Moving on to Second Degree Reiki

Like many other Reiki students I had a great enthusiasm for sharing Reiki with others in the first months after my first degree class.  It should therefore be no surprise that when I received a phone call asking if I would be interested in attending a second degree Reiki class in May I said yes at once.

Even the cost (which was considerably more that first degree) was not enough to put me off!   I had certainly been doing lots of practice, mostly on others.  However in retrospect I think it might have been better if I had waited a bit longer and had more time to get to know Reiki through simple hands on practice, including self treatment, before moving on. 

After I became a master, I heard Phyllis Furumoto talk about timing in Usui Shiki Ryoho.  She recommended encouraging students to wait at least 3 months and preferably a year before taking second degree.  I’ve always asked my students to wait at least 3 months, but now I encourage them to wait longer.  I have seen how much more people gain from this next step in their Reiki practice when they have had more time to experience Reiki and wait for a real calling to go further.

Back in 1989 I was not so good at living in the flow of life.  I would either resist or push forwards, often resulting in bad timing.  One of Reiki’s gifts has been to show me how to join the flow, which often means slowing down, trusting the process and enjoying the journey instead of always feeling I have to rush ahead.

As a result of doing second degree so quickly, it took me quite a long time to really appreciate its potential.  I taught second degree classes and passed on the necessary knowledge, but I would say that my second degree teaching is much better now, because I have a deeper understanding based on experience.  This understanding continues to deepen as I use second degree in my treatments and in my life.

I now understand that second degree is not just about being able to give Reiki treatment to a person at a distance.  It is a way to achieve a deeper level of healing because it offers the potential to reach the mind, emotions and spirit more easily and effectively.  Accessing these unseen aspects we have the potential to heal the root cause of suffering. 

We are also no longer limited by the size of our hands; second degree enables us to reach further: to relationships, groups of people, situations and more.  Whatever we can imagine we can send Reiki to!  I have used second degree Reiki to help make difficult decisions and seen it untangle what seem to be impossible situations.  We have used it to guide us forwards in The Reiki Association and Reiki Council.  It’s been a great benefit in my life and, even if it was perhaps a bit premature, I’m very grateful for that phone call inviting me to join the class!