Reiki Books

Her tape, "Healing for Healers: How to Give Without Giving it All Away" is also available through Amazon. In my opinion it has all the best ideas from the CD at less than a quarter of the price.

I am finding the cds very helpful and enjoyable as well. Different personality types are fully explicated across an array of typing systems. The benefits and risk factors for the types are explained. Steps for healing (e.g., from burnout) are the focus of the series. I've find the author's "voice" to be highly compassionate, toward self and toward others. The examples from her own life make the teachings highly accessible. I enjoy that she appears to practice what she preaches: her "type" needs many artistic and creative outlets, and each cd begins and ends with her singing. If you tend to do or give "too much" and feel "drained" afterwards, these practices are for you! You will learn to give to yourself, as well as others, so you don't "give out".

Karla was uneasy with the guru seat many tried to place her in, so she stepped down. The backlash began. Just because she questioned being made into a guru does not mean her techniques are useless.
If you are in need of some techniques for grounding and replenishing your psyche these are still very VALID. There are not many places where you can get this info or learn these techniques.
Single biggest thing is you will learn simple imaginative ways to focus, ground and hold your own in times of great stress.

In this catagory of books, Energetic Boundaries is the first audiobook that I have ever been able to say with complete confidence that "it did absolutely nothing for me but offend me". I especially did not appreciate Karla McLaren's judgement in CD 5 of: Dispelling the "all one" "myth". She may see it as a "myth" but that doesn't mean that it is a myth to ALL people. I even contacted the publishers of this audiobook (Sounds True) with my disappointment and they apologized and even sent me another audiobook CD set from another author of my choice free of charge.
Karla often had a note of sarcasm and laughter in her tone of voice and at times reminded me of a person who was trying to please a crowd/audience rather than be authentic and real. Equality and respect for all was not part of her vocabulary and she reminded me of a person who felt like she was the teacher of a 1st grade class with an attitude like you were here to learn from HER the "correct" way, and that there was nothing for HER to learn from YOU. Right from the very beginning her approach was an "I'm going to make myself comfortable" approach with no kind of real invitation for the listener to interpret her "knowledge" however they felt comfortable with. It was basically a "this is my way" attitude with no real desire to ask "but what is yours" I did not feel any kind of genuine openness from her to see that not everyone connects with Spirit in the same way that she does and that some people might actually feel offended with her talk of Jesus Christ. She tried to come across like she was all inclusive of everyone's beleifs but her underlying message was based on a Christian viewpoint. And even if prayer is the "proper" way to begin a healing session for her, everyone does not connect with Spirit through the same kind of "prayer" that she does. I have a very strong connection with God but it is not a Christian God; and since it did not mention in the advertised description of this audiobook that she would be presenting this information from more of a Christian veiwpoint and from a more "I'm the teacher" approach, I did not appreciate her attitude and style of speaking or her sarcasm. I am more in line with Lynne McTaggart's Living the Field but I never invade someone's personal space like I felt Karla did for me with comments that implies that "this is the 'correct' way to do something". I feel like all people are unique and of value to the world, all of us have something special to contribute, not just one.

I recommend this series to any highly sensitive, spiritual people who work in the fields of therapy, teaching, or bodywork. Her work is very grounded in the five elements, thus the incorporation of three separate cosmologies. Highly effective in helping the listener create 'sacred space,' heal and do grounding/boundary work around trauma, and just manage our own boundaries and energetic fields. Sound, helpful, practical advice delivered with compassion, insight, and humor.

The Reiki Handbook is a very imformative book about Reiki.
The illustrations are great and easy to understand.
My first Reiki Handbook was purchased about 21 years ago,
and I'm still using them. This should tell you something about the book.
Thank you

Excellent basics for anyone wanting use Reiki either on themselves or others. Good hand positions and general tips for the new practitioner or review for those in practice.

This book starts with misconceptions and lies about Usui Mikao and goes downhill from there. It has managed to sift through all facts on Reiki keeping only the legends, myths and lies of both Usui (NOT "Dr. Usui") and the schools that arose from his teachings. It is beyond comprehension that this fabrication is still in print. The Reiki truth is free, not buried under extortional fees. Read Diane Stein and learn the truth Essential Reiki: A Complete Guide to an Ancient Healing Art

I am a Reiki Master, and use this handbook for the first level Reiki class. The basic hand positions are shown, and there is room for notes on variations of hand positions that are passed from Master to Master in my line. The visual learner doesn't have to use just the notes given in class to remember the hand positions, but has a permanent source. Excellent visual aide.

This book presents itself as a Reiki I manual, and uses a lot of space to show hand positions and leaves spaces for notes and journaling. It devotes a lot of space to Reiki for animals and provides some simplistic information about healing diets and dishes for humans and animals. It tells the Reiki history that has been shown to be mythology, and generally presents only basic and incomplete information. I guess only a Reiki I would be likely to accept this book as authoritative. There are now many other more useful books about Reiki, and if you want to take notes during your practice just buy a cheap pad or book of paper.

A consice and clear guideline on Reiki and its applications. There are at this moment over 50 books on the market on this subject. Walter Lubeck is just one amongst many Reiki practitioners, therefore it is not surprising to find different opinions as to the best method/technique. With such diversity of opinions, it follows that there is no "complete" handbook. The author has skipped over historial background, the use of symbolism, and has diverted into divination with the use of the pendulum. The best way to go is to follow the advice of your Master or anyone who is well into this subject, before picking your choice.

