Reiki and Brennan Healing
Science
Similarities and differences
I
practice and teach both of these modalities and therefore often get the
question from clients and colleagues as to how these two modalities
compare. While I do not like to make
comparisons between healings modalities, sometimes it is necessary. I have therefore decided to share my thoughts
and experience in this article so people can be better informed.
When
a client is drawn to a practitioner I trust that the healing relationship
between the two will yield what is needed in the moment. Healing is the result of inner work, aided by
tools, the healing container and the healing relationship between the client and
the therapist or practitioner.
The
therapist or practitioner brings all of him or her self to this relationship,
including all prior experiences and modalities learned, whether they are
applied or not, they are part of his or her presence and personhood.
The
client brings all of him or herself to the relationship, including all life
experiences that organize the present moment experience and including the
willingness and/or resistance to heal.
So,
while we can compare modalities, we cannot be the judge or predict the outcome
of a healing session and the results of the healing.
================
Similarities between Reiki and Brennan Healing Science
Both
Reiki and Brennan Healing Science (BHS) work with universal energy or Chi as it
is commonly referred to. It has also
been called Ki, Prana, Source, etc.
Both modalities are hands-on healing techniques using
this universal energy. The hand
placements and sequence are different, but both use the major joints and
chakras as positions for laying the hands.
Following is a more detailed description of each
modality’s origin, course content, work methods and the personal development of
the practitioner.
Reiki
Origin
Reiki was created by Mikao Usui, a Japanese monk, who,
in the late 1800’s, “rediscovered” this ancient healing art that has its
origins in
Reiki has no prerequisites and it is very simple. The fact that it is learned in short courses
and is easily accessible to everyone has greatly contributed to its widespread
popularity and use.
Usui taught this healing art in
Hawayo Takata condensed the original lengthy training
consisting of 7 initiations into 3 levels, probably to make it more palatable
and accessible to the Western culture and also to make this needed healing art
available in the rapidly evolving consciousness of the times.
Takata’s 3rd level was the Master/Teacher
Level, at which one could then teach and pass on the initiations to
others. The Reiki Alliance still
maintains these three levels of training.
Dr. Arthur Robertson, a student of Iris Ishikuro who
was a friend of Takata, decided to divide Level 3 into two levels and add an
attunement, a ceremony and an additional symbol. He formed the American Reiki Master
Association and under his lineage there are 4 levels to reach the
Master/Teacher level.
Guiding principles
As Usui integrated and developed this new modality, he
formulated 5 basic guiding principles for this new healing art. These founding principles are:
After noticing that many of the people he treated
without charge went back to their previous state of being, Usui came to the
conclusion that in order for the clients to take part in and take
responsibility for their healing process, it would be advisable for them to
give something in exchange for receiving a healing session. Usui subsequently included this principle of
exchange in his teaching of the method.
Course content
While there are many Reiki associations and
organizations, there is no single governing body or a single protocol for
teaching. The teachings are handed down
from Master to student, as faithfully as each Master is able to do so. This inherently brings inconsistency and
variations to the teaching, but generally in my experience, the course content
of the traditional system is fairly consistent.
What I find varies more is the way in which it is taught. Some teach it superficially and others with
great respect and sacredness.
During Reiki training, sacred initiation rituals are
transmitted to the student. These
initiations or attunements increase a person’s vibratory level and open up the
energy field which helps to channel the energy more easily. These initiations are a very powerful
catalyst for personal growth.
The approach to all dis-ease and disease is the same;
no specific techniques are taught to treat specific conditions. The student may be briefly introduced to the
human energy field, depending on the teaching Reiki Master’s knowledge and
background. Some Masters, but not all,
will teach the students to ground down while giving treatments.
Level 1 is usually taught in 1 or 2 days and includes:
·
what Reiki is and what it can be used for
·
method of self-treatment
·
method of treatment for another person
·
4 attunements.
Level 2 is usually taught in 1 day and includes:
Level 3 in both traditions is usually taught in 1 day
and includes:
·
the Master symbol
·
the Master attunement (called the 3rd level
attunement in the 4-level system)
·
In the 3-level system, the student becomes a Reiki
Master and is taught to teach at all levels.
