Reiki is the Japanese word meaning Universal Life Force Energy. When the 'Rei' and 'Ki' are broken down into their two component parts, the Kanji (Japanese alphabet) definition for Rei is, "universal, transcendental spirit, mysterious power, essence." Ki is described as, "the vital life force energy", very similar to the Chi of Chinese acupuncture, Light to Christians, and Bioplasmic Energy to Russian researchers.

     Research indicates the roots of Reiki date back to Christ and Buddha. The awareness of this laying-on-of-hands healing was, however "lost" as, for many centuries, subsequent monks and healers focused on the healing of the spirit, through practices which included chanting and meditation.

     It was during the mid-1800's, part of the Meiji era in Japan, that a man named Dr. Mikao Usui pursued this ancient healing art. During this time, much of the Japanese lifestyle had become quite eclectic (Shinto-style wedding celebrations alongside Buddhist burial ceremonies). The country had re-opened its shores, diplomats and Christian missionaries had returned, and Dr. Usui was among those who had quickly adopted much of the change in society due to the influence of foreigners, as well as all of the new technology of the industrial revolution. He had wholeheartedly embraced Christianity, becoming a minister and later the Dean of a small Christian University in Kyoto.

     Usui's belief in the Bible was a literal one. On one particular day, however, some of Dr. Usui's students were wondering why there weren't many healers in the world performing instant healings, since the Bible said that Christ had told the apostles "to heal the sick and raise the dead." They reminded him that Christ had said, "You will do as I have done, and even greater things." They asked him if he would teach them the methods used by Christ. Feeling stunned by their request, for in traditional Japanese style he was bound by his honor as their Dean to be able to answer their questions, he resigned his position the same day becoming determined to find the answers to this mystery.

     Having had mostly American missionaries as teachers, and knowing America was predominantly a Christian country, Dr. Usui began his search at the theological seminary of the University of Chicago. After a long period of study, in which he did not find his answers, Usui decided to continue his search elsewhere.

     Realizing that Buddha was also known to have performed many incredible healings, Dr. Usui returned to Japan hoping to find some "new" information about instantaneous physical healings in the ancient Japanese Lotus Sutras. Approaching abbots of several Buddhist monasteries and inquiring if they had any records of Buddha's healings of the body, he was repeatedly told that all focus was now placed on the healing of the Spirit.

     Finally, an old abbot from a Zen monastery, confirmed that it must also be possible to heal the body as Buddha had done, since whatever was possible at one time, could be accomplished again. He suggested that Usui might stay at the monastery to continue his quest.

     Usui began a lengthy study of the Sutras in Japanese. After being unable to find the information he was seeking, he began a deep study of Chinese later covering all of the available Chinese Sutras. Again, Usui's search did not reveal what he sought. He decided to study Sanskrit so that he could understand the Tibetan Lotus Sutras. It was after these studies that Usui felt he had found the intellectual answers to the healings of Christ, but was unclear how to make use of the information. While meditating together on the question, both Usui and the abbot were guided to the conclusion that Dr. Usui should undertake a 21 day fast and meditation on the sacred mountain, Mount Kuri Yama (near Kyoto).

     Upon ascending the mountain, and using a pile of 21 stones as a calendar, Dr. Usui undertook his fast. He had not experienced anything unusual for 20 days and prayed for his answer in the darkness of the new moon on the 21st day. He then saw a small light flicker that moved toward him, becoming larger, until it struck him in the center of his forehead. Thinking he may have died, he watched as millions of bubbles appeared before his eyes. At first they were rainbow colored, but they then became a glowing white, with several of them containing golden-colored, three-dimensional Sanskrit characters. He watched as the characters slowly appeared one by one, and he carefully registered each one into his memory. At the completion of the process he felt very grateful for the event - knowing that his answer had been delivered.

     Realizing there was bright daylight all around him, Dr. Usui noticed that he felt revitalized and strong, which seemed extremely unusual considering his long fast. He felt grateful for such a "miracle". In his excitement to descend the mountain and tell the abbot, he tripped and stubbed his toe. Instinctively, he reached down to grab it and was amazed that the bleeding stopped in minutes, and it had completely healed. A second "miracle" had happened that morning.

     Continuing down the mountain and coming upon a roadside stand, he realized he was very hungry and proceeded to order a full breakfast. The proprietor, understanding that Usui's unkempt beard and monk's garb could mean that he been fasting and meditating, encouraged Usui to have broth instead, as it was possibly dangerous to break a long fast with a large meal. Usui declined and experienced the third "miracle" of the morning - he ate the large meal without indigestion. As it turned out, the granddaughter of the old man who served Usui, was in dire pain from a severe toothache. She gladly accepted Usui offer to help, and Usui's fourth "miracle" of the day occurred after he put his hands on the sides of her face. The pain and swelling disappeared.

