REIKI
Reiki is one of the oldest and most powerful and effective forms of natural healing. Reiki is a Japanese form of healing that is becoming increasingly popular worldwide but has been around for thousands of years. Reiki involves the transfer of energy through the practitioner to patient to enhance the body's natural ability to heal itself through the balancing of energy. Reiki utilizes specific techniques for restoring and balancing the natural life force energy within the body. It is a holistic, natural, hands-on energy healing system that touches on all levels: body, mind, and spirit.
Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is a Japanese word representing universal life energy, the energy which is all around us. It is derived from rei, meaning "free passage" or "transcendental spirit" and ki, meaning "vital life force energy" or " universal life energy".
Reiki practitioners channel energy in a particular pattern to heal and harmonize. Unlike other healing therapies based on the premise of a human energy field, Reiki seeks to restore order to the body whose vital energy has become unbalanced.
Reiki energy has several basic effects: it brings about deep relaxation, destroys energy blockages, detoxifies the system, provides new vitality in the form of healing universal life energy, and increases the vibration frequency of the body.
In Reiki the healer places their hands above the recipient; however, it is the recipient that draws the energy as needed. Thus, in this case, the individual being healed takes an active part in the healing process as opposed to having a passive part as in traditional medicine. The individual takes responsibility for his or her healing. The recipient identifies the needs and caters to them by drawing energy as needed.
Reiki treatments do not require actual touching. The practitioner can hold his or her hands a few inches or further away from the patient's body and manipulates the energy field from there. Reiki practitioners will ask before touching a patient so that the patient is always in control.
Reiki energy is regarded as life force energy at its most effective-with the maximum vibration. It is considered to have an almost divine quality and as such includes everything, in a world where problems and disorders are deemed to be due to the feeling of detachment from the world. There is no division of Reiki energy into positive and negative forms but when a person undergoes a session of therapy, they allow the energy to be taken into themselves with beneficial effects. Essentially, those receiving Reiki energy decide subconsciously just how much of the life energy is taken in.
Those who use Reiki regularly often find they are more joyful, lively and their own energy is enhanced-almost as if their batteries had been fully charged! Existing conflicts within the person are broken down and there is a greater vitality, leading to relaxation and a stimulation of the body. As this improvement develops, the natural processes of renewal and removal of toxins are enhanced and rendered more effective, ultimately opening up more of the body to the life energy.
Body organs such as the skin and protective systems such as the immune system are improved provided that the individual is prepared regularly to undertake Reiki and to undergo an attunement or initiation into Reiki energy. The initiation is merely a means whereby the universal life force energy is bestowed through the Reiki master. The master acts as a channel and a link with the Divine, the universal life force energy, spirit guides, reiki guides and all the healers kind enough to help to pass on the healing power.
Contrary to what some people believe Spiritual healing and Reiki healing are using the same universal life force energy to channel and heal, but Reiki is more effective because of the attunement and the symbols. There are many symbols and the symbols vary depending on the kind of reiki. The symbols which I use in Usui Reiki are for specific areas, such as mental healing, distant healing and various others. I have also found symbols along the way which are just as effective, if not more and I also use those when I teach reiki. I never limit healing, therefore I use others symbols which I find to be effective also. This will only increase the power and healing. To learn Reiki an attunument is necessary and it allows the individual access to the universal life force energy, which is used rather than their own life energy. An attunement allows you to channel the energy more effectively, without draining the person giving the reiki if they are grounded properly. Reiki also provides a protective mechanism against any negative manifestations.
Reiki is taught in three levels or degrees. In Level I or First Degree, the participant receives attunement or initiation to the Reiki energy by the Reiki master. This permanently guides the person to greater healing power. The student learns how to do full body treatments on themselves and others.
In Level II or Second Degree, the participant receives attunements which increase the strength of the practitioner's Reiki energy. This primarily involves learning the symbols which are used in advanced Reiki bodywork and absentee healing.
With Reiki Master, the participant receives third-level empowerment and the ' final symbol'. It is taught mainly for personal growth, but increases the power tremendously when healing. A person who has completed Reiki Master is able to give Reiki attunements and teach.
Reiki is a healing system and an enlightenment system. In the west, most teach it solely as a healing system, although many have added in a plethora of new agisms and other material to it. As a healing system, it is a form of healing that can be used both on yourself and others. Reiki is BEing this energy and healing.
Some conceptualize this as energy coming from "god". Others see it as one "ray" of the "seven healing rays". Some think it comes from the "reiki guides". Still others try to define it in terms of physics. Many theories abound and none are any closer to the mark than any other theory. I will share with you that My way, is simply being the energy. To try to define reiki is like trying to grasp a handful of water, the tighter you grip the more that slips through your fingers. It would seem that attempts to grasp to any one meaning is to shut off experiencing reiki, as it is, in this moment. Just *be* reiki.