I've read a number of books on Reiki, and I happen to like this one very much for a number of reasons. It gets right to the point - with the exception of the symbols, which it does not show out of respect, the books goes into great detail on the hows and whys of attunements, treatments and optional extras such as crystal work, pendulums etc. Compared to may other books, it is also relatively short with summaries, so you can quickly review information later.

As for the illustrations: I don't know why others in their reviews missed this, but the author was *NOT* suggesting people practice Reiki in the buff. The author goes into a lot of wonderfully detailed suggestions as to hand positioning for SPECIFIC health conditions - which is one of the reasons you should pick it up. I also think, as an artist, it was meant to show a spiritual/energetic connection. Still, I think it's a book meant for practitioners only, not to explain to your clients.

Not everything you read here will agree with what you've learned before - every teacher adds their own touch, has their own preferred method. But you may learn a few new things here that you'll take with you!

I was disturbed by the nudity in the book. I can see some sexuality in the drawings. The art is somewhat amateur in the sense that the illustrator tries to draw it in a realistic manner but cannot accomplish at times especially with the male nude.
The information is dated. A lot is not about reiki, unless you want to learn about the combination of other usages, so the title of the book should have been different.
It is not completely crap but I don't think I would recommend it.

I practice Reiki regularly and will soon recieve my Reiki 2 attunements. I have purchased several excellent books about Reiki as I have prepared for this attunement. This book is NOT one of them. It was disturbing to open the book and discover that all of the illustrations depict people in the nude. The author explains this with a statement that this was done to "convey the feeling of intimacy. freedom and love which is the very essence of Reiki". Reiki is a wonderful gift and provides a sense of well being to the reciever. I would RUN if anyone wanted to give me Reiki in the nude. The act of touching someone in the act of healing requires absolute respect for the other person's body and feelings. The "intimacy" suggested in this book does not feel right to me. The information shared about the practice of Reiki was not as useful to me as the information shared in other books I have purchased. I do not recommend this book.

Excellent book - and only for people who have gotten out of their body shame and can face nature the way it is!

This book elucidates esoteric shamanic pretexts and methods for developing your double. This book sheds light on the potential of the use of sexual energy and provides examples of potential pitfalls. I highly recomend this book. Deep, entertaining and very life transforming!!!

First and foremost, yes she uses many names from the Castaneda series and some termonology. I have read on websites about her claims against Castaneda. I am not sure what to make of it. The characters are very inconsistent with the characters from the Castaneda series.

Yet I have to point out that when one stalks and is inaccessible. Each person that encounters them could indeed see a completely different personality. If Don Juan Matus is an open book and concrete in behavior then that is incredibly accessible. A Man of Knowledge doesn't aim to shroud himself in mystery. By being inaccessible this happens on its own.

I myself do believe Castaneda became incredibly unbalanced in his latter years. In the book he seems more like an educated idiot, a mouthpeice for Don Juan rather than the next Nagual.

This book's content, besides who the words actually came from, is extremely real and valuable. Nothing in it is fluff bunny if the reader knows what they are reading. Although it comes across as a novice book, it is not. She talks about the true mechanics of dreaming and the double.
Her energy is very balanced. She does not try to make herself look 'gifted'. She is exceptional for the simple fact she accepts and is smart about it.

The book does cover alot about sexual energy. I learned more from the dreaming topics. It has helped me drastically with dreaming. I have even developed a Not Doing to blur the barrier between dreaming and the waking. I suggest this book and her two other books. They are great followups to Castaneda.

Look over the oddness of her using names. I am not sure why she did it. The fact is what content is in the book despite who did or didn't say it. That is mundane political soap opera.

Yes, I liked this book. I particularly appreciate that after each chapter there is an explanation of appropriate exercises for practice.

As I was reading this book, the sexual exercises in this book have very much reminded me of the Taoist Practices which I have been doing for years and those who are interested in more in-depth explanation than could fit into this book, may be interested to check out books (Healing Love Through Tao: Cultivating Female Sexual Energy and Taoist Secrets of Love: Cultivating Male Sexual Energy) and videos (Healing Love: Taoist Sexual Energy Cultivation) by Mantak Chia.

I found this book to be greatly empowering for women. Reading it was like finding an oasis in the mists of life in a very male dominated culture. It was refreshing to read about sexuality in terms that weren't specifically about sex but rather about how to use your sexual energy for positive things in your life. Too often a woman's sexuality is used in a negative way such as solely to please men. The author, Merilyn, discusses very concrete ways to enhance your sexual energy and channel it toward the positive. It should also be noted that while the book has a very feminine slant it also has tips for men as well and she talks about balancing the male and female sexual energy that both men and women have. She mentions that many men have lost their feminine energy and many women have lost their masculine energy and she discusses ways to get back in balance. It is a beautifully written book with many humorous stories intertwined within it. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an open mind and a willingness to explore their sensuality.

This book was an utter waste of money and time, that is unless you enjoy writing that is both wordy and obtuse. It clarifies nothing, and you have to suspend an enormous amount of disbelief to not only digest what she is saying, but also to practice the exercises she suggests. This seems more like a novel about female empowerment than anything else. She has some nerve using Don Juan's name, as a feeble effort in name dropping to show she has some connection to the fantastic Castaneda series.

