Reiki, especially advanced practice, is about healing ourselves and others on more subtle and powerful levels. It is about ‘facing the mirror’, healing within and understanding our own mind. As we progress with our spiritual practice advanced Reiki practice can help us clean away the layers of misconception that colour the way we view ourselves, others and the world around us. By letting go of our old ways of acting and being we can begin to see ourselves in a new light we can begin to move towards our full spiritual potential.

This is a compassionate and wise handbook to help us make the most of the Life Force Energy that surrounds and informs us all.

Includes chapters on:
• History and modern development of Reiki
• Five Reiki principles and how we can apply them to our daily life
• Four Reiki symbols – their meaning and how to use them for different purposes
• Creating and using our own symbols
• How to be a ‘successful’ advanced practitioner and teacher
• Healing meditations
• Explanations of the Buddhist origins of Reiki and how this understanding can help us develop our own spiritual potential

Extract from the Book

Introduction to Reiki Mastery

The response to my first book on Reiki, Reiki for Beginners, was very encouraging. I really enjoyed writing it and learned so much in the process that I soon found myself planning a book on the ‘higher’ levels of Reiki.

Many readers of Reiki for Beginners have said that the Buddhist content helped to answer many of their questions about Reiki, how to develop a special relationship with Reiki and how we can use Reiki to best effect either as a healing therapy for body and mind or as tool for spiritual and personal growth. Advanced practitioners and Masters also mentioned that a book with a similar approach to ‘higher’ Reiki would be very helpful.

For a while I was unsure about beginning such a book; it seemed like a big task and I felt overwhelmed at the prospect of crossing uncharted waters. It is a cliché that ‘the longest journeys begin with one step’ but it is true.

Making the first step was the hardest but once the wheels were in motion the main part of the book developed naturally. As with the first book it has been a wonderful project to be involved in; I feel I have relearned Reiki. I hope after reading it that you feel the same and if necessary return to it whenever you need clarification on some issue or simply to ‘realign’ your path.

I have been very fortunate to receive my First, Second, and Master Degree Reiki training from three different Masters. This is not always recommended as a relationship with a one good Master can be a very valuable aid to your growth. This gives you time to really get to know them and for them to get to know you and this mutual knowledge can be most valuable when learning the advanced levels of Reiki as your Master can answer your questions and point you in the right direction based on the personal relationship you have developed.

However, in my case this was not to be and now maybe I can see why! Each of my Masters taught Reiki in different ways, some of these differences were obvious and some quite subtle, yet all three were excellent teachers. Their commitment and devotion to their vocation is unquestionable. What is interesting is that despite the apparent differences in the style of teaching the Reiki was the same! The same very special, timeless, loving, forgiving, protecting presence was there in abundance in all three classes.

So I learned from this that I have to find my own way of living and representing Reiki, not to slavishly follow others but simply to take from others what I think is right for me and most importantly to let Reiki guide me in the direction that is most natural for me and that is most beneficial to others. So I hope this is how you will use this book. Much of what I have written is not gospel. You can decide through trial and error what is right for you and discard the rest or just put it on hold.

The three Reiki Masters that I trained with very kindly allowed me to make many notes during my Reiki training and it is these notes that form the main part of the framework of this book. I am not normally one for making notes in classes and usually just like to sit back and soak things up. But even from the beginning of my first degree training I felt compelled to take detailed notes and it is only now, years later, that I am beginning to realize how valuable they are. Without them I could not have written this book and shared much of the knowledge that has made and is making my life with Reiki so enjoyable and meaningful.

I have also tried to give a good explanation of some Buddhist ideas that are relevant to Reiki. Anything that I have included from a Buddhist perspective is as close to the way it was presented to me as possible. If you feel uncomfortable with any of the Buddhist content again just put these ideas on hold for a while and come back to them at a later date if you wish. I am still a beginner and have no deep experience of the real essence of Buddhism so if you are interested in this path it is really important that you follow up with further reading of authentic Buddhist texts like those mentioned in Appendix 5 (or visit www.tharpa.com). If you want to find or help establish a local Buddhist meditation class look at the information given in Appendix 4 (or visit www.kadampa.net).

Also, I must say that the greater part of this book has been made possible only because of the kindness of my own spiritual guide, who has written many books and given many teachings without which my life with Reiki, although still special, would have been without any clear focus or meaning.

The teachings that he gives are without parallel and it is only possible for me to pass on a little of what they mean and how they can help us realize the true meaning of our life.

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Reviews

An excellent reference for anyone interested in hands-on healing. Helpful and insightful, good and solid.

Amazon review

This is one of the best books I have read on Reiki. I have been practicing and teaching Reiki for a while and it was wonderful to read a book that I could recommend. I recommend it to all my Reiki level II students because David Vennells has written exactly what I would have said if I had written a book:) It is an easy read - like he is talking to you face to face - and answers many questions you may have thought of but were afraid to ask. What I appreciate about the author is that he is not judgemental in any way and from the beginning states that the reader should accept only what makes sense to them.

Independent Review – D. Dinshaw 2004