Reiki is a Japanese, universal energy* connected energy healing therapy. On this webpage, we will explain what this therapy is, its principles, its history, its benefits, its practice as well as the contraindications.
In Japanese, "Rei" means universal and includes matter, soul and spirit. Ki (or Qi) refers to the vital energy that circulates within us, as understood in oriental medicines such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda. Reiki is therefore the reconnection of “universal energy” and our own “energy” with the aim of awakening a dynamic healing process.
The grand principles
The bodies of living things are made of particles that are in constant motion as they “vibrate” and create energy around that being - this is known as a vibrational field and can be seen as an aura or energy field around that living thing. The aura can be seen and measured by Kirlian photography. Reiki belongs to the universal energy connected energy healing therapies, in which the practitioner heals a person's vibrational field. This skill is usually associated with meditation techniques or disciplines of spiritual practice as have existed, in one form or another, in the majority of cultures throughout history. However, Reiki differs from these traditional practices since it is stripped of any religious attachment and does not require any particular spiritual path.
The concepts underlying universal energy connected energy healing therapies such as Reiki have theoretical commonalities with various models proposed in modern physics. Of course, none of these models have been experimentally linked to medicine or clinical outcomes.
The models proposed in bioelectromagnetism, in quantum physics or according to superstring theory, for example, are consistent with Eastern writings. These suggest that an extremely subtle vibration could constitute the substrate of matter as we know it. It could therefore have a role to play in health and disease.
In a Reiki session, the practitioner channels universal energy and, using esoteric symbols and sacred sounds, transmits it by placing his hands at a slight distance from different parts of the patient's body. Hands do not have to come into direct contact with the patient's body. Energy transmission could even be done remotely which is known as distant Reiki or Reiki at a distance - this can even heal diseased individuals at a distance, miles away or even on the the opposite side of the Earth. Universal energy would also have its own “intelligence”, which would allow it to go exactly where the patient needs it, and not to cause any undesirable side effects. The personal energy of the practitioner is supposed to never intervene in the process.
Three levels of Reiki
There are 3 levels of learning to practice Reiki, although some schools also speak of a 4th level (see Books, etc.). The teaching, which includes ritualized initiations (see Articles of interest), is normally transmitted by a master who himself received the initiations following a chain going back to Mikao Usui, the founder of Reiki.
The essential element of the 1st level is “the opening of the channel”. From then on, the connection with the “primordial consciousness” would become accessible at all times and forever. The student also learns to concentrate on the energy that he is now channeling and on the imbalances that manifest in his own body (on the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual levels). He begins by healing himself before treating others. Teaching of this 1st level is often imparted as part of a weekend workshop. It is generally recommended to practice for at least 3 months before moving to the next level.
At the 2nd level, the student learns to manipulate 3 sounds and 3 specific symbols in order to mentally access Reiki energy and use it for specific purposes (healing, harmonization, remote work, etc.).
The 3rd level, called Master level, is aimed at those who wish to teach this technique and transmit the initiations. It is not necessary for a practitioner to have completed this level since this step is not intended to improve one's ability to heal. Many practitioners therefore do not do this.
The cost of initiations varies greatly. Some schools say that the price must be high, which would guarantee the seriousness and sincere motivation of the candidates. Others want Reiki to be accessible to as many people as possible and ask for much lower prices, of the order of a few hundred dollars. You can also be initiated remotely via websites or DVDs (see Books, etc.). These practices are of course controversial as it may not be learnt properly.
A session of Reiki
Generally speaking, a Reiki treatment takes place as follows: The practitioner will ask his patient, who remains clothed, to lie down on a massage table, first on his back, then on his stomach. Using a dozen different hand positions, he first places them gently on the patient's head for 2 to 5 minutes, then moves them to the torso, then to the back. When there is contact, the pressure from the therapist's hands is always very light, although no contact is necessary most of the time. Many patients report that the impression felt when applying the hands could be comparable to the sensation caused by the presence of a hot water bottle.
A typical session lasts 45 to 75 minutes, although we may occasionally do the healing for a shorter period. The treatment can also be done remotely, with the practitioner proceeding by visualizing his patient, and the latter placing himself in a state of receptivity.
During the session, the patient generally reaches a state of great relaxation. At the end of the treatment, he may have felt carried away into a deep sleep or on the contrary, experienced unusual sensations such as colorful visual impressions or the evocation of past lives. It is estimated that, for chronic illnesses, it takes at least 4 complete sessions to feel the benefits of Reiki.
