Reiki is a Japanese technique 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.
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.
Reiki 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. Dr. Mikao Usui, the founder of the Reiki system of natural healing, 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 principles 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 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
Usui Reiki Treatment for the improvement of body and mind
The founder , Usui Mikao
*The above Information courtesy of
The International Center for Reiki Training
We are alive because life force is flowing through us. Life force flows within the physical body though pathways called chakras, meridians and nadis. It also flows around us in a field of energy called the aura. Life force nourishes the organs and cells of the body, supporting them in their vital functions. When this flow of life force is disrupted, it causes diminished function in one or more of the organs and tissues of the physical body.
The life force is responsive to thoughts and feelings. It becomes disrupted when we accept, either consciously or unconsciously, negative thoughts or feelings about ourselves. These negative thoughts and feelings attach themselves to the energy field and cause a disruption in the flow of life force. This diminishes the vital function of the organs and cells of the physical body. Reiki heals by flowing through the affected parts of the energy field and charging them with positive energy. It raises the vibratory level of the energy field in and around the physical body where the negative thoughts and feelings are attached. This causes the negative energy to break apart and fall away. In so doing, Reiki clears, straightens and heals the energy pathways, thus allowing the life force to flow in a healthy and natural way.
Do All Healers Use Reiki
All healers use life force or Ki, but not all use Reiki. Reiki is a special kind of life force that can only be channeled by someone that has been attuned to it. It is possible that some people are born with Reiki or have gotten it some other way. However, most healers who have not received the Reiki attunement from a Reiki Master are not using Reiki but another kind of life force. People who already do healing work consistently report an increase of at least fifty percent in the strength of their healing energies after taking the Reiki training.
This was verified for me when I first began teaching Reiki. There were two clairvoyant healers I knew who had highly developed abilities. They could easily see the life force flowing through a person's body, as well as see the aura and chakras. They could also communicate with a person's guides and Higher Self. They were adept at moving negative psychic energy out of the body as well as channeling healing energies. In my twenty years of metaphysical work, they were the most accurate and effective psychic healers I had met. They told me later they had doubted there was anything I was teaching they couldn't already do, but that they took the Reiki training anyway, simply to support me in my new work. After the attunement, they were amazed at the difference they could feel between the healing energies they had been using and Reiki. They said the Reiki energies were more powerful and of a much higher frequency. They noted also that Reiki didn't have to be guided like the other healing energies they were using, and that the Reiki energies began flowing without having to enter an altered state. They also indicated the attunement process itself was a powerful healing experience, releasing restrictions relating to their healing work they had unknowingly acquired when they were healers in past lives. They were very pleased they had taken the class.
Reiki Can Never Cause Harm
Because Reiki is guided by the God-consciousness, it can never do harm. It always knows what a person needs and will adjust itself to create the effect that is appropriate for them. One never need worry about whether to give Reiki or not. It is always helpful.
In addition, because the practitioner does not direct the healing and does not decide what to work on, or what to heal, the practitioner is not in danger of taking on the karma of the client. Because the practitioner is not doing the healing, it is also much easier for the ego to stay out of the way and allow the presence of God to clearly shine through.
Energy is Never Depleted
Because it is a channeled healing, the Reiki practitioner's energies are never depleted. In fact, the Reiki consciousness considers both practitioner and client to be in need of healing, so both receive treatment. Because of this, giving a treatment always increases one's energy and leaves one surrounded with loving feelings of well-being.
The above text is excerpted from Reiki, the Healing Touch by William Lee Rand.
The word Reiki is composed of two Japanese words - Rei and Ki. When translating Japanese into English we must keep in mind that an exact translation is difficult. The Japanese language has many levels of meaning. Therefore the context the word is being used in must be kept in mind when attempting to communicate its essence. Because these words are used in a spiritual healing context, a Japanese/English dictionary does not provide the depth of meaning we seek, as its definitions are based on common everyday Japanese. As an example, Rei is often defined as ghost and Ki as vapor and while these words vaguely point in the direction of meaning we seek, they fall far short of the understanding that is needed.
When seeking a definition from a more spiritual context, we find that Rei can be defined as the Higher Intelligence that guides the creation and functioning of the universe. Rei is a subtle wisdom that permeates everything, both animate and inanimate. This subtle wisdom guides the evolution of all creation ranging from the unfolding of galaxies to the development of life. On a human level, it is available to help us in times of need and to act as a source of guidance in our lives. Because of its infinite nature, it is all knowing. Rei is also called God and has many other names depending on the culture that has named it.
