Your Reiki Symbols Revealed and the Principals of Reiki
Resource Review: “Simple Reiki for Self Healing” by Stephanie Brail
Practice, practice, practice.
If you find yourself intrigued by principals of Reiki, but intimidated by its trappings, here is a book for you. Simple Reiki for Self Healing is a reader-friendly resource for the practice of Reiki, whether you’re completely new to Reiki or already a Practitioner.
Author Stephanie Brail says that Simple Reiki is more of a class than a book, and it certainly is as well executed as a well-planned course. Before Brail offers instruction for activating Reiki energy, she gives a history of Reiki, as well as a thorough discussion of what to expect from any healing process. In this way, she lays the groundwork for persistence in the practice of Reiki.
It’s tempting to jump ahead to the exercises for revealing or discovering your own Reiki symbol, but resist that temptation. It’s worth it to be prepared for all of the stages of healing, and Brail’s humor and level-headedness are a pleasure to encounter during this preparation phase.
When it comes time to choose a Reiki symbol, Brail’s judicious treatment of the subject matches her tone in the rest of the book. As any good teacher would, she lays out all points of view on the subject at hand, while honestly sharing her own bias. Once you, the student, have a Reiki symbol to work with – or not, as you choose – Brail gives instructions for the simple, but sacred process called attunement. She follows that by offering a basic process for giving yourself a Reiki treatment.
It is not that Brail considers other Practitioners unnecessary or undesirable. In fact, Brail is herself a Reiki Master, and she recommends going to another Practitioner or Master for severe or chronic illness. Her spiritual common sense says two or more heads are better than one. But for everyday improvement of health and well-being, she offers the tools to treat yourself to Reiki.
Brail discusses the use of principals of Reiki in emotional and physical healing, and then in the areas of money and psychic boundaries. She offers a very effective way to combine affirmations with Reiki, especially useful to those who find themselves resistant to affirmations.
Brail’s teachings on prosperity are refreshing to read. What she proposes, she says, is a way to use Reiki to achieve a sense of abundance that doesn’t “settle,” nor is it dependent on what you have or don’t have. “You may think that your problem with money is that you are blocking yourself from making a gazillion dollars, but maybe the real issue is that you are just sabotaging yourself by not effectively managing the more than ample supply you do have…needing a million dollars to feel successful and prosperous is just as bad as living in fear over credit card debt. Either way you are still living in fear. With principals of Reiki we can find a balance.” Brail’s method involves getting in touch with what you truly want, and then clearing your energy so that you operate at a vibration that is compatible with what you want.
As Brail says throughout the book, Reiki is all about practice. She shares her own experience with using Reiki to reclaim her life from a severe case of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She doesn’t claim a quick fix, but Brail no longer lives on disability as she did in the past. Now, she’s healthy enough to surf the ocean. She has found consistent Reiki practice to be key in her recovery. It is this emphasis on persistence and practice, along with Stephanie Brail’s knowledge and good humor, which makes Simple Reiki an effective guidebook.