Reiki can also help get back a loved one after a break-up. Click here to read about that.
History of Reiki
It was a Japanese man named Mikao Usui (1865 to 1926) who formulated the basis of what would become Reiki in early 20th century Japan. He was a Christian Minister and his quest began after his students asked him what exactly was the healing technique used by Jesus Christ to perform the miracles recorded in the Gospels.
He went to America from Japan, studied at the University of Chicago and earned a Doctorate degree in Theology. He searched the Christian scriptures to uncover the secret of how Jesus and his disciples performed their miracles but didn't find the answer he sought. Usui returned to Japan and as he did, he guessed that the Buddha had performed the same type of miracles as Jesus. He too had healed the sick and had great control over energy. He channeled the power of God and the Universe. Dr. Usui began asking Buddhists if they could perform these great miracles of the Buddha. The Buddhists felt the healing of the body and spirit were not always directly connected and that they concentrated on the spirit. Finally, Usui asked the question at a Zen monastery. "Do the Zen know how to heal the body?" The Zen monks explained that they too concentrated on the spirit.
Dr. Usui requested that he be admitted to the Zen monastery to study their scriptures in search of the key to healing. His request was granted and he began his studies there. He learned the language of Sanskrit and began reading original Buddhists writings and discovered what he felt to be the key to healing. He found symbols, formulas and descriptions of how Buddha healed but he still didn't have the power to heal. He and his friend, a monk, meditated upon the path to take and were told that Usui should go to the holy Mont Kuri Yama. There, he was to fast for twenty-one days and meditate to seek the power to heal, during which time he would receive enlightenment and spiritual clarity.
Dr. Usui went to the mountain and began his fast and meditation. He collected twenty-one stones to count each day that passed, throwing one away each morning. On the twenty-first day he awakened to a dark morning. It was like a new moon day, when no light shone in the heavens before the breaking of the dawn. He could not even see his hand in front of him as he found his way to the spot where he meditated each day. He picked up the last stone and before throwing it he prayed. He asked God for confirmation of his findings and to be given enlightenment of how to use it.
As he threw the stone over the edge of the mountain, a light appeared far in the east. It began to get brighter and move closer to him. This frightened him as thoughts of turning to run crossed his mind. Just then he remembered the long years of searching and meditating and the twenty-one day fast and his prayer for enlightenment. He realized he could accept this light if it was meant for him. The light became very bright as it streamed across the heavens and hit Usui directly in his third eye (as taught by ancient Hindus, this is the centre for intuition). For a moment, he thought he had passed because he had never before experienced such a state of enlightenment. He saw many bubbles in all the colours of the rainbow followed by the powerful white light and golden Sanskrit letters. The letters were the secret formula of the Universal Life Force and how to contact it. They came to him one by one, commanding him to memorize and preserve them.
Soon this experience was over and Usui was left feeling rested and full of life energy. Excited, he jumped to his feet to tell the monk this exciting news and when hurrying to him, he stubbed his toe on a rock and reached to comfort it and stop the bleeding. To his surprise the bleeding and pain stopped very rapidly. Something was very different about his hands and they became very hot.
Dr. Usui continued his descent and soon began to feel hungry. He stopped at a home that served travelers and ordered some food. A girl with a bandage around her jaw brought Usui his food and told him that she had a tooth ache. Encouraged by his own pain relief, he asked if he could give her a session of healing. He put his hands around her jaw and within a short period of time, her pain was gone. Usui finished his meal and went to pay for it but the girl's father was very grateful and told him to take the meal in exchange for healing his daughter.
Upon returning to Kyoto, he went to the monk for advice. What should he do now that he has received the key and energy of healing? He was told to go to the beggar kingdom in Tokyo. This kingdom was controlled by the Beggar King who allowed Usui to stay and heal the sick although he did not believe Usui would succeed.
For the next seven years, Dr. Usui worked from daylight to dark, healing the sick. Over this time, he understood how the Reiki energy flowed through him into the healee and how the body got healed.