Reiki was described by Usui in his manual, "The Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai" as being "intuitive". It seems to go where needed, or flow in responce to the demand or need of the recipient. Takata taught that reiki goes to causes. It treats symptoms, but it goes to the root cause. I usually say that reiki is, exactly what needs to be done, in that moment.
It is commonly taught , that the energy enters the practitioner through the crown, and then down into the hara. The energy then goes out through the palms of the hands into the person receiving the reiki. Because of this, both the practitioner and recipient receive reiki during a treatment. Reiki can be used on yourself and on others. Giving or receiving Reiki is generally a peaceful and joyous experience.
Reiki is balance. It works on all levels, the physical, spiritual, and emotional levels. Reiki energizes and heals the body. Research studies have shown that it speeds wound healing time, lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, and is effective as part of a regime to manage pain. Anecdotal reports reveal that Reiki has cured serious illnesses. Reiki compliments other health care and medical treatments. Reiki speeds the healing process and can minimize the side effects of conventional medical treatments.
Reiki is not a religion. Neither is it a new age practice. It has been used by practitioners of Christianity, Buddhism, Shintoism, Hinduism, and Islam, and it is a spiritual practice that compliments any faith as a hands on or distant healing practice.
Reasons to learn Reiki
Reiki connects you to universal energy so you can heal yourself whenever you feel the need. You can balance your body, mind and spirit by spending some time each day devoted to self-healing.
If you are feeling that there is something missing in your life that you can’t quite pin point, chances are that it’s your spirituality. By learning Reiki you are re-connected to your higher self, which means you will become far more intuitive, enabling you to make better decisions and to feel far more ‘whole’.
Stress is recognised as a major contributor to so many illnesses in modern society. Reiki has an extremely calming effect, filling you with a sense of inner peace and serenity that will ensure that stress won’t rule your life. You will gain a sense of real self-purpose and inner clarity that may have eluded you previously.
Our lifestyles are incredibly busy and this takes a toll on our bodies as well as other areas of our life. Through continual self-healing at a physical level you can not only help to prevent illnesses occurring but you can use Reiki on actual physical injuries and problems from mild back pain to cancer. Reiki can help with any illness.
If you feel that your life lacks direction learning Reiki re-connects you with your true purpose in life and will leave you feeling far more focused about where you need to be heading and directing all your precious resources. Many people spend years feeling they are in the wrong job or wrong situation and Reiki opens your mind up to the things that you really need, perhaps not want but need. There is nothing quite so liberating.
Many people often feel that they are taking so much from life and yet giving so little back and are completely unsure of how to rectify this situation. If you take a Reiki course to practitioner level you are able to heal others as well as yourself. There is nothing quite like healing other people to make you appreciate your own situation and bring comfort to your life. There is nothing more rewarding than being able to share your gift of healing helping someone else who so desperately needs it and bringing happiness to someone else’s life.
Reiki has the potential to turn your whole life around for the better if you self heal every day and listen to your intuition. Your whole life becomes clearer and you really do realise what is important in life and what you can do without. Everything is put into perspective and you learn to appreciate so many things and really learn who are your friends and who are just using you.
Most people have emotional traumas in their life and what many do not realise is that the energy from these traumas is carried with you and has a negative effect on you, possibly for your whole life. Our traumas hold us back in life stalling self-development. By using Reiki on yourself you can remove the energy attached to those traumas so you will no longer feel any pain associated with the event. Once this has been achieved you are finally free to be yourself.
It is easy to get trapped in the cycle of old lifestyle patterns and issues, for example: following the same faddy diets that don’t work, making new years resolutions you know you will break every year, getting trapped by financial issues, working too hard, struggling in relationships. This can continue for your whole life. Reiki can change the way you deal with life, the way you deal with situations and relationships in a way that is much healthier for you. It might not happen in a conscious way but you will find that for instance someone who takes advantage of you normally will get a shock when you defend yourself and demand greater respect. You learn to love yourself more and also to love others but in a way that allows them to learn their lessons and never take you for granted.
The founder of Reiki Mikao Usui said that Reiki was the ‘art of inviting happiness’. This is very true. If you ask anyone if they are honestly really happy I doubt you will get a resounding yes from the majority. People often misconceive what real happiness is and associate it with wealth, material possessions or a successful career. Happiness is about so much more than that. Happiness comes from a profound understanding of the universe and knowing your place in the universe. If you choose to learn Reiki you will be set on the path to enlightenment. For some this is a short path, for others a much longer one but once you know you are on it you find what happiness is. Reiki is more than just a therapy it is the way of the universe.
In the Usui Reiki Hikkei (The Usui Reiki Handbook that Usui gave to his students) he states that, "My Reiki Ryoho is an original method based on intuitive power in the universe. By this power, body gets healthy and enhances happiness of life and peaceful mind".
