What is Reiki? THE WORD "REIKI" The word "Reiki" can be used to describe the actual energy from which everything is composed, as well as the system of energy healing. From its original Japanese language, with "Rei" meaning "spiritual" and "Ki" meaning "life force" or "energy," Reiki translates literally to spiritual life force energy. To translate this "Spiritual Life Force Energy" into more recognized terms, this energy is what some refer to as Higher Power, and what others may call All That Is, God, Source, Buddha Energy, Christ Essence, Divinity, or many other names. It is from and of this same spiritual energy that everything -- plant life, rocks, humans, the universe, even something human-made like a pen -- is created, so in terms of Reiki as energy, we ourselves at our core are also Reiki energy. ORIGINS As a system of healing, Reiki was developed into what is today known as the Usui System of Natural Healing by a Japanese Buddhist monk, Usui Mikao, in the early 1900's. It has been practiced in the West as a non-invasive, alternative form of healing since the late 1930s. Although the system was developed by a Buddhist monk, the system of Reiki is independent of any specific religion. People of all and no religions have practiced and received Reiki treatments. REIKI AS A SPIRITUAL PATH THE PRECEPTS, or GOKAI Do not anger Do not worry Be humble Be honest in your work Be compassionate to yourself and others Do gassho* every morning and evening Keep in your mind and recite Usui Reiki Ryoho -- Improve your mind and body The founder Usui Mikao * Gassho is a Japanese term for bringing the palms together -- in meditation or thanks; also a way of consciously joining opposites REIKI & HANDS-ON HEALING As a system of natural spiritual healing, Reiki is non-invasive and holistic. It helps one (whether she be human, animal, or plant -- it can help all beings, really) to rebalance her energy field on the spiritual, emotional, mental and physical levels, as needed by the individual -- whatever that may mean for each person. It can assist in increasing Self and Soul awareness. Reiki has helped people become more aware of their thought pattens and recognize their core beliefs, as well as come to terms with and own past experiences -- processing traumas and integrating life lessons in the present. Reiki the system can help us connect with our true selves (which at the core is part of that pure Reiki energy). Through such rebalancing, Reiki energy can help us to raise our personal resonances, or vibrations, to then be ready to receive other people, events and experiences of that higher vibration into our lives. It can help unblock our ability to heal ourselves. Yet receiving a Reiki treatment is not as simple as making a shopping list of what we want most or first; the energy will go where it is needed the most, even if we do not completely understand where that is. So even if I request Reiki to help me become, say, an amazing pianist, it may recognize that what I need first is to become fully grounded and secure in myself and my being. Once I reach that place, then I will likely have much more focus and energy to dedicate to other areas of my life, such as learning to play piano and disciplining myself to reach that level of greatness I initially sought. So it really is about working with the Reiki energy to build oneself from the inside out, layer by layer, and trusting that we will go where we need to, when we are ready, after we work on ourselves. Ultimately,
the Reiki energy is independently intelligent and will only transmit for one's highest good. It respects the free will and boundaries set energetically by the client, leaving the choice to the client's body to accept as much or as little as it needs, and helping the client to heal himself. All healing comes from within each person when she or he is ready, not from something or someone else outside. The practitioner, therefore, is there to help facilitate the client's ability to become one with the energy. WHAT HAPPENS IN A SESSION Sessions take place with the client fully clothed on a massage table. The practitioner, who has been attuned by a Reiki Master Teacher to help clear and strengthen the conduit that we all naturally are, merges with the energy, and generally holds space for the client to connect with the Reiki energy. Typically, hands are placed above or lightly resting on the body, as guided by intuition. People receiving a Reiki treatment often report feeling sensations such as concentrated heat or cooling, and energy running through parts of the body. Some may see colors or other visual images. Sometimes, no sensation is consciously felt at all (but this does not mean we are not working with the Reiki energy on other levels). Receiving Reiki is often akin to the experience of a meditative state, in which one feels more relaxed, open, peaceful, centered, and spiritually connected. | REIKI What Is Reiki? |
