What is Reiki?
As someone who teaches Reiki as well as delivers Reiki treatments, the most frequently asked question I get is, "What is Reiki?"
The practice of Reiki is an original method of natural healing developed by Mikao Usui in Japan early 1920s. Reiki is a natural healing energy that works on every level, not just the physical, and is understood to promote the body’s regenerative self-healing ability. We live in a world of energy that nourishes and maintains all living things. When this energy flows uninterrupted there is balance and harmony within and around us and we experience a sense of well-being. Our body uses Reiki energy to bring us into balance and is believed therefore to reinforce the body’s natural ability to heal itself at all levels, whether physical, mental, or emotional, to bring us more in alignment with our natural state.
As a natural form of healing, Reiki can support and enhance other forms of treatment. The method of receiving a Reiki treatment from a practitioner is simple. The recipient remains clothed and lies on a couch or sits on a chair and relaxes. The practitioner gently places their hands non-intrusively, on areas of the body and channels energy through them to you.
At its core, Reiki is a path of personal growth and development, however, most people’s first experiences of Reiki will be from receiving a Reiki treatment, it is commonly seen as a natural therapy, people can even be trained in Reiki, to further support healing, helping themselves and others with Reiki. It is a tradition that is open to any belief system. Reiki is a healing process that anyone can benefit from in the normal course of their life.
It can appear there are various types of Reiki. In reality, to those who really understand it, there is the original, then various approaches, some term ‘style’ out there that are just various distances away from the original, in both understanding, philosophy, techniques, etc. Original Usui Reiki makes up only a fraction of the Reiki out there. If you are interested in the original, or authentic Reiki my advice is to find a Jikiden Reiki teacher or practitioner. That point aside people can see great results with all manner of healing approaches under the title of Reiki.
The Reiki practitioner’s ability is in their technical understanding, perception, and interpretation of the signals the recipient’s body is presenting them as to where the areas of disruption, stagnation, and tension are in the body and where the need for healing is. However be aware it is your mind/ body’s wisdom at a deep level that is directing the healing, think of the energy as the fuel and the practitioner as the channel rather than a practitioner having special powers. Each person’s patterns of imbalances or disruptions in their flow of energy can come from various sources including their physical well-being and emotional stress, so each person’s needs and benefits differ, but everyone can benefit from Reiki.
The benefits of Reiki are on many levels. Some levels people can be aware of, while others are more subtle but no less important to personal growth, healing, and well-being. Although many have reported Reiki has helped them with specific conditions, it can be helpful (and professionally more appropriate) to view benefits in a holistic way, with key benefits of promoting relaxation, promoting balance, and inner calm, supporting the body's natural healing mechanisms, as well as a person’s personal growth as a whole as benefits of Reiki. Reiki treatment is non-invasive and is used holistically to restore balance in mind and body, which anyone could benefit from. The most common and most widely accepted benefits of Reiki are its beneficial effects on emotional healing and a sense of overall well-being. Reiki’s ability to bring about deep relaxation is also well-known. Many also report Reiki bringing about a deep sense of overall calm and peace.
Someone can also channel Reiki energy after a period of in-person study and crucially after a series of specific 'Reiju' when the existing channel/ connection in all of us is cleared allowing a person to then channel Reiki energy. This is conducted by the person’s Reiki teacher in person. The word attunement is commonly used for this event in the Western world, however, Reiju is the correct term (attunement suggests something is out of alignment, which is not the case, it is more of a clearing). In the application of Reiki as a therapy, with a practitioner delivering a Reiki treatment to a recipient, the influence of Reiki energy is believed to be within a person's whole being: their body, and mind, viewed as one interactive entity, rather than separate functioning systems. Within the Japanese language, the word for body and mind are the same, as they understand there is no separation between the two. Eastern systems of health have understood this for thousands of years, understanding that we live in a world of energy, which flows through all life. The balanced flow of energy within a person is considered to be the foundation of health and well-being.
Reiki is believed to work by stimulating the clearance of both stagnation and disruptions to energy flow, as well as supporting the effective function of the body's natural healing mechanisms to promote balance. The smooth uninterrupted flow of this Ki energy is the basis of health and well-being from an Eastern view of medicine which believes that nature has equipped our body with mechanisms and its own wisdom to cleanse and hold a point of balance.
However, in the modern world, the increased total loads on physical and psychological well-being have lessened these abilities as a result of what the body is exposed to in terms of stress, the pace of life, pollution, nutritional toxicity, mental and emotional stresses, as well as migration away from nature and increased challenges on the mind and happiness living in the modern world. Reiki offers a practical mechanism to support the body's natural cleansing processes to promote the body's migration towards a state of balance, well-being, and greater happiness.
Reiki in its original application was a path towards being in our natural state, during this journey we will have opportunities for the development of our-self, with a focus on our thinking and actions. A person would receive Reiju and thereafter have the ability to channel Reiki themselves. In addition to the benefits already listed, as a student of Reiki, you would have the potential for further progress in personal healing and the development of thinking and character.
As a student of Reiki, there is also a focus on living with gratitude, helping others, being present, a focus on dissolving anger and worry and migrating to a place of peace of mind, contentment, and happiness. The potential positive effects on a person at this depth of Reiki are even deeper than receiving Reiki treatments alone. Learning Reiki is available for those who wish to benefit from the greater potential this level of involvement in Reiki has to offer. Reiki is independent of any religious system yet can benefit a person of any religious or spiritual belief system. You do not need to have spiritual beliefs to receive the benefits of Reiki. People are drawn to Reiki at a time when they are ready to receive it, or at a time they are in need of it. With many, the actual benefit gained from Reiki can be more subtle, such as calming their minds and allowing their own intuition to be heard to guide them in decisions in their life. I hope this overview of Reiki, has been helpful and deepened your understanding of it. To find out more see my website Jikiden Reiki Courses and Reiki Healing. There is also more information about Reiki in my other Reiki articles. Or common Reiki questions are answered on my Reiki Frequently Asked Questions page. If you are in the mood to read another article, a good one to read after this one to help your understanding is the one called: What is Jikiden Reiki?
I am mainly known nowadays for my work with Reiki, as a specialist in authentic Japanese Reiki. I am an experienced, Reiki teacher and practitioner with a proven track record of results. I offer Jikiden Reiki training courses, promoting authentic Japanese Reiki teachings. I am based in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, in the UK. I have a background in coaching and training in the areas of exercise coaching, holistic lifestyle, fitness, and performance coaching. I also have a BSc.(Hons) degree in Sport and Exercise Science, for more information visit: www.shaunmckeown.com
The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article. Shaun Mckeown, disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article.