The secrets of Reiki

 Reiki is not a belief system, nor is it a sect in the religious sense. So what is it? Simply put, it is a method of spiritual healing by means of energy. In other words, one improves the condition of living organisms by means of appropriately directed energy. The term "living organisms" is not coincidental, as reiki can be applied to humans, animals and plants.
The creator (in the opinion of some, the rediscoverer) and promoter of reiki was Mikao Usui, a lay monk from the Tendai Buddhist school. From the time he founded an association to teach the method in 1911 until his death in 1926, he is said to have passed on the fundamentals of his system to some two thousand adepts.


The name reiki itself consists of two elements: "rei", meaning, among other things, spirit, mind or ocean, and "ki", which refers to the all-encompassing and all-encompassing life energy. In other religious-philosophical systems, it is called chi, prana or mana, while Christians speak of the all-enlivening breath of life, given by God. Reiki assumes that complete health is dependent on balancing the energies of the body, spirit and mind of the person and their environment. Illness is thought to result from an imbalance of harmony between these spheres.

Normally, reiki treatment is based on the flow of life energy from the reiki master to the person undergoing reiki treatment. This energy is supposed to flow from the crown chakra, through which it is taken, through the chakras on the hands of the reiki master (and further through touch) to the person in question. Sometimes the transmission of vital energy in the form of the breath is used. It is possible that both the person transferring the energy and the "recipient" will feel it as a tingling, numb or cold sensation. The aim of reiki treatment is to stimulate the body's natural predisposition for healing and to remove any energy blockages (which, by upsetting the energy balance, are thought to contribute to the condition).The initiation in the reiki system follows a three-stage process. The first step is basic, introducing the art and showing the methods of energy transfer. The second stage must take place after a few months, not before. As part of this initiation, the student learns the symbols for channelling energy and acquires the ability to also affect the mental state of the person being treated with energy. The student deepens his or her ability to transmit the energy of life to the body of the person being treated.


It is interesting to note that after the second level of initiation, a person who is a reiki master can transfer concentrated energy to the person concerned while being physically very far away. This means that at this level of initiation, consultations can take place remotely, and the necessary elements are a prior conversation and the sending of a recent photo. After passing the third, master reiki initiation, the person himself or herself can pass on knowledge and skills to other adepts of this art.

There is one more fact to be noted, the reiki adept (or master) does not "give away" his own life energy during treatments, but takes it through a particular chakra directly from the world, or rather the universe. By definition, reiki is intended to be a positive discipline, geared towards promoting feelings of respect and love towards all living beings. This is supported by the tenets of reiki, attributed to Mikao Usui, quoted below:

"A mysterious art that brings good luck,
A miracle cure for all ailments.
Though today:
Don't get angry,
Don't worry,
Be grateful,
Work persistently,
Be kind to others.
From morning to evening, keep your hands joined and pray silently in thought,
As well as in word.
For the perfection of spirit and body.
Usui Reiki Ryoho."