·
At the discretion of the teaching Reiki Master in the
4-level system, the student is sometimes taught to teach levels 1 and 2, but
not the 3rd and 4th levels.
Level 4 includes:
·
an additional symbol
·
a sacred water ceremony and an initiation ritual
·
Most Reiki Masters in the 4-level system choose to
wait until the student has completed level 4 before teaching the student to
teach levels 1-4.
Total course hours vary between 32-50 hours, plus any
additional homework and process work that may be assigned at the discretion of
the Reiki Master.
Personal development of the Reiki Practitioner
While there are no formal guidelines or requirements
for the student’s personal development work, the Reiki initiations,
self-treatments and the Reiki Master’s guidance allow the practitioner to grow
in consciousness and self-awareness as well as do some clearing of his or her
energy field. This helps the
practitioner to become a clearer channel for the energy and to improve his or
her presence with the client as the student integrates the different levels.
How it works
With
Reiki, the practitioner channels universal energy through his or her crown
chakra and makes it available to the client through the palm chakras. This is done by laying the hands on positions
that closely parallel the endocrine system, the chakras and the major
articulations as well as any other part of the body that is in need
of healing. The traditional positions go
from the head to the feet and then the back.
Emphasis is placed on “getting one’s self out of the
way” and letting
the client’s energy field draw whatever is needed. The energy goes where
it needs to go to do the work that is needed and ready to happen. The Reiki practitioner simply allows
the energy to move through him or her and does not direct the
energy or “pull” things out of the field.
No
specific techniques are taught; the energy simply does the work. The sacred symbols are used to connect more
deeply to the client, to increase the power of the energy
The
energy of Universal Love and Divine Consciousness that is transmitted helps to
balance the energy field, helps to release energetic, emotional, mental,
physical and spiritual blocks, thus enhancing the client’s well-being. The treatment is usually very relaxing for
the client.
Variations and Expansions of Reiki
The
system taught by the Reiki Alliance and the American Reiki Master’s Association
teach what is normally referred to as the traditional Usui Reiki system. There have been many variations that have
since developed by Reiki Masters who have decided to expand on the theme and
add rituals, initiations and symbols that they have received. Some of the names include Karuna Reiki, Reiki
Plus, Lightarian Reiki. A search on the
internet will reveal many more variations.
Brennan Healing Science
Origin
Brennan Healing Science was created by Dr. Barbara Ann
Brennan, a former NASA physicist. At a
very young age Barbara was gifted with High Sense Perception (HSP). As her consciousness awakened through personal
development work, she began to receive much information from her spirit guide
Heyoan and started to work with clients.
She eventually wrote her first book “Hands of Light” which has become a
classic in the field. Her background in
science has given the work a scientific basis.
Barbara is very keen in bridging the gap between traditional and
complimentary healing modalities so the two can work in concert.
In 1982, Barbara started the Barbara Brennan School of
Healing in
Course content
BHS is taught in a 4-year course which is recognized
by the State of
BHS can only be learned at the school where the
learning and teaching is consistent, rigorous and structured. The only thing that is taught outside the
school is the introductory workshop where one can get an overview of the
healing science and can experience about 10 of the techniques that are taught
at the school, including giving and receiving a chelation (healing).
The BHS course is a comprehensive program which
includes about 2,000 hours of courses and personal development work with both
in-residence and distance learning modules.
Course content includes:
Personal development of the Brennan Practitioner
This comprehensive course content and intensive
personal work requires a huge personal commitment from the student. The student learns about personal wounding
and dynamics in relationship with the self and others. Much emphasis is placed on awakening the
consciousness which creates deep awareness and contact with the self. This awakening and the intense personal work
done in therapy have the effect of opening up and deeply clearing the energy
field, allowing the practitioner to increase his or her ability to channel the
energy and to have deep contact and presence with the client.
In addition to this, specific techniques are learned
to ground deeply into the earth, to regularly clear and charge the
practitioner’s energy field, to manage one’s own energy field and to prepare for
a session with a client.