Bottom line = this book is utter garbage and offers nothing to the reader except a headache

First of all, it should be noted that this work is NOT a 'beginner's book' on Shin Buddhism. While there are parts which address the 'mechanics' of this school of Mahayana Buddhism, the real fact is that Itsuki's work is more directed to those who have already accepted the Nembutsu-faith as their own, or to those who wish to see the impact which that faith can have on those who are sometimes in the deepest and darkest places in their lives. As such, "Tariki" succeeds magnificently and powerfully.

Often very bleak and dark in places, "Tariki: Embracing Despair; Discovering Peace" is a sobering examination of how faith in Amida Buddha as held by those of the Shin faith can be both an anchor and a comfort to those in grave infirmity, grief, or facing death. Since much of the tenets of Shin deal with "resolving the question of the afterlife", it is natural that the book dwell in such heavy territory for much of its material. And while Itsuki does concentrate on such darker issues, it's important to note that...as would be appropriate for Buddhism in general...ultimately one comes to a realization that the duality between the 'dark' thoughts and the 'light' ones is really false. In this, Itsuki creates a very interesting and thought-provoking 'map' of the harsher aspects of life and how this harshness can be resolved through faith in the "other power" of Amida Buddha to unfold these experiences as ones of personal power and meaningful depth.

Again, this is no "starter" book for those wishing to learn more about Shin Buddhism; for those seeking that sort of information, I would suggest either Rev. Taitetsu Unno's "River of Fire, River of Water" or Dr. Ken Tanaka's "Ocean". But after absorbing the teachings set down in one or both of those, returning to Itsuki's book for a sober look at how those teachings affect and ground the lives of Shin Buddhists is a must.

Fortunately, the world does not simply become "whatever we think it is", as the reviewer below assumes. If that were true, there would be no illness, old age or death, nor any reason for this gem of a book. As Hiroyuki says, "Some things just don't work; some things just can't be done." These are not words that some people are ready to hear in our "new age" of self help, positive thinking and "self power". But as he points out, "Long ago people used to describe life as a long, long journey on which we all carry a very heavy load. The passage of a mere three or four centuries isn't going to change the reality of human experience."
If you have ever felt that life has no meaning; if you have ever thought "there is nothing I can do"; if you have always suspected that "willpower" was a sham, then this book will be a friend to you. Written like a great dinner conversation, full of digressions, this book is a deep well of humanity and compassion.

Life is torture, all of us die (hard to argue with that one) Hell is inevitable; it's here on earth right now, death is the end, suicide is a comfort. We are very insignificant beings essentially powerless to effect any real change and the best we can hope for is to embrace despair. And then there are the really depressing parts of this book.

However, like Blanche Dubois it's wonderful to depend (or at least be surprised) by the kindness of strangers.

Life is a Siberian concentration camp, but a fellow inmate may give you a flower and bring tears to your eyes in the realization that compassion exists amidst the damned.

Well, this is a fun book to give to anyone who annoys you by telling you to cheer up .

One might keep it by the door in case any Jehova's Witnesses knock, especially if they've been having a good day. It would also make an interesting Valentine's Day gift for your beloved, just in case she's nagging you into a wedding and you'd like to offer the alternative of a double suicide.

Itsuki writes about pain, sometimes eloquently, as in his narrative of The Dalai Lama , sometimes verging on obscenity as in the story of the mother whose terminally ill child is gasping for breath and Mom observes that "The gasps seemed like labor pains. . .the mother cheered her daughter on in death . . .Hurray!"

It's weird but Isuki's advice at times sounds like a self-help book turned upside down yet equally hoaky. Instead of telling us to smile and look on the bright side because it'll make us feel good, he tells us to weep and look on the dark side because it'll make us feel good.

This ain't profound but it sure sounds elevated as soon as he brings in Amida Buddha.

An entity which, from what I can gather exists in the archetypal Platonic realm (unlike Siddhartha, the Buddha, a human who actually lived) yet whose Presence is far more Real to his followers than a mere flesh and blood being.

Amida is the Buddha of Ultimate Compassion, and-- though there is no hope, really-- intoning his mantra 'Namu Amida Butsu' puts us in touch with compassion, frees us from the futile desire to escape our doom and best of all----

--Well I'm not sure. According to Itsuku, Zen was for the aristocracy who had time to enage in 'self-salvation' unlike the peasants who had to rely on 'Other Power' (Amida) and followed The Pure Land Sect.

(Actually I doubt it was that simple, having met a Korean Zen master who began each day by prostating himself 106 times and invoking Amida's help. It seems a human need to ask for divine compassion. Likewise I suspect that even the bravest of Stoics would have snuck a prayer to Zeus now and then.)

It seems the peasants believed they would be reborn into a paradise, a "Pure Land" unlike those intellectual Zen types who sought for Enlightenment a la Siddhartha while they still had breath to fight.

But Itsuki rejects this interpretation of The Pure Land. There will be no paradise or re-birth, you'll just be a kinder person and take refuge in Amida's light while you spend time in your own hell of a Siberian prison, etc.

