Hi, I’m Judith of Chikara-Reiki-Do and I’m answering your questions on Reiki.

So, question:

I have just done my first Reiki healing for a friend, who’s very negative with problems and neck and back pain.

Afterwards she was feeling great, when I spoke to her a few days later.

But I was feeling terrible!

Very down and irritable. It took me a few days to see what had happened to me. I assume I took her problems on board. If this is the case, how do I stop myself from doing this?

Answer:

Stay aware.

You’re able to give healing to your husband and not pick up the negative feelings from him…

But you still can sense his discomfort or mood, good or bad.

Yet you are aware that what you sense is his and not yours.

When you give Reiki to another, it opens you up to sensing their energy more, as it is reflected in your own body’s energy field.

You sense a disturbance in their force as a whisper of a feeling in yours.

Trust that feeling.

But you can tell if the sensations are yours or theirs, simply by asking yourself silently.

Trust your awareness.

If the feeling is not yours, simply say thank you, take it away.

Once you have acknowledged the client’s energy within your own, you no longer need to sense it.

If it persists for a little longer, then ask again for it to be taken away.

Do not acknowledge it as being yours.

Another quick and easy way to shake off this foreign feeling is to shower, as soon as possible.

This cleanses your energy field, literally.

If this is not possible, then rinse your hands under cold water and see the negative energy being washed away.

Then shake your hands dry to further get rid of the feeling.

The real trick to this, though, is to remain aware right from the beginning.

Yes, I can hear the cries of – you should surround yourself with white light and angels wings, and how fluffing yourself with an incense stick will banish the demons or whatever.

But I’ve never held with that version.

The power, as always, lies within you to know and acknowledge the fluctuations in the universal life force.

Be that flowing in another or in you.

Trust yourself.

That’s all you have to do.

Thanks for listening.