What is Reiki?
Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is a Japanese word meaning universal life
energy. This energy is the natural, vital force found in all
life. Both the Usui System of Reiki Healing or the Usui Shiki
Ryoho of the Reiki
Alliance and the Usui Reiki Ryoho method of the
Japanese Jikiden Reiki Kenkyu Kai
(Institute) are hands on and distant spiritual practices that
attune and develop natural latent human healing energy and balance body,
mind, heart and spirit in a structured way through light, gentle,
non-intrusive touch and compassionate intention and regard. Universal
life energy is a only a very minimal description of Reiki's
extraordinary benefit. In an early diary written by Hawayo Takata, the
woman who first introduced the Usui System of
Reiki to the her students in the West, stated: "This power (Reiki) is
unfathomable, immeasurable, and being a universal life force, it is
incomprehensible to man. Yet, every single living being is receiving its
blessings daily, awake and asleep.
What does Reiki do?
Reiki can be a used as a personal tool for spiritual growth, as a way
to give supportive energy (to bless) family and friends, and as a
complementary therapy to holistic, naturopathic, alternate and
conventional medicines among an almost unlimited number of beneficial
purposes. A Reiki treatment simply supports the whole person physically,
emotionally, mentally and spiritually while drilling down on specific
issues. Reiki is easy to learn and can be used in a home or clinical
setting to enhance the health and emotional wellness of both self and
others.
When a Reiki practitioner places hands on an area of their own or a
client's clothed body, Reiki flows from the practitioner to the client
and then back to the practitioner in a Exchange, Reiki Circle or Reiki
Share of compassionate energy
that starts when the treatment begins and ends when the treatment stops
usually an hour to an hour and a half later. Although the experience of
Reiki treatment is completely individual -- experienced by both
the client and the practitioner as a variety of sensations, including,
heat, cold, vibration, tingling, unusual heaviness or lightness, or no
sensation at all -- it is often reported as accompanied by a deep
feeling of warmth, well-being, comfort, deep relaxation, and
revitalization. Reiki relaxes muscles, stills the mind, and eases pain.
Reiki treatment has been scientifically shown to accelerate healing.
Many health professionals are effectively incorporating the use of Reiki
into their individual practice. Those who learn Reiki find that it can
be successfully administered very simply in all kinds of settings: home,
clinic, hospital, or any place where people experience stressed muscles,
accidents, exhaustion, or personal trauma. Many Reiki projects have been
created for AIDS patients, victims of war, and hospice care settings, to
name a few.
On the physical level, Reiki can bring relaxation to stressed muscles,
decrease pain, accelerate the healing time of bones and wounds, diminish
the tissue involvement of burns and bruises, and much more.
On a mental and emotional level, anxiety is reduced, a sense of
well-being is increased and another level of relaxation can be felt. At
this degree of deep relaxation, a rebalancing of energies can occur and
the natural healing ability of the body is enhanced. On a spiritual
level, people have stated they feel revitalized and newly awakened after
a full-body session.
Where does the Usui System of Reiki Healing come from?
The Usui System of Reiki is named after its founder, Mikao Usui. Usui
developed Reiki in the 1920's in Japan. He began an investigation into
the healing phenomena of history's greatest spiritual teachers. Through
travel, study, research, and meditation, he developed the form of Reiki
and spent the rest of his life applying and teaching this method.
Usui died in 1926, but Usui's work continued in a pre World War II,
Tokyo at a clinic run by Dr. Chujiro Hayashi, a retired Japanese naval
doctor. A patient, Mrs. Hawayo Takata of Hawaii, recovered from her
serious ailments at Hayashi's Reiki clinic, and became his first known
western student. She practiced and taught throughout the US, Canada and
Puerto Rico from 1937 to her death in 1980. Her granddaughter, Phyllis
Lei Furumoto now carries on her work. Today millions of people practice
Reiki throughout the world.
Takata sensei's form of Reiki healing has spread through an oral tradition of teaching,
sharing information, and exchanging treatments. Reiki is not something
that can be learned by reading a book it is something to experience by
receiving a treatment, taking a class, and talking with Reiki
practitioners, students, and masters.
In Japan Jikiden Reiki which means "Directly Handed Down" form
of Reiki continues
to hand down the original Japanese methods developed by Mikao Usui and
Chujiro Hayashi as taught to Chiyoko Yamaguchi by Dr. Hayashi and
her uncle Wasaburo Sugano. The two methods Western and Jikiden Reiki are at the same time both similar and strikingly different in many
respects but utilize the same life force energy for healing.
How Can I Learn More?
JiJikiden Reiki Treatments
Jikiden Reiki treatments last any where from 60 to 90 minutes and are
generally concentrated on the head, upper back, soles of the feet,
kidneys and areas that are of particular concern to the patient. After a
short consultation the client lies fully clothed on a comfortable
treatment table in a treatment room with soft lighting and relaxing
music playing if the client prefers it. Treatment usually usually starts
with gentle touch to the head, feet, or abdomen. Practitioners use the
concept of Byosen, following the sensations in their hands that tell
them which areas of the body need Reiki most. For some people 1- 3
treatments are enough to help them recover from a problem and for others
a longer course of treatments is necessary. While definite benefit
can be gained from a single treatment, to get the best results from
Reiki, regular sessions are important. Your body uses the extra energy
to help repair its self quicker than it could otherwise.