I'm not sure as to how this reinterpreatation of The Pure Land sect came about. Judging by Itsuki, it does appear to be normative today. Perhaps the original was considered too primitive and literal ( by intellectuals, of course) or perhaps it cheered the peasants up too much, thus blinding them to the truth that Suffering is All, etc.

Well, it's an interesting book, though I believe the point was better articulated in C.S. Lewis' masterpiece "A Grief Observed"
not because Lewis was a Christian, but precisely because he had -- unlike Itsuki--a happy childhood. Consequently he was fairly optimistic, sure of his religion, and in late in middle age found true love-- only to have his wife die horribly of bone cancer--whereupon his world and his faith came tumbling down.
Lewis's attempt to cope with having egg on his face after a lifetime of naivete, and his brutally honest soul searching strikes one as far more poignant than this gloom and doom autobiography.

Oh, and BTW, 'Sad To The Bone' really is the title of a section in Itsuki's book.

In the final analysis, while Itsuki's philosophy embraces pathos and sympathy for our fellow sufferers endorsing a lofty charity towards all, given his metaphysical premises arguably loftier concepts would be rendered meaningless.

There is absolutely no room for heroism, triumph or, in the classical Western sense, tragedy.

Have a nice day.

Hiroyuki Itsuki provides a lucid and powerful explanation of Pure Land Buddhism in the Japanese tradition and supplements it with the lessons derived from his own suffering. Mr. Hiroyuki is to be commended not only for providing a spiritual essay with universal implications but also for drawing upon his own difficult experiences in a relevant, helpful manner that deftly avoids sentimentalism and self-pity.

Hiroyuki describes his childhood as the son of a Japanese teacher in occupied Korea before and during World War II. When Japan was defeated, Hiroyuki's world fell apart. After losing their home and belongings, Hiroyuki's mother died, his father became an alcoholic. Ultimately it was the then thirteen year-old Hiroyuki who cared for his siblings and dragged them to safety in South Korea. The trauma of these experiences and others caused Hiroyuki to develop a very negative view of life. The significance of this development, which was clearly missed by one reviewer, is the fact that Hiroyuki's negativity is not nihilistic. Instead, Hiroyuki argues that when we accept the negative facts of life (primarily that we will experience loss, pain, sickness, old-age, and death) we are better able to lead a positive life. Hiroyuki goes on to describe the Buddha as "the ultimate negative thinker" and explains how the Buddha gave up His life of wealth and privilege in order to comprehend and then address the suffering that comes with existence.

In explaining the differences between Zen and Pure Land Buddhism, Hiroyuki addresses the common misconception that the latter is based on blind faith. Zen, according to Hiroyuki is a religion of action that involves meditation and other exercises while Pure Land Buddhism simply requires a simple belief in and verbal acknowledgement of the Amida Buddha. This belief is not an attempt to find the Amida Buddha, for according to Hiroyuki He has already found you and has reached out to you with countless subtle mechanism that can include the kindness of complete strangers and the pages of Hiroyuki's book. Hiroyuki refers to these countless mechanisms as the "Other Power" and contrasts them with the "Self Power" associated with Zen. According to Hiroyuki, the practice of Zen involved time and activity to perform self-development that was simply not available to anyone beyond Japan's privileged classes. Pure Land Buddhism appealed to the commoners because it did not require developing the "Self Power" of Zen. Instead they merely had to believe in and acknowledge the "Other Power" of the Amida Buddha's commitment to save them. More to the point, the Amida Buddha already had saved people; they simply needed to wake up to this fact.

If Hiroyuki's writing only focused exclusively on the suffering and despair of his personal history then readers could justifiably find his negativity appalling. But Hiroyuki contrasts these experiences with the surprising kindness of strangers and other positive experiences that he eventually came to attribute to the "Other Power".

Ultimately, "Self Power" and "Other Power" are parts of the same thing. "Other Power" is faith, and it is also a required foundation for "Self Power". Hiroyuki convincingly argues that you cannot practice any form of self-development without a faith to precede it. Hiroyuki draws a parallel between the two schools of Zen Buddhism and the differences between Catholicism, which stresses salvation though one's works and Protestantism, which bases salvation upon faith alone. Hiroyuki concludes that the relationship between faith and action are universal to practically all of the world's religions and cites a recent accord between the Vatican and Lutheran council that acknowledges the primacy of belief in Christ and the importance of supplemental good works in His name.

So why do we need negative thinking to have a positive life? Hiroyuki argues that if we are driven by optimism alone then we are fooling our selves and are only going to suffer in the long run. When we acknowledge the normalcy of suffering, we are better able to cope with it. We are also more likely to appreciate and less likely to be fooled by the cycles of our own happiness. For me the most interesting part of this Hiroyuki's thinking is that fact that it is an equal blend of faith in human salvation and deep existential courage. Hiroyuki also gets right to the spiritual heart of religion rather than its alienating social and political elements.

One reviewer advised that this book was best for the despondent and not for those who still had fight left in them. Sometimes I wonder if those who fight check in with reality from time to time. The human condition doesn't give one much cause for celebration much less defense. True, our basal nature -- our Buddha-nature -- is good, but our normal existence lived in utter indifference to that nature is befogged and driven by lust, anger, and ignorance. Any attempt at bootstrapping our way to heaven just reveals the extent to which our ego believes it can transcend itself by the exercise of even more ego.

