In the 1920s a Japanese Buddhist priest, Dr Mikao Usui, rediscovered an ancient way of channelling healing energy, creating the Usui System of Energy Healing, or Usui Shiki Reiki Ryoho, which has become better known simply as "Reiki". In this context, Reiki is a safe, non-intrusive hands-on healing technique for physical ailments, but it is much more than a physical therapy. It is a holistic system for balancing, healing and harmonising all aspects of the person - body, mind, emotions and spirit - and it can also be used to encourage personal and spiritual awareness and growth.

The word Reiki is Japanese, and it is pronounced ray-key in the West, and lay-key in Japan. It is made up of two parts (see the two-part Japanese kanji on the left):
REI (the upper symbol) is the Higher Intelligence which guides the creation and functioning of the Universe, the wisdom which comes from God (or the Source, the Creator, the All That Is) which is all-knowing and understands the need for and cause of all problems and difficulties, and how to heal them.
KI (the lower symbol) is the life-force energy which flows through everything - plants, animals and people, and even rocks and the earth itself.
When these words are put together, the meaning becomes "Spiritual Energy", "Universal Life-Force Energy" or "God-Directed Life-Force Energy", meaning a specific band or frequency of healing energy which comes through your own Soul energy, directly from the Source, and which is directed by that Higher Intelligence (through your Higher Self) for healing (or wholing) any living thing.

Life-force energy (Ki in Japanese, Chi in Chinese) flows within the physical body through energy centres and pathways called chakras and meridians, as well as flowing around the body in a field of energy called the aura. This life-force is responsive to thoughts and feelings, and it becomes disrupted or blocked whenever we consciously or unconsciously receive and accept negative thoughts, feelings or spoken words about ourselves. Reiki helps to break through these blockages, flowing through the affected parts of the energy body and the aura, charging them with positive energy and raising the vibratory level of the whole energy field. It clears and balances the chakras and straightens the energy pathways (meridians) allowing the life-force to flow in a healthy and natural way around the whole body. 

This accelerates the natural ability of the body to heal physical ailments, and opens the mind, emotions and spirit to an acceptance and understanding of the causative issues which have led to "dis-ease" in both the physical and energy bodies. Because Reiki is guided by a Higher Intelligence, it will always find its way to those areas of the physical body and/or the energy body most in need of healing, without any conscious direction from either the healer or the person being healed, and it adjusts to suit the recipient, so that each person receives as much or as little healing as they need.

REIKI TREATMENTS

Reiki treatments take about an hour, and are usually carried out with you lying comfortably on a therapy couch. You remain fully clothed (except for shoes), and the hands of the practitioner are placed and held still in specific positions on your head and body - there is NO pressure, massage or manipulation, and no sensitive (private) parts of the body are touched. You usually feel very relaxed, warm and peaceful as the energy flows through you, although sometimes you might feel tingly or quite emotional as the Reiki brings to the surface old issues and patterns to be released. Some people feel super-energised immediately after a treatment, whilst others feel very tranquil and sleepy.

Using Reiki For Self-Treatment

One of the great advantages of Reiki is that once you have attended a Reiki course and have become "attuned" to Reiki, you can use it to treat yourself. A full self-treatment involves placing your hands in twelve or more positions on your own head and body for between three and five minutes each, but you can also give yourself Reiki almost anywhere, at any time. You can simply place your hands on any part of your body - because if you give it sufficient time, the Reiki will eventually flow all around your energy body and physical body - so you could give yourself Reiki whilst you are watching TV, or sitting on a bus, or waiting for the kettle to boil!

Combining Reiki With Other Therapies

Reiki can also be successfully incorporated into many other healing arts practised by health professionals, and it is particularly effective when used with other hands-on therapies such as reflexology, shiatsu and aromatherapy.

What Can Be Treated With Reiki?

The potential with Reiki is unlimited, so anything can be treated, but it is important not to have specific expectations of what it will do, or how fast it will perform. Many physical symptoms can be eased very quickly with Reiki, whilst others may need a lot of treatments before starting to respond - no two cases are the same.  This is because the healing depends upon the individual, and their mental, emotional and spiritual states, as well as their physical state.  Sometimes the Reiki needs to unblock and heal the causative levels first, such as suppressed anger or sorrow, before it will heal on the physical level.  

THE EFFECTS OF REIKI

Reiki can transform your life in many powerful and wonderful ways. It heals, harmonises and balances on the four levels of existence - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual - and adjusts itself to the recipient so that each person receives exactly what he or she needs:

Physical
Reiki supports and accelerates the natural ability which your body has to heal itself, helping to alleviate pain and relieve other symptoms while cleansing the body of poisons and toxins. Reiki balances and harmonises the whole energy body, promoting a sense of wholeness, a state of positive wellness, and an overall feeling of well-being. It also helps you to develop a greater awareness of what your body really needs - such as more sleep, better nutrition or a sensible exercise programme.

Mental
Reiki leads to a state of deep relaxation, with the consequent release of stress and tension. It allows you to let go of negative thoughts, concepts and attitudes, replacing them with positivity, peace and serenity. It can also enhance your intuitive abilities and encourage you to pursue your personal potential through greater insight and self-awareness.

Emotional
Reiki encourages you to examine your emotional responses to people, events and situations, allowing you to let go of negative emotions and promoting the qualities of loving, caring, sharing, trusting and good will. It can also help you to channel emotional energy - both positive and negative - into creativity.

Spiritual
Reiki helps you to accept and love your whole self, and fosters a non-judgemental approach to humankind, allowing you to accept every person not just as a human being, but as a soul energy. It promotes the qualities of love, compassion, understanding and acceptance, and encourages you on your personal path towards spiritual development and connectedness with the Divine.

To contact Reiki-Quest, please e-mail: info@reiki-quest.co.uk