Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

Haven't a clue as I no longer drink alcohol.

Surprised that you'd want to combine the two.
Thought the taste for alcohol would have gone with Reiki.

Personally I think I'd rather have a totally sober healer!

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

Hi Floffle

Dare I venture to suggest that two glasses of wine might helpfully overcome some of the fears and inhibitions that people can have about their ability to be an effective channel? Of course, this might not be the case for all.

One of the best healing sessions I can ever recall was at a major music festival when I was sitting in a large tent with a fellow Reiki student - we had both been recently attuned to Reiki 1 in the same group, so I'm going back a good few years! - we'd probably had more than two glasses of wine, the air was thick with the smoke from other people's "dodgy fags" as Roger called them elsewhere, and we were listening to the devotional singers on the stage, while both giving and receiving Reiki.

Heaven in a heap of hippies!!! 🙂

Holistic

PS: Not editing anything out, just adding in the light of Muriel's post which appeared while I was typing mine: Of course, I'm not talking about giving a professional Reiki treatment, certainly not, that's quite a different matter. Would I drink and risk blowing boozy fumes over a client or student? - no, definitely not.

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

At the risk of causing a real storm...I can see where Laura is coming from. Nobody would want to have a treatment from somebody who is sozzled nor should you get a treatment after drinking etc, but a friend of mine swears that she is at her best after a few drinks.

I had better duck behind the sofa now coz I know this will cause a storm![sm=hidesbehindsofa.gif]

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

Muriel, I have done Reiki I and II and have just started a two year healing course with the National Federation of Healers. I would be very surprised if any of this dinted my taste for a glass of wine! I really don't see the problem.:D

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

I don't really know about Reiki but after a rather heavy session of alcohol (many moons ago I hasten to add) a friend of mine was feeling very poorly and I got her to lay on her tummy whilst I felt her aura, where there was an excess of energy in her throat and I helped to calm it and 'bridge the gap' between her head and her heart during which she felt so much better. I did this with no formal training (and a sense of horror when I awoke in the morning!) but simply following a class in Reflexology where the tutor had mentioned distorted energy in the aura. Despite my drunken state (I had found out I had 4 numbers on the lottery so we had spent it early) my intentions were pure and I believe that this was the reason the treatment was effective. I have now trained up to Reiki 11 and would never treat anyone with Reiki after I had been drinking simply because you do not know what other energies you may attract to yourself. I believe it is the intent that counts and although I believe the energy you pass on will not be affected provided you are giving with the best intentions you do not know what might come your way if your guard is down. For some a couple of glasses of wine may remove the inhibitions which prevent the energy flowing effectively but please ensure you protect yourself.

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

Candie

[sm=hidesbehindsofa.gif] Forgot mine earlier - will I really need it though?
Cheers!

Hugo

To your "Professionally, you should never let a client smell you smoke, let alone drink! " I would add garlic, raw onion (these two either handled or eaten), strong perfume or aftershave, and anything suggesting less than total personal hygiene. All of which I adhere to, and recommend in my manuals for students.
Sorry to stray slightly off the point about alcohol and Floffle's original question.

Floffle

Re-reading your post, I see you refer to "trying" to channel energy, and wonder if that is the crux of the matter. I read many posts in these threads which suggest that the energy is there and should just be allowed to flow, with "do not worry" by way of reassurance.

But the answer to your question, as already given by others as well, as that yes, you can effectively Reiki if you've had a glass or two.

Wand

Where is this idea of needing protection and having to be on guard coming from? I was taught that you are automatically protected with Reiki, and I can only recall one isolated instance when my intuition told me that the person to whom I was about to give a healing might not know when to stop taking the Reiki - understandable as she was a very ill lady.

Holistic

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

My RM told us to avoid alcohol as it could enhance the toxin clearing your body and leave you with the mother of all hangovers. i don't drink before i give a treatment but thats probably because i can't bear the thought of a hangover (memories of a misspent student youth!) now and rarely drink anyway ..well the odd glass of wine with a meal but thats it

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

Laura. When giving healing or Reiki you should always protect yourself. In fact you should do it before giving any treatment really.

