Reiki Origins
A System of Natural Healing for the lay practitioner
First what is Reiki? Reiki is a gentle intervention that, once learned, can be used by nearly everyone as to help themselves and others overcome stress and reduce underlying factors that may contribute to poor health. It is an energy-based art, and the most common interpretation of the name is “Rei” Life (or Universal Life) + “Ki” energy. It was developed in Japan in the early 1900s as the Usui System of Natural Healing and brought to Hawaii by a single practitioner 1937. As it spread in the western world, practitioners began developing their own approaches incorporating different approaches by blending it with other healing practices. While there are numerous variations on Reiki, but they all share the use of energy centers, sometimes referred to using the borrowed Sanskrit term chakras. Simplified, a practitioner connects to the energy around them and acts as a conduit to direct this energy into the various points in the client’s body. This is usually done with the hands by either light touch or the hands hovering slightly above the chakra allowing it to flow into the center until it has reached its current ability then moving to the next point. When done following this method, Reiki is extremely safe for both the client and practitioner. How is it used? What does it treat? Reiki is used in parallel to mainstream medicine. Supporting patients during chemotherapy and post-surgery recovery are commonly used applications in hospital setting. Outside of the hospital setting It is used for any number of chronic diseases and stress related issues. Since Reiki works at an energetic level, changes in both the physical body and emotional plane may be seen. What Makes Reiki Origins Unique? I have had the privilege of learning an early version of the original Usui Reiki System of Natural Healing in the late nineties, as private instruction over the course of several months. Because of my already extensive background in Qigong, a Chinese energy-based art, my Reiki Master adapted his attunement process to extend the attunement over multiple sessions. While I have learned versions of Usui Reiki that passed through more hands, and different Reiki Styles, it has always been this version that was closest to the original training that felt most right. In practice, Reiki Origins is remarkably similar to that first version of Usui Reiki that I learned, although it incorporates a more Taoist approach. As such visualizations and symbology are not emphasized as much as the felt experience. It also forms a good framework for learning energy-based in a relatively short time compared to complexity of more traditional Qigong approaches.
