What is Reiki?

Reiki is the Japanese technique for stress reduction, relaxation and the promotion of healing, and was rediscovered in the early 1900s by Dr Mikao Usui. It is a therapy that uses a “laying on of hands” technique and has been practised for many thousands of years. It is simple and powerful and can be learned by anyone. Reiki is healing with love, using Universal Energy to enhance what we all have within us. We all know that a Mother’s touch can make anything better, and Reiki follows that same principle. All living creatures are warm to the touch and that warmth is created by the energy we all have within us keeping us healthy and mobile.

Reiki comes from two Japanese words, Rei and Ki. Rei is Spiritual Wisdom and Ki, Life Energy. Ki is also known as Chi in Chinese, Prana in Sanskrit, Ti or Ki in Hawaiian, as well as Mana, Orenda, Ruach, Barraka, Odic Force, Orgone, Bioplasma and many other names in various other cultures.

Mantak Chia, an instructor of Ch’i Kung, describes Chi as “energy, air, breath, vital essence...the activating energy of the universe”. The steady flow of this energy is vital to our wellbeing. Reiki assists in keeping this energy flowing to regain and retain the optimum homeostasis of mind, body and spirit to enhance self-healing.

Reiki is self-guiding; it has its own wisdom and does not require the direction of a practitioner. Although Reiki is spiritual in nature it is not a religion; there are no beliefs that have to be maintained in order to practise. There is no dogma because Reiki comes from a higher consciousness and enables many to go beyond intellect and experience their religion more deeply.

Reiki can be complementary to medical treatment or can be used to maintain good health and promote well being on all levels. It promotes healing and can reduce pain, creates an optimistic outlook as well as reducing stress and improving emotional health.

Reiki can help anyone, of any age with any illness be it physical, psychological or spiritual. It helps animals and plants and after higher attunements can be sent over distances to help those in pain or suffering and can cross time barriers to help guide future situations and back in time to help cope with the psychological fallout of traumatic events in the past. Reiki will only do what is best it will not do necessarily what the practitioner or the patient believes is right. No harm can be done by giving or sending Reiki whatever the intention of the practitioner.

Those people who ‘give’ Reiki to others, may well feel refreshed and invigorated after the treatment; there is less chance of feeling tired or ‘taking on’ the ‘receiver’s’ problems than perhaps there is with some other therapies. The Reiki energy passes through the ‘giver’ to the ‘receiver’ and the energy that has become stagnant causing dis-ease in the receiver by blocking an energy pathway, is released and set free to do good works once again.

The illustration on the following page shows the Japanese kanji for Reiki Tensyo style. The upper character is Rei, the lower one, Ki.

The History of Reiki

The Traditional Reiki story begins with Usui Sensei, who is more commonly known as Mikao Usui, in the mid 1800s. His story has been passed to many millions of people all over the Western world by Hawayo Takata, which, until recently, has been believed unconditionally.

Reiki Master William Lee Rand found during his search for records of Mikao Usui that he had never been the principal of the Doshisha University in Kyoto and neither had he attended the University of Chicago. He felt that Mrs Takata had embellished the story of Reiki so that it would seem more acceptable for those people in the west. Since discovering these disappointing facts William Lee Rand searched for the true origins and history of Reiki, receiving a copy of the Original Reiki ideals in 1996 from Japan.

From William Lee Rand’s work we know that the memorial that was dedicated to Usui in 1927 was the keystone to the true history of Reiki. Masayuki Okata, a member of the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, wrote the inscription on the memorial from which William Lee Rand learned more about Mikao Usui and his journey.

Mikao Usui was born on 15th August 1865, and although he had a difficult upbringing he was a successful scholar. He entered the Tendai Buddhist School on or near Mount Kurama at the age of four. He studied kiko, the Japanese version of qigong, which is a health and healing therapy based on the development and use of life energy. This form of healing required a great deal of energy to be given from the healer and Usui felt that there must be a way of using this same practise without depleting one’s own energy. Once an adult he visited Europe, America and China and despite his abilities was often living as a poor man. Eventually Usui became the secretary to Shinpei Goto, the head of the Japanese Department of Health and Welfare and who went on to become the Mayor of Tokyo. These connections helped Usui to become a successful businessman.

In 1914 his business and personal life was failing and he went on a visit to Mount Kurama where he decided to join in Isyu Guo, a twenty-one day training course sponsored by the Buddhist temple. It is believed that this course would consist of fasting, meditation, chanting and prayer. During this time he felt the enormous Reiki energy enter his Crown Chakra and at the same time a spiritual awakening. He felt sure that he had acquired the Reiki cure that he had been striving for all these years. He tried the healing on himself, friends and family with immediate results.

Usui moved to Tokyo in April 1922 and set up an institute where the Reiki cure was taught to the general public and where treatments were available. His reputation grew and he moved to a larger school in 1925. He firmly believed that to be able to cure, the giver has to be healthy in mind, body and spirit and he chanted the five precepts morning and evening to maintain his own spiritual health and thus help his physical being. His pupils did likewise.