Reiki – Following An Ancient Spiritual Pathby Lyn E. Ayre, RT-CRA
The word Reiki (pronounced Ray-Key) is a Japanese kanji for universal
life-force energy. Reiki is simple and produces measurable results. It is power, light and love. Reiki transcends the man-made divisions of religion, economics, location, gender, and race. It has only been in the last 10-15 years that members of the Reiki community in Japan have opened their hearts to us in the west and supplied us with truthful information about how Usui Reiki came to be on our planet. Prior to this time, the facts were either distorted or not disclosed and we were left in the dark. Here is the history, in a nutshell…Mikao Usui was born on August 15, 1865 in Taniai, Japan. He was always a spiritual seeker. He practiced Kiko, which is similar to Qi Gong or Chi Kung. Kiko consists of breathing exercises, meditation, and movement. It could be described as a ‘moving meditation’. He studied medicine, psychology, religion, and spiritual development. He was a member of a metaphysical group called Rei Jyutu Ka. Mikao Usui became secretary to Shinpei Goto (the head of the Health and Welfare Department who went on to become the Mayor of Tokyo). Usui sensei started a business, which failed. In 1914, at the age of 49, he decided to become a Buddhist Monk. In 1922, he went on a 21-day retreat of meditation, prayers, chanting and fasting at Mount Kurama in Kyoto, Japan. While standing under a waterfall, he did a meditation designed to open and purify the Crown Chakra. This caused him to have a spiritual awakening on the final day of his retreat. A powerful light entered the top of his head. His awareness was expanded and he realized a great power had entered him. He intuitively knew he could now heal others without depleting his own energy, as he had when he practiced Kiko. Mikao Usui moved, with his wife and children, to Tokyo in April 1922. On the basis of his lifelong spiritual journey and his more recent spiritual experience, he developed “The Usui System of Natural Healing”. He then started a healing society named "Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai". Shortly afterward, he opened a clinic in Harajuku and began doing Reiki sessions and teaching classes. Just before noon, on September 1, 1923, the great Kanto earthquake struck with a force of magnitude 8.3 and killed over 140,000 people, leaving thousands more injured and homeless. Usui sensei and his students grieved for their people and decided to take Reiki to the survivors. They worked day and night, giving Reiki to help as many as they could. The need for healing continued for many years, as you can imagine. The Meiji Emperor honored Mikao Usui for his dedication and contribution to their country. At the age of 60, in 1925, he opened a larger clinic in Nakano and then began traveling and lecturing until he crossed over from a massive stoke on March 9, 1926. In four short years, he taught over 2,000 students and trained 16 teachers. He wanted this simple technique to be available to all people worldwide. Mikao Usui is buried at Saihoji Temple in Suginami-Ku, Tokyo. A large memorial stone was erected by his students, describing his life and work with Reiki. We all owe Mikao Usui a deep debt of gratitude for what he has done for our world. These are the five principals or precepts of Reiki. They offer a simple guideline for daily conduct with others and self. They are:
Reiki training generally has three or four levels depending on the lineage of the Reiki Master.
This list has been comprised through anecdotal research. Clients have reported feeling:
These reported benefits generally lasted at least three to ten days, and often the original problem did not re-occur. During a Reiki session, the client, fully clothed, lies on the treatment table. The practitioner's hands remain in a stationary position, gently on or slightly above the body through several positions from head to toe. Some Practitioners do not use the prescribed hand positions, preferring to use a more intuitive approach. The private areas are worked on 4-6” above the body. There is no manipulation of the skin or tissue. Reiki is not massage. Many individuals report feeling cold, pulsating heat, or a tingling sensation during a session, and most enter a calm, relaxed state. In some, chronic or acute pain can diminish or completely vanish. Sometimes allergies and other infirmities completely disappear. It's different for each person. It's important to remember that, whatever is troubling us, 'we didn't get this way overnight’ and we won't 'recover overnight’, either. Reiki is not any more magical than any other modality or allopathic medicine. Healing takes commitment and it takes time... one moment at a time. Directly after a Reiki session, you should allow yourself time to come fully back into your awareness. You may feel so relaxed that you are spaced-out. It is suggested to sit for 15 minutes and sip a cool glass of purified water. Becoming in touch with the soles of your feet and their placement on the floor also helps a great deal. Over the next little while, you may notice that you are de-toxifying
the waste that has built up in your system. You may want to allow
more time in the ‘little room’ (the washroom) in the
morning. You should increase your water and/or herbal tea intake
so that the toxins are flushed out more readily. You may want to
rest more, so allow time for that. To begin with, three or four sessions over ten to fourteen days are recommended to remove entrenched blocks in your energy system; then once a week or once every two weeks until the issue has resolved. You will begin to notice some improvement after the first session. Long-standing health issues are usually cleared up in five to six visits. Dis-ease generally begins in the energy field so if we keep our subtle bodies healthy using Reiki, and our physical bodies healthy with good nutrition and exercise, we should be able to remain active and whole. It is strongly recommended that you do not discontinue any medications or session plan your medical practitioner or other holistic healer has deemed necessary, unless you first speak with them personally. Reiki energy works in concert with all other forms of therapy. It is a wonderful complement to other treatments. We can all work together to get you feeling healthier, happier and more whole. This is the holistic approach. The Reiki energy is drawn by the client and goes to exactly where it is needed so a Reiki Practitioner never needs to diagnose nor prescribe – nor does ethics or law allow them to.
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