Usui Reiki is a Japanese form of energy healing, relaxation and stress relief. There are different types of Reiki, all of which originated from Usui Reiki. Usui Reiki healing is administered through the practitioner laying her hands on or above the client, bringing healing energy to the person. Reiki is not intended to cure or treat any illness, and should not be substituted for conventional medical treatment.
Learning Reiki
Reiki is passed from a Reiki master, the highest level of Reiki attainment, to a student through an attunement process, where the master opens the student to the healing universal energy. Once attuned, the student can bring Reiki energy to another person or to himself through his hands. A person learns Reiki in levels, including Level 1, Level 2, Advanced Reiki, and finally, Reiki Master, according to the book, "Reiki: The Healing Touch."
History
Mikao Usui discovered Reiki energy in 1914 while on a Buddhist training on Mount Kurama, a holy mountain in Japan. In 1922, he began spreading his discovery to others, which gained popularity over time. Before he died in 1926, Usui made 16 students into Reiki Masters who would be able to pass Reiki to others. A Hawaiian woman, Hawayo Takata, brought Reiki to the United States from Japan, teaching 22 students in the 1970s. The version of Reiki she passed on is different than Usui's original Reiki, according to the International Center for Reiki Training.
Chakras
The chakras of the body are an integral part of Reiki healing. There are seven Chakras, starting from the bottom at the Root Chakra and moving up to the Sacral, the Solar Plexus, the Heart, the Throat, the Brow or Third Eye, and the Crown Chakra at the top of the head. These Chakras are believed to turn universal energy into energy frequencies your body can use. Reiki is based on the belief that energy can become blocked in each Chakra. For health, each Chakra needs to be unblocked so that energy flows through the whole body without being stopped, says the book, "The Spirit of Reiki."
Considerations
It is said that Reiki cannot cause harm because it comes from positive universal energy, which heals through the practitioner instead of being manipulated by the practitioner. However, side effects from an attunement or a Reiki session, such as emotional release, can occur, which are associated with letting go of past negative patterns in your life. Although Reiki is believed to come from spiritual energy, it is not a religion and can be practiced by anyone, the International Center for Reiki Training advises. When choosing whether to become a Reiki practitioner, consider that it can be an expensive endeavor. The trainings through the center range from $225 to $650 per class, depending on the level.
Expert Insight
While many people do not believe in Reiki as a healing technique, science is beginning to back up Reiki. While Reiki calls the energy surrounding a person the aura, science has labeled it the biomagnetic field. The University of Colorado School of Medicine found that the organs of the body have this field around them, up to 15 ft away from the person. Researchers, including Herbert Frohlich, found that organs emit lower energy frequencies when they are not healthy. The energy surrounding the hands of a person performing healing were also found to have more energy around them than hands not performing healing, says "The Spirit of Reiki."
References
- "Reiki: The Healing Touch." Rand, William Lee. 2005.
- "The Spirit of Reiki." Lubeck, Walter; Petter, Frank Arjava; Rand, William Lee. 2006.
- "The International Center for Reiki Training": What is Reiki?
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