| > | | | | are placed on specific parts of the body, starting |
| Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and | | | | with the head. Some reiki practitioners do not touch |
| relaxation that also promotes healing. Reiki is the | | | | the physical body but transmit healing into the |
| Japanese word for "universal life energy" and | | | | surrounding aura. Reiki can be used to heal the self or |
| pronounced "ray-kee." It is a form of healing based | | | | someone else, and reiki energy can be projected into |
| on tapping into the unseen flow of energy that | | | | the future or directed to a distant place. It can also |
| permeates all living things.It is believed that reiki | | | | be used on pets or plants.Anyone can learn reiki |
| originally evolved as a branch of Tibetan Buddhism | | | | because it is not taught in the strict sense of the |
| and that knowledge of its power and how to use it | | | | word, but transferred from teacher to pupil. This |
| was transmitted from master to disciple. At some | | | | transferral is made though a series of "degrees." The |
| point in the intervening centuries, the secrets of reiki | | | | first degree usually takes a weekend and four |
| were lost. They were rediscovered in the late 19th | | | | initiations by a reiki master. It does not involve |
| century by a Japanese minister, Dr. Mikao Usui. He | | | | changing religious beliefs. These initiations impart the |
| spent 14 years seeking the ability to heal, which he | | | | ability to transmit healing energy to oneself and |
| believed could be discovered thiough studying | | | | others. The second degree deepens participants' |
| Buddhism, learning Chinese and Sanskrit to help his | | | | experience and enables them to give distant healing. |
| research. It is claimed that he eventually found the | | | | The third degree is taken by those wishing to |
| knowledge he sought in an Indian sutra, or sacred | | | | become reiki masters, able to teach others.The |
| text. Then, after a three-week meditation on a | | | | results of treatment can be dramatic, or more |
| mountain top, he had a vision of four symbols that | | | | gradual, showing themselves in general improvements |
| could be used to enable healing energy to be passed | | | | in health and well-being. Reiki healing energies can |
| to others. The ability to channel the healing power | | | | have lasting results only if the recipient accepts his or |
| was achieved by attunement to each of these | | | | her responsibility in the healing process and takes part |
| symbols. Before he died in the 1930s, Dr. Usui initiated | | | | in it. Daily self-treatment is regarded as preventive, |
| 16 others into the secret of reiki, teaching them the | | | | supporting emotional and spiritual growth.There are |
| master attunement.One of these reiki masters was | | | | more than 200,000 reiki practitioners and centers in |
| Dr. Chujiro Hayashi, who undertook to preserve reiki | | | | North and South America, Europe, and Australasia. |
| and pass it on. He brought scientific training to bear | | | | The word "reiki" is a generic term in Japanese and is |
| on the method, noting down the results of healing | | | | not exclusive to Dr. Usui's healing method; this is |
| sessions, codifying the sequence of hand movements | | | | more formally known as Usui Shiki Ryoho or the Usui |
| in a reiki session, and establishing a reiki clinic in | | | | system of natural healing, and is preserved by the |
| Tokyo.Treatment by a reiki practitioner is intended to | | | | international Reiki Alliance, which has agreed |
| promote physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. | | | | professional standards and a code of ethics. |
| Clients lie fully clothed while the practitioner's hands | | | | |