Ki is the non-physical energy that animates all living things. Ki is flowing in everything that is alive including plants, animals and humans. When a person's Ki is high, they will feel strong, confident, and ready to enjoy life and take on it's challenges. When it is low, they will feel weak and are more likely to get sick. We receive Ki from the air we breath, from food, sunshine, and from sleep. It is also possible to increase our Ki by using breathing exercises and meditation. When a person dies, their Ki leaves the physical body. Ki is also the Chi of China, the prana of India, the Ti or Ki of the Hawaiians, and has also been called odic force, orgone, bioplasma and life force.
With the above information in mind, Reiki can be defined as a non-physical healing energy made up of life force energy that is guided by the Higher Intelligence, or spiritually guided life force energy. This is a functional definition as it closely parallels the experience of those who practice Reiki in that Reiki energy seems to have an intelligence of its own flowing where it is needed in the client and creating the healing conditions necessary for the individuals needs. It cannot be guided by the mind, therefore it is not limited by the experience or ability of the practitioner. Nether can it be misused as it always creates a healing effect. ( It must be kept in mind that Reiki is not the same as simple life force energy as life force energy by itself can be influenced by the mind and because of this, can create benefit as well as cause problems including ill health.)
The source or cause of health comes from the Ki that flows through and around the individual rather than from the functional condition of the physical organs and tissues. It is Ki that animates the physical organs and tissues as it flows through them and therefore is responsible for creating a healthy condition. If the flow of Ki is disrupted, the physical organs and tissues will be adversely affected. Therefore, it is a disruption in the flow of Ki that is the main cause of illness.
An important attribute of Ki is that it responds to ones thoughts and feelings. Ki will flow more strongly or be weakened in its action depending on the quality of ones thoughts and feelings. It is our negative thoughts and feelings that are the main cause of restriction in the flow of Ki. All negative or dis-harmonious thoughts or feelings will cause a disruption in the flow of Ki. Even Western medicine recognizes the role played by the mind in creating illness and some Western doctors state that as much as 98% of illness is caused directly or indirectly by the mind.
It must be understood that the mind exists not only in the brain, but also through-out the body. The nervous system extends to every organ and tissue in the body and so the mind exists here also. It is also known that the mind even extends outside the body in a subtle energy field 2 to 3 feet thick called the aura. Because of this, it is more appropriate to call our mind a mind/body as the mind and body are so closely linked.
Therefore, our negative thoughts are not just in the brain, but also collect in various locations through-out the body and in the aura. The places where negative thoughts and feelings collect is where Ki is restricted in its flow. The physical organs that exist at these locations are restricted in their functioning. If the negative thoughts and feelings are not eliminated quickly, illness results.
The negative thoughts and feelings that are lodged in the unconscious mind/body are the greatest problem as we are not aware of them and therefore, are we are greatly hampered in changing or eliminating them.
The great value of Reiki is that because it is guided by the Higher Intelligence, it knows exactly where to go and how to respond to restrictions in the flow of Ki. It can work directly in the unconscious parts of the mind/body which contain negative Ki-inhibiting thoughts and feelings and eliminate them. As Reiki flows through a sick or unhealthy area, it breaks up and washes away any negative thoughts or feelings lodged in the unconscious mind/body thus allowing a normal healthy flow of Ki to resume. As this happens, the unhealthy physical organs and tissues become properly nourished with Ki and begin functioning in a balanced healthy way thus replacing illness with health.
This non-invasive, completely benign healing technique is becoming more and more popular. As western medicine continues to explore alternative methods of healing, Reiki is destined to play an important role as an accepted and valued healing practice.
*The above Information courtesy of
Who Can Learn It?...
Reiki is a Japanese technique 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.
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 and creates many beneficial effects including relaxation and feelings of peace, security and well-being. Many have reported miraculous results.
Reiki does not depend on one's intellectual capacity or spiritual development and therefore is available to everyone.
Reiki 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.
Reiki classes are taught all over the country and in many parts of the world.
*The above Information courtesy of
The International Center for Reiki Training
What Can Be Treated?