You are entering into that other person's space and you can pick up anything from them. A good Reiki/Healing teacher will always tell you this so yours didn't give you good advice I am afraid.;)

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

Hi Candie, i am glad you said this as i wasn't sure if we need to protect ourselves before giving Reiki, i mean i allways protect myself night and day now anyway, so should i do this again before giving Reiki? even if it is from only family and friends at the moment.:eek:

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

Yep....protect protect protect....never had anything to horrendous from anyone but you need to look after yourself first and foremost...

T
x

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

Oh dear, I seem to have given Muriel the idea that I am a drunken Reiki practitioner!

Apart from the fact that I have only recently done Reiki 2, and I am not working professionally, I was wondering about a situation where we had my parents round for dinner and shared a botle of wine ( I had no more than 2 glasses) and afterwards my Dad said that he had a pain in his shoulder. I wanted to know whether I would be able to help him having had the wine or whether the Reiki would not flow as effectively.

If in the future I do work professionally I wouldn't dream of drinking ( or eating onions, garlic etc) and then breathing all over people! I don't want to give the impression that I am an alcoholic! If I have 2 glasses of wine in a month then thats a lot, but it happens occasionally.

Holistic, I wasnt trying to send Reiki in the way that you suggest, I just let the energy flow, sorry if I didnt word my query clearly, but thank you for answering my question.

The answer seems to be that yes, the Reiki would flow in that situation, so thanks guys for all your answers.

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

The toxicity in wine is nothing in comparison to distilled liquor or beer. In fact wine being more naturally fermented has many advantages over other alcohols, anti-oxidants which in moderation are good for the heart and the blood.

Your body is full of chemicals naturally anyways. Most magickal practices encourage the psychosamatic indulgence of your favorite drink whether it be alcohol or soda. Because it helps loosen the mind and the body.

I wouldnt suggest downing a 3rd of Rum before healing but wine has its own healing powers in moderation.

All things in moderation for too much water can be poisonous. Wine is a natural process and its up to the individual and that individuals body to determine the best answer for this threads inquiry.

Does the wine take from your focus or give more focus ? Can your body withstand the naturally fermented sugars or does it easily upset your immune system ? Everyone is different but your adrenaline and hormones can be a factor just as quickly as wine or smoke.

Does being rushed with adrenaline help give energy or does it distract you from your focus ? Same difference

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

Candie

ORIGINAL: Candie

Laura. When giving healing or Reiki you should always protect yourself. In fact you should do it before giving any treatment really.

As I do not give any treatments other than Reiki, I do not feel qualified to comment on this. You may well be perfectly right about what others "should" do. I think that this is subtly different from whether or not one "should" smell of garlic, though. 😉

You are entering into that other person's space and you can pick up anything from them. A good Reiki/Healing teacher will always tell you this so yours didn't give you good advice I am afraid.

I was relating what I had been told, I did not say I necessarily followed it to the letter! I would not for one moment dispute the necessity of self-protection in certain circumstances, however.

May I ask if what you say as to whether or not I have been given good advice comes from researchable sources, is your own personal point of view, or is "common knowledge"?

Laura.

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

May I ask if what you say as to whether or not I have been given good advice comes from researchable sources, is your own personal point of view, or is "common knowledge"?

Laura. This information has been given to me by many healers. However, I am currently doing a two year healing course with the National Federation of Spiritual Healers who really know their stuff. I was taught virtually nothing when I did Reiki I and II and this bothered me greatly. Hence my wanting to do a course such as the one I am doing. The difference after only one weekend has been quite profound.:D

PS No disprespect to Reiki Practitioners, but there are all sorts of people 'teaching' Reiki and I don't think there should be, personally.;)

I now have a tutor who can answer all my questions about all things spiritual and I am very glad of it. I will also have to get myself two sponsors from the Federation as I do my probationary two year period before I can become a full member healer, so it's nice to know that there are folks out there for me when I get questions.

