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Reiki: What it is and What it Can Do for You

Reiki (pronounced Ray-Kee) is a Japanese technique used for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one's "life force energy" is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.

     Dr. Mikao Usui is the founder of the Reiki system of natural healing, and has recommended that one practice certain simple ethical ideals to promote peace and harmony, which are nearly universal across all cultures.  During a meditation several years after developing Reiki, Dr. Usui decided to add the Reiki Ideals to the practice of Reiki. The Ideals came in part from the five prinicples of the Meiji emperor of Japan whom Dr. Usui admired. The Ideals were developed to add spiritual balance to Usui Reiki. Their purpose is to help people realize that healing the spirit by consciously deciding to improve oneself is a necessary part of the Reiki healing experience. In order for the Reiki healing energies to have lasting results, the client must accept responsibility for her or his healing and take an active part in it. Therefore, the Usui system of Reiki is more than the use of the Reiki energy. It must also include an active commitment to improve oneself in order for it to be a complete system. The ideals are both guidelines for living a gracious life and virtues worthy of practice for their inherent value.

      The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power" and Ki which is "life force energy". So Reiki is actually "spiritually guided life force energy."

      A treatment feels like a wonderful, glowing radiance that flows through and around you. Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing. Many have reported miraculous results. It is a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self-improvement that everyone can use. It has been effective in helping virtually every known illness and malady and always creates a beneficial effect. It also works in conjunction with all other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery. An amazingly simple technique to learn, the ability to use Reiki is not taught in the usual sense, but is transferred to the student during a Reiki class. This ability is passed on during an "attunement" given by a Reiki master and allows the student to tap into an unlimited supply of "life force energy" to improve one's health and enhance the quality of life.

      Its use is not dependent on one's intellectual capacity or spiritual development and therefore is available to everyone. It has been successfully taught to thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds.

     While Reiki is spiritual in nature, it is not a religion. It has no dogma, and there is nothing you must believe in order to learn and use Reiki. In fact, Reiki is not dependent on belief at all and will work whether you believe in it or not. Because Reiki comes from God, many people find that using Reiki puts them more in touch with the experience of their religion rather than having only an intellectual concept of it. While Reiki is not a religion, it is still important to live and act in a way that promotes harmony with others.

     The Reiki ideals, as mentioned above:

The secret art of inviting happiness
The miraculous medicine of all diseases
Just for today, do not anger

Do not worry and be filled with gratitude

Devote yourself to your work. Be kind to people.

Every morning and evening, join your hands in prayer.

Pray these words to your heart

and chant these words with your mouth

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Comment by Jennie Degen on October 13, 2011 at 12:54pm: God, higher power, the universal; I consider it all to be the same. And you're right, everyone can channel it. But the Reiki organization does have standards and they involve becoming attuned. Either way, energy work is just that. If someone is open to it, I believe they can do it :)

Comment by Vlad on October 13, 2011 at 11:29am: Thanks, Daniel.

We must have posted at about the same time - your post answered my question about the money side of things.

Comment by Vlad on October 13, 2011 at 11:11am: I have seen a DVD on the subject, but I did hear that a person had to be "attuned" by someone else and give them money to do taht.

You say that it's not associated with any dogma, but saying that someone needs to pay to go to a class to be attuned before they're able to do isn't that far removed from dogma, isn't it? It's a belief or doctrine that is held by Reiki practitioners.

If everyone is able to channel God, as you believe, do you think it right that someone needs to pay someone else money to be able to do that? Do you not think that if a person is compassionate, empathetic and attentive in their work that they already channeling God, in a way?

Comment by Daniel Cohen on October 13, 2011 at 11:06am: Reiki is a registered brand name so of course training and practice for what started as intuitive energy work based on TCM must follow the rules set up by the Reiki organization. Attunement assures that it is controlled and meets the need of a profitable business. The origin, Qi Gung, is still open to everyone, although there are hereditary schools of Qi Gung it can be done by anybody. Many people simply do their own form without calling it by brand as did the founder, Usui. It changed rapidly after Usui's death becoming more structured and combined with a form of Christian mysticism.

Like many things in Japan the basics came from China and was then given a Japanese twist. This type of energy work originates in the Chinese Martial Arts. There are many families in China still passing down these practices.

Comment by Jennie Degen on October 13, 2011 at 10:46am: Hello Vlad!

Honestly, I have never heard of anyone learning Reiki from watching an online video. I have always been told, that the practitioner learning needs to be attuned before actually performing Reiki on someone else. I'm sure there are other types of energy work that you can learn by watching a video, but unfortunately Reiki may not be one of them. If however, I am wrong, then that's great!

Thanks for commenting :)

Comment by Vlad on October 13, 2011 at 9:55am: It has been effective in helping virtually every known illness and malady and always creates a beneficial effect.

Always? Really?

An amazingly simple technique to learn, the ability to use Reiki is not taught in the usual sense, but is transferred to the student during a Reiki class. This ability is passed on during an "attunement" given by a Reiki master and allows the student to tap into an unlimited supply of "life force energy" to improve one's health and enhance the quality of life.

Its use is not dependent on one's intellectual capacity or spiritual development and therefore is available to everyone. It has been successfully taught to thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds.

So even though it's available to everyone and anyone can do it, you still have to pay for a class and get attuned - this sort of thing can't be learned from a video, for example?