TARIKI is not a pessimistic book if you are not an optimist. It is a stark often bleak appraisal of the aspects of our human being we would rather not acknowledge and obdurately deny. By starting from that most basic of Buddhist insights that living entails suffering, Itsuki moves on to a deep gratitude for the genuine moments of grace in our lives which come from the winds of a wisdom and compassion that embrace us and yet which are never other than us.

While TARIKI may be of value to the despondent, it is of even greater value to those of us who need a grounding in the facts of life in order to make our efforts on behalf of others sane, reasoned, and devoid of expectation. I recommend this book highly to those who have few illusions about life and death.

This book explores a phenomenon termed "psychic vampirism". Specifically, it deals with people who limit the energy and auras of others via vampiric tendencies that sometimes augment their own energy and aura. Amazing. However, the author does not cite a lot of evidence to support his claims. As a Ph.d. I would imagine that he would be accustomed to supporting all of his claims with facts. The problem with this book is that while there are some intriguing clues into psychic vampirism, the author combines reincarnation, astral projection, aura viewing, crystal healing, etc. without really proving any of them. There are some very interesting photographs of auras. The author should've provided more of that type of information instead of going from one claim to the next without really proving the vast majority of them.

This book got only a 3 stars because even though it gave some good insight and how to protect our self from many types of energy sucking Vampires it just didnt have enough to keep me glued to the book.

Where exactly should I begin with this review? Well, this book is a one that is written by a person who portrays him self as a very prejudice (depending on how you view things a racist too) person through the writing contained in this book. He writes this book as a person who's only experience with a psychic vampire is his aunt, who is a shady charater to begin with, who is claimed to have discovered eternal life: vampirsism. He uses his "personal experiences" whith her and a viewing of her extraordinary powers as his fuel for his vampire burning fire. He claims that psychic vamprism is a disease that affects the mind in that it creates a need for energy. But what his aunt discovered, according to him, was the powers to extinguish candles from accros the room and make objects levitate. If psychic vamprism was a disease that gave PK (psycho-kinesis)powers, then I think this would be more of a mutation. So I could say many more bad things about this book, but there is one silver lining in this cloud. The only redeeming value to this book is some of the protection techs. They can be handy at times. But over all this book is not worth buying, maybe borrowing from a friend for the protection techniques. Over all, this book felt like it was an excuse for an author to express his hate for his aunt, his "psychic vampire" relative, and all those who are "plagued" by vamprism.

I chose this book for my Metaphysical Discussion Group. I bought it originally to learn how to block people that try to access my energy without my permission.

We all know these people. The guy at work that gets in your face and talks really loud and fast so you can't hold your own in the conversation. The woman that stops you in the hall to gossip about your co-workers and cause dissent. The family member that calls to complain about the fact that you don't call them. These are all techniques that psychic vampires use.

We've all walked into a room and noticed the mood of the group. Sometimes, although not a word is said, it's obvious that everyone is stressed, or sad, or expectant. Mob behavior is another manifestation of sharing energy. People that would never riot or attack another person, do so because they are overwhelmed by the emotions that those around them are giving off.

Many abusive relationships are a result of psychic vampirism. The dominant person controls the other by withholding positive energy except for short periods of time to keep the person "hooked'.

There are positive examples of sharing energies also. For example, a mother and her infant are sometimes so closely linked that she knows when the baby needs her. I know personally one mother that woke in the night in a panic, ran to the babies crib, and found him totally blue. She screamed and he woke up, probably just in time. The next day they found out he had SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), and he had to wear a monitor for over a year to keep from slipping away in his sleep. Negative experiences have been known to dry up a mother's milk.

We all live each day with our own emotions, but we also live with the emotions of others.

This book explains what psychic vampirism is, teaches how to spot the energy vampires in our lives, how to block them from both taking energy without our permission and feeding us negative energy, and to make sure we aren't violating anyone else's energy!

There are a few self-tests and many 'how-to' examples for protection and strengthening out energy. It is excellent for personal use, or a discussion group.

While this book is very effective in strengthening a person's energy system, and may help in providing basic defense against unconcsious psychic vampires, it doesn't provide the reader with a way to defend themself against a psychic vampire who is conscious of his/her 'ability'. In this case, the book actually opens one up to psychic attakc by providing a vampire with higher quality energy to feed from. And shielding is useless against psychic feeding, as it merely concentrates the energy outside of the body, making it EASIER to take. I wouldn't take this book TOO seriously.

I've been a Reiki teacher/practitioner for almost 20 years. After a 5 year hiatus, I decided to rebuild my practice. I'd always done pretty well with self-promoting, both through my work with Reiki and also through numerous years in both non-profit and retail work. I was surprised to find this book to have fresh, new ideas presented in ways that were easy to format to my own marketing goals and style. I recommend it both to the quivering new comer on the cusp of promoting their holistic practice as well as to the seasoned self-marketing healer who's looking for some new ideas or even some old ones that could use a fresh slant.

I found this book very useful & helpful in how to market your Reiki business.

Mr. Keyer does an absolutely fabulous job at describing ways to market your Reiki practice.
Excellent tips and information for all Reiki practitioners who look to improve their Reiki practice.
Highly Recommended!

This book is perfect for the new Reiki practitioner who needs to understand the process of Marketing their services to the public,
Charles Lightwalker Author of Operating a Holistic Enterprise.

