Reiki is a gentle hands-on healing technique to reduce stress, relieve pain, and facilitate healing. Practitioners hold that the vital energy of the universe is channelled through the practitioner to energize the various body systems on levels that promote healing and wholeness. The hands (and intuition) are used to scan a client's body, and to perceive and treat areas of reduced vitality.
In English, the Japanese word `Reiki' refers to the teachings of Usui Shiki Ryoho,translated as the `Usui Method of Natural (or Drugless) Healing'. The Method has been known in Japan since the late 1860s. It was brought to U.S.A. in the 1930s and, although it has no Christian roots, it is certainly not a so-called New Age concoction.
It is based on the same energetic principles as acupuncture, t'ai chi chuan and chi kung. But Reiki is neither invasive, as is acupuncture, nor does it require physical agility and effort to gain benefits, as do t'ai chi and chi kung.
According to Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki Master Brian M. Carter: `this adjunct to competent medical care is definitely based on a traditional Oriental model of bodily healing, because it assumes the presence of an imbalance of an energetic nature that is manifesting in the physical body as stress, or, in more serious cases, as a life-threatening disease one may be facing. As Reiki practitioners, we have learned that, in many cases, we can help persons with such illnesses to remove these unseen causes and replace them with robust energy that will have a definite, noticeable, beneficial physical effect.'
There are two principal aspects of Reiki practice. As one successfully builds a strong practice of Reiki, one also learns how to convey this ki energy to others who need it. One aspect is called practice `for oneself', which is emphasized in First Degree Reiki practice. The other is called practice `for others' and is emphasized in Second Degree and Master level practices.
For most daily stress, tension, minor illness, trauma, etc., First Degree Reiki practice is very effective. For life-threatening illness -- in which severe physical manifestations have already materialized (e.g. cancer and AIDS) and congenital diseases (e.g. cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy) it is often very difficult for a person to effectively practice `for oneself' therefore help from a more advanced Reiki practitioner is often required for the best results. Second Degree and Reiki Master level practitioners have acquired considerable ability in directing and focusing ki energy through practice and study with persons with severe illness. Such practitioners will have specific, advanced techniques with which to help the ill person.