Reiki is most popularly known as a hands on healing therapy.
So, it stands to reason that - right from the word go - it helps to know where to put your hands 
Now, when you learn Reiki Level One the hand positions that are taught are for you to use on yourself first - so you can do a self treatment daily. But these same general hand positions can be used to structure a healing session on others too.
They are only guides, of course, but at basic level one Reiki, they help give your healing sessions structure and will give you confidence in treating others�?/FONT>
For once you know your 12 hand positions your healing session both for yourself and/or your client becomes more fluid and purposeful.
You can also time each hand position to give a rough estimate of when to change positions and how long an overall healing session will last.
Of course, the hand positions used today can vary from school to school of Reiki but the 12 hand positions shown here are the general ones and quite adequate for you to use.
OK, lets begin�?THE 12 HAND POSITIONS FOR REIKI.
You may sit or lie down to do these hand positions. I prefer, for ease, to sit on my meditation stool but the main thing is to remain relaxed and comfortable.
Position 1�?The Eyes.
Cover your eyes as if playing peek-a-boo, with your hands gently cupped - as if trying to hold some water in the palm of your hand. This is so relaxing and helps to sink your energy back within yourself.
It is good for stress, eye complaints, frontal headaches, 3rd eye development, etc�?/FONT>
Position 2�?The Temples.
Slide your hands from your eyes to your temples at the side of your head - again keeping your hands gently cupped.
This is the best one for general headaches, Temporomandibular Joint problems (TMJ), teeth, earache, etc�?/FONT>
Position 3�?Occipital region, at the back of the head.
Good for neck problems, whiplash etc. But also good for self confidence, trusting your own intuition and ‘letting go�?etc.
It’s like putting yourself (the head) in the hands of the universe/another 
Position 4�?The Throat.
Now, remembering to slide your hands from one position to another as smoothly as you can�?/FONT>
Move your hands to the throat position which helps with anything to do with expression. Communication is the key here.
And, of course, sore throats, mumps, tonsillitis, thyroid, larynx problems, etc too.
Position 5�?The Heart.
This is relaxing and nurturing.
Stills the emotions and quietens the mind.
Excellent for all the organs in this region, including the lungs, heart, thymus, diaphragm, tip of the liver, spleen, oesophagus, and stomach.
A lovely way to ‘calm down�?or to quell nerves about something.
Position 6�?The Solar Plexus.
Good for all the organs mentioned above - but more so the liver, spleen, gallbladder, and stomach.
Helps to ‘release and let go�?the emotional/physical contents of the large bowel and to keep things ‘on the move�?to prevent constipation.
It’s also your gathering centre, so if you have gathered something you don’t want like sad emotions, shocking news from the telly, someone elses anger, then focusing on this area will help you to release it.
Position 7�?The abdomen, (Tan Tien).
In martial arts this is where you store up your energy - and when you give your ‘ki-ai�?shout and discharge it, this is where it comes from.
Focusing on this area and ‘belly breathing�?naturally deepens your breath and uses all your lungs.
It’s also good for relaxing the mesenteric and small bowel.
And, with the small bowel often being referred to as a reflection of your sub-conscious mind - this is a superb multi-purpose hand position.
Position 8�?The pelvic/groin area.
Energy used here is good for reproductive issues either blocking or receiving�? so ovaries, testicles, uterus, etc.
But also the bladder, prostate, descending colon, appendix and rectum.
Also good for calming ‘irritable emotional responses�?to situations.
Position 9�?Top of the Shoulders.
Not the easiest of positions to hold on yourself but good for cascading the energy down into the whole torso.
Position 10�?The Shoulder Blades. (Beam the energy from the front - beaming is simply imagining the Reiki energy flowing out of your palm. See it as you would a beam of light coming from a torch)
I have found it is much simpler to just beam the energy from the front of your chest to the back of you -and as your shoulder blades are situated directly behind your lungs you’ll hit the appropriate areas quite easily.
This position is good again for lungs, pleura, lymphatics, bronchitis, asthma, colds etc.
It is also good if you have something you wish to�?/FONT>
‘Get off your chest’�?/FONT>
Position 11�?The Kidneys.
The kidneys work as your energy batteries.
Whenever we feel tired and lethargic, worn out and run down, or just simply pooped, then often times it is because we have a depleted energy store in our kidneys.
So allowing the Reiki energy to run through our kidneys can be very reviving and refreshing to our whole system.
The kidneys are also our ‘filters�?
Therefore taking time to nurture our kidneys is a good way of flushing out unwanted physical elements - literally - as well as unnecessary emotional debris too.
Kidneys also work as a team or a pair so they often reflect ‘partnerships’�?joint ventures, business relationships, team sports, etc.
Also good for lower backache, sciatica and hip problems, feeling chilly and any physical problem the Chinese might call ‘damp�?
Position 12�?The Base of the Spine or Tailbone area.
This position is great when you feel unsettled, or unseated It really helps to ground your energy.
Whether you have lost your job, all your money, facing a fearful experience (a nasty dog, or parachute jump!) then focusing on this position will help.
It even feels comforting and reassuring.
Again good for the hips, rectum (piles, prolapse, abscess), sciatica, low back pain.
And there we have it�?/FONT>
I have given very simple outlines for what each position can be used for, but truly there is such a huge amount of information that can be blended with these positions, that it would take a book just to scratch the surface
But the more you practice and use the Reiki energy the more you will get to ‘Know�?and ‘Trust�?where to position your hands.
These 12 positions are guides to start you off - so use them until you feel confident enough to not use them
Okay then I’ll finish with a couple of commone sense comments: For positions 5-6 gentlemen need to be aware of accidentally touching a womans breast’s, so it maybe more appropriate to just raise the hands above the area slightly and beam the energy down.
The same goes for position 8 too�?/FONT>
As I said, common sense really, but�?In this day and age it is better to be safe than sued.
And to be sure�?Horace Greeley probably said it best with - “Common sense is very uncommon�?
Now, as a wonderful thing you can do for yourself, try running the Reiki energy through all twelve of the hand positions we have covered for just one minute at each position.
Think of it as a twelve minute Reiki tune up that can quite easily be done both morning and evening.
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