The
Twenty-One-Day 6
Cleanse
D
uring the twenty-one-day cleanse, you spend one hour a
day treating yourself. Over the course of this hour, you use
each of the twelve self-treatment hand positions, holding each
position for five minutes. You can break this daily treatment up
into two half-hour sessions, one in the morning and the one in
the evening, doing the first six hand positions in the morning and
the rest later in the day .
The twenty-one-day cleanse may bring on cold or flu-like
symptoms, or you may feel emotionally or mentally off balance,
up and down, with moments of happiness and sadness, peace,
bliss, laughing, and crying. You may feel sensations of heat and
cold, a dry mouth, heaviness, dense sensations in the head, tin-
gling, or aches and pains. Old memories, habits, and behavior pat-
terns that you have suppressed may reemerge.
It’s important to take a detached view of the symptoms and
continue with the cleanse, even if it is mentally or physically
uncomfortable, because this shows that you are accumulating the
spiritual energy that will give you the strength to deal with your
symptoms. If you stop the practice because you believe that Reiki
is making you feel ill or unhappy, you will become stuck in the old
pattern of emotion, pain, depression, or whatever else was mak-
ing you ill. Reiki is the catalyst that will lead you to integration and
freedom, and to love and peace. When you make the choice to
tread the spiritual path, you must keep your motivation going, and
you must work hard at it. Be kind to yourself and to others, and
listen to your heart, while tuning out your mind and the reaction
of your emotions. The heart is the gateway to your soul.
Drink a few glasses of water a day during this process, as this
will help to rid the body of dead cells and toxins. Be aware that
54 R E I K I PlAIN AND SIMPlE
this practice tends to increase bowel movements and the passing
of urine as well.
Treating Yourself Using the
Twelve Basic Hand Positions
You can practice the twelve basic hand positions while sitting on
a chair or lying down, as long as you are flexible enough to do the
back positions.
It is best to practice in peace and quiet or with some relaxing
music in the background. Technically, you could do these posi-
tions while watching television, but I don’t recommend it, as it is
better to be relaxed and to concentrate on the treatment.
• To begin, mentally affirm, “Reiki is starting now.”
• You may mentally invoke help from Reiki guides, spiritual
guides, angels, gods, goddesses, and other deities, or you
can ask the guidance of Reiki itself.
• Have a glass of water available and keep a clock handy so
that you can keep track of the time.
• Place the fingers and thumbs together on each hand;
then gently cup the hands slightly .
This will help to focus the energy
into the palms rather than spreading
the energy outward. Hold each hand
position for five minutes.
T H E T W E N T Y - O N E - DAY c l E A N S E 55
Each hand position treats the area where the hands are placed,
including the organs below the surface of the skin. Reiki also trav-
els to areas that require healing, which may be an area that is
affecting you mentally or emotionally, or something physical that
you are unaware of. When an area of energy becomes unblocked,
there may be a brief release in the form of pain, a popping and
bubbling sensation followed by laughing or crying, and finally a
feeling of calm.
Not everybody encounters these symptoms, and those who
do encounter them usually find them to be mild. Symptoms are
part of the creative force of Reiki healing.
Handy Tips
• It’s best to practice in peace.
• Have a clock and a glass of water available.
• Listen to Reiki music or other relaxing music. Do all twelve
positions sitting or lying down. Hold each position for five
minutes.
• Mentally ask for help for your treatment from Reiki, Usui,
and your Reiki guides.
• Keep your fingers together and your hands slightly cupped
during the treatment.
• Finish by saying, “Reiki is ending now.”
• Give thanks to your Reiki guides, Reiki, and Usui.
56 R E I K I PlAIN AND SIMPlE
• Keep a journal of your feelings and experiences, as this
can be useful for future reference .
Reasons for Doing the Cleanse
Why is it so important to do the twenty-one-day cleanse? The
effort involved is a bit like that involved in visiting a wonderful
holiday resort in a mountainous area a long way from where you
live. You must pack everything up, put all the luggage and things
you will need in the car, and get the kids ready and into the car.
Then you drive for hours, keeping the children amused the best
you can. The last part of the journey takes you higher and higher
through increasingly beautiful countryside, until you reach your
wonderful destination. Needless to say, it’s worth it when you get
there. Likewise, the preparation and onset of the Reiki journey
will involve some work on your part, but when you reach your
“destination” of achieving the twenty-one-day cleanse, the effort
expended will definitely seem worthwhile.
While a book like this can explain the art of Reiki, in the end
becoming proficient at Reiki is like learning to drive or use a com-
puter. A book will help you learn to do all of these things, but it
can’t actually do the job for you. You can’t expect to treat and heal
others until you have “cleansed” yourself, and you can’t expect to
prepare yourself for Reiki without giving up a little of your spare
time. When you consider how long it takes to train for many other
things in life, expending a little time each day for three weeks is
not a big deal. Always keep in mind: your awareness and under-
standing of Reiki will increase as each day goes by.
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