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Reiki for Kids

On November 9th, my daughter and I taught Reiki to three children all under 10 years old. It was a fun and peaceful class. All three kids are the Reiki for Kids cardschildren of my students and level 2 Reiki practitioners, so they have all experienced this healing energy from their Mother’s gentle cuddles, hands on an injured leg, or a reassuring hand on the back before sleeping.

I structured the class with activities so that the children could move in and out of the practice according to their interest and personal energy levels. (There were healthy snacks and coloring pages for the various breaks that the students sought. Also, most of the Moms stayed for at least part of the class.)

We did a fun movement exercise called, “I am the Light,” which involves reciting words about the light that is in me and moving ones arms and legs to express that light. I have done this with adults as well, but the children definitely connected with it too. Another fun activity was the energy ball, which the children immediately felt. We each created a ball of energy by holding our hands about 3-4 inches apart and “forming” a ball in between our hands by moving and shaping the air and energy we found there. Some of the children wanted to make the ball large, while others kept it small. My daughter led us in a passing of the ball around to each other.

I did speak briefly about the history of Reiki but didn’t want this to be the focus. After the level 1 attunements, we practiced self-Reiki by picking a hand position from the cards that each student received. (See the picture above of the cards while they were being made.) This was a fun way to practice as each child was drawn to a different position and we went in a very fluid and non-regimented way through the hand positions. After the self-Reiki it was time to move on to Reiki on Others. Each child took a turn on the Reiki table and received anywhere from 5-10 minutes of Reiki.  (They got on the table only if they wanted to. Also, we made sure they were comfortable with the hand positions.)

We ended the class with a circle and another reciting of “I am the Light.” My hope is that these children will continue to practice Reiki throughout their lives and it will be a way to support them in bringing their light to the world.

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Your Kids are Reiki Naturals

When you take a Reiki Class, the teacher often asks you to be childlike during the class.  “Let’s be like 3-year-old kids today,” I said the other day during a Reiki 1 Class I was teaching. When I ask my students to be childlike, I’m asking them to be open-minded and intuitive. I’m asking them to not judge Reiki, but rather to do it and notice what happens. In the doing comes the knowing.

Kids ReikiThis openness to the experience is vital in our Reiki learning journey, so it should come as no surprise that your children are Reiki naturals. A kids’ Reiki class is an open, playful, and joyous event. In teaching kids, there are very few questions about the mechanics and history of Reiki. Children innately know about the healing touch that comes from this energy and they seek it.

When my daughter was 2 years old, she broke her collarbone on the playground. During her healing process I rarely touched her shoulder directly because I didn’t want to cause her any discomfort.  However, when we cuddled, I knew that the Reiki would go where it was needed. Sometimes during our cuddle or reading time, she would take my hand and bring it up to her collarbone; seeking that comfort that comes from direct touch and the placement of Reiki hands on an injury site.

Reiki cannot overwhelm children, even newborns. It is completely complementary with other therapies and there are no side effects. When your child learns Reiki she/he can access universal life-force energy for physical healing as well as bringing on emotional comfort in stressful situations.

Very young children can learn Reiki 1 and they love to integrate it into their playtime and interaction with family and friends.  Level 2 Reiki classes require a somewhat older child — there seems to be a sweet spot between ages 7-11 or 12, before the teenage questioning sets in, but with enough motor skills to work with the symbols and emotional maturity to keep the symbols secret.

Reiki is a wonderful gift for self-care that makes it a natural addition to your homelife, including for your kids!  If you’re interested in learning more about the schedule for the next Reiki for Kids class, please contact me!