If I’m being completely honest, I wasn’t fully committed to Reiki when I first received my Reiki attunement. As a student of Reiki, I was quite casual about the whole thing. I don’t remember it being a particularly significant incident. But I do remember committing to the three weeks of self-healing. I needed and wanted a change in my life, but didn’t know what to do. I had received attunement almost by chance, but I decided to embrace it and see where it would take me. Turns out it took me pretty far. And with the help of a new life view — and some pretty handy apps — Reiki became my daily practice, and I’ve been a certified Reiki teacher with Japan Reiki Association as of November 2011.
Reiki attunement & recommended apps
If you are new to Reiki, you may be wondering what a Reiki attunement is. It’s best described as a kind of an initiation process into the practice of Reiki. It adjusts your energy antenna to point it in the correct direction.
After you receive your first Reiki attunement, you’ll be asked to practice self-healing for the three weeks that follow. The truth is, you will continue to participate in self-healing as long as you are practicing Reiki because this is how you become a seasoned Reiki master.
The first three weeks are the most important, where you will be expected to do one hour of self-healing every day. Self-healing in this context consists of spending 5 minutes on each of the 12 positions — or the places where you will rest your hands (e.g., your heart or belly). But how are you going to keep time?
The alarm on your phone won’t work because you’d have to turn it off and set it again for the following position — that’s 12 interruptions! So, NO. What you are looking for specifically is a meditation timer or a Reiki timer.
That’s where an app will come in handy. The right one will allow you to (in order of priority):
- Set the interval (e.g., 3 minutes or 5 minutes), and will sound a bell at this set time
- Choose the duration of of your practice (e.g., 36 minutes — 12 positions at 3 minutes; or 1 hour — 12 positions at 5 minutes)
- Decide on a preparation time (e.g., 10 or 30 seconds) before the first bell sounds (so you can set your app, turn it on, and get into position for your practice)
- Record your sessions (so you can look back and see that you’ve been consistently practicing self-healing)
- Choose between listening to ambient sound or integrating your own music
Below is a list of Reiki apps (and even a visual guide!) that I recommend for these purposes.
1. Reikitimer (iOS)
This is the first timer I found, and it worked very well for me. It is the simplest Reiki app out there, but only allows you to set the interval — that’s it.
2. Still (iOS)
This is another simple app, but it comes with all of the features listed above — with the exception of #5.
3. InsightTimer (iOS or Android)
This app is slightly more complex than the others, but worth the trouble of understanding how to use it. It’s so much more than just the timer.
To encourage you to give InsightTimer a try, I’m going to talk you through the steps of setting the timer for your Reiki self-healing or practice below.
4. Japan Reiki’s Self-Healing Video (YouTube)
I’ve saved the best for the last! Japan Reiki Studio’s very own visual and audio self-healing video includes the 12 basic positions you’ll need for those first three weeks of self-healing. (While you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe to our Youtube channel — we post helpful videos now and then!)
Your Step-by-Step Guide to Setting up Insight Timer
1. Find the tile for Timer and click.
2. At the top, choose TIMER (not PRESETS).
3. Scroll left or right to find the bell you want (you can click on the bells to hear the different sounds). You’ll have the option of choosing 1, 2, or 3 STRIKE. For the Starting bell, choose Sakya 1 STRIKE.
There are 15 steps in total! Be sure to download the complete step-by-step guide right here.
Speaking of guidance, don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions you may have. Book a Wellness Call with me for more tips on how to use these recommended apps, general information on learning Reiki, self-healing, and more!
Let’s make today wonderful,
Nasreen