One afternoon he took a walk and came across a beggar who looked familiar. He was one of the first beggars he had healed. Usui asked if he was still a beggar. He answered, "Oh Dr. Usui, yes, and I did just what you told me. I went out to the temple to receive a new name; I went to society and began dealing with my Karma just like you told me to do. I even got a job and married but, it was too much responsibility. So I decided I would rather be a beggar. That way I wouldn't even be responsible for myself." This upset Usui and he thought that maybe the churches were right. Maybe the physical is not enough; maybe the spiritual also must be healed. Never again will Reiki be taught free of cost. There must be an exchange of energy. He decided to leave the kingdom.
As he walked back to the monastery, Usui was greeted in spirit by the teachers who greeted him on Mount Kuri Yama. The teachers gave him the Five Spiritual Principles of Reiki:-
Just for today:-
I will not worry
I will not be angry
I will do my work honestly
I will give thanks for my blessings
I will be kind to my neighbour and all living things
Usui realized he had been healing without the healee taking any responsibility at all. Also, there had been no exchange of energy for his services. The new teaching provided spiritual concepts to be integrated with the physical aspect of Reiki energy.
Dr. Usui lit a torch and walked through Kyoto. When asked why he had a lit torch during daylight he replied that he was searching for people with a heart full of love and enlightenment but who are sad and do not know the true light. He invited these people to come and learn about Reiki. He started teaching throughout Japan and gathered a following of sixteen teachers. Dr. Usui passed away in about 1926 after asking Dr. Chujiro Hayashi to preserve the Reiki teachings. Dr. Hayashi did so as he traveled and dedicated his life to Reiki. He trained two women. One stayed in Japan and the other, Mrs. Hawayo Takata of Hawaii, was made a master in 1938 prior to Hayashi's death.
The reference of Reiki to Christianity is said to have been introduced by Hawayo Takata, who was the first to make Reiki known in the West. She would have created this “connection” to make the approach more acceptable to Westerners.
In Japan, Mikao Usui's teaching was formalized by one of his students, Chujiro Hayashi. He would have received authorization from Usui to emphasize the therapeutic aspects of Reiki by isolating them from asceticism and spiritual practice. However, according to several modern researchers, Hayashi exceeded his powers by teaching Reiki, which he also slightly transformed. Usui would instead have entrusted his succession to Jusaburo Ushida who, upon the death of the master, became the president of the organization that Usui had founded (or which would have been founded at that time), the "Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai". This organization is still active in Japan today.
What is certain is that in 1937, Reiki was introduced to the West, in Hawaii, by Hawayo Takata, who had passed through the clinic that Hayashi had opened in Tokyo. She sought treatment for respiratory and abdominal problems. Delighted with the results, she studied with the master, then returning to Hawaii, she opened her own clinic.
Hawayo Takata died in 1980, after training 22 Reiki masters in North America. It was at this time that the technique spread to the majority of Western countries. Some of these masters founded their own lineages and their own associations, adding their own colours and principles.
In recent years, other forms of Reiki coming directly from the Japanese teachings of Ushida or Hayashi, without going through Takata, have emerged in the West. Today we find two main branches in Reiki, one Western, as taught by Takata and the other directly Japanese.
Within these two major currents, countless schools of thought co-exist. Some claim to respect the purest esoteric tradition while others advocate greater openness. Moreover, since the "secret" symbols were revealed for the first time in a book in 1992, many practitioners consider that the esoteric aspect of Reiki no longer has its place - and would not have been in any case, desired by Usui.
According to some claims, Reiki is an old traditional technique that Mikao Usui rediscovered during a satori, a spiritual awakening experience in Zen Buddhism. We indeed find traces of healing approaches through the imposition of hands in the "tantra" tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as in the Vedas of Hinduism which preceded it.
It is dissimilar to the medical systems that emerged from it, whether Tibetan medicine or Ayurveda. In fact, Usui was not a doctor, but a mystic who devoted himself to rigorous spiritual asceticism. From what is known of Buddhist and Vedic practices, healing by the laying on of hands and various other phenomena could result from the spiritual work of the adept. They constituted "desirable side effects", but were not considered an end in themselves, and followers were advised to show a certain detachment towards them.
Usui and his successors would therefore have opened the door to two major transformations in the world of mysticism and in the field of therapy:
Click here to read about the Gods’ instructions and miracles in my life.
Anyone wishing to ask me questions about whatever is mentioned above can e-mail dr_ramanand@rediffmail.com, that is dr(underscore)ramanand@
rediffmail.com - I promise to reply within 48 hours.
*Universal energy is energy drawn from the cosmos or universe.