But as from personal experience....I have picked up stuff from some people and really, you do not want it. It can stay with you for hours or more and it isn't nice.[:'(]

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

With respect - and as both a Reiki Healer and Spiritual Healer - no Healer 'really knows their stuff'. It is all gueswork on their part because not one of them can prove it. It is all based on hearsay.

Spiritual healers dwell too much on protection and instill fear into what is a loving and caring act of healing. I say this because if you accept that ALL healers connect to the Universal Energy (or whatever name they choose to give to that Energy) and they believe (because they can't know definitely) that this energy is beneficial then, because it IS 'Universal' and 'good', there can be no bad energy anywhere. If there IS 'bad' energy then the 'good' energy cannot be universal.

Also if God is Omnipotent and all-loving (Universal energy by another name!) He/She cannot contain any 'bad' energy.

It is what we puny humans classify as 'good' or 'bad' which is the frightener because it depends on outlook and culture of each group of humans - even each individual human - that defines what is 'good' or 'bad'. And so protecting oneself when giving healing is bowing to the constraints of our puny minds. There is a tendency to classify anything that doesn't accord with the group mind as 'bad' or 'evil'.

These are my beliefs - because, just like everyone else, I do not know.

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

I was told by a reiki master that if the intention was for good then no harm could come from the sending of reiki to either healer or healee.

love and light

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

Candie

Sorry to learn you had disappointing experiences with the teaching of Reiki 1 and 2 - with two different Reiki masters?

You said: "PS No disprespect to Reiki Practitioners, but there are all sorts of people 'teaching' Reiki and I don't think there should be, personally."

I totally agree. Do I hear an echo bouncing around HP? Yes ... from the insurance thread in this forum ... to the ethics one in Spiritual Healing ... back here. At the risk of repeating myself - from an old thread - when I ran a Reiki share group a few years ago (open to anyone, not just my students), I was amazed and dismayed at the "knowledge" or lack of that some people brought with them. [&o]

Also: "But as from personal experience....I have picked up stuff from some people and really, you do not want it. It can stay with you for hours or more and it isn't nice. "

Yep, been there too, and I agree that it's not nice. Ironically, though, when this has happened to me in a healing context, it has nearly always been when I have received Spiritual Healing, never with Reiki! Some say they cannot tell the difference - I can. However, I would never knock a form of healing different from that which I do, whether it be Spiritual or another faction of Reiki, either publicly or in private. Horses for courses, and what suits one .....

I said above: "I would not for one moment dispute the necessity of self-protection in certain circumstances, however. " and I stand by that - very, very occasionally in Reiki - and frequently in other areas of life, nothing to do with healing of any sort, and therefore not to be detailed here, other than perhaps to briefly mention the effectiveness of a few good drumbeats! 😀

I hope you continue to enjoy and gain much from your course, and if I may be forgiven for raising an eyebrow at reading what I "should" do, I'll cheerfully raise my glass!!! 😉

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

Paul

Thanks for this post. My reply would, I think, take the topic off on a bit of a tangent, so I'm going to start a new thread on "The Good Old Days" or similar.

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

I feel moved to put my 'twopennorth' in. Having read with great interest the comments about protecting yourself.

I've only done reiki 1 so far and during the training, I felt absolutely drained after treating fellow students, particularly one with MS, and we were told to protect ourselves, not necessarily my the RM but other students seemed to know about it. In fact one of them refused to work with another student again and was cross with the RM for not protecting us.???

This happended to me again with treating (refelxology) a client, again with MS, and I was advised on here and by a friend who is an RM to ground myself. I tried this and it did help.

The client was a spiritual healer herself, although without much training, she says she is guided by angels as to what to do. When I said would she like me to give her some reiki (a free bonus) to finish her treatment, she declined!!

So anyway, I try to ground or protect myself wheneve I feel 'vibes' now.

