Reiki is healing method that promotes stress reduction and relaxation and is based on an idea that energy flows through us that gives us life. Like many Asian based systems, it has undergone change taking on many identities. Some of those names include: Mikao Usui Reiki, Gendai Reiki Ho, Celtic Reiki, Siechim Reiki, Kundalini Rekei, Karuna Reiki, Western Reiki, spelled also as Rekai, Raiki, and Reke. Regardless the name and system, the basic belief is that if a “life force energy” is low or blocked, a person will fall ill. If it is high, which is the goal, a person’s life would be fulfilled; happy, healthy, and able to work, contribute to society, and love family and self unconditionally.
In Japanese rei translated means “wisdom from the universe” and ki is “life force energy”. Applied by a practitioner using his or her hands, a treatment through energy channeling, provides a wonderful glowing radiance that treats the person as whole: mind, body and spirit benefiting through relaxation, a feelings of peace and wellbeing: The value is complete contentment.
Unlike what many believe, Reiki is safe and simple. Effective in relieving illness and malady it works in conjunction with Western medical therapeutic. Though Reiki has provided methods of healing, practitioners admonishes anyone from replacing treatment from trained medical professionals and facilities with its method. In some Reiki schools, the techniques are not taught but passed down from one to another, a transference process. This is called attunement that supposedly allows the student to tap into an unlimited supply of “life force energy” to improve one’s health and enhance the quality of life. You don’t need to be a doctor, lawyer or anyone with a high intellectual background. Anyone and everyone from different age groups and backgrounds can learn this through proper training.
While Reiki is spiritual in nature, it is not a religion. It has no dogma, except a belief and understanding of true wisdom, energy flow, and compassion. With that said, Reiki is not dependent on belief at all and will work there is a belief or not. Because Reiki comes from everywhere, the earth, moon, universe, outside us, inside us, many people find that using Reiki puts them in touch with the experience of their religious belief rather than having an intellectual perspective of it.
Dr. Mikao Usui, a Christian minister and teacher, brought Reiki into Japan after spending time in China learning healing techniques from Asian monks. From it he discovered the difference between spirituality and religion. Many have leaned towards the idea that Reiki is a religion. The Catholic Church forbids the practice in any of its facility, though nurses have used it in treating patients in Catholic hospitals. Not a religion, it is still important to live and act in a way that promotes harmony and natural healing, As it addresses simple ethical ideals to promote peace and harmony (five basic principals), this is universal across all cultures.
Ideals developed to add spiritual balance, the principals purpose is to open up the healing spirit by consciously deciding to improve oneself accepting the responsibility for her or his healing and take an active part in it and include an active commitment to improve oneself to complete the process system a live a gracious life, virtues worthy of practice for its inherent value.
As a martial artist for 40 years, I’ve trained both Japanese and Chinese systems. Reiki has precepts that I understand. The Five Basic Principals is similar to Gichin Funakoshi’s Dojo Kun. The concept of ki or “chi’s” force and channeling is similar to what’s trained in HsingI, baguazhang, zhan zhuang, qigong and taijiquan. The principals of kindness and compassion is similar to Falun Gong.
Though I’ve not witnessed anyone cured from this practice, I’ve hard stories, credible and believable. In my years of practice, I’ve met and had the pleasure of learning from Shihan-dai’s and grand masters with their words of wisdom. Martial arts is enamored with acumens from such teachers, now available on the internet at the press of a button. Either way, knowledge is golden, and how a person interprets the information is entirely up to him or her. Reiki with its subtleties and simplicity provides a great deal of benefit to anyone who practices as well as to those energies are pass through.
There’s this true story of one of my students. He was frustrated because he trained so long in the dojo with the intent of winning a trophy at a competition but lost three to zero very quickly in his match. He came to me complaining that his training was inadequate.
So I asked him if he ducked, bobbed or weaved away when his opponent attacked. He answered “no.”
I asked him if he shifted his weight from one position to another to avoid getting hit. He answered “no.”
I asked him if he attempted any blocks when his opponent punched or kicked. He also answered “no.”
During practice, I knew he learned the techniques in kihon, kata and kumite because I personally instructed him.
I asked him why?
He said he didn’t know why? He said that in the dojo, he relied upon my instruction to conduct his training. During a tournament competition, I was not there to instruct him on what to do.
And therein lies the problem.
In other life’s responsibilities, he was able to conduct himself responsibly, but during a competitive fight even after receiving months of training in the dojo, the conduct of action was not there.
Reiki, Zhan zhang, qigong, taijiquan, baguazhang, Hsingi, and any other internal martial and healing arts requires intent, deep and primal, starting with the willingness to go beyond creativity and imagination and evolve into a new realm of possibilities.
Channeling energy to heal requires a person to go outside a comfort zone of reality and become the universe. How can a sane person made up of skin, bones and matter become something as esoteric as the universe? One of my instructors told me that without “chi” or the energies life force that God gave us when we were born, the actual attunement or transference of energy from our mother who brought us into this world, we would be a mass of chemicals amounting to about $15 of raw material and a lot of water.
It is this focus, as simple as giving birth, that a healer must pull from wisdom and energy before he or she can attempt channeling. My method of practice is qigong and taijiquan. It may created the spark that puts me into that realm. At this time, I haven’t achieved that goal, though from a personal standpoint, I am at peace with the exercise. I recommend you taking the time to research and read from the web, books or however way you find your own source of information. Either way, you will discover the same packets of info that will lead you to conclusions and hopefully provide you the benefit your are entitled.
