What is Reiki?
Reiki is a system of hands on healing. Originating in Tibet, later to surface with Dr Mikao Usui in Japan. It was brought to the west by Mrs Takata who had been one of Dr Usui's students, this was around the time of the second world war.
There are many web sites that can give you the full Reiki history. Some stories have changed with time. My advice is to read and make up your own mind, to what you feel is right.
Reiki is pronounced Ray - Key, and means, Universal Life Energy.
The Reiki practitioner has learnt how to channel and use universal life energy to heal and bring about wellbeing. Universal energy is all around us. The biggest giver we recognise is our own Sun, giving warmth and light. The Moon with it's affect on our tides. Wind, rain, fire, and all movement and change create energy. We have an energy system.
Trees change harmful toxins into good ones. Other harmful elements in the ground and water table also change as our trees feed, these are massive energy changes. Science has told us that every thing is made up of atoms and molecules, and when they move they create energy which is throughout our universe.
Your Practitioner will have studied and found many Reiki techniques to help with different problems. By channelling the universal life force energy, the practitioner passes it to the client for the body and mind to use as needed. It can show where many problems lay, and help to bring about a state of relaxation and calm, help with healing and find balance. Like the trees, changing negative energy into positive energy.
Reiki in the West is very different to Reiki in Japan. The Reiki symbol above is in two parts. It is believed the top part is Ray, and the bottom part Key. Meaning, Universal Life Energy, or Love and Light.
There is not always a true translation from Japanese to English. Some Japanese writings have none, and can only be explained in words. This is where some meanings may have changed or got lost. It is believed this may have happened when Mrs Takata bought Reiki to the West. But over time, and with communications improving around the world, lost or changed meanings have been found in other writings and in verbal explanation. This means our knowledge has also grown.