Are you looking for something more?
Welcome to the the world of Five Element Reiki, a world of precision energy work that is available to all Reiki people attuned at Second Degree level or above. Five Element Reiki is a profound and penetrating healing system based on intuition, creative visualisation and intent.
There are some vague hints that the Five Elements formed a part of the practice of the Reiki that Mikao Usui taught, but as yet we have no information about what was involved. So we can’t say that Five Element Reiki is an original Usui method. What we can say though is that Five Element Healing brings Reiki in a way closer to its roots, in the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The Five Element Reiki training course is an eclectic blend of techniques and principles from shiatsu and teate (traditional Japanese palm healing), mixed with a creative approach to energy work that involves a lot of intuition, creative visualisation, and the use of intent. It is a simple and uncluttered system that allows you to focus specific energies to penetrate deeply, balancing a person’s energetic make-up: a simple “energy acupuncture” if you like, but you don’t need to know anything about acupuncture points or meridians, thankfully!
- Would you like to learn all about the Five Elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine?
- Do you feel you’d like to be able to find out exactly where a person’s imbalances lie, and monitor their imbalances intuitively during a course of treatments?
- Can see yourself using energy in a precise and focused way to restore balance, sending the energy like a laser beam to deal with specific imbalances in someone’s body/mind/spirit?
- Do you like the sound of using a system that is based on intuitive working, intent and creative visualisation, where you have choices and can find your own way of working?
… then maybe this system is for you.
All about Five Element Reiki
Five Element Reiki is an eclectic blend of traditional Chinese and Japanese approaches to health, combined with a simple and creative approach to energy work. It is a powerful three stage system where you:
- Detect energy imbalances
- Balance a person’s elements
- Treat using five different energies
The course teaches a new way of working with Reiki through knowledge of five-element theory, energy diagnosis, creative energy work, new symbolism and intuition. The system reflects the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, uses diagnostic tools from Shiatsu and treatment techniques used in Japanese Palm Healing, together with creative ways of working with energy.
The course takes you from first principles to being able to treat someone with confidence. Like all our courses, the Five Element Healing course is accompanied by a comprehensive manual which deals with everything we teach and more, and you benefit from free ongoing advice and support.
Origins of the Five Element Reiki system
Taggart found himself being drawn to the ideas of Traditional Chinese Medicine, particularly the Five Phase Theory, and felt that he could use this system in his practice of Reiki. However, he did not want to go down the ‘academic’ route of learning in detail about the taking of pulses, the detailed courses of meridians and the learning of specific acupuncture points. That sort of approach seemed to him to really be getting away from the simplicity of the Reiki that he loves.
So he was looking for a way of working with energy in a way that reflected the Five Elements, but a system based on using energy alone, a system based on intuition and intent, a focused and intense healing system that dealt with specific imbalances, but in a way that allowed you to dance and merge with the energy, a method that did not allow your head to ‘get in the way’.
Taggart had a few ideas that seemed to feel ‘right’, that seemed to make sense, and he went with the flow, not analysing too much but just seeing where the system would take him. The system became clear, and Taggart wrote the summary of the course before going back to fill in the detail… so Taggart knew where he was going before he knew how to get there! Five Element Reiki is a system that evolved naturally, intuitively, making more and more sense; it is basically a channelled system.
Once Taggart had the basic system in place, he experimented with his Reiki Master students, getting them to meditate on the five energies, to give feedback when Taggart was carrying out a series of treatments on them. The feedback was entirely positive, and we came to the conclusion that we had something quite special here.
Taggart presented the first live courses in Autumn 2001, received a uniformly positive and enthusiastic response, and decided to share the system further.
What is covered on the course?
First Principles
We start by giving a good grounding in Traditional Chinese Medicine, in particular the Five Element or Five Phase theory. Now Five Element Reiki is not a complex, academic subject. The theory is not essential. In fact, you can practice Five Element Reiki perfectly well even if you know nothing at all about Five Phase theory. What we provide is an overview, something that will satisfy the enquiring mind. So when you detect an imbalance, you will be able to have an idea how that imbalace could be reflected in a person’s body, in their thoughts and their emotions, and you will be able to understand why you see some of the changes that you’ll see when you treat people. We are not experts in TCM and Five Element Theory – not by any means – and fortunately with this system you don’t need to be!