There is an ever increasing amount of people being exposed to the potential of Reiki. A good number of these individuals will be drawn to Reiki for their own healing purposes but will become intrigued at the effectiveness of this complementary healing tradition. For some, this attraction will lead to many hours studying, training, and practicing to gain certification. Most then assume that after they become Reiki practitioners that they will naturally transition into having a thriving practice.

Unfortunately, practicing Reiki is like any other business venture. Once a practitioner, we each have to can decide if Reiki will be something we do mainly as a hobby or if we wish to practice fulltime. From there, we each have to decide if we wish to charge for our efforts and how we will go about gaining our client base. Ultimately, our focus and how we proceed will depend entirely upon our expectations and vision for our newfound skills.

Like most Reiki practitioners, I have had to work through my efforts by trial and error. The majority of Reiki masters simply don't teach their students how to run or market a Reiki practice. Therefore, I found the information in Reiki Marketing extremely useful. Often as Reiki practitioners we get so focused on helping people that we forget that collecting clients is a matter of business. Good business practice involved vision, organization, networking, and a whole lot of promotion.

completely inappropriate title. i was hoping for a practical book that gives techniques and wha to expect, since the author has exoperienced awakening of kundalini , i expected rich descriptions of his experiences. instead his experiences are confined to a few paragraphs. the book heavily quotes others , and it is done professionally , with all references quoted mentioned. if you are looking for a scholarly book , then this would do. but if you are looking for a how to book rich with personal experiences, this isn't a good choice. i am looking for a "how to" book written by a snsible author (the author in this book is sensible i must say ...not over the top like some others ...)

Ravindra Kumar, Ph.D. has studied the religions of the world and believes there is "a common thread woven through all of them." He wrote Kundalini for Beginners to explore this common thread and "to show that Kundalini or Sleeping Serpent Power is the common denominator in most cases of awakening, irrespective of the religion or faith of the aspirant."

Kundalini was awakened for Dr. Kumar in 1987. Later he retired from a long career as a mathematics professor and devoted himself to spiritual research. He has lived and worked in dozens of countries. He's written several books and conducts workshops internationally.

Dr. Kumar defines Kundalini as a form of energy residing in every human. For many people, it remains dormant. In a few, it awakens spontaneously. He says that "the awakening of Kundalini causes a transformation and transcendence in life." Kundalini that is awakened prematurely or incorrectly can be frightening, and in some cases, damaging.

He explains how people need to prepare themselves for Kundalini, then details how people can work to arouse their sleeping serpents in a safe manner. He calls his technique the "Integral Path," which he says is "the shortest path to God."

As Kundalini is awakened, it rises through the chakras, which are energy centers located along the length of the spine. Dr. Kumar describes what people should expect as Kundalini continues its upward climb from the base of the spine to the crown of the head, which for most people, is a 12-year journey.

He also discusses the roles of psychic senses, free will, and reincarnation in the journey to self-realization.

As Kundalini progresses, people experience what Dr. Kumar calls the "twin pillars of God," which are Light and Sound. These are experienced on an inner level. People also achieve an inner balance between masculine and feminine aspects, and between instinct and intellectual powers. People for whom Kundalini is fully awakened discover an ability to heal themselves and others.

Kundalini for Beginners is a useful reference for all those interested in learning "how to activate and assist the rise of Kundalini, and channel this energy in transcendent ways."

This book was the "right fit" for me - I found more in it that correlates to my own personal beliefs and experience than ever found before. I thought he did a good job of giving an overview of K and showed how the power and phenomenon of the emerging Kundalini spirit is also found in Christianity, Judasism & other religious traditions. Easy to read, and I liked the way he pulled the basic common truths from these alternate traditions without getting bogged down into belaboring points where they diverge.

I also liked his descriptions of the awakening process in general. So many religious/spiritual teachings are very long on peddling the "Great Truths" they have gathered, but rarely prepare one for the direct experience of God or offer support and guidance to those who find themselves in the throes of awakening.

Let me start out by saying that I was aware that this book did not contain any yogic exercises when I bought it. I gave this book a low rating because, quite frankly, it's crap.

First off, this book could easily be half the size it is if the author would refrain from excessively quoting other sources that are easy to understand and then rephrasing the same ideas in his own words. Second, another half of what remains could be removed if the author could refrain from repeating himself over and over. Now we are left with only 25% of the original text... and even that's not any good! The author simply presents his views of basic eastern metaphysical topics as fact. Then to make matters worse he backs up his evidence of the existence of things like karma, reincarnation, and clairvoyance with some of the worst evidence and stories I have ever heard. Apparently we can prove psychic powers exist because some lady, as she watched the Titanic leave the dock, had a bad feeling that it would sink. Don't get me wrong, I take yoga and occult study seriously, but I certainly do not need someone else's spiritual dogma attached to my practice - especially by someone unable to find any real scientific proof to back his statements.

Basically, all we have here is the same New Age feel-good crap typically published by Llewellyn. If it makes you feel better to believe that all bad things occur because of some past life karma, or you find unfounded stories about Jesus studying yoga in India exciting... well I suppose you'll like this book then. (You will also be able to tell if you will like this if you have ever bought a Llewellyn book and not regretted it). For those who take their occult or metaphysical training more seriously, don't waste your time here.

