I sat cross-legged on the floor with my eyes closed and my palms on my lap, facing upwards. I took a deep inhale and a slow, long exhale. I could feel a soft, glowing ball of light engulf my body. Its warmth sent a tingle over my skin and along my spine. I saw a bright, golden hue all around me. My palms buzzed from the energy in the room. In front of me, two reiki masters performed my attunement, which marked the conclusion of my Level 1 reiki course. I, alongside a group of four, had just completed an intensive two-day course covering the origins, energetics, practice and method of reiki, which is a complementary modality that has become increasingly prevalent in the West. Reiki is being used alongside traditional Western medicine to treat common health conditions but, as with many healing modalities, there is a host of preconceived ideas and misconceptions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, what exactly is reiki and how can it be practised?
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Energy healing can be traced back to ancient times of Buddha and Jesus, although these earlier forms of healing weren\u2019t documented. Reiki\u2019s exact date of origin and its creator are largely contested, but it\u2019s generally acknowledged to date back to 1922 and was coined by Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui \u2014 also referred to as Usui-Sensei. It\u2019s believed that Usui-Sensei held a fascination with a state of consciousness called anshin ritsumei \u2014 which translates to \u201ca life supported by a peaceful mind\u201d \u2014 and was said to be where an individual is in a constant state of inner peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Legend has it that Usui-Sensei had a mystical experience while on a 21-day meditation on Horse Saddle Mountain on the outskirts of Kyoto, Japan. On the last day, Usui-Sensei experienced a strong, energetic force as a powerful light entered through the top of his head, which rendered him unconscious. When he awoke, he experienced a new energetic frequency, a heightened level of awareness and the gift of healing. He called this energy reiki and he went on to teach it to some 2000 people throughout the duration of his lifetime. He wrote the guidelines for his reiki healing method, which he named the reiki ryoho shinshin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The word reiki translates to universal energy, as rei means spiritual or universal, and ki \u2014 also referred to as qi and chi \u2014 refers to non-physical energy that flows through the entire universe. In short, reiki is life force energy. It\u2019s moving beyond the tangible and returning to the source. \u201cEnergy is everywhere, and reiki energy is who we are,\u201d says Peter Cristiano, a reiki master and founder of Reiki Healing Life. At our core, we are all comprised of energy. Reiki practitioners believe that we have both physical and energetic bodies, and the health of these are inextricably linked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As part of the practice of reiki, Usui-Sensei developed five principles that are believed to bring healing energy to the body. These principles are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This means that if our energetic body becomes blocked or imbalanced, it can cause disease \u2014 which is essentially the state of the body not being at ease. \u201cOur bodies are constantly sending messages to us, but it\u2019s up to us to listen,\u201d says Peter. \u201cEnergy is everywhere and we only need to look to interpret it. The body does not speak English but what we\u2019ve all got in common is this language of pain, sensation and physical ailments.\u201d So, similar to complementary practices such as acupuncture and acupressure, the aim of reiki is to restore the flow of energy in the body, which helps to restore the body\u2019s natural healing abilities. Practitioners do this by channelling life force energy through their palms in a non-physical, noninvasive session.
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According to Peter, reiki has a multitude of purposes. \u201cA practitioner can utilise reiki for meditation, self-improvement, self-connection and self-healing,\u201d says Peter. \u201cReiki can also be used for groups to enhance meditations or for chakra balancing. The opportunities are endless, whether it\u2019s for sending positive light to others in your vicinity or thoughts in time and space.\u201d According to reiki master Maya Loran*, it\u2019s more than just a practice \u2014 it\u2019s a way of life. \u201cReiki is a way of living and a way to embrace life in its fullness,\u201d she says. \u201cReiki applies to every day in your life. It moves with you. One of the things I love the most about reiki is that it respects life in all of its forms.\u201d What\u2019s essential in a reiki session is that both the practitioner\u2019s and the receiver\u2019s intentions are pure and without ego. \u201cThe ways to use reiki are endless, as long as they\u2019re not ego-driven and are being used for the highest good,\u201d says Peter. Maya agrees. \u201cReiki is about tapping into the energy and being a conduit of that energy to pass it on to the person who\u2019s asking for healing,\u201d she says. \u201cYou could be a Christian, a Buddhist, a Muslim, it doesn\u2019t matter. Reiki is for anyone from any religion, ethnicity or background.\u201d But it\u2019s also important to note that reiki doesn\u2019t directly heal, and reiki practitioners are not healers. \u201cThe individual needs to want to heal and needs to attract healing,\u201d says Peter. \u201cYou cannot assert reiki on anyone. I\u2019m a believer that people don\u2019t find reiki. Reiki will find you when it\u2019s suitable for you to be found. And that goes both ways for practitioners and receivers. As the proverb goes: \u2018The teacher will appear when the student is ready.\u2019\u201d
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As reiki is a gentle, non-invasive practice, a practitioner cannot control how the energy is received or utilised by the recipient. In fact, reiki is a tool that a receiver can use on a personal level to connect to their higher self. \u201cReiki is a humble practice,\u201d says Peter. \u201cAs practitioners, it\u2019s important to remember that it\u2019s about intention, not assertion. That\u2019s what I love about it. It\u2019s a very personal journey and you make of reiki what you want to make of reiki.
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You connect with it to the extent that you want to connect with it.\u201d This has certainly proven true in my experience. It\u2019s been a few months since my reiki training, and my interest in the practice has continued to flourish organically. I\u2019m both intrigued and mystified by this method of energy healing, and I\u2019ve felt an enhanced sense of intuition since the Level 1 training. Sensing things more deeply and, in particular, feeling the energy of others and the space around me has been a gift. I\u2019ve been practising reiki on family and friends who\u2019ve expressed interest, and I\u2019m in awe of the sensation that\u2019s present on my palms when I do so. But there\u2019s one thing that I always come back to: the word \u201chumble\u201d. Peter, my reiki teacher, reminds me that healing cannot be performed or asserted. Instead, we focus our attention on our intention, which enables the higher self to return \u201chome\u201d again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Words: DANAE DIMITROPOULOU <\/p>\n\n\n\n