Reiki and Chi Kung

by Glenn Derrick

Chi Kung is an ancient Taoist path of spiritual advancement using meditation, as well as breath and energy control. It evolved from the system designed by Bodhidharma the twenty-eighth patriarch after Shakyamuni Buddha and Father of Chinese Chahn Buddhism which was later adopted by the Japanese and evolved into Zen. Masters of Chi Kung are able to raise, control, and direct personal and universal life force and use this subtle energy to open specific energy channels within the body and aura. These energy channels include the meridians used in acupuncture, the Jara lines of Chi Kung, the seven main chakras and the multitude of minor chakras. Chi Kung initiates are given intense personal regimens of exercise, diet, and meditation. After many years of purification, discipline, and devotion, initiates are able to activate these energy centers and raise personal power to nearly superhuman levels. The benefits derived by these adepts and masters, include healing, self defense, and spiritual manifestation of physical needs.

As a trained practitioner and teacher of Chi Kung, I "knew" from experience that healing abilities took many years to develop. Therefore, when I first heard of Reiki, I fully rejected it as false. The claims of Reiki simply didn't match what I "knew" was necessary for healing energy to freely flow from the hands. My experience had taught me that such abilities came only through painstaking discipline and long-term efforts. I did not understand, at first, that the ability to do Reiki is not developed through learning and practice, but comes from a process of Divine grace. The ability to do Reiki healing is simply channeled through the Reiki master to the practitioner during the attunement process. Years of study and discipline are not necessary. Imagine my surprise during my first Reiki class when I observed the astral images of guides and healing spirits pouring forth bright shimmering rays of healing energy at the hands of novice practitioners only three hours after the first class started! This obviously was not Chi Kung! I was delighted by the difference and glad I had decided to take the class anyway. I am sincerely grateful for the system of Reiki as it takes years off the time necessary to become a healer.

I received another shock when I eventually took the Advanced and Master Reiki Training from William Rand. In this class, William teaches several meditations which add to and enhance the practitioner's Reiki energies. One of these meditations uses Reiki energy keys to activate and open the microcosmic orbit, one of the eight major channels used by Chi Kung practitioners. I sat with chagrin, as William guided myself and the other students through the microcosmic orbit in about six minutes. Using my psychic sight, I was assured that the energy path of the microcosmic orbit was activated in the other beginning students in the class. It often takes Chi Kung students as much as two years to raise and focus enough energy to do this, and here it had been accomplished in just a few minutes!

The personal health benefits of opening the microcosmic orbit and continuing the meditation, whether accomplished through Reiki or Chi Kung discipline, are amazing. The spiritual purification and empowerment is an added benefit as well, and all Reiki practitioners could benefit from such a boost.

After talking with my own Chi Kung teachers, I have since begun working with Chi Kung and Reiki students with other Chi Kung channel work and the expanded function Jara lines. I have found that all of the Chi Kung internal elixir formulas can be safely accelerated and enhanced through Reiki, and I am teaching these formulas as part of my Reiki Adept Path program. We eventually plan to share this information, and our results in a book entitled: "Reiki : The Adept Path".

Taoist master Dr. Yang Jwing Ming has suggested, that in this age of technology we may discover techniques for safely accelerating and enhancing Chi Kung training. My experience suggests that Reiki is such a technique. It is my hope that other Chi Kung practitioners will consider taking Reiki training to enhance their Chi Kung exercises. Perhaps with the awareness of the inner connection between different spiritual disciplines and paths, more people can begin to explore the benefits and powers of combined efforts.