Traditional reiki is a healing art that is performed by a practitioner who gently lays hands on a client’s body in a prescribed pattern. Reiki is a Japanese word that means universal life force energy. This energy is transmitted through the hands of the reiki practitioner and flows throughout the body of the person receiving treatment. The client remains fully clothed throughout the session, and a session typically lasts for one hour or more. A reiki treatment is very relaxing and can help the patient achieve balance on all levels of the body, mind, and spirit.
Although it is considered a spiritual healing technique, traditional reiki is not affiliated with any religion. The traditional reiki healing approach was established by Dr. Mikao Usui, a monk who developed this healing method after a mystical experience he had on a sacred mountain in Japan in 1922. Shortly after his experience, Dr. Usui opened a school and clinic where he treated patients using his new technique and also taught others how to perform this method of energy healing. Some teachers at his school improved upon this technique before it was brought to America, and in the latter half of the twentieth century reiki healing gained popularity around the world.
Traditional reiki is taught in three workshops known as first, second, and third degree reiki. In the first degree workshop, the student receives the first attunement, or initiation to the reiki energy, and learns the various hand patterns which are known to transfer the reiki force most efficiently. After completing the first degree reiki class, the student is able to perform reiki treatments on himself and others. A first degree reiki practitioner can treat only the physical body, and must complete the second degree reiki course in order to treat mental and emotional problems.
During the second degree reiki class, the student receives another attunement and is taught the three traditional reiki symbols. The first symbol connects the student to the second degree reiki energy, and the second symbol enables the student to treat the mental and emotional aspects of a person. A third reiki symbol is also taught in this course, and the practitioner can use this symbol to conduct absentee healing. During an absentee healing, the reiki practitioner transfers the healing energy to another person over a distance and isn’t required to be physically present.
In the third degree reiki workshop, the student receives more attunements and participates in a water ceremony. This water ceremony represents the rebirth of spirit into matter, and enhances the flow of energy in the body. The student is given detailed instructions on how to teach reiki to others, and a student who completes the third degree class in traditional reiki is certified to become a master teacher.