     At the monastery, Dr. Usui found the abbot suffering in great pain due to arthritis. Usui laid his hands on the arthritic areas while sharing his experiences with the monk, and the pain disappeared very quickly. The old abbot was truly amazed. Again, meditating together on the use of Usui's newly found abilities, the guidance was for him to go and work in Kyoto's beggars' quarter.

     As Dr. Usui's goal was to heal the beggars so they could receive new names at the temple, thus being reintegrated into society, it appeared that his work was successful. The results were remarkable - many were healed completely, and he gave of himself freely for about seven years. He later wept in despair, however, when he realized that many people returned to a life of begging after being healed and reintegrated to mainstream life. One young man even told him, "I just couldn't stand the responsibility. It's much easier to be a beggar."

     It was this experience that enlightened Dr. Usui in understanding that the healing of the Spirit was every bit as important as the healing of the body - that people must be taught responsibility, and especially gratitude. He realized that by having given away Reiki, he continued to "support" the beggar mentality and programming. The importance of an exchange of energy became very clear to him - people needed to give back for what they had received, or life would be devoid of value. It was at this time that Dr. Usui wrote down five principles of Reiki, which involve gratitude, worry, anger, honesty and respect. He then left the beggars' quarter to teach throughout Japan.

     It was also at this time that the purpose of the symbols in his mountain vision became clear - they were to be used by him to attune people so that they could take responsibility for their own well being. By helping them amplify their energy, they could take a larger step toward their own mastership.

     Usui began to train other teachers - young men who would join him in his travels. Around the turn of the century, Usui entrusted one of his most devoted teachers, Dr. Chujiro Hayashi, a retired naval officer, with the responsibility of carrying on the traditions of Reiki. Dr. Hayashi founded the first Reiki clinic in Tokyo.

     In 1935, Hawaya Takata, a young Japanese-American widow from Hawaii, visited Hayashi's clinic and began receiving treatments there. Having avoided surgery and healing completely, she was very impressed with Reiki, and decided to learn it herself. Reiki had evolved as belonging to a man's domain, however, and it was only through much persistence that she was able to receive her training at the First and Second levels. She later returned to the U.S. and began her practice. While enjoying a visit from Dr. Hayashi and his daughter in 1938, and Mrs. Takata was initiated as a Master in Reiki.

     Later, back home in Japan, Dr. Hayashi could sense that a war was coming with the U.S. and began to make preparations. Being a powerful mystic, he already knew Japan would be destroyed and many people would die. He warned Mrs. Takata of the coming war, when she again went to Japan, and told her what she must do to protect Reiki.

     Dr. Hayashi decided to make his transition in order to avoid being required to participate in the violence of the upcoming war. In the late 1930's, in full ceremonial dress and amidst friends, Hayashi consciously left his body. Staying only for a short time to help with his funeral arrangements, Mrs. Takata returned to Hawaii where she was very fortunate to escape the incarceration of Japanese-Americans during World War II. Being a courageous woman, Mrs. Takata, continued the teachings of Reiki in post-war America. In the 1970's, Mrs. Takata began to train other Masters and, at her death in December of 1980, 21 had been trained. There are now several hundred Reiki Masters teaching around the world.

Some of the inherent qualities of Reiki are:

It is an unlimited source of healing power, which also heals the giver and receiver at the same time.

     

It has its own intelligence, and adjusts to the needs of each person--it knows what to do, where to go, what needs to be healed and how to heal it.

     

It works with the body's natural ability to heal itself.

     

It heals, vitalizes and balances the body, mind and spirit.

     

It loosens up blocked energy and promotes a state of total relaxation.

     

It distributes energy in the body.

     

It cleanses the body of toxins and poisons.

     

It heals all beings - animals, plants and even" inanimate" objects like cars, machines, etc.

     

It combines easily with other healing modalities - Jin Shin Jyutsu, Theta Healing, massage/bodywork, therapy, etc.

     

It is a spiritual path, but not a religion; it supports each person's spiritual beliefs and values, and it enhances all that is positive and creative in our lives.

     Reiki enters through the crown of the Practitioner, passing through the upper energy centers to the heart and solar plexus. The energy then passes throughout the whole body, and on to the client, usually by way of the Practitioner's hands. It is unnecessary to take on the client's energy blocks, fears or other negative attitudes, as the Practitioner's body has been opened by the attunements to be a purified channel for the Reiki energy, as it passes through. After attunement, intention is the only requirement in order for the Practitioner to set it into motion and channel Reiki energy to the "client" - whether to a person, an animal, a plant, or even some "inanimate" object.

     There is no definitive timetable for the release of either acute or chronic illnesses with Reiki. Each person is unique in the way that they react to treatments. Each person truly heals himself. Reiki channels act only as vessels through which the clients draw the energy they need to create balance on all levels of their beings. It is not appropriate to place attachments on the results of the work, or to make any judgments, as each person accepts the amount of energy appropriate to his or her needs, and the results of the healing are not always directly visible. It is necessary to keep in mind that there are often secondary benefits to having a disease, and a person may not be ready to be healed on the physical level.

