Reiki is a powerful natural method of channelling healing energy through human hands to bring harmony and healing to oneself or others. Reiki is a Japanese word, which means Universal ("Rei") Energy ("Ki"). This universal energy is found everywhere in the universe and is the same energy that modern science in general, and quantum physics (or metaphysics) in particular, recognises as the sub-atomic energy that underlies all matter.
Reiki is a technique for stress reduction and relaxation, which involves the channelling of universal energy through the Reiki practitioner into the recipient, with the intention of correcting any imbalance of energy. Although practitioners acts only as channels for the energy they also benefit from the Reiki energy as it passes through them.
Reiki works on the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical levels, which means that unlike orthodox medicine, it treats the person as a whole, rather than just the symptoms of a condition. The human body has a natural propensity to heal itself and Reiki simply accelerates this process.
Reiki is not magical or religious and it propounds no creed or dogma. It does not conflict with any religion and there are no rituals.
Practically every recorded civilization has been aware of the existence of a vital force that pervades the entire universe. The ancient Chinese called it Chi, The Japanese, Ki. In India it is identified as Prana. In Islam it is know as Barakka, the Russians call it Bioplasmic Energy, the Hebrews call it Ruach. It is Mana to the Polynesians and Orenda to the Iroquois.
Reiki, while not affiliated to any religion, is nevertheless, often equated to what some call God, some the Great White Spirit, some the Creator, some the Supreme Being and so on. Whatever your belief-system, when you channel or receive Reiki, you will be left in no doubt whatsoever that a benevolent force exists that our intellects do not comprehend.
Reiki is said to have originated in the southern part of Tibet from where it travelled to South America. The Inca priests used it in their temples as long as 12,000 years ago. Some 3,000 years later it became known in Egypt but was later lost. It remained lost for a few thousand years until early Buddhist monks rediscovered it. It was then lost again and remained lost until the late 19th century when a Japanese called Mikao Usui rediscovered it in the Mahayana Sutras, the doctrine of life held sacred by Indian and Tibetan Buddhists.
Nobody is perfect, so there will always be some benefit from receiving Reiki - on the physical, mental or spiritual plane.
Reiki can:
Reiki therapy is best given by placing hands on, or slightly above parts of the body that correspond with the major energy centres or chakras . The hands are left in each position for 2 to 5 minutes. There is no massaging involved and the practitioner should respect personal privacy. Both the recipient and the practitioner remain fully clothed, although the recipient may be asked to remove shoes and loosen tight-fitting clothing. Large belts and quartz watches should also be removed. The recipient lies down on a couch, or the floor or sits on a straight-backed chair. The best way is to lie down on a couch. A full session can last forty-five minutes or more but, if time is limited, a shorter session, which lasts about 15 minutes, may suffice. While the effects of the shorter session may not be as long lasting as a full session, remarkable results can be obtained even in this short time.
In the room where Reiki is channelled, relaxing music and/or aromatic fragrances create a pleasant atmosphere. However, these are not essential to the therapy and can be removed if the recipient wishes.
The experience of receiving Reiki energy varies from person to person, from session to session and sometimes even during a session. Some people feel nothing, apart from pleasant relaxation, while others feel warmth, coolness, a tingling or a gentle flowing sensation. It is not unusual for people to become so relaxed that they fall asleep. Occasionally people may experience emotions, which may be happy or sad, and some particularly sensitive people even see images while their eyes are closed. These things are all part of the therapy and should not be fought against.
In Traditional Usui Reiki, which is the basis of what is being taught
here, there are four degrees, each one of them conferred through an "attunement".
The First Degree (Reiki I) attunement connects the student to the energy
and tells
the energy to flow along the channels. This enables one to transmit healing
to oneself or others by the laying on of hands, i.e. by direct touch. The
Second Degree (Reiki II) attunement greatly intensifies the flow of energy. Not
only is the power amplified but it can also be sent across space and time
to perform a healing. This is called distant or absentee healing and involves
the use of certain symbols. Following a period of practising Reiki, the
student qualifies for the third Degree (Reiki IIIA). This is meant for
those who plan to dedicate themselves to healing. The Final degree (Reiki
IIIB) is the Master/Teacher degree, which empowers the student to
attune aspirants and teach Reiki.