Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one's "life force energy" is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Introduction To Reiki
We are alive because life force is flowing through us. Life force flows within the physical body though pathways called chakras, meridians and nadis. It also flows around us in a field of energy called the aura. Life force nourishes the organs and cells of the body, supporting them in their vital functions. When this flow of life force is disrupted, it causes diminished function in one or more of...
Mrs. Hawayo Takata (Takata Sensei) brought Reiki from Japan to the West in 1937 and continued to practice and teach until her passing in 1980. Because of her devotion, Reiki has been passed on to millions of people all over the world, and the numbers continue to grow! And as you will see, if it wasn’t for her, Reiki most likely would never have been discovered by the West and even in Japan would have been practiced secretly by only a small number of people.
During a meditation several years after developing Reiki, Mikao Usui decided to add the Reiki Ideals to the practice of Reiki. The Ideals came in part from the five prinicples of the Meiji emperor of Japan whom Mikao Usui admired. The Ideals were developed to add spiritual balance to Usui Reiki. Their purpose is to help people realize that healing the spirit by consciously deciding to improve oneself is a necessary part of the Reiki healing experience.
Although Reiki energy is spiritual in nature, Reiki is not a religion. Practitioners are not asked to change any religious or spiritual beliefs they may have. They are free to continue believing anything they choose and are encouraged to make their own decisions concerning the nature of their religious practices.
In a standard treatment Reiki energy flows from the practitioners hands into the client. The client is usually laying on a massage table but treatments can also be given while the client is seated or even standing. The client remains fully clothed. The practitioner places her/his hands on or near the clients body in a series of hand positions. These include positions around the head and shoulders, the stomach, and feet. Other, more specific positions may be used based on the clients needs. Each position is held for three to ten minutes depending on how much Reiki the client needs at each position. The whole treatment usually lasts between 45 and 90 minutes.
Does one have to stop seeing a regular doctor or psychologist in order to receive a Reiki treatment?
No. Reiki works in conjunction with regular medical or psychological treatment. If one has a medical or psychological condition, it is recommended that one see a licensed health care professional in addition to receiving Reiki treatments. Reiki energy works in harmony with all other forms of healing, including drugs, surgery, psychological care or any other method of alternative care and will improve the results.
Most of the time a person will feel relaxed and uplifted by a Reiki treatment. However, sometimes a person will have what is called a healing crisis. As a person’s vibration goes up, toxins that have been stored in the body will be released into the blood stream to be filtered by the liver and kidneys and removed from the system. When this happens, sometimes a person can get a headache or stomach ache or feel weak. If this happens, it is a good idea to drink more water, eat lighter meals and get more rest. The body is cleansing as part of the healing process so this is a good sign.
Reiki is just starting to be recognized by insurance companies. While not many are covering Reiki treatments, some are. Check with your local insurance company for details.
Yes, see the section on the Center for Reiki Research.
Reiki is a technique that is passed on from teacher to student over and over. If one has Reiki, than she/he will be part of a succession of teachers leading back to the founder of the system of Reiki one is practicing. In the case of Usui Reiki, the lineage would lead back to Dr. Usui.
A Reiki treatment usually will cost between $25.00 and $100.00 depending on the area of the country. However, some practitioners offer treatments free of charge or for a donation.
Reiki is a type of energy work that originated in Japan. It’s a simple method of light touch that is based on the Asian concept of ki or life energy. A session feels like a glowing radiance that flows through and around you. The experience is very soothing and results in...
Reiki Teaching & Training
Yes, Reiki can be taught to anyone. I recommend that a child be old enough to understand what Reiki is and that the child request to receive Reiki.
The ability to learn Reiki is not dependent on intellectual capacity, nor does one have to be able to meditate. It does not take years of practice. It is simply passed on from the teacher to the student. As soon as this happens, one has and can do Reiki. Because of this, it is easily learned by anyone. Reiki is a pure form of healing not dependent on individual talent or acquired ability. Because of this...
Reiki is a very simple technique to learn and is not dependent on one having any prior experience with healing, meditation or any other kind of training. It has been successfully learned by over one million people from all walks of life, both young an old. The reason it is so easy to learn that it is not taught in the usual way something is taught. The ability to do Reiki is simply transferred from the teacher to the student through a process called an attunement that takes place during a Reiki class. As soon as one receives an attunement, they have the ability to do Reiki and after that whenever one places their hands on themselves or on another person with the intention of doing Reiki, the healing energy will automatically begin flowing.
In the Usui/Holy Fire system of Reiki taught by the ICRT, there are four levels including one, two, Advanced and Master. We also provide Holy Fire Karuna Reiki® Master Teacher training.
