Exploring Spiritual Realms for Healing and Empowerment

Welcome, Distance Reiki Share friends! Over the years, I’ve had the joy and privilege of combining two beautiful healing traditions: Reiki and shamanism. Many of you are already experienced Reiki practitioners, and some of you are curious about shamanism or the idea of “journeying.” Today, let’s explore how blending these traditions can open new doors for both healing and personal empowerment.

Laying the Foundation: Energy, Imagination, and Intuition

One of the first things to understand about journeying, whether through Reiki, shamanism, or both, is the importance of the imagination. In our culture, imagination is often dismissed as “making things up,” but in the worlds of energy and spirit, it becomes your most valuable sense. Imagination forms your bridge to higher awareness. Some people might “see” their journeys, others may “feel,” “know,” or even “hear” them. These intuitive senses, known as the clairsenses, guide us while we travel into spiritual realms and altered states.

We begin our sessions with a Reiki invocation. This process helps us settle, fills us with light, and opens the doorway to perception that is beyond the ordinary. Part of our journey involves healing any negative beliefs or doubts about your imagination. Your imagination is the tool you use to access the worlds and guides that support your spiritual growth.

What Is a Spiritual Journey?

So, what is a “journey”? In this context, a journey is an experience where your consciousness travels beyond the usual physical senses. This might include journeys to spiritual realms, energy frequencies, or even other dimensions, which some may call astral travel. These practices are thousands of years old and can be found in cultures around the world. Mikao Usui, the founder of Reiki, provides one example. He entered higher consciousness during his 21-day meditation on Mount Kurama and brought back Reiki from that spiritual experience.

Shamanism is a vast tradition with countless practices, but most methods use rhythmic sound, such as a drum, rattle, or dance, or breath, to shape awareness, change brain waves that open up the journey. In Reiki, the same result can be achieved with intention and the Reiki symbols, along with a willingness to explore consciously.

Mapping Shamanic Realms: Lower, Middle, and Upper Worlds

In shamanic practice, journeys often move between three main realms:

• Lower World: This is an enlightened, earthy, powerful place filled with spirit guides, often animal spirits, who support your healing. People reach this realm by following a tree root into the earth or entering through caves or tunnels in their imagination. Every tradition sees it a little differently. Celtic, Lakota, and Peruvian practices all perceive the lower world in their unique ways, yet all see it as a place of wisdom and grounding energy.
• Middle World: This is the spiritual or non-physical realm that has duality just like the physical reality of Earth. Journeying in the middle world is usually best when a person has experience with discernment around the guidance received here.
• Upper World: The upper world is a source of great wisdom and includes universal guides, angels, gods, or archetypes. In my experience, these realms are filled with infinite love, compassion, and guidance. For example, my own upper-world guide, Chakotka, is a “star bear,” an ancient cosmic being who helps me reconnect with childlike wonder and aligns me with the rhythm of the universe.

Your own intuition and clairsenses shape how you experience each of these realms. There is no single correct way to perceive these spaces or their guides. Every person’s journey is unique.

Reiki as a Bridge: Techniques for Journeying

Now, let’s discuss Reiki as a tool for journeying. The attunement you receive in Reiki seems to open the doors of intuition very quickly, even for beginners. Suddenly, colors, images, feelings, or knowings begin to appear without effort. Sometimes this can be surprising, but it’s a natural part of spiritual growth with Reiki.

A key tool when we journey using Reiki is the Distance Symbol along with pleasant music. Think of it as a radiant bridge of light leading from your present location to wherever healing or guidance is needed. We often “travel” on the bridge of light to the enlightened realms we call the 12 Heavens of Consciousness. Within our work, we often describe moving through the different levels or “heavens,” starting in dual reality and moving towards realms of pure love, compassion, and consciousness. You can also use the Distance Symbol it to journey to shamanic realms such as the lower world for grounding, the upper world for wisdom, or spiritual dimensions in between. You can also journey to other spiritual realms of your choice by activating the bridge of light.

Reiki enables you to journey at your own pace and according to your beliefs. It lifts you naturally to a higher perspective. It does not matter if you see these realms as heavens, dimensions, or frequencies of energy, and the Reiki journey technique stays the same.

