reason.

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Hands-on treatments and distance healing

Human work...I am only able to treat hands-on in Gloucestershire and the Wilts, Oxon, borders at present and charge for travelling at 35p per mile for distances of over 10 miles although I am happy to treat human clients at my home when time permits.

Animal work... At the risk of offending or upsetting the owner, if at any point during a consultation or treatment on an animal I feel that Reiki is not an appropriate treatment and that either veterinary treatment or training/handling work for the animal and/or the handler is required I reserve the right to stop the treatment. In this instance I will only charge for petrol. I hope to pre-empt this type of situation by getting a full history before my visit but as the animal is always my main concern I am duty bound to refuse to treat and refer to a more appropriate person if necessary.

Price for hands-on work is £30 per treatment which usually lasts ¾ to 1 hour plus consultation time although if it is obvious that the recipient needs longer then I will continue treatment at no extra cost until I am satisfied that the person or animal is happy. Discounts are available for group and horse/handler together bookings but I am always available for distance work (absentia healing), especially in an emergency or under difficult circumstances. I only ask a donation according to means for distance healing. If you are interested in either option, please feel free to contact me for a friendly and no-obligation chat.

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