Reiki is both powerful and gentle. In its long history of use it has aided in healing virtually every known illness and injury including serious problems like: multiple sclerosis, heart disease, and cancer as well as skin problems, cuts, bruises, broken bones, headache, colds, flu, sore throat, sunburn, fatigue, insomnia, impotence, poor memory, lack of confidence, etc. It is always beneficial and works to improve the effectiveness of all other types of therapy. A treatment feels like a wonderful glowing radiance and has many benefits for both client and practitioner, including altered states of consciousness and spiritual experiences. If a client has a health condition, and wants to be treated with Reiki, it is recommended that they do so under the supervision of an enlightened medical doctor or other health care professional. Reiki will improve the results of all medical treatment, acting to reduce negative side effects, shorten healing time, reduce or eliminate pain, reduce stress, and help create optimism.
Finding Reiki Practioners
If you are attracted to Reiki, the best place to learn more is to deeply experience Reiki.
If possible, find a practitioner. The practice of Reiki is widespread. Many countries have practitioners in metropolitan areas -- if available, try investigating at health food stores and in holistic health or spiritual resource guides. See the links to Reiki practitioners and teachers. Some cities have Reiki sharing groups or clinics. (We will be posting a list of sharing groups at this site in the future.) Visiting such is an excellent way to meet Reiki people and learn with them.
The above text is excerpted from Reiki, the Healing Touch by William Lee Rand.
Can Anyone Learn Reiki?
The ability to learn Reiki is not dependent on intellectual capacity, nor does one have to be able to meditate. It does not take years of practice. It is simply passed on from the teacher to the student. As soon as this happens, one has and can do Reiki. Because of this, it is easily learned by anyone.
Reiki is a pure form of healing not dependent on individual talent or acquired ability. Because of this, the personality of the healer is less likely to cloud the significance of the experience. The feeling of being connected directly to God's healing love and protection is clearly apparent.
The Attunement
Reiki is not taught in the way other healing techniques are taught. It is transferred to the student by the Reiki Master during an attunement process. This process opens the crown, heart, and palm chakras and creates a special link between the student and the Reiki source.
The Reiki attunement is a powerful spiritual experience. The attunement energies are channeled into the student through the Reiki Master. The process is guided by the Rei or God-consciousness and makes adjustments in the process depending on the needs of each student. The attunement is also attended by Reiki guides and other spiritual beings who help implement the process. Many report having mystical experiences involving personal messages, healings, visions, and past life experiences.
The attunement can also increase psychic sensitivity. Students often report experiences involving: opening of the third eye, increased intuitive awareness, and other psychic abilities after receiving a Reiki attunement.
Once you have received a Reiki attunement, you will have Reiki for the remainder of your life. It does not wear off and you can never lose it. While one attunement is all you need for each level to be attuned to that level, additional attunements bring benefit. Experimentation has found that additional attunements of the same level add to the value of that level. These benefits include refinement of the Reiki energy one is channeling, increased strength of the energy, healing of personal problems, clarity of mind, increased psychic sensitivity, and a raised level of consciousness. At the Reiki support groups sponsored by the Center, additional attunements are usually given by someone who has taken Third degree Reiki, with no extra fee required.
The Reiki attunement can start a cleansing process that affects the physical body as well as the mind and emotions. Toxins that have been stored in the body may be released along with feelings and thought patterns that are no longer useful. Therefore, a process of purification prior to the attunement is recommended to improve the benefit one receives. See below for specific instructions on preparing for an attunement.
Preparing for an Attunement
In order to improve the results you receive during the attunement, a process of purification is recommended. This will allow the attunement energies to work more efficiently and create greater benefits for you. The following steps are optional. Follow them if you feel guided to do so.
1. Refrain from eating meat, fowl or fish for three days prior to the attunement. These foods often contain drugs in the form of penicillin and female hormones and toxins in the form of pesticides and heavy metals that make your system sluggish and throw it out of balance.2. Consider a water or juice fast for one to three days especially if you already are a vegetarian or have experience with fasting.
3. Minimize your use of coffee and caffeine drinks or stop completely. They create imbalances in the nervous and endocrine systems. Use no caffeine drinks on the day of the attunement.
4. Use no alcohol for at least three days prior to the attunement.
5. Minimize or stop using sweets. Eat no chocolate.
6. If you smoke, cut back, and smoke as little as possible on the day of the attunement.
7. Meditate an hour a day for a least a week using a style you are familiar with or simply spend this time in silence.
8. Reduce or eliminate time watching TV, listening to the radio, and reading newspapers.
9. Go for quiet walks, spend time with nature, and get moderate exercise.
10. Give more attention to the subtle impressions and sensations within and around; contemplate their meaning.
11. Release all anger, fear, jealousy, hate, worry, etc. up to the light. Create a sacred space within and around you.
12. By receiving an attunement you will become part of a group of people who are using Reiki to heal themselves, and each other, and who are working together to heal the Earth. You will also be receiving help from Reiki guides and other spiritual beings who are also working towards these goals. While Reiki is not a religion, you may prepare your mind with intention work and pray in a religious mode comfortable to you to prepare to open to higher spiritual energies and experience.
