It has been really great how enthusiastic Reiki practitioners and Reiki Masters have been about teaching Reiki to children. Though I wondered if perhaps there might be some disapproval, what I found was a lot of support and encouragement.
Since the program has been set up, several Reiki Masters have been asking me about it. They want to know how I teach it and I am happy to share my ideas with them. I have even invited a few to come to my classes and experience what takes place for themselves. I have created a book called Reiki Kids, which is used as a teaching manual for the children during the class. It is in a colouring book format and the children love to colour in the chakras and the aura as I talk about their energy body.
I have also created a teaching manual for Reiki Masters. The manual is full of suggestions and creative ideas to keep the Reiki class fun, interactive and so full of things to do that there is never any need to say “no” to a child. Children have a lot of energy so the manual gives lots of suggestions on directing them towards another creative activity. It is not that I think there must be a certain way that Reiki is taught to children. In fact quite the opposite, I do feel that it is important that we utilize lots of different tools to make learning Reiki something that honors every part of their being.
I began hearing more and more wonderful stories about children and their understanding of the unseen world. I met Jan Yordy who works with Indigo Children and has produced a video to help parents, teachers and caregivers to support these wonderful children and honour their perceptions. They are truly special children and are coming in as our teachers. This door swings both ways as we also have a responsibility to be their teachers as well.
We must understand and accept that these children may not and most won’t learn in the manner we as adults have grown to accept. Society had labeled these children as having “attention deficit disorder”, when all that occurs is they can take in a lot more information than is available to them on the dense physical level. It is just that they don’t really work well in the time space continuum that we have learned to deal with. If they want something they can’t understand why not NOW!
There are no limitations to their perceptions. They are not held back by the confines of the physical world. This can be very frustrating because while very connected to their spiritual nature, they still must operate in a physical body. These children are multi-taskers, they really don’t see a need to pay attention and sit still. They can absorb all that is going on around them. Taking what they need and using it to create whatever it is that they desire in the moment. They are true alchemists and Reiki is a wonderful way to help them manifest this in the most positive of ways.
As they grow up if their perceptions aren’t honoured and no one sees the world the way they do they begin to see no validity in what they are seeing, sensing and knowing. They begin to shut it down. This is not what we want for them.
I welcome comments, suggestions and questions from the Reiki community on the subject of teaching Reiki to children. I encourage Reiki Masters to teach the children whether it is your own children, your grandchildren or the whole neighborhood. The ones who show up will be the ones who need what you have to offer. It is that simple. I encourage you to find your inner child through these children and encourage them to never separate from theirs.
Barbara McKell, RT CRA, KRM
Article published in the Spring 2004 issue of the Reiki News Magazine