“Our Reiki Ryoho (healing) is something absolutely original and cannot be compared with any other path in the world. This is why I want to make this method available to the public for the well-being of humanity. Each of us has the potential of being given a gift by the divine, which results in the body and the soul becoming unified,” Dr. Mikao Usui said in “Sacred Path of Reiki,” by author and Reiki Master Katalin Koda.

Reiki is a centuries-old Eastern art of balancing the human energy system, grounded in the Sanskrit Sutras, through light touch or with the hands of the practitioner just above each chakra. “Reiki utilizes the body’s energy field to correct energy blockages. By addressing the cause and the symptoms of disease, Reiki supports the body’s natural ability to heal itself, and can be a powerful catalyst for change,” said Reiki Master Glenn Jones of New Hampshire.

In 1922, Buddhist monk and doctor Mikao Usui further developed Reiki (pronounced Ray-Kee). On the 21st day of a 30-day spiritual quest and fast on Mt. Kurama, Usui “felt a great REIKI over his head while simultaneously receiving spiritual awakening through which he acquired the REIKI cure. When he tried it on himself and his family, immediate results were brought on them,” stated International House of Reiki.

Usui founded the Usui Reiki Healing Society (the translation of Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai) where he developed the six degrees of Reiki, the mantras, meditations, symbols and the Three Attunements which must be received to practice Reiki. Some of his students went on to bring Reiki to other parts of the world; Chujiro Hayashi left the Society to found his own clinic and his own style of Reiki that included hand positions to treat a variety of illnesses and a formalized version of the Three Attunements among other changes. His student, Hawayo Takata, brought Reiki to Hawaii and, through his students, the rest of the western world.

The attunements happen during a ritual conducted by a Reiki Master. The degree of the attunement changes as students move through the First, Second and Third Degrees of Reiki. Students sit with their eyes closed and focus on their breathing. During the First Attunement, a Reiki Master clears the student’s energy channels to enable them to channel more universal energy for healing. It is a profound experience. Many feel tired, but exhilarated, as was my personal experience. During the first year of study, students practice hands-on healing on themselves using hand positions; study and map the chakra system, and more.

As the student moves through the three degrees, their rate of vibration increases. By the Second Degree, through their increased vibration, Reiki healers can send energy to someone anywhere.

Reiki practioners focus channeled energy through the chakra system in our bodies to rebalance and restore smooth energy flow through each chakra. Unblocked chakras vitalize the body’s energy field and aid in self-development as each chakra is cleared. There are seven chakras: Seventh chakra: Crown/top of the head – the central nervous and muscular systems; the location of our spiritual center; sixth chakra: third eye – between the eyes on the forehead – aids with the proper function of the brain and neurological system, and the eyes, ears and nose; fifth chakra: center of the throat – throat, thyroid, esophagus, trachea, mouth, jaw, teeth, neck vertebrae; fourth chakra: the heart – helps circulation, lungs, thymus gland, arms, hands and diaphragm; third chakra: solar plexus – stomach, pancreas, adrenal gland, middle spine; second chakra: lower abdomen – large intestine, reproductive organs, lower vertebrae, pelvis, hips, bladder; and first chakra: base of the spine – spinal column, rectum, legs, bone and feet.

“The chakra system works like a map that can be used to understand the interconnections between the body and the energy field, how blockages and disturbances form, and possible disease progression,” “Sacred Path of Reiki” states.

During a Reiki healing session, both healer and client can feel the energy being channeled. Reiki practitioners move slowly through the chakras, and when a blocked chakra is reached, the intensity of the energy increases to clear the energy block. Often, practitioner and client sense such an area has been reached by the increased heat radiating from the practitoner’s hands. The client can also experience a tingling sensation within this chakra. After a session, people may be filled with a sense of well-being and peace.

Most communities have at least one Reiki practitioner, professional, or friends or family members who are Second Degree or Reiki Masters. Many massage therapists incorporate Reiki with the massage or offer it as a separate service. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, many massage therapists have temporarily closed their businesses. However, since Reiki can be performed from a distance, it is still available through some practitioners.

Each Reiki healer decides for themselves on a form a payment. According to one of the two Reiki precepts, there has to be “an appropriate exchange of energy, one that honors each,” “Sacred Path of Reiki” states.

Regular Reiki sessions are beneficial for body, mind and spirit, however, Reiki is not a replacement for the treatment of serious health conditions or disease. It is not a cure, but can be used to compliment traditional and holistic treatments.