Attunement Process
The attunement process used by the Center in all Reiki classes is a combination of the Usui system and a special Tibetan technique. It is thought that Reiki originated in Tibet, therefore, the use of the Tibetan technique and symbols creates a stronger connection with the origins of Reiki. The addition of the Tibetan attunement technique to the Usui system of attunements has greatly improved their quality. This unique attunement process was developed over time to be more powerful and to bring in a wider range of attunement energies than the original Usui system. In Reiki III the Usui/Tibetan method of giving attunements is taught along with the original Usui system of attunements.
Students wishing to practice the original Usui system of Reiki can easily do so as all additions to the Usui system are clearly explained in class.
Additions the Center has made to the original Usui system came from inner guidance and experience in spiritual development. They were added only after they had been thoroughly tested and were proven to enhance the Usui system.
Origin of the $10,000.00 Fee
As time went by, Mrs. Takata contemplated the need to train other Reiki Masters. She realized that the Japanese concept of respect might be difficult to instill in the Western mind. Because Reiki Mastership is so easily learned, being simply passed on during the Reiki Master attunement, she felt that Westerners might not value it. So she devised a plan of charging a large sum of money for those wanting to become Reiki Masters. She felt that money was something that Western people understood and respected and this would help create the appreciation and gratitude for Reiki that was needed. She decided that $10,000 would be a large enough sum to instill the respect needed for the Reiki Master attunement. She also set the fees for Reiki I at $175 and Reiki II at $500. These high fees have continued to be charged by some Reiki Masters, but many are now considering a lower fee structure that makes it possible for anyone who feels guided to do so to become a Reiki Master.
The International Center for Reiki Training and others offer classes for reasonable fees. For Reiki class and fee information see the Reiki Trainings or the Links page.
Choosing a Teacher
If a practitioner is not available, you may wish to go ahead and start with a class. If money is a problem, some teachers offer scholarships. If Reiki is right for you, you can find a way. Again, see the Reiki links for possible connections.
Once you have found a teacher, the simplest and best advice is to follow your heart. Listen to your inner voice. Is this connection right for me? If your approach is analytical, start asking questions ...
When you decide that you wish to the study Reiki, we recommend you consider the following questions in choosing a teacher.
Questions to Ask about Reiki Training
For yourself:
Should I study Reiki at this time?
Do I feel in my heart that I should study with this person?
Is this person a good learning partner for me?
Am I willing to commit to regular practice so that this method (indeed, any method!) may yield results.
For a Reiki teacher:
What do you cover in your classes?
How many hours of class time is there?
How much time is instructional and how much is hands-on practice?
Will this training initiate me into, or progress me within the Usui Reiki lineage? Ask them to explain their lineage.
What should I expect from an attunement?
What are your fees and why do some Masters charge large amounts of money?
How long should I wait between levels of Reiki training?
What is the availability for support from you or other Masters after I take this training?
Is there a Reiki support group in my area, or can you help me establish one?
Does the teacher respond in a loving manner that is supportive and empowering (for you)?
Growing with Reiki
Learning Reiki is a good starting point for experiencing and working with healing energy and a wonderful method for deepening awareness of universal energy. In general, Reiki complements other healing methods and spiritual practices. There are no hard and fast rules about how to approach starting Reiki and starting healing. Again, listen to your heart and you will be guided in choosing the right experiences and teacher(s) for you.
Once you have learned a healing technique, the work begins. To develop your understanding of, and sensitivity in, Reiki it is a good idea to devote time to regular practice, find a supportive teacher and practice group and pursue continuing study. Make sure that you arrange circumstances so that you can be nurtured in your healing and growth.
Keep your eyes on your goals, your mind in your heart and take things one step at a time.
Love and light to you in your journey.
References for Learning More about Reiki
Publications and Tapes:
Reiki the Healing Touch - Reiki I & II Workbook
See the back articles in the Reiki News pages.
Other introductory books, manuals, and tapes available. For more information, see the Reiki Tools And Resources pages.
*The above Information courtesy of
Reiki by Rockie
Proud Sponsor, Editor and Member of:The DFW Reiki Healing Network News