Journeying for Yourself and Others

One aspect of Reiki journeys I truly value is that the healing that occurs during a journey doesn't rely on the practitioner's skill. The Reiki energy itself facilitates the healing. While your ability to perceive may enhance the experience with details, healing, or insights for your recipients, Reiki consistently works powerfully, even without visions or messages. Many individuals have minimal interest in journeying with Reiki, and yet Reiki still effectively performs its work.

In shamanic journeying, the practitioner often requires years of training in order to manage spirit relationships, guide the journey, and do the healing. Reiki’s energy, in contrast, is always the guide. Our role is to observe, listen, and trust.

Over time, I noticed that journeys began to show up naturally in Reiki sessions, sometimes for students in their very first class. That’s why Robyn and I created the Next Step classes, providing space to practice and develop these abilities alongside Reiki.

Realms, Maps, and Meaning

Through our YouTube Distance Reiki Shares and 12 Heavens classes, we explore a variety of energetic spaces together. These spaces offer places for intention, insight, and healing. Together, we use Reiki and the bridge of light to travel to the enlightened realm of the third heaven, and explore areas for specific healing and empowerment.  We often let go of our injuries and burdens at the “river of life,” and find new gifts at the “field of possibilities,” or receive guidance at the “tree of life,” we may let go of pain at the “garden of forgiveness,” and many more places and experiences.. These are not literal locations, but rather intuitive spaces that allow powerful healing and empowerment to occur.

Keep in mind that every person’s experience with Reiki or shamanic journeys is unique. Some percieve spirit guides, and have a full experience of the realm, where others simply feel peace or discover a new perspective. This is more than imagination alone. When guided by Reiki, your imagination becomes a real bridge to higher consciousness.

Healing Styles: Extraction, Release, and the Power of Love

Reiki and shamanism have different approaches to spiritual healing. In shamanism, practitioners may actively remove unwanted energies using their hands, drums, or the assistance of their guides. What is removed is then released or purified based on tradition. Reiki, instead, invites universal energy to flow through us, bringing whatever is released directly into the light through the power of love and the authority of compassion. There is always gentle and intelligent energy at work that heals what is released as well as the person it is released from.

A familiar example is working with energetic cords, which are typically unhealthy connections to people or situations. In shamanism, the cord might be “cut” and sent into fire or earth. In Reiki, cords dissolve in light and compassion. They are transported on a bridge of love to be healed and transformed, not discarded. This process teaches us that even our unwanted parts are worthy of healing and can be brought back into wholeness.

Extra-Ordinary Reality in Daily Life

One of my favorite aspects of this practice is discovering the spirit within daily life. Whether I am speaking to rocks, or observing faces in clouds or trees, I am always reminded that everything carries spirit and meaning. When Reiki energy awakens your imagination and heart light, the divine light in everyday things becomes visible. With some practice, you can access higher reality anywhere you are. No drums or rattles are necessary, just breath, intention, and the Reiki symbols or invocations you already know.

Your Spiritual Practice, Your Way

In the end, combining Reiki and shamanism is about finding what is meaningful for you. There are as many “right ways” to do this work as there are practitioners. Reiki, to me, represents an evolution in spiritual practice. It helps us move from looking outward for authority to listening inward for truth, intuition, and authentic connection.

Whether you want to journey for others, for yourself, or simply experience the world from a new perspective, Reiki provides a safe, gentle, and very effective way to do so. Most importantly, Reiki adapts itself to your spiritual background, beliefs, and needs. You are never alone. Your guides, your higher self, and the Reiki energy itself always support you.

Closing Thoughts and Invitation

Thank you for joining us for this deep dive into combining Reiki and shamanic journey techniques. In part 3, we’ll talk more about spirit guides, their differences, how to connect with them, and their role in both Reiki and shamanism. We will also continue to experience new journeys together. You can find the Reiki journeys every week on YouTube and our Reiki Lifestyle Podcast.

For now, take a moment to appreciate the extra-ordinary reality around you. Use the distance symbol, take a few deep breaths, and let your imagination lead you to notice the spirit in your world. The journey continues, and your path is as unique as you are.