Sensing Energy

As you go deeper into your practice with Reiki, you will intuitively sense energy.  Energy can also be a physical sensation as well.  Both of these sensations can be practiced and refined.

Don’t worry if you don’t feel the energy intuitively right from the start.  It will come with time and practice.  I find that it is easier to develop the intuitive piece working with clients vs doing self sessions.  You can, however, develop your physical sensation of energy outside of clients.  A few short exercises will get you going quickly. 

Energy Exercise 1

Vigorously run your hands together for about 10 seconds until you start to feel heat and then hold them apart by about 3 inches.  Feel the heat and notice that the heat is almost like a ball that you are holding.  Really sink into the sensation of heat or tingling that you are feeling to keep that feeling going.  Now, pull your hands apart by about 6 inches and see how the sensation changes. 

Does it lessen? If so, focus more intently on the energy, tingling or heat (whatever you resonate with most) in your hands and make that ball of energy strong again. 

Now, imagine different colors.  Let’s start with blue which is traditionally a cool color.  Think of blue, focus on your hands again and imagine blue in your hands.  Your hands should still be 6 inches apart.  How does the sensation change?  Did it change from heat to cool?  Did it change from tingly to more like pointy icicles?  Whatever you feel is just right.  Most likely the sensation changed.  This is unique to you. 

Now change your thoughts back to the color red and continue focusing on your hands.  Do they heat up again?  Does that ball of heat return?  Again, whatever you feel is just right for you.

This simple exercise is meant to show you that you are able to sense subtle changes in energy.  And over time you will begin to recognize what they are and associate them with different things.

Energy Exercise 2

In this exercise, I’d like you to find a comfortable chair and sit.  Bend over the touch the skin on your ankles if you are able to.  If you are unable to reach your ankles, simply start at your knees.  Hold your hands around your ankles or knees until you start to feel the energy sensation similar to exercise 1.  When you can feel the heat, tingly sensation or whatever the feeling is for you, you can remove your hands and sit back in a comfortable position. 

Now, keep your focus on your ankles (or knees) and keep that energy sensation going.  Now I want you to slowly move that energy sensation up your legs.  Very slowly.  Work it up from legs to your knees, then up your thigs to your hips.  Up your spine, through your heart center and into your neck.  Move it up your neck to the top of your head.  Hold it there for a moment and start moving it back down to your neck and then into your shoulders.  Slowly move it down your upper arms to your elbows and finally down to your hands.  Now settle into your hands and lean into the sensation. 

You just moved energy from your feet to your hands.  How cool is that?