Reiki is a form of energy healing that originated in Japan in the early 20th century. The term “reiki” comes from the Japanese words “rei,” meaning universal, and “ki,” which means vital life force energy that flows through all living things. Reiki is a complementary therapy that guides energy throughout the body to promote the recipient’s self-healing abilities and encourage a healthy flow of energy.

The history of Usui Reiki begins with, Dr. Mikao Usui who rediscovered Reiki. Throughout his education, Dr. Usui had an interest in medicine, psychology and theology. It was this interest that prompted him to seek a way to heal himself and others using the laying on of hands. It was his desire to find a method of healing that was unattached to any specific religion and religious belief, so that his system would be accessible to everyone. After studying both Western and Eastern traditions, Dr. Usui went on a 21-day fast on a sacred mountain. When in deep meditation, he was given the symbolic tools and information that form the basis of Reiki practice.

Dr. Usui founded his first Reiki clinic and school in Tokyo in 1922. Before he died, Dr. Usui taught several Reiki masters to ensure that his system would not be forgotten. Among them was Dr. Chujiro Hayashi, a former naval officer who set up a Reiki clinic in Tokyo. Dr. Hayashi is credited with further developing the Usui system of Reiki by adding hand positions to more thoroughly cover the body. Using his improved system, Dr. Hayashi trained several more Reiki Masters, including Hawayo Takata a Hawaiian Japanese who brought Reiki to the western world. Ms. Takata practiced and taught intensively in America until her death in 1980. Since then, Westerners have returned to Japan to find out more about the history, and there are now many and varied schools and styles of Reiki in the world. Phyllis Lei Furumoto continued to carry her grandmother Takata’s tradition of Usui Shiki Ryoho, and now her successor, Johannes Reindl, carries on.

Just for today, I will not worry.

Just for today, I will not have anger.

Just for today, I will work with integrity.

Just for today, I will be grateful.

Just for today, I will be kind to all living things.

There are seven major energy centres, refered to as ‘chakras’ of the human body. The word ‘Chakra’ is derived from Sanskrit and means ‘wheels of light’. The chakras are spinning vortexes of energy, located within our auric body, through which we receive, transmit and process life energies. The seven major chakras correspond to specific aspects of our conscious and have their own functions. A blockage in the energy flow of the Chakras, an excess of energy or a underactive chakra can lead to an imbalance and disharmony on the physical, mental and spiritual level. With Reiki, it can purify and balance the chakras so the energy flows again without disturbance. Please note that the Reiki practitioner does not cause the healing, nor are they the source of the healing energy; they’re a channel for the energy — similar to the way a garden hose acts as a channel for water.

Reiki practice may help with a variety of physical and emotional problems, including insomnia, stress, depression, anxiety, and pain.
 Supports the body/s natural ability to heal itself
 Re-establishes spiritual equilibrium and mental wellbeing
 Balances the body’s energies
 Loosens up blocked energy and promotes a state of total relaxation
 Reiki adjusts itself according to the needs of the recipient
 Reiki works with animals, plants and crystals too

Reiki gives the body a break from the stresses of daily life, helping the physical body return to a state of relaxation. Once in this state, the body is able to heal any damage brought on by stress, injury, or disease. However, as Reiki serves as a complementary therapy, it is NOT recommended to substitute anything prescribed by your healthcare practitioner.

During a Reiki session, the Reiki practitioner will gently move their hands above or on the client’s clothed body (either sit or lie down) in a series of hand positions to channel the life force energy. Each hand position is held for around 3 to 10 minutes, or depending on the client’s needs, and typically focus on around the seven chakras and feet. The experience of Reiki is subjective, changeable, and sometimes very subtle. People often experience heat in the practitioner’s hands, but sometimes the practitioner’s hands feel refreshingly cool. Other common experiences can be feeling very relaxed and some people will simply fall asleep. It is common to see colours or visions during Reiki. Reiki is cumulative and even people who don’t notice much the first time usually have progressively deeper experiences if they continue. Besides the immediate experience of the Reiki, you may notice other changes that continue to unfold as the day goes on: perhaps stronger digestion, a sense of being more centered and poised and less reactive, and sleeping deeply that night.