A beginning Reiki class is taught on a weekend. The class can be one or two days long. I recommend that the minimum time necessary be at least six to seven hours. Along with the attunement, it is necessary that the student be shown how to give treatments and also to practice giving treatments in class.
Reiki teachers or Masters advertise in many magazines and also post notices at health food stores, new age bookstores and other places. Once you find a Reiki teacher or practitioner you are interested in receiving training or a treatment from, it is a good idea to ask them some important questions. Here are a few that will give you additional information to make a choice.
A Reiki attunement is the process by which a person receives the ability to give Reiki treatments. The attunement is administered by the Reiki Master during the Reiki class. During the attunement, the Reiki Master will touch the students head, shoulders, and hands and use one or more special breathing techniques. The attunement energies will flow through the Reiki Master and into the student. These special energies are guided by the Higher Power and make adjustments in the students energy pathways and connect the student to the source of Reiki. Because the energetic aspect of the attunement is guided by the Higher Power, it adjusts itself to be exactly right for each student. During the attunement, some students feel warmth in the hands, others may see colors or have visions of spiritual beings. However, it is not necessary to have an inner experience for the attunement to have worked. Most simply feel more relaxed.
Once you receive a Reiki attunement, it will last your whole life. However, if you get additional attunements for the same level, it will act to refine and strengthen your Reiki energy.
There are no governmental licensing programs at this time. However, the Center does have a licensing program for Reiki teachers. Please see our Center Licensed Teachers Guidebook from the Center.
Yes, if you put your heart into it, you can develop a Reiki practice combined with teaching classes that can bring a regular income. This is a very fulfilling way to earn a living. See the article on Developing Your Reiki Practice.
Reiki Healing
Reiki has had a positive affect on all forms of illness and negative conditions. This includes minor things like head or stomach aches, bee stings, colds, flu, tension and anxiety as well as serious illness like heart disease, cancer, leukemia, etc. The side effects of regular medical treatments have also been reduced or eliminated. This includes the negative effects of chemotherapy, post operative pain and depression as well as improving the healing rate and reducing the time needed to stay in the hospital. Reiki always helps and in some cases people have experienced complete healings which have been confirmed by medical tests before and after the Reiki treatments. However, while some have experienced miracles, they cannot be guaranteed. Stress reduction with some improvement in ones physical and psychological condition are what most experience.
Yes, once you have received the attunement, you can treat yourself as well as others. This is one of the unique features of Reiki.
Yes, in Reiki II, you are given three Reiki symbols. These symbols are empowered by the Reiki II attunement. One of these symbols is for distant healing. By using a picture of the person you would like to send Reiki to or by writing the person’s name on a piece of paper or simply by thinking of the person and also activating the distant symbol, you can send Reiki to them no matter where they are. They could be hundreds of miles away, but it makes no difference. The Reiki energy will go to them and treat them. You can also send Reiki to crisis situations or world leaders and the Reiki energy will help them too.
When giving a Reiki treatment, the Reiki energy flows through the practitioner before leaving the hands and flowing into the client. Because of this, the practitioner receives a treatment also. As the Reiki energy flows through the practitioner, she/he will feel more relaxed and uplifted. Spiritual experiences sometimes take place. The practitioner sometimes receives insights about what the client needs to know to heal more deeply.
Since Reiki is guided by the Higher Power, the Reiki energy will know the condition of the client or student and adjust appropriately. Reiki can only do good. Many pregnant women have received treatments with great benefit to them and their unborn child. It has also been used during child birth. Pregnant women have also taken the Reiki training and received the Reiki attunement with beneficial results.
Babies love Reiki. It is very healthy for them. Do not worry about it being too strong. Reiki automatically adjusts to what the baby needs.
Animals love Reiki too. They seem to have a natural understanding of what Reiki is and its benefits. Once a pet has received a Reiki treatment, they will often let you know that they want more. Plants also respond well to Reiki.
Yes, this is one of the wonderful benefits of Reiki and is why it is such a wonderful technique for the new millennium...
Reiki is both powerful and gentle. In its long history of use it has aided in healing virtually every known illness and injury including serious problems like: multiple sclerosis, heart disease, and cancer as well as skin problems, cuts, bruises, broken bones, headache, colds, flu, sore throat, sunburn, fatigue, insomnia, impotence, poor memory, lack of confidence, etc. It is always beneficial and...
Reiki energy is a subtle energy. It is different than electricity or chemical energy or other kinds of physical energy. Reiki energy comes from the Higher Power, which exists on a higher dimension than the physical world we are familiar with. When viewed clairvoyantly, Reiki energy appears to come down from above and to enter the top of the practitioners head after which if flows through the body and out the hands. It appears to flow this way because of our perspective. However, the true source of Reiki energy is within ourselves. This does not mean that we use our personal energy when we do Reiki, but that the energy is coming from a transcendental part of ourselves that is connected to an infinite supply of healing energy.