Working with new energies
You will be working with five new energies, the energies of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. These are represented by five new symbols, and you need to become familiar with these energies. You achieve this by carrying out a series of meditations centred on the Tanden. In doing this you sensitise yourself to the energies; if you are going to be using them in practice then you need to be throughly familiar with them.
Developing your intuitive potential
This healing system relies on the use of intuition to detect elemental imbalances and we provide you with a range of exercises to go through which start to ‘flex’ your intuitive muscles.
Detecting imbalances
The first stage of the healing system involves detecting energy imbalances; working out which elements are out of balance, what is the nature of that imbalances, and to what degree the element is out of balance. You will practice detecting energy imbalances using a number of different methods, so you can try out different approaches and decide what method(s) work best for you. Once we know where the imbalances are, we can move on to bring someone’s elements into line.
Balancing the elements
Once we know which elements are out of balance, and to what degree, we move on to bring the elements into balance. We use the five energies together with creative visualisation to acieve temporary balance, so that the elements are locked together, stable, like the pieces of a jigsaw (rather like to jigsaw logo you can see above!).
Treating the elements
Having brought the elements into balance, the final stage of our system is to ‘treat’ the elements using their five energies. This is done using the new symbols and creative visualisation, and follows a treatment approach that is used in Traditional Japanese Palm Healing (teate). By using these energies in an intense and focused way, we send the energy deep, to deal with the ramifications and associations of each element. By narrowing our focus, we intensify the healing effect, and that is the essence of this system.
The consistent message that we are getting from our students is that Five Element treatments are *so* deep!
Self-treatments
An important part of the Five Element Reiki system is being able to work on yourself, which students are taught how to do. You find out where your imbalances lie, what sort of imbalances they are and how pronounced they are, and you focus energy on yourself gently to rectify these imbalances in an increasingly focused way.
How the course works
Your Five Element Reiki course is based on two training days separated by an interval of a couple of months – rather like taking First Degree and Second Degree training, where you learn the basics, put them into practice, and then move on. Each training day is preceded by the student doing reading and energy work to prepare themselves for the live training day, and then they have ‘homework’ to carry out on themselves and on other people. Once the student has been on both training days, and carried out courses of treatments on five people, then they receive their Five Element Reiki practitioner certificate.
The live training lasts for about 13 hours over the two training days, and there is a fair amount of work to carry out before and after each course. For the Module 1 course you are looking at about 23 hours of reading and energy work before and after the live course. For the Module 2 course you are looking at about 10 hours of work before the live training day, and then 5 courses of treatments lasting 25 hours. Adding this all together, you will be working with the system either live or through home-based work for about 70 hours before you achieve your practitioner certificate.
On the live courses you weill be guided by one of our team of experienced Reiki teachers and in the company of a few other students – there will be no more than six students on any of our Five Element Reiki courses, and at many of our venues the maximum is four.
This approach means that you can learn at your leisure, in the comfort of your own home, allowing all the information to sink in and giving you an opportunity to work with the techniques for an extended period, and you then arrive on the course well-prepared and already knowing a great deal about what you are going to be doing. Then we spend the live part of your course working with energy and putting what you have learned into practice.
The Study Pack
You will have a chance to go through your study pack for usually a few weeks before the course, and this gives you a good grounding in the basics of Five Element Reiki. Imparting a load of information on a live course is a really ineffective way to learn or to teach, so we help you to get to grips with the ‘knowledge’ side of Five Element Reiki before you arrive on your day-course. The study pack consists of a comprehensive, professionally-printed 120-page manual and detailed instructions that explain exactly what you need to do before coming on your live course.
The Certificate
The Five Element Reiki practitioner certificate is awarded after you have been on both training days (Module 1 and Module 2) and after you have carried out courses on treatments on five people, and submitted details of these to Taggart.
Five Element Reiki Course Fees
The fee for Module 1 is £170 at all locations, and the fee for Module 2 is £170 at all locations, with a £60 deposit (incl. VAT at 20%) paid in advance, and the balance paid to your teacher on the day of your course.