How it works
In
BHS, universal energy is channelled through the crown chakra and also drawn up
from the earth to make it available to the client through the palm
chakras. Thus, a wider spectrum
(frequency) of energy is made available to the client than is available in
Reiki. The energy is made available by
the laying the hands (called a chelation) on positions (usually on the front of
the body) that closely parallel the endocrine system, the chakras and the major
articulations as well as any other part of the body that is in need
of healing.
BBSH
practitioners learn techniques to work with the seven levels of the field, to
dissolve the energy blocks in the field (aura), restructure lines of light which
are the template for the physical body, and repair the energy field of organs
and chakras so that they can metabolize universal energy to nourish the human
body and return it to a healthy functionality.
Many other techniques are also available to the BHS practitioner,
including past life healing, relational cords and spiritual surgery assisted by
spirit guides.
BBSH
practitioners can also access and work in the dimensions of intention (Hara)
and essence (Core Star).
In summary
Both
Reiki and BHS healing modalities channel universal energy through the
practitioner’s energy field to make it available to the client through the
laying on of hands on the body joints and chakras. This energy of Divine Consciousness is one
that promotes healing and relaxation for the client.
Reiki
is learned in 3 or 4 short courses (32 to 50 hours) while BHS is learned in an
intensive 4 year program (2,000 hours).
Reiki
teaches the basic healing modality within a sacred container and with some
encouragement for the practitioner to do personal healing work while Brennan
Healing Science teaches a more global approach to healing and the healing
practice, also within a sacred container, with specific rigorous requirements
for the healer’s personal healing work.
The
depth of personal work and energy techniques learned at the school give the BHS
practitioner tools to work deeply within the energy field, clear and charge the
energy field along with an awareness of the client’s individual and relational
dynamics. The BHS practitioner can more
readily recognize when therapy might be an appropriate path for the client in
conjunction with the energy work.
Therefore,
because of the above, Brennan Healing Science will usually result in deeper
work than Reiki with faster healing results.
With all of this said, each client has different needs
and the doorway to healing can come from many different healing
modalities. The client’s
disposition is crucial to healing; healing comes from within, often assisted
from the outside by way of traditional or complimentary healing
modalities.
What
the client brings to the healing and the personhood of the healing practitioner
create the healing relationship in which the healing
process can happen.
Roland Bérard
www.rolandberard.com
Reiki Master
Registered Teacher
Canadian Reiki Association
Brennan Healing Science Practitioner
Graduate of BBSH Teacher Training Program
|
|
Reiki |
Brennan Healing Science |
|
Origin |
Ancient Tibetan art of healing, rediscovered in |
Created by Barbara Ann
Brennan, through personal abilities and guidance |
|
Energy used |
Universal chi, transmitted by laying on of hands, on
or off the body, using positions on chakras and major articulations Frequency associated with violet light Energy channelled through chakras 7 (crown) to 4th
(heart) then through hands. Some
teachers, but not all, teach grounding so that Earth energy is also tapped
into |
Universal chi, transmitted
by laying on of hands, on or off the body, using positions on chakras and
major articulations Full spectrum of healing
energy used, including drawing energy up from the Earth. Energy channelled through
all chakras 7 (crown) to 1st (root) then through hands while the
practitioner is deeply grounded |
|
Training |
3 or 4 levels, 1 to 2 days in each level, total of
about 32-50 hours of training, depending on the teacher. Some teachers give homework and follow up. |
4 years – about 2000 hrs 5 intensive weeks per year,
extensive curriculum including creative arts, ethics, healing science and
techniques, development of High Sense Perception (HSP), complimentary
medicine, personal process work, homework, reading, case study, graduate
project |
|
Initiations |
A total of 8 initiations over the 4 levels (7 if
learned in 3 levels) that are powerful catalysts for opening energy channel
and personal transformation |
No initiations. 4 years of intensive work
on self and learning energy techniques leads to deep contact with self and
other and opening of energy channel |
|
Symbols |
Symbols are used to intensify the treatment and do
distance healing |
No symbols |
|
Distance Healing |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Work in the energy field |
Mostly on the first 4 levels of the energy field |
Cellular awareness on the
physical level Work on the 7 levels of
the energy field Work in Hara (intention)
and Essence dimensions |
|
Modality of energy flow |
Simply allow energy to
flow where it needs to |
Various modes of energy
transfer, as required |