Reiki Faq

What is Reiki?--Reiki is a healing system with roots in Japan.  The term Reiki loosely translated means Universal Life Energy.  Some therapeutic techniques very similar to Reiki are polarity therapy, healing touch, and therapeutic touch.  You will find that many nurses and massage therapists are using these therapies for medical treatment especially in terminal diagnosis and hospice care.  So to define Reiki according to it's translation is to say that Reiki is the energy that surrounds and breathes life into all living things.  It is the Universally guided life energy.

Where did Reiki come from?--It was "discovered" by a man named Mikao Usui while on a meditative retreat in the early 1900's.  It was passed down from teacher to student and made it's way into the America's by way of a Reiki Student named Hawayo Takata In the late 1930's.  Mrs. Takata is the reason that Reiki made it into the main stream in the West and why there are now literally millions of Reiki practitioners world wide.

How do I know Reiki is working?--Most people feel more relaxation in the mind and body during and after a Reiki treatment session.  It can feel physically warm and also cool to touch.  It can feel as though you have more energy in your body, your mind may become more clear, you may even feel a quivering or vibration in your muscles as the Reiki Practitioner works with you.  Generally each individual will experience Reiki in exactly the way they are meant to, however the feeling of warmth, comfort, and heavy relaxation is something that many people report after a Reiki session.

What is a Reiki treatment like?--The fully clothed client will either sit in a chair or lie on a flat surface.  The hand positions are usually from head to toe and sometimes the client will be asked to turn over and receive Reiki to their back side as well.  The practitioner will spend between 3-5 minutes and sometimes more time in each hand position.  This modality is very much like laying on of hands and sometimes the hands remain off the body to work in the human energy field.

Who can do Reiki?-- ANYONE and I mean ANYONE! Reiki is a simple system that anyone can learn to use for themselves or another person, animal, or living thing.  There is really no disability other than brain disorders that cause a person not to be able to retain the information and utilize it.  Whether your body works perfectly or you live with a physical disability you too can perform Reiki and even become a Reiki Master and teach this intriguing system of healing to others!

Should I learn Reiki?--Yes! Whether you are a healthcare worker, a teacher, a cashier, dog walker, a veterinarian, police officer, a mother, sister, brother, father, aunt, uncle, grandma or grandpa the answer is emphatically YES! It is a simple system where you can place your hands on a loved one and they feel better.  It is so very simple, and in this world of stress and striving to be on top of everything it can assist YOU in stress relief and keeping sanity in your busy daily life.  If you are working, retired, stressed out, depressed, have been diagnosed with disease, feel fatigued, feel anxiety, in general if you are alive in this day and age Reiki can benefit all areas of your life simply.  You need no tools, it stays with you all your life, and you don't even need to believe in Reiki for it to work!

What does Reiki Master mean?--A Reiki Master is a person that has taken the first two levels of Reiki and shown proficiency in Reiki treatment.  This is a requirement of each Reiki Master.  Then the student is required to learn to pass attunements (initiate) on to other students.  Learning to teach the traditional techniques and the history as well as the attunement process from a Reiki Master is how you can become a Reiki Master Teacher.

Why are there many different schools for Reiki?-- Many schools of thought exist for Reiki.  This is because there has been a lot of personal flair added to the Usui system.  Some teachers have added other aspects to deepen understanding of the human body, psychology, and even spiritualized elements to further the experience of the energy.  Energy is always moving and changing, it is believed by many that because of this concept Reiki has always been meant to grow and be included in many methods.  Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki is the basic Reiki that came to the US via Mrs. Takata... all systems are based on this system to one degree or another.

How do I learn Reiki?--Attend a Reiki class given by a Reiki Master.

Does Reiki interfere with my religious faith?--Reiki is a system of healing and is not a spiritual belief system.  That being said many people apply Reiki and it's principles to their spiritual lives and are quite happy with that.

Is Reiki a religion?--Reiki is a healing system.  It works with the human energy field, which is constantly being studied by scientists.  Reiki works to balance disruptive vibrational patterns in the energy field.  It does not stand in for any Religious belief... Reiki is simply a tool to help you feel better.

Why are there different levels of Reiki training?--Usui set the system up so that there were different levels of Reiki transmitted from the teacher to the student.  The absolute reasoning for this is most likely that Mikao Usui was influenced greatly by Shinto Buddhism and there are many different levels of information and learning that students study.  The system is set up in a stair step fashion so that each student can be paced as they work through the information, personal healing, and gain experience, knowledge, and expertise in the act of channeling energy to clients, family and friends.  Not all students are created equally, some use Reiki daily and build their experience with dedication and honor.  Some students do not practice Reiki regularly and therefore may not have the same expertise as fellow students... sometimes it is the Reiki Master Teacher's responsibility to point this out and help guide each student on their individual path with honesty and honor to help them reach the best and highest good in their desire to achieve and experience each level of Reiki training.