Module 1 Course Schedule:
Note: Arrive at 9.30am. Finish time no later than 5.30pm
- General Overview of the course, introductions
- Practice: Detecting your own imbalances using intuitive approaches
- Feedback and questions
- Practice: Detecting other people’s imbalances using the same approaches
- Feedback and questions
- Starting to balance your own elements: explanation
- Practice: Five Element self-treatments – hands-on and hands off
- Feedback and questions
LUNCH
- Overview of treating other people
- Practice: Detecting imbalances on other people using Hara-focused methods
- Feedback and questions
- Balancing someone’s elements: overview
- Practice: Balancing someone’s elements temporarily using a hands-on approach
- Feedback and questions
Module 2 Course Schedule:
Note: Arrive at 9.30am. Finish time no later than 5.30pm
- Review of experiences, questions, overview of day
- Practice: Quick practice at detecting other people’s imbalances intuitively
- Feedback and questions
- Intangible organs, organ focus and aspect focus: overview
- Practice: Determining Organ focus and Aspect focus
- Feedback and questions
- General treatment approach and hand positions: overview
- Practice: Treating people’s elements
- Feedback and questions
LUNCH
- Quick summary of treatment approach. Use of intent only to balance elements
- Feedback and questions
- Practice: Giving and receiving full treatments – detect imbalances using intuition, balance elements temporarily using intent, and treat elements using creative visualisation, using intuition to monitor progress.
- Feedback and questions
- Final comments
Ongoing Support and Advice
Once you’ve been on your Five Element Reiki courses we want you to know that your teacher will be on hand to deal with any questions or queries that you might have, and Taggart will be on hand to help and support you in your practice. We have tried to set up various ways that we can support you, and our students can support each other. This is what we offer at the moment:
- Internet Support/Discussion group for all our students who have an e-mail address. You can contact other practitioners who have been through the same training as you. If you have any queries, if you have any ideas that you want to share, if you want to simply enthuse about something, then go ahead.
- Free distant Reiju empowerments each week anytime on a Monday. Every week you can ‘tune yourself in’ to a Reiju empowerment from Taggart, anytime on a Monday (and more than once if you like!). This will give your Reiki practice a real boost and echoes the way that Reiki was taught by Mikao Usui, with empowerments week-in week-out throughout your training.
- Access to a network of regular Reiki shares (get-togethers) at various UK locations where you can meet other Reiki Evolution students, chat, receive Reiju empowerments and swap treatments
- Free ongoing support and advice by e-mail.
“I thought the course content was just right for the day and for where I was at having read the manual. It clarified a lot of the processes and I could see how it all fit together. The course exceeded my expectations. I came away knowing I had taken in a lot more than I thought and feeling quite confident that I had understaood and was able to detect imblances, as well as the initial techniques to balance them.
The course materials are very good. The materials, whatever the course, are always of the highest standard. Testament to this is the fact that a couple of my friends who have not trained with Reiki Evolution have bought Reiki manuals from you. The live training was very good. I did not even realise it was so late in the afternoon when we finished, I was so taken up with the practise element. Margaret, as usual, was excellent and broke everything down into very manageable chunks. She also did quite a bit of checking through questioning, to make sure we knew the elemental correspondences and organs. As a trainer I know how important this is when learning.
Short of George Clooney turning up, I can’t think of anything that could be improved :-)”
Janet Burke, North Lanarkshire
“I thoroughly enjoyed the Five Element Reiki course I attended on Sunday. It was well organised and clear. Margaret provides a very warm and supportive atmosphere to work in, which makes learning enjoyable rather than intimidating. I had enough time to get to grips with detecting imbalances in others and feel confident to ‘try out’ what I have learned on guinea pigs!
I do feel like I have a lot of processing to do and that the module was just the start!. I find the the subject facinating though so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Gillian Worrall, South Lanarkshire
“I really enjoyed the 5 Element course, part one. I think the course manual was very good. Seemed to contain all we needed. I like the fact Margaret only takes small groups. It makes it more intimate. The three other girls on yesterdays course were very nice and I felt after lunch when we had all chatted and got to know each other slightly that the afternoon session went really well. I felt because we had ‘bonded’ in a way.
In the morning I first thought I wasn’t getting anywhere but Margaret is very encouraging and positive. Looking forward to January for Module 2.”