The title of this book is a bit misleading. It is not a "how to" book. While it is intended as in introduction to the use of Kundalini energy for spiritual awakening, the book deals more with the philosophy underlying the "shortest path to God" than the techniques involved in achieving the transcendent state. The author explains that his purpose in writing the book is to show how common beliefs in most religions of the world have Kundalini energy as their common denominator even though this energy is given different names. It emanates below the base of the spine and then moves upwards through the chakras.

Dr. Kumar, who experienced his Kundalini awakening in 1987, frequently calls on scholars, seekers, seers, sages, swamis, saints, and saviors to confirm or illustrate his points. These include Buddha, Confucius, Jesus, Mohammed, Joan of Arc, Swami Muktananda, Saint Hildegard, Lord Krishna, Mary Baker Eddy, Arthur Conan Doyle, Swami Ramakrishna, Grace Cooke, R. M. Bucke, Edgar Cayce, Deepak Chopra, John of the Cross, Saint Paul, Emmanuel Swedenborg, Carl Jung, and many others, even boxer George Foreman.

As I was not really looking for a "how to" book, I was very pleased to find out the book was much more than that. It hit on all of the four "I's" for me -- interesting, informative, intriguing, and inspiring.

Having trained with Master Ou myself, I can attest to the fact that he is a very high level qigong master. He has cured many of diseases, has body-sensing ability, and can do long-distance healing across thousands of miles. Though this qigong is simple in form, the results are much better if you learn from Master Ou or one of his instructors in person. This is because they actually send you qi during the training to speed your progress. This book makes a great companion to learning the form in person, though I would not use it alone.

It's a wonderful book. It explained the profound Qigong theory in a simple way and introduced a simple but effecient method to improve one's health and energy (Qi) level.
In a nutshell, it really works right away!

This is a pretty awful book for any person who either casually or seriously wants to persue fitness, health or even the spiritual aspects of Taiji or Qigong. I'ts the best example of "snake oil" I have seen in a long time. There are other examples of course. The more people become aware of Qigong, the more the "Do-it-yourself Masters" get out there and publish their "Own Family Secret Qigong". Maybe I should do that too. No prior knowledge of Taiji or Qigong required. This book is a good example of this and is a complete waste of time following the practice and spending the money. Yoga, Pilates, Taiji will do the trick.

Words, Words, Words,....... Love, Love, Love,.........Self promotion, Self promotion, Self promotion.
Absolutely and completely a waste of money. A childish routine that for sure won't hurt anyone but very easy to sell if packed with newage/mistical/oriental/pacefull package. Looks like the manifest of a scientific church (of course to practice correctly and teach you must belong to the "church" or you get lost from the correct pat). Anyway,IN MY OPINION, if you are looking for something (very easy, without any effort, absolutely not demanding) that will keep you in a temporary and false "state of grace" like whatever synthetic commercial new age practice with an nice Oriental flavor, this is the book for you.
If on the contrary you are really looking for knowing Qi Gong,well there are a lot of serious and exaustive Books to buy.

At first I had good feelings about this book, but as I got into it I discovered that it is very shallow in theory and spent a lot of time promoting the author and his products. The forms used in the book are good when practiced daily and would be a nice addition to a more complete Qigong workout, but by themselves they lack completeness. I was especially turned off when the author stated that if you practiced certain things without his approval it could injure you. The particular exercise he was talking about, at the level he was teaching is totally safe and deserves better treatment.

Many resources on Reiki mention a connection between Master Usui's Reiki and Buddhism. Often the comment is made almost in passing, suggesting that the Master studied Buddhist texts and questioned many monks about their healing techniques. Some even delimit this experience by noting that the monks told him that they had lost the ways to physically heal that now their methods only healed at the spiritual level.

Reiki and the Healing Buddha goes beyond the myths that surround Master Usui and his techniques. The author compares important aspects used in Buddhism with the Reiki precepts. She even delves deeper into the Usui story to illustrate that perhaps the happenings show an underlying Buddhist connection. That the founding story actually contains two levels of understanding: a surface story that everyone learns by rote and the hidden symbolism of something more profound.

Beyond being very intriguing reading, I learned some very practical skills from this work. I had always been taught that when drawing symbols, they should be perfect in all ways. However, Reiki and the Healing Buddha discusses the possibility that flaws in the way we draw symbols might actually be used to note particular areas of dis-ease that need to be addressed.

I am both a reiki master and Tibetan buddhist practitioner. Medicine Buddha has been my main devotion and study for several years, so when I saw this book, I found it extremely interesting to think of a connection between reiki and buddhism.

Unfortunately, through well written and thought provoking, the author fails to back up statements such as "Because Reiki comes from Buddhism all symbols within Buddhism must have some relevance to Reiki." That's an interesting statement, but why exactly should I believe it? Who exactly said or proved that reiki comes from buddhism? She includes no footnotes whatsoever, nor does she refer to the facts that would make this statement true. This is one of many statements that are not backed up with clear evidence.