     A client who receives Reiki, and who has an acute condition, may experience an increased awareness of pain in the first two or three days of treatment, due to the acceleration of healing energy. The pain then seems to dissipate quickly by the third day. Reiki helps each individual release energy blocks and the connected emotions, which in turn helps the release of the causal level of disease, and accompanying pain.

     Anyone can accelerate the healing process by laying-on-of-hands, which transfers magnetic energy. The difference between Reiki and other healing methods, however, is the attunement process, or initiations, given by a Reiki Master. These attunements are experienced by students at various levels, or Degrees, of Reiki. As taught by Dr. Usui, a Reiki Master uses a very ancient "Tibetan technology" to transmit energy in a highly amplified state directly to the student. The whole process of this series of initiations finely tunes both the student's physical and etheric bodies to a higher vibration, in turn facilitating the development of higher states of consciousness. Certain of the student's Chakras, or energy centers, are permanently opened by the process to enable the student to "channel" greater quantities of the Universal Life Force Energy. In addition, the vibratory rate of the student's body is amplified. This triggers a 21-day cleansing period, which occurs as a result of negative patterns and blocks being sloughed off, as the student's energy pattern quickens.

     The attunements affect each person differently, depending on their vibratory level when they first receive them. If they have spent time doing work to expand their conscious awareness, and have reached a high vibratory level, the attunement will provide a very quick "quantum leap" to an even higher level. For someone just beginning consciousness work, there is also a magnified leap in consciousness - the expansion of energy, however, will be relative to the level from which they start.

     A wonderful thing about Reiki is that, even after the consciousness leap caused by the attunements, the Initiate can still continue to increase his/her vibratory level and healing capacity by daily treating his or her self, as well as treating others whenever possible.  An additional benefit of Reiki attunements is that once you are attuned to the Reiki energy, you can never lose it - even if you don't use it for a period of years, the moment you decide to use it, it will be there for you.  And whether for self or another, should the Initiate be using another modality, such as Jin Shin Jyutsu, to facilitate the healing process, the Reiki frequency will be automatically brought through at the same time - which is definitely a double blessing.

First Degree Reiki:

     The first-degree initiation focuses almost entirely on the physical body, raising the vibratory rate, benefiting many of the glands and upper chakras; also the crown chakra is sealed open so that the student can maintain an accelerated ability to channel Reiki energy, for the rest of his/her life. Basic hand positions are studied for use in working on oneself as well as others.

Second Degree Reiki:

     This initiation places greater emphasis on adjusting the etheric body. The attunement process provides a "quantum leap" in vibratory level - at least four times greater than First Degree, which is often felt as an amplification of Kundalini energy; students also experience a sharpened awareness of intuitive perception. Three symbols are taught, and subsequently activated, which allow Reiki to be taken beyond time and space for use in sending long-distance healing sessions.

Third Degree Reiki:

     This level of initiation results in quantum leaps that are unable to be estimated, and the attunement is used to initiate a Reiki Master - someone who has a very clear and heartfelt desire to accept greater responsibility for his or her life by acknowledging that s/he is indeed the Master of his or her Destiny. The fourth and final, "Master Symbol", is taught and activated, thereby empowering the new Reiki Master to use specific "ancient Tibetan technology" to assist others in further empowering themselves.

     Previously Third Degree Reiki was available only to those who wished to become Reiki Master / Teachers, and who were willing to assume that responsibility. Today, with the heightened acceleration of our planet, this initiation is offered both with and without the Master Teacher Training. This training enables one to attune others in Reiki, and involves an apprenticeship program.

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     Self-treatment is a wonderful way for the Initiate to enjoy Reiki's many benefits. It is good to develop the habit of self-treating before falling asleep at night, as well as first thing in the morning. Regular self-treatment, after the initial cleanse process is completed, will help the growth process to continue at an accelerated rate, and further refinement of the Initiate's energy will occur.

     Reiki is never "sent" to the client. During a session, it is the client's body that actually draws the appropriate amounts of energy, through the healing practitioner, to whichever areas s/he need. The Practitioner is never drained in the process, as in actuality s/he simultaneously receives a treatment. Hence the saying, "Give a healing, get a healing!"

     Typically a Reiki session for a client lasts about 60-70 minutes, and is given fully clothed. The practitioner may simply use the hand positions learned in the First Degree training. These positions are located on important parts of the body, and often correspond to the training of other bodywork modalities. Although the intelligence of Reiki allows the energy go wherever is needed by the client, with practice the initiate becomes embedded in the Art of Reiki, and will intuitively be "called" to certain places on the client. Often the client's comments will validate the timing of the move and perfection of the placement of the practitioner's hands - with their breathing and body language indicating a state of total relaxation.

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