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By Rusty Stewart, Ph.D..

Dr. Mikao Usui founded Reiki in the mid-nineteenth century while he was searching for the ancient secret of healing. It was in the Indian sutras, written in Sanskrit, where he discovered a formula for contacting a higher power that could bestow healing. During a 21 day fast and meditation on the mountain of Kort-Yama, he followed the formula and experienced a beam of white light that had the consciousness and healing power he had been seeking. This beam of light struck him in the forehead and rendered him unconscious. During this state he rose out of his physical body and was shown beautiful colorful bubbles of light that contained the Reiki symbols. As he contemplated each symbol he received an attunement for each symbol and the knowledge of its use. This was the beginning of Dr. Usui practicing Reiki energy healing around Japan for the remainder of his life. There is much more about the history of Reiki. I encourage you to check out "The Spirit of Reiki," by Walter Lubeck, Frank Arjava Petter, and William Lee Rand, "Reiki: Universal Life Energy," by B. Baginski and S. Sharamon, "The Reiki Handbook," by L. Arnold and S. Nevius, "Empowerment Through Reiki," by P. Horan, and "The Reiki Touch," by J. C. Stewart.

Reiki is hands on energy healing. It can also be done a couple of inches off the body as well as absentee long distance healing. Traditional Usui Reiki attunes practitioners to different levels of Reiki with the symbols Dr Usui was shown on Mt. Kort-Yama. This allows the universal life-force energy to flow though our bodies and out our hands into our clients. Our hands may get hot or our clients may feel heat flowing from our hands into their bodies. In the case of long distance healing we are sending the energy through an ether tube to our client. With Reiki, we are really just conduits for the universal energy of Love. This healing energy is channeled into different parts of the body for the highest healing purpose of the client, the Reiki practitioner, and the universe. We are not doing any healing. The client decides whether or not to heal with the help and healing power of the universe. We are just facilitating the energy process and witnessing the results! Reiki has been shown to facilitate many types of miraculous healings. It can and may happen. However, to practice Reiki and claim healing of sickness or disease or any other type of illness is in error and out of integrity. Healing energy is always present with Reiki; it's just that we as ego based carbon life forms do not know what the real healing is for each individual client. Much healing is associated with the lessons we are to learn in this incarnation. I urge you to not be attached to what you think healing is for each individual. It will not benefit you or your clients. Love is the only thing that is real when it comes to healing.

In Reiki I students experience the first level attunement, learn about the history of Reiki and their Reiki Master linage, hand positions, kanji positions, grounding and centering, scanning and beaming, hands on clinical practice, and other more specialized techniques depending on the Reiki Master. In Reiki II students experience the second level attunement, learn some of the Reiki symbols, long distance healing, emotional healing and balancing from the heart, root/sacrum, and the mental level, removing clouds from the emotional layer, hands on clinical practice, and other more specialized techniques depending on the Reiki Master. In the Reiki III Masters Certification students experience the third level attunement, learn the Reiki Master Empowerment Symbol, how to teach Reiki, attune students to all three levels of Reiki, how to Love and heal thyself, hands on clinical practice, and other more specialized techniques depending on the Reiki Master. I must stress that Reiki has become so popular with many different teachers and as a result there are many different techniques and preferences that have been incorporated into Reiki under the traditional Usui Reiki umbrella. One thing I would recommend is that you look for a teacher who will give you plenty of clinical hands on practice.

In addition, there are a plethora of other Reiki practices that have arisen over the years. No one type is better than another. It is the intent and humility of the Reiki Master teacher and practitioner that is most important. It is how the different Reiki practices resonate for you. You are the only one who knows what works best for you. I have found over 30 forms of Reiki other than the traditional Usui Reiki founded by Dr. Mikao Usui. I encourage you to read about them and research them to determine you own Reiki path or in finding a Reiki Master or Reiki practitioner that resonates with you. Here are a couple of useful places on the Internet to begin your search: http://www.reiki-4-all.com/index.php?showtopic=17 and http://www.medindia.net/alternativemedicine/reiki/Reiki7.htm.

Here is a quick list of the different types of Reiki I have come across: Usui Reiki, Tibetan Reiki, Usui/Tibetan Reiki, Karuna Reiki, Gendai Reiki, Rainbow Reiki, Five Element Seichem, Seichim or Seichem or Sekhem, Tera-Mai® and Tera-Mai® Seichem, Shamballa Reiki, Kundalini Reiki, Imara Reiki, Raku Kei Reiki, Shamanic Reiki, The Radiance Technique® (TRTAI), Reiki Plus®, Johrei or Jo Reiki, Men Chho Reiki® or Medicine Dharma Rei Kei©, Traditional Japanese Reiki, Satya Japanese Reiki, Reiki Jin-Kei Do©, EnerSense-Buddho, Golden Age Reiki, New Life Reiki, Blue Star Reiki, Mari el®, Saku Reiki, Sun Li Chung Reiki, Jinlap Reiki or Tibetan Jinlap Maitri Reiki, Chi Sekai Reiki, Vajra Reiki, and Violet Flame Reiki. I'm sure this is not an exhaustive list. Do your own research. This will help get you started.

I would once again like to reiterate that there is no one best method. It is what you feel drawn to, the integrity and humility of your Master Reiki teacher, and intent. If a teacher says their method of Reiki is superior to others then I would say that is a red flag of ego. I do not connect with arrogance. Follow your intuition. All healing modalities have their place.

In closing, an empowering way to live one interpretation of Reiki and its teachings is to practice The Five Spiritual Principles of Reiki Plus:

1) Just for today, I shall trust

2) Just for today, I shall do my work honestly

3) Just for today, I shall accept my many blessings

4) Just for today, I shall be at peace

5) Just for today, I shall respect the rights of all life forms