Introduction to Reiki
(This is an excerpt from a University Of Metaphysical Sciences course at www.umsonline.org, please feel free to visit the school website)
Reiki (pronounced RAY-kee) is a Japanese word that means sacred or spiritual energy. The Japanese art of Reiki is a method of cultivating and using this universal life energy to heal or to make whole. The word Reiki refers to the unseen (rei), universal life energy (ki) that exists in all things.
Reiki is a healing art, and to understand Reiki healing, one must first understand Ki. Ki (pronounced chee) is that life energy or universal energy that is cultivated and used in Reiki. The concept of Ki is universal, but the art of Reiki is unique. The term “universal” is not just the energy in this solar system but, as Bronwen and Frans Stiene wrote in The Japanese Art Of Reiki, “everything that can be understood and not understood.” The Stienes also wrote, “Everything animate and inanimate, pulses with the rhythm of the universe.” Donna Eden wrote in her book Energy Medicine, (1998)that “energy really is all there is.” Eden reminds us that Albert Einstein’s formula E=MC2 is the scientific evidence of this concept. Ki is an essence we are born with, and therefore the power of Reiki is within anyone's grasp. Nevertheless, Reiki is a practice which can only be mastered through dedicated practice on the development of one’s personal energy. This practice is known in Reiki healing as attunement.
This universal energy is quite universal indeed. However, many different names are used to describe it. Ki is a Japanese word but in China the same universal energy is called Chi or Qi. In India and Tibet, the word prana refers to the same universal energy, but used in relation to energy healing and yoga practices. In Native American cultures, the Iroquois people call this energy Orenda and the Lakotas call it wakan. The Sufis call this same energy baraka, the Polynesian Hunas call it mana, the Ituri Pygmies call it megbe, the Christians call it the Holy Spirit, and in Hebrew it is called Ruach. The popular culture of today knows it as The Force! All of these names point to the same idea of universal life energy.
Ki also has applications in the physical world. The concept of ki is familiar to traditional Japanese martial arts such as judo, karate, kendo, aikido, toate, and shintaido. It is also the main principle in johrei and mahikari. Yoga and martial arts use the same universal life energy, and these energy practices have spread throughout the modern world with respect and recognition.
The healing aspects of Reiki often overshadow the significance of the personal developmental aspects of the art. Too often, people read about Ki and then begin to try healing others without first cultivating Ki in their own body. One cannot properly heal another being’s energy without first developing healthy Ki in his or her own body. Once Ki flows freely throughout one’s own body, one can begin to practice on others. Nevertheless, it must be strongly emphasized that no one can use Reiki to heal others without an attunement by a Reiki master. The articles on this website are not substitutes for a Reiki master’s attunement.
Even without an attunement, there is still much to learn about the art of Reiki and there are many simple ways that a beginner can cultivate Ki without a master. The cultivation of Ki is called Qi Gong, which is a major component in the art of Tai Chi Chuan, or Tai Chi. Many hospitals in China have entire units devoted to Qi Gong. The art of Qi Gong is expansive and encompasses more than just medicine, but its most basic principles are often taught to students who want to learn Reiki healing.