Chicago Reiki: Do You Need to Use Your Hands to do Reiki?

Chicago Reiki: Do You Need to Use Your Hands to do Reiki?

 
Recently I was asked by a student if the hands were needed to do Reiki (Chicago Reiki). Back when I learned Reiki in 2010, I was taught that Reiki flowed along the crown–heart-hands pathway, with the visualization that Reiki flowed from the heavens above to the crown chakra to the heart chakra and then flowed out the hands to whomever (or whatever) the recipient was. And over the years I have shared that understanding with my students.
 
However over time, my understanding of Reiki and how we access it has changed. Even though the crown-heart-hands pathway is a wonderful visualization of the energy, I have come to the understanding that the Universal Life Force Energy that Reiki is a part of is everywhere. It fills the air that we breathe, it enlivens all living things in all the mineral, plant, animal and human realms. So if it is everywhere, then the need to specifically follow the crown-heart-hands pathway can be rather limiting, that we can access this energy through the power of our awareness. Just thinking of Reiki with the intention to connect can access the wonderful and loving vibrations, which can be useful in meditation and distance Reiki.
 
If you would like to develop a connection with Reiki, I have many events coming up, both in Chicago and online. Please check my Reiki schedule for more information.

Image of a hand raised to the sky with a butterfly fluttering above with the blue sky in the background  by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay