Being one with the Universe is the embodiment of Reiki, which you will see may well be the secret of health and happiness.
What is Reiki?
First and foremost, Reiki is Japanese word that can be broken down into two parts.
Rei – R E I which can mean Universal or Spirit
and Ki – K I which can mean energy
Together they are Reiki, or Universal Life-force Energy
Life-force energy describes the energy that animates you and me. We each have our own. You may call it your spirit or soul.
Universal life-force is the energy that surrounds us, our planet and extends well beyond! It connects all living things.
Mind-Body-Spirit Wellness
Reiki is also a mind-body-spirit wellness system.
It is important to know that Reiki training came from Japan as an oral tradition. Nothing was written down. Even though there are many books and websites about Reiki now, as often happens, the history of Reiki holds conflicting information.
What we know for sure is that the practice today can be broken down into 3 distinct parts
- a specific mindfulness meditation practice,
- guiding principles, and
- tapping into universal or source energy as a healing modality.
We will get into each of these three components as we move through this post.
My Reiki Story
I have been teaching people like you why Reiki is the secret to health and happiness for over two decades. My Reiki journey started in the mid 1990’s.
Exploring natural ways to manage stress led me to a first-degree Reiki class offered at a local community college. The mind-body-spirit component was also appealing to my daughter, who was a teenager at that time, and we experienced the class together.
I continued my training and started teaching after completing my master teacher apprenticeship in 2002.
Clarity about Reiki
First, I would like to clarify for you what Reiki is, and what it is not.
Reiki is not a religion. There are no deities and there is not a belief system. Reiki is a spiritual practice.
Reiki is also not a massage. Reiki is energy that can be shared as a healing modality. While it can be added to a massage, it does not require touch.
Reiki is simply Universal Life Force, or source, energy.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness supports being present and aware of the now. It offers many options for practice. Meditation is one of these options. The mindfulness meditation practiced in conjunction with Reiki is called Gassho.
Gassho translates to palms or hands together. Bringing your hands together in prayer position is a gesture of respect, reverence, and humility.
In Gassho meditation you sit with your hands together, touching from palm to fingertips. Your hands are held at the center of your chest with your thumbs touching at the level of your heart.
Your concentration is directed to three places, your breath, the point where your middle fingertips are touching and the spot where your thumbs rest against your chest at heart center.
Try a short Gassho meditation with me.
It has been suggested that sitting in meditation for 15 to 20 minutes in the morning and at night Is a centering way to begin and end your day.
Research also suggests that meditation in any form can help manage symptoms from several health-related concerns, the first way that Reiki can be considered the way to health and happiness.
If you have concerns about mindfulness meditation, or meditation in general, talk to your medical professional to see if it is appropriate for you.
The Reiki Principles
The Reiki principles offer guidance to support that sense of oneness as well as the sense of being present that mindfulness brings.
Translations vary but typically the principles, also called the Reiki precepts, begin with something like Today only or Just for today.
The translation that I first learned and retain best begins with Just for today.We cannot change the past, or know what is coming in the future. Today, the present time and space that we inhabit is when we can be who we choose to be.
The first 2 Reiki principles are Just for today, I will not worry and I will not anger.
Studies show that the long-term effects of anger and worry include anxiety, high blood pressure, headaches, sleep issues, nausea, pain, increased stress hormones, and increased blood sugar levels.
Releasing anger and worry can reduce these levels and improve overall health.
Are you starting to see how Reiki may be the secret to health and happiness.
Okay, the next principle is Just for today, I will do my work honestly. Doing my work honestly refers to your internal work, in this case, we come back to meditation. Why meditation?
Meditation can reduce stress levels, control anxiety, and improve sleep. Studies also show meditation may also assist those attempting to overcome addictions.
And the last two, Just for today I will be grateful for my many blessings and I will be kind to all living things.
Living with an attitude of gratitude, from a place of abundance versus lack, can lead to better sleep, less fatigue, less depression, lowered levels of inflammation, and more self-confidence.
Kindness in its many forms can enhance a sense of community and encourage deeper relationships with those around us.
A practice like Gassho meditation and incorporating the Reiki principles reinforces your connection to the web of consciousness that is Reiki.
Energy Healing
The third part of Reiki is the energy healing practice. An initiation to this practice includes attunement and training in how to use the energy for self-healing work.
An attunement is a ceremony in which the teacher enhances the existing connection to the web of Universal life-force for the student.
To prepare for an attunement, consider honoring your body even further than previously discussed by eating healthy foods, abstaining from alcohol and unnecessary drugs (you should continue to follow the advice of medical professionals regarding necessary or prescribed medications) and staying hydrated.
Learning about energetic boundaries will introduce you to your personal life-force energy. Sensing energy, yours, others and the difference from Universal life-force energy prepares you for using Reiki for your own self-care, and later for supporting others.
Traditional Reiki teachings include a series of hand positions around the head and body that are used in sharing a Reiki session, or treatment. As you deepen your practice, your intuition may guide you or you may continue to use the hand positions. Distance healing is also possible through a process like sending prayers.
A Reiki session, or treatment, is an opportunity for deep relaxation. Your own healing abilities are accessed when your body is deeply relaxed. Reiki supports your ability to heal yourself.
Reiki Works
Whatever your practice looks like, Reiki works in a way specific to you. Your healing process is different from others as we are all unique. Reiki works on an emotional, spiritual, or physical level based on your needs at any given time.
Three ways to access the benefits of Reiki are incorporating mindfulness practices and the Reiki principles into your life, along with the addition of First-Degree training which focuses on Reiki for Self-Care.
First Degree Reiki
In First Degree Reiki you should expect to learn Reiki for self-care. This should include the Reiki Principles, mindfulness practices, energy sensing, and tapping into Reiki energy for self-healing.
There are many people offering a variety of Reiki training at a wide range of prices. To find the right fit in a teacher for you ask how long they have been a Reiki teacher, what their personal Reiki practice is like, and what they teach in their classes.
Embodying the Reiki principles, being fully present through personal mindfulness practices, and accessing your own natural healing ability through your connection with Universal life-force energy can lead you to a life of health and happiness.
Are you ready to start your Reiki journey?