Detecting an Energy Shift During Reiki

WORKING WITH OTHERS
SHIFT HAPPENS!

When a person is receiving a Reiki session, it is not uncommon for a shift in the body's energy to occur. This can often be seen as a release of energy. A release can happen when an individual is ready for this process.

This can be the release of an area that is blocked, to varying degrees, on various levels. A number of situations can be described that reflect a readiness on the part of the individual to make a shift in the energy body. I will include a few examples here that you may run across. It may be an old pattern or habit that is no longer needed and that is ready to be released so forward progress can be made. It can be a memory which is repressed from this or a prior lifetime, that is ready to be addressed. It may also be memory that one is totally aware of, but now the individual is ready to make a change in their response to the memory. Opening areas where there is a restriction in the flow of energy, is essential. The longer an area within the body is displaying a disruption in the flow of vital life force energy, the more likely the body will respond by taking on critical health challenges.

When a shift occurs on either the mental, physical, emotional or spiritual levels, there are certain indicators which can give a Reiki practitioner insight into what is happening as well as the next step to take in assisting the person.

The form an energy shift can take will only be limited by our means to describe them. Some indications showing this is occuring during a session might be: crying, shaking, yawning, sighs, breath rate changes, taking a deep breath, muscle spasms, twitches, burping, passing gas, gurgling intestines, coughing, and even laughter.


When I am giving a Reiki session to another, I usually wait until the end of the session to give feedback to the person. My reasoning for this is to allow them to do their own processing without my interference with their session. I will try to make a mental note of what I am observing and where, or I will jot down in my own particular brand of shorthand, a note. It will indicate what I observed and where. For example, if I am giving Reiki in the area of the 3rd chakra, or solar plexus region, and suddenly there is very pronounced twitching occuring, this would be an area for the client to review and reflect upon after the session is over, and that we would discuss.

A sharp pain or ache may be an indicator of either an energy release or an area that needs more attention. More subtle indicators of energy shifts are skin color and body temperature changes. Sometimes an ache or pain may be so intense it can bring the person to the point of tearing. My experience is that when this happens it is usually short in duration, followed by great relief. For example, I was giving Reiki once to a person in the shoulder area, that caused him a very intense, jabbing pain for about a minute. After the session, as we discussed the occurance, it came to light that he had a wrestling injury in that location when in high school, but there was also some emotional pain tied into it as well. As the energy shift was happening, it was bringing this to the surface, with pain as the calling card, signaling "ready for release" , after which he felt better. The next time I saw this indivdual, the same thing happened. It is the body's way of saying, "I'm bringing this to your attention, let's deal with the underlying factor!"

Communicating your awareness of positive shifts to the person after a Reiki session is a valuable part of the session. In many ways it is as important as the actual session itself. Feedback provides the individual with tangible validation that changes within their body have occurred and are continuing to take place.

The ability to identify releases, regardless of the form they take, allows you much greater insight into both a person’s healing process and your own progress. When you have learned how to read these indicators, you can gain valuable information on how willing and ready a person is to heal or to what extent they are in fear or are stuck.

When the body relaxes completely, it may be a sign that resistance has ended, the blockage has been released and healing is taking place. Although, at least for the time being, the process has been completed, there may be deeper levels to work on at a later date.

If you are looking for a stopping point in the session, this may be a good place. Sessions are best ended after a person has completed a process. Avoid ending a session while they are still processing their emotions. Stopping at this point, without completing the process, will leave the person in an extremely vulnerable position. As mentioned above, feedback after the acutal Reiki session closes is important.


During the post session consult, I allocate about 15 minutes to review the experience with my client. I ask for their feedback. What was going on for you during the Reiki session? Did you feel any physical shifts or releases of energy? If so, where? Did you have any emotions surfacing? Memories? A series of questions would be asked based on the pre-session consult and objectives, and where the client is in regards to their willingness to explore at a deeper level. Each session is unique. Each individual is unique. This must always be taken into account. Cookie cutter formulas are not effective. Learn to read the person you are working with.


After listening to what they have to say, I will then give my feedback. This will include any observations of energy shifts or releases I noticed and where these took place, as well as any intuitive information provided by the body and spirit.

At this point I remind my client that their work is just begining. The session primed the pump for them, so to speak, now they need to spend time reflecting, exploring, understanding and learning from the process. If they do this, they are working toward a healing. If they go no further, they are probably working toward a cure. Cure vs healing are two entirely different things. Look for a later post that will delve into the difference between cure vs healing.