Sandie Gray, Glasgow
“We really enjoyed ourselves and our readings of the 5 elements on ourselves as well as on each other were fairly accurate – in fact in two instances all 4 of us had the same readings and in the other cases the variations were less than 10%. I think since it was the first time – we really excelled ourselves! With almost 2 months time we now have upto the 2nd module, I’m sure we are going to be absolute acurate in our next readings.
It was a pleasure interacting with Tina – she like Kay Gillard – has a natural flair for teaching and makes the atmosphere lively and interesting. The course content/materials were excellent and I’m sure Tina will confirm that we were a dedicated group.
I am indeed thankful to Tina for teaching us how to use the pendulum. I had bought one over 3 months ago – but just couldn’t make it swing. Then a week before the course I went and bought another one with the intention of using it on the course for dowsing. And Tina taught us how to use it and now my pendulum swings back and forth and in circles as if it is also enjoying itself!
The entire day was one big learning curve! Thank you so much! We look forward to the 2nd module!”
Hira Kelshikar, Kent
“I enjoyed the course very much. It was interesting to hear the differences / similarities that everyone had experienced when working with the energies. I felt that it was helpful to be able to talk about the experiences of detecting and balancing my own energies and those of others. Having Margaret and the others students to share ideas and feelings with helps to build confidence and iron out anything I was unsure of. I particularly liked the fact that when others were balancing my energies then I could feel it first hand s I have an idea of what others would be experiencing when I treat them.The course was well paced allowing plenty of time for discussion and sharing thoughts. I now have time to practise before the next module. I know Margaret is at the end of the phone or an email if I need help or advice.”
Gail Wood, Ayrshire
“Thank you for producing such an interesting and creative course. I was a little daunted with all the information in the manual, however Tina’s usual calm and disciplined approach on the live course dispelled any of my worries. I left not only confident in my new knowledge, but feeling great with my elements in balance!
Cannot wait for module 2 in January.”
Denise Doman, London
“The 5 element course was great! Can’t wait to go back and do the next part! Louise was brilliant, as usual. Working with the five element energies seems very natural, like something I’ve known before. The course was set out very well and we worked through all the parts with plenty of time for discussion. I found the ‘mixing desk’ and pendulum approaches worked best for me.
Although there is a lot more to Five Element Reiki in comparison to regular Reiki, I feel it makes sense, I like the fact that you don’t have to know what an element being out of balance means and it still works, yet the more you work with the five elements the more you want to know! After completing the first part of the course I have found that it all fits together nicely and whereas I thought the approach and treatment were going to be complicated infact they seem quite simple and easy to follow.
Looking forward to working with the horses with 5 element Reiki!”
Sarah Berrisford, Lincolnshire
“I recently completed module 1 of the Five Elements Practitioners course and had been looking forward to this course as I particularly wanted to learn how to recognise intuition as I never seemed to sense anything whilst giving Reiki treatments. Virtually every individual I have treated has felt the benefit of Reiki but I had never been able to sense any intuition and this has been gnawing away for a number of years. Tina Shaw, Reiki Master, was encouraging and positive and assured me that everyone has this ability. By the end of the day I am delighted to say that I succeeded thanks to Tina’s persistence. This aspect alone achieved my expectations and I want to thank Tina for a wonderful day.
The course work book was excellent, easy to understand, informative and gave a very good insight into Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). However for Reiki Practitioners there is no need to delve deeply into TCM which in itself is a very complicated subject on its own. The Five Element Reiki instruction manual will widen the skills of Reiki Practitioners particularly in detecting imbalances in the Hara and the Chakras using different techniques for example scanning, the use of a pendulum, and visualisation techniques. Although I have to add that I was uncomfortable using palpation and will not use this technique. The beauty of these techniques is that they are non invasive and can only benefit the individual receiving treatment as a result I am now going to add these new skills to my Reiki treatments.
Sending the course manual prior to the training day allowed me to learn a lot about the Five Elements material which helped to smooth the way the day was conducted which meant that there was little need for Tina to have to stop and explain things.
Tina Shaw is an excellent trainer, with a wonderful large, warm studio in which she has created a very lovely atmosphere ideal for Reiki training. She is the ideal Reiki teacher putting her students very much at their ease, she has a lot of patience, which she needed with me, is easy to talk to, answers questions honestly. She is passionate about Reiki and the Five Elements Reiki, I thoroughly enjoyed the day. “
Peter Simmons, Kent
Author: Taggart King