"cloaked" indeed

hi tcf,

No, wearing black will not affect the energies. However, as you stated yourself, black does carry certain energies at a different level, and associations. I am staying at an ashram at the moment and they run around an scold people for wearing black, or too many dark colours.

A typical session might be (hopefully) on a massage table. There may be soft music played in the background (without lyrics). You will be fully clothed. The practitioner will probably ask you a bit about yourself first. Normally you start on your back and the prac. will place their hands in various positions starting at the face and head and working down. It is an extremely light touch, in fact you may not feel the touch at all but just the warmth and energy emanating from the hands of the prac. They will never place hands in any private spots, so no need to worry! Then they will probably ask you to turn over and they will do the same thing down the back, starting at the head. The prac. may use symbols, drawn in the air with their hands over you, but you may not be aware of it at all. The symbols are used to focus and direct energy where it may be needed, or sensed that it is needed by the prac.

It is extremely simple and also very profound and powerful. You'll love it. In fact it occurs to me that reiki is simply working with love energy, that which sustains the universe. The first couple of sessions I had years ago, I was not impressed. Then the woman I trained with, and the others in the course with me, provided a different experience. I think I am now much more open to the energies than I was years ago when I first tried. I practice mostly on myself, and sometimes with yoga students that I teach privately, and occasionally friends. I had a friend coming into the hospital daily after my surgery to do reiki with me. It was tremendously helpful.

Hope you enjoy...

janaki