An Introduction to Reiki Energy Healing

by Stephanie Brail

Reiki energy healing (pronounced “ray-key”) has become more well-known in the mainstream lately. Yet, it is still a strange and exotic thing to many people. In this brief introduction, I will explain what Reiki is and how it works.

Reiki means “universal life force energy.” It works on the subtle energy system of the body to cleanse and heal the individual’s chi (or life force energy). By healing a person’s energy, Reiki can improve health and mental well-being. This beautiful healing system is simple, safe, and nourishing. It is an effective addition to (not a replacement for) Western medicine.

Reiki was brought to us by a Japanese man named Mikao Usui in the late 1800s. (If you’ve heard that Reiki is “ancient,” think again. I believe this misinformation has been propagated through the Internet by well-meaning folks who are just repeating something another teacher told them.) Usui was meditating on the top of Mount Kuramayama when he was inspired to bring forth a new system of energy healing. This was the beginning of what later became the simplified Reiki system most of us now use in the West.

What made Reiki special was the “attunement” process that Usui used to pass the healing powers from master to student. In a Reiki attunement, the Reiki Master connects to the Reiki energy and transmits this energy to the student in such a way that it opens the student’s healing abilities.

In the West, Reiki is traditionally taught in three levels: Level I, Level II, and Level III or Master level. (Some schools split the Level III into IIIa Master and IIIb Master-Teacher.) At each level, a new attunement is provided to open the healing channel even more, thus enabling the practitioner to perform more powerful healings.

(It is worth noting that individuals have natural aptitudes and talents for healing. One person might be a powerful healer at Level I while another may need to practice and open their healing channel more even after achieving Level III. That said, every Reiki practitioner will offer some positive benefit from the Reiki healing energy. What is often even more important is not how much energy the healer can channel, but how much energy the recipient is open to.)

How Does a Reiki Healing Session Work?
In a regular Reiki session, the recipient will usually sit or lie down on a massage table. The Reiki practitioner will apply hands on (or hover hands over) the recipient. The Reiki energy is then sent directly through the palms of the hands.

No-one knows for sure how exactly the Reiki energy flows. But it is generally experienced as a warmth or tingling. Reiki practitioners are often accused of having “hot hands.” These “hot hands” are definitely warmer than a hand would normally be when placed on another person.

While receiving the Reiki energy, the recipient will often feel a sense of peace, calm, or expansion. Some may feel an emotional release and need to cry. Everyone is individual, however. Some people are naturally more sensitive to energy and will sense the Reiki flowing more than another.

Reiki can also be sent over a distance. This may seem strange to some, as it does not have the benefit of the “personal touch” factor to explain how it works during an in-person session. Some suggest that we are all connected telepathically, and by having another person “intend” that we heal, we will heal faster than through our own individual intentions.

To send Reiki over a distance, often the practitioner will use a “proxy” or item to represent the recipient. This may be a photograph of the recipient or even a stuffed animal. Reiki is then applied as if the recipient were there in person.

How Does Reiki Differ From Other Healing Systems?
Many powerful healing systems are available that use the same general principle of projecting spiritual energy. For example, Pranic Healing is a powerful energy healing system that also uses the hands to send healing energy. The main difference is that Pranic Healing energy is not filtered in the way Reiki seems to be. Reiki energy appears to have a built-in “failsafe.” It errs on the side of being gentle. It will rarely overpower a client.

Pranic Healing, on the other hand, can easily overwhelm a client’s energy system if not applied carefully. It requires more intensive study than Reiki, and accordingly, it can be more effective in certain cases. Reiki, on the other hand, is so easy to do that a child could do it, and you do not have to memorize a list of “do’s” or “don’t’s” that you have to watch out for while applying it.

Is Reiki Compatible With My Spiritual Beliefs?
Mikao Usui was a Buddhist, and so many of the original theories of Reiki were based in Buddhist philosophy. Does that mean you must be Buddhist to perform Reiki? No. One of Usui’s main disciples, Chujiro Hayashi, was a Christian, and it was taught (erroneously?) for a while that Usui himself was looking for healing through Jesus when he discovered Reiki.

Since Reiki does not require one to pray to any specific deity or believe in anything other than the concept of chi, it should not conflict with most spiritual beliefs except for those fundamentalist sects that would decry spiritualism or the laying on of hands by non-ministers.

How Should I Incorporate Reiki Into My Life?
While I believe that professional healers are very valuable, I am a firm believer that teaching people to heal themselves is the highest form of empowerment. If you can afford to see a Reiki healer on a regular basis, terrific. Better yet, learn Reiki yourself so you can practice self-healing on a daily basis.

Reiki, as a simple, elegant healing system, is something that everyone can learn and share. It will only bring positive blessings to your life.