Jan

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

Dear All,

I agree with Paul. Reiki is inherently protective and no steps need to be taken routinely to protect yourself when treating others with Reiki, either for fear of being drained, or for fear of picking things up from people that you are working on.

The whole point of Reiki is that you are channelling energy, not giving out your own energy. It's not uncommon, I know, for some hands-on therapists to find that they are quite drained of energy if they treat a few people, and attunement to Reiki prevents this from happening, in fact I know a lot of hands-on therapists who learned Reiki specifically because of its effect in preventing you from becoming drained... and its effect in preventing you from picking things up from the people you are working on.

Now there are other ways of working with energy - for example spiritual healing - and these other ways of working with energy may require you to take steps to protect yourself, or there may be a tradition of such things being taught in these traditions, but they are not Reiki. They are not the same and different rules apply. Just because some people might have been taught that frantic protection is necessary within spiritual healing does not mean that such steps are necessary with Reiki, but of course some Reiki teachers will have started out as spiritual healers and transferred their 'spiritual healing' belief systems across, and applied them to Reiki... or a Reiki teacher may have been taught by someone with a strong spiritual healing background... so these unnecessary (unnecessary for Reiki) rituals are passed on.

And sometimes people can misinterpret things, so if you feel drained or tired after giving your first Reiki treatment on a First Degree course it is likely to be because you have *relaxed*. Reiki really relaxes a person, and we will know from personal experience that we can keep 'on the go, on the go', but when we finally sit down to relax the tiredness hits us and we can't get up! Being relaxed, and tired, when we start our Reiki journey is not uncommon, and doesn't last forever, but these things can be misinterpreted, through fear, and presented to us as us having had our energies drained, along with a feeling of vulnerability and the need to take steps to protect ourselves again and again.

Reiki is safe, Reiki is inherently protective, and Reiki treatments do not drain our personal energy.

Best wishes,

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

Okay. A few things, and this is a reply to all!

I think we all agree anyway, in essence.

Taggart. I was under the impression that after doing Reiki I you should only SELF treat![&:] Hence feeling drained etc. You are not meant to work on others.

I am still undecided and the jury is out in my experience on the difference between Reiki and spiritual healing. I am learning some big differences, but am not yet sure that it is different from a 'source' point of view.

MS sufferers are known to be totally draining. Ask any reflexologist, some won't go there, so this is not surprising.

This is my point about protection, at the risk of repeating myself:

When you give healing (of whatever description) you are entering the other person's energy field or aura. You should ALWAYS ask for permission and I feel strongly about people who send healing without this and without the other person even knowing. It makes sense to protect yourself, and as it only takes seconds, I for one shall do it.

Paul. I agree with you about nobody knowing it all. However I am of the opinion that there are some who know far more than others.

I'll tell you what really bothers me about Reiki:

The use of the words:

Teacher (without any teaching qualifications)
Master (how arrogant)
Degree (need I say more!)
Abundance (yep when you charge £800 to 'teach' a 'degree' then I have big problems with this).

As I said before, no disrespect to anybody here, I know that you are all coming from the heart and value that, but not everybody is. I have spoke to one man who said 'my wife does Reiki, she's got degrees in it and everything so she must be good.' Now that bothers me.

Ooops Sorry have gone totally off thread.[&:] But hope you all don't mind.

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

Surely the point in all of this from using symbols to using rutuals for protection etc is to do what you are comfortable with.
Re the teachers/masters/degrees I understand where you are coming from Candie but he same applies to all sorts of "therapies" and academic qualifications.
I take the view that I am responsible for my own integrity I can't be responsible for everyone else.

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

Dear Candie,

Taggart. I was under the impression that after doing Reiki I you should only SELF treat! Hence feeling drained etc. You are not meant to work on others.

... well where did this rule come from I wonder? This restrictive approach may be passed on in some lineages but my impression is that this is a minority restriction. Once you have Reiki you have Reiki, and you benefit from the energy whether you use it on yourself or others. If you don't learn how to treat other people on the First Degree course then what on earth is taught: just self-treatments? "You are not meant to work on others"... nonsense I'm afraid.