I also found it a little strange that she refers to this deity as the "healing buddha." In buddhist circles, the proper name is Medicine Buddha, Sangye Menla. In all my teachings, I have never heard the term 'healing buddha'. That indicates, to me, that the author did not have much contact with actual buddhist teachers or practitioners when researching the material.

~~~This is a superb book to read in conjunction with Richard Blackwell (Lama Yeshe)'s book Medicine Dharma Reiki. The association of Reiki with the tradition of the Healing, or Medicine, Buddha is even more precisely outlined there.

Despite what one of the reviewers says about Reiki and Buddhism, Maureen Kelly and Richard Blackwell both draw on documents from Reiki's founder, Mikao Usui, and extensively note his teachings in establishing and expanding this connection. Maureen Kelly carefully~~~~ goes through secondary sources on his teachings; Richard Blackwell is fortunate to have primary sources that he translates from the Japanese. He adds his own commentary as well.

This is an outstanding book on its own; I just wanted to mention its connection to this second volume. Both are great books to read together; each is outstanding on its own merits-- spiritual and textual-- as well. I am a Yogi, not a Reiki practitioner, but I have had Reiki and my practitioners all love this book: it~~ enhanced their knowledge and gave them a structure for their own practices.~

As with other reviewers who are both involved with Buddhism and Reiki, this manual is misleading in its content. It might sound good, but it is not based on factual information.

I am a Reiki Master Teacher in both Usui Reiki Ryoho and Usui Shiki Ryoho for over 10 years. I have also been involved with Esoteric Buddhism for well over 20 years. I am also a Nationally Certified Massage Therapist and Bodyworker. I teach Bodywork. I also have a very solid understanding of Eastern Culture & Bodywork, particularly that of Japan. Having great knowledge in these fields, I can speak from fact.

Here is a review of this book that I made for another forum:


Pros
.... Still out on this one

Cons
The book is terribly inaccurate. First, it bases the practice of Reiki on Buddhism, then after acknowledging that the different paths of Buddhism are not the same, she goes on to use various paths of Buddhism to support her idea that Reiki is Buddhist by creating the idea that these various forms of Buddhism are the same. Most of the book itself is based on some sort of Chinese Buddhist representation - not Japanese - definitely not Esoteric Buddhist.

Being a practicing Buddhist - in Japanese Esoteric Buddhism - I can say that Reiki is NOT Buddhist healing. Even though Usui-San was Buddhist, and he did base some of his practices of his spiritual system on Buddhist teachings, the practice of Usui's hands on healing was based more on the application of Kiko (Japanese Qi Gung) and early forms of Shinto hands on healing than anything Buddhist. Various forms of Buddhism does have hands on healing - though it requires faith in (and dedication to) Buddhism for it to work AND it differs greatly from Reiki (See "Kaji - Empowerment and Healing in Esoteric Buddhism" by Oda for more details on this subject).

Second, Kelly not only links Reiki to Buddhism, she goes further and links Reiki with the healing practices of Northern India and Mesopotamia, claiming that they are one and the same thing. Speaking out against this idea, most Eastern cultures have some belief in energy and energy work (as do they have some sort of empowerment / blessing techniques). Most of these cultures also have some form of touch therapy that works with this energy. Interestingly enough, some of these forms of energy work also have a form of blessing/initiation/attunement process. These similar traits, however, do not mean to say that ALL Eastern forms of energy work and hands on healing are the same. Quite the contrary, some cultures may hold very different beliefs altogether - such as India with the 5 element theory of the tattva (Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit) and the Kundalini and Chakras systems vs. the Chinese with a polaric Yin/Yang balance, elemental system of wood, metal, water, fire, & earth and their use of the meridian system (which, I may ad, Kelly also links together).

Simply, there is no direct link to Reiki in any Buddhist text - Japanese or otherwise. What is more interesting, this text links Reiki to Buddhism through representation and comparison, yet, fails to actually show that they are directly linked in any way.

In Conclusion
Reiki is Japanese, plain and simple. It does not come from Tibet, China, India, Mesopotamia, or Sedona Arizona. Reiki is not a Buddhist practice, nor does it hold any esoteric link to Buddhist teachings or scriptures - unless you want to try and relate them yourself. It definitely isn't related to the Chinese Bu ga mandala. Reiki is not related to any other Eastern healing modality - save that of those popular in Japan during Usui's time.

*****

Lastly, the myth that Reiki comes from Tibet is very wrong. Esoteric Buddhism reached Japan before it did Tibet. It could not have originated from some place it didnt even exist yet. See this site for more details.....
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In the Dark Age prophesied by Buddhist and Hindu traditions, false teachings will multiply exponentially, and the ability of beings to discriminate between gold and compost will atrophy in a frightening manner. This book validates this world view.
Whatever the realtive merits or demerits of Reiki might be, it is abhorrant that anyone would co-opt the profound and sacred teachings from the Tibetan tradition to serve their own ends. Not only is there no historical, scientific or traiditonal basic for any kind of "Reiki" in the Tibetan or Indian Buddhist systems, but trying to validate the Reiki system by association shows a remarkable lack of basic ethical development. It is an incredible insult to millions of Buddhists worldwide.
The kind of delusional associations and frankly bizarre connections that the author tries to make are done without even the least scholarship, and apparently without consultation with any Lamas from any Tibetan tradition. From another tradition, Gurdjieff says that there is no greater demerit than leading others astray, spiritually. Buddhist teachings have even more heavy things to say about spiritual charlatanism.
Why dont you leave Buddhism alone and do your own misguided thing without contaminating and misrepresenting valid systems of cultivation and transformation?