What one experiences during a Reiki treatment varies somewhat from person to person. However, feelings of deep relaxation are usually felt by all. In addition, many feel a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and surrounds them. As the Reiki energy encourages one to let go of all tension, anxiety, fear or other negative feelings a state of peace and well-being is experienced. Some drift off to sleep or report floating outside their bodies or have visions and other mystical experiences. At the end of the treatment, one feels refreshed with a more positive, balanced outlook.
Karuna Reiki
I received my Usui Reiki training in 1981 and 1982 while living in Hawaii. I became an Usui Reiki master in 1989 after moving to Michigan. After becoming a master, I decided to study with other Reiki masters so as to deepen my understanding of Reiki. I went on to...
We teach Karuna Reiki® only to people who are already Reiki masters and most of these students received their mastership from other lineages besides my own. In fact those who take the classes represent a wide range of teachers in the Reiki community. The general response of these students is that Karuna Reiki® is stronger or heals more deeply etc. than Usui Reiki. It is from the response of these students who are already Reiki masters and have a great deal of experience working with healing energies that this information is presented. It is asked that this idea not simply be accepted, but that anyone who is interested in Karuna Reiki® receive a Karuna treatment or take a class or talk to those who have and from this information form one's own opinion. However, it must be understood that Karuna Reiki® is not a substitute for Usui Reiki or any other kind of Reiki, but simply an additional technique one can use to promote healing.
It is our philosophy to honor and respect all Reiki students and teachers regardless of lineage, organizational affiliation or the kind of Reiki they practice. Having different kinds of Reiki creates a point of interest between healers and opens the door for us to learn and exchange with each other, thus creating a stronger bond of love and respect. As we learn from each other, we grow in our trust that God works through each of us. It is our feeling and experience that Reiki is capable of healing ourselves, others and the planet as a whole and that this will take place more quickly if all Reiki practitioners work together in harmony.
The term Reiki was in use prior to Dr. Usui using it and therefore is not exclusive to the healing system he rediscovered. There are many kinds of Reiki including Seichem Reiki and Tibetan Reiki. Usui Reiki is just one form of Reiki. The reason I chose to use the term Reiki for Karuna Reiki® is that Karuna healing energy is a Reiki like energy in that it is life force energy that is guided by the higher power. The word Karuna means "compassionate action" which is a feeling people often get who experience the energy of this system.
Chanting and toning the names of the Karuna Reiki® symbols while giving a treatment deepens the healing process. The vibration of the voice becomes a physical carrier wave for the Karuna Reiki® energy to travel on. This causes the healing energies to penetrate more deeply into the cells and tissues of the clients body. The chakras and auras of both the practitioner and client are also opened more completely allowing a wonderful vibrancy to take place within and around them. Those who have experienced this process report a feeling of becoming more awake, more alive and more completely healed.
Membership
Our manuals are based on quality research into the history and practice of Reiki. This includes the use of verifiable facts from reputable sources and information from the five Reiki masters William has studied with along with his twenty + years experience as a Reiki practitioner and teacher. In addition, their use is further validated by the fact that they were the manual of choice for thousands of Reiki Masters prior to their use as a requirement for membership. The use of our manuals allows you to provide quality training to your students and is an important part of the professional standards students can expect from our members.
There are many ways to teach Reiki and it is true that some teach Reiki I&II with a required time period between them and others teach them together.
The Reiki I&II manual doesn’t include the symbols. Because of this you can use it to teach just Reiki I by using only those chapters that deal with Reiki I. When the student is ready for Reiki II, they will already have the manual making it easy for them to take the class. Many have used this manual to teach Reiki I&II separately for years. But of course it can be used to teach them together in one class as well.
We acknowledge and appreciate the fact that many Reiki masters have had quality Reiki training prior to becoming a member. The requirement to take these same classes from an ICRT Licensed Teacher in order to qualify as a Professional Member of the RMA doesn't mean that we do not consider you to be professional Reiki teacher if you haven't met this qualification. The title of Professional Member of the RMA has a special meaning and special requirements. The requirement to review these classes with one of our Licensed teachers is to insure that you know the ICRT method of teaching; this is important as you'll be using our manuals which include some techniques and exercises not taught by other lineages or schools of Reiki. It is also important so that you understanding our Reiki philosophy. In addition, experience has proven that taking the classes again from another teacher adds to the depth of ones understanding and improves one’s skill and ability as a teacher. This assures that our Professional Members are well trained and because of this it will uphold our reputation as an association of highly skilled Reiki practitioners and teachers.