This is an unnecessary and unhelpful restriction.

MS sufferers are known to be totally draining. Ask any reflexologist, some won't go there, so this is not surprising.

Fortunately being attuned to Reiki seems to prevent people from becoming drained in this way and, as I mentioned before, many hands-on therapists actually learn Reiki because of its protective effects in this regard.

When you give healing (of whatever description) you are entering the other person's energy field or aura. You should ALWAYS ask for permission and I feel strongly about people who send healing without this and without the other person even knowing. It makes sense to protect yourself, and as it only takes seconds, I for one shall do it.

OK, well whenever you stand next to anyone on a bus, or in a shop, or in a classroom, you have entered their energy field, so does this mean that we need to protect ourselves at all times? I don't think so. Permission is a separate issue.

I think that it is fair and reasonable to call a person who teaches Reiki a 'Reiki teacher' actually, and I have to say that a teaching qualification does not a good teacher make. Someone who teaches is a teacher, whether or not they have a piece of paper. If anyone asks me what I do, I tell them that I teach Reiki. The title 'Master' is a bit unfortunate, really, but we're stuck with it now I think. Anyone who learns Reiki, or reads about Reiki, will realise that the the word 'degree' when applied to Reiki does not equate with a University Degree in any way, so I don't think this criticism is valid.

Best wishes,

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

Amber

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

Self-treatment only after Reiki 1? Yes, to be encouraged, but not only "self-treatment". Also friends and family, plants, animals (if they want it, if not that should be respected, as with people).

Reiki very rejuvenating? Yes, indeed. As the healing energy passes through the Reiki practitioner to the healer, the Reiki person also gets a healing - lovely! 🙂

quote:

"Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?"

Would you feel comfortable with someone doing Reiki on you after they had a few drinks? Especially when you pay for the 'service'?

I think that if you carefully re-read this thread in its entirety, you will find that this point has already been covered, and the appropriate differentiations have been made. In other words, clear distinctions have been made between a situation where we might be sharing Reiki with those with whom we might also have shared a glass or two in a family/friends situation, and a professional occasion where what is not appropriate has also been discussed.

Holistic

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

Hi Holistic...

Amber

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

ORIGINAL: TigerBee

Yep....protect protect protect....never had anything to horrendous from anyone but you need to look after yourself first and foremost...

Tigerbee, I so completly agree with you.
Be concerned but never involved with a client's problem, and all sould go well.

ORIGINAL: candie
This is my point about protection, at the risk of repeating myself:

When you give healing (of whatever description) you are entering the other person's energy field or aura. You should ALWAYS ask for permission and I feel strongly about people who send healing without this and without the other person even knowing. It makes sense to protect yourself, and as it only takes seconds, I for one shall do it.

Candie, asking permission ( I agree, should always be done) and protecting oneself are two very different things in my opinion. Do you protect yourself when you give a massage?

Now, as for alcohol, I don't think that it is very professional to see clients under the influence of alcohol. But I also don't think that if you want to give Reiki to friends after having had some drink at dinner wil affect the Reiki.

Artemis

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

Holistic,

Nothing wrong in having several people thinking the same and saying so!

Artemis

RE: Can you Reiki after drinking alcohol?

Do you protect yourself when you give a massage?

We were taught to, yes. To be truthful;) I don't always do it, but some of the nastier feelings I have picked up are from doing massages.[&:]

As for standing next to people on buses etc (as mentioned earlier) then yes you are in that persons space and yes, if you are very sensitive you will pick stuff up from them. I have and it isn't nice at times.

Some people are more sensitive to these things than others and I seem to pick it up quite easily. When people say things like 'you could cut the atmosphere with a knife' then this is what they are referring to.

Sorry, I have not made myself clear on the treating after Reiki I[&:]. I meant 'giving' treatments as in receiving payment for it, not in giving it to family and friends etc. Sorry!