What is Reiki?
A Reiki Story
What is Reiki?
The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei and Ki which is "life force energy".
Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. However, it is not quite so mysterious as some would have you believe. Energy is something we all know to be in everything around us. You can feel it, you can measure it, you can move it and it can change you and how you feel. It can make you ill, or it can make you well. Think about the how the energy of a room changes when someone is upset? Can you feel it? Even if you just walked in and didn't know? Do you think a baby/ small child can feel it? How about an animal? Do you think they can feel someone's energy, if they are nervous or angry? Of course they can. And they will react accordingly. Energy is everywhere. This technique helps you learn to relax your energy so you can feel better.
What will a treatment feel like?
A treatment feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you. Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and well being. Many have reported miraculous results.
Reiki is a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self-improvement that everyone can use. It has been effective in helping virtually every known illness and malady and always creates a beneficial effect. It also works in conjunction with all other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery. Many health professionals are trained in the art of Reiki as part of their training now.
How is Reiki Learned?
An amazingly simple technique to learn, the ability to use Reiki is not taught in the usual sense, but is transferred to the student during a Reiki class. This ability is passed on during an "attunement" given by a Reiki master and allows the student to tap into an unlimited supply of "life force energy" to improve one's health and enhance the quality of life.
Is Reiki a religion?
While Reiki is spiritual in nature, it is not a religion. It has no dogma, and there is nothing you must believe in order to learn and use Reiki. In fact, Reiki is not dependent on belief at all and will work whether you believe in it or not. Because Reiki comes from the Unlimited Universal Energy, many people find that using Reiki puts them more in touch with the experience of their own religion.
How do we know about Reiki?
While the energy of Reiki is as old as time, Dr. Mikao Usui, the founder of the Reiki system for healing that we know today. During a meditation several years after developing Reiki, Mikao Usui decided to add the Reiki Ideals to the practice of Reiki. The Ideals came in part from the five principles of the Meiji emperor of Japan, whom Dr. Usui admired. The Ideals were developed to add spiritual balance to Usui Reiki. Their purpose is to help people realize that healing the spirit by consciously deciding to improve oneself is a necessary part of the Reiki healing experience. In order for the Reiki healing energies to have lasting results, the client must accept responsibility for her or his healing and take an active part in it. Therefore, the Usui system of Reiki is more than the use of the Reiki energy. It must also include an active commitment to improve oneself in order for it to be a complete system. The ideals are both guidelines for living a gracious life and virtues worthy of practice for their inherent value.