Reiki is an ancient healing technique that makes use of energy to heal and regain balance within the body, mind, and spirit. Some say it is the basis of that used by Jesus and other spiritual healers throughout the ages. What is commonly called Reiki today was discovered, or rediscovered as the case may be, by Mikao Usui in the beginning decades of the 20th century. Over the course of the last century, his techniques have been adapted and added to make up dozens of Reiki variations. Many of these variations are interpretations made to better suit particular belief systems. Reiki in and of itself is not connected to any particular faith.

To gain a better understanding of what Reiki is, we need to take a deeper look at into the philosophy of illness. Contemporary medicine sees the body as a machine. When a part of the system breaks down, it needs to be either fixed or replaced. Thus, drugs or surgery are often used to treat illness. Essentially, one problem equals one solution. Have a headache take a pain reliever.

Holistic medicine takes a different approach to health. Practitioners see the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of a person as part of a whole. In this way, when one part of the body isn’t working properly, it tends to affect other parts of a person’s life as well. Thus, chronic back pain may increase pressure on the hips or shoulder as the individual tries to compensate for the pain. He or she might also suffer mentally and emotionally as activities they used to love have to be put aside or when money becomes tight because the injury results in job loss. All of these issues need to be addressed.

To do so, the root cause of the problem has to be located. Fortunately, the body leaves a bread crumb trail of symptoms that leads the way. We all know that our bodies are built to survive. If we are in danger from a bully or a wild animal, our brain automatically sends out the message to fight or flee (or tend and befriend for women) as appropriate. What we don’t often realize is that our body also sends out other little warning signs. If we are stressing ourselves beyond what it can handle, we might feel tired, overwhelmed, or moody. If we don’t pay attention to these signals, we may eventually get a cold, have chest pains, or even suffer a heart attack.

Reiki practitioners follow these clues. Then, use Reiki energy to release or heal that issue. Finally, once that symptom has been cleared, practitioners encourage the individual to make changes that will assure balance and health in the system as a whole. In this way, the problem won’t simply return or reappear after a time.

Dr. Tami Brady earned a BA and MA in Archeology and Heritage before turning her interests to alternative medicine (RP, RM, DD), largely due to her own experiences with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. Today she provides Whole Health Therapy sessions to help people with Fibromyalgia. She is the author of nine books. The latest of which is Strategies: A Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Journey.

More information about Tami, her Whole Health Therapy services, and her various publications can be found on her website at http://www.tami-brady.com

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http://EzineArticles.com/?About-Reiki&id=1891633

Chakra is best described as one’s life force energy. It is our physical, mental and spiritual self. We absorb energy around us while at the same time transmit energy back into the universe.

Essentially there are 7 main chakras in the body. They run through the central line of the body, from the bottom of our spine to the top of our head. They influence your body shape, glandular processes, chronic physical ailments, thoughts and behaviour. If one a chakra is blocked, weakened or disrupted through such things as trauma (physical or emotional), injury, negative thoughts or feelings, fear, worry, anger, anxiety, depression, destructive relationships or neglect, it will result in an imbalance that will manifest itself in other area’s of our life.

Chakra #1: at the base of the spine represents – survival, instinct, support, peace

Chakra #2: at the sacrum and represents – desire, pleasure, emotion, yin/yang of existence

Chakra #3: at the solar plexus representing – will, purpose, energy, ego, power, freedom

Chakra #4: located in the heart representing – love, divine spirit, compassion, life, relationships

Chakra #5: located at the throat, representing – expression, truth, voice within

Chakra #6: located at the centre of the forehead, representing – vision, insight, imagination, clarity

Chakra #7: located on the crown of the head, representing – no limits, infinite awareness, wakefulness

Reiki with its gentle process through touch or touch-less therapy and pure in energy form, can balance chakras achieving stress reduction and deep relaxation. It triggers the bodies natural healing ability improves mental and physical health and maintains it. It gently balances our life energies and brings health and well being of the entire physical, emotional and psychic body.

Chakra balancing the Reiki way is truly a system of attaining and promoting wholeness of mind, body and spirit.

When we are relaxed, we are stress free and we are better able to naturally heal ourselves. With regular therapy, one will increase the bodies built in defences to fight or prevent illness, feel more confident, think clearly, feel grounded, feel in harmony within one self and become better equipped to handle stress, anxiety, depression and life’s surprises and disappointments.

Regular Reiki treatments, while relaxing and calming also bring balance to chakras so that one feels refreshed and renewed mind, body and spirit.

© 2007 Silvana Rosati-Capizzano

Silvana is a well respected Interior Decorator, International Feng Shui Expert and the Principal of the Award Winning Home & Life Design Firm: Blue Avalon. Along with her years of study in Home Decor and Feng Shui, she has the unique ability of being able create luxurious interiors with balance and optimum energy flow thus creating a beautiful environment of positive energy, balance and harmony. Silvana devotes some of her time to her passion in the field of Energy Work as a Reiki Master and Certified in Reflexology. She is well respected and sought after in this field through her work in providing Holistic Therapy through Reiki, Reflexology, Indian Head Massage and Hopi Ear Coning.

Blue Avalon specializes in Interior Decorating, Feng Shui and Abundant Living. Blue Avalon is the publisher of The Blue Avalon Journal; a monthly e-zine packed with ideas, tips and insider secrets! To subscribe, log onto our website today at http://www.blueavalon.com and you will receive a bonus book, The Number One Feng Shui Secret That Will Transform Your Life! Blue Avalon – “Harmony for your home…Balance for your life
http://www.blueavalon.com

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Reiki has helped my grandchildren sleep, find lost keys, difficult parking spaces, and write a book. From the practical to the seemingly impractical and everything in between, Reiki helps. And when I forget, it is always there to remind me.

Keys, Parking Spaces, And Grandchildren

Keys have always been problematic for me. It seems they have the ability to disappear before my very eyes. The mental /emotional symbol is best for finding my keys. Premium parking spaces seem to appear when the power symbol is used. The power symbol is a very versatile symbol. It is often used to seal in light, almost like shutting a door to keep warmth in a room. So perhaps the power symbol shines light on those hard to find parking spaces!!! I am using a play on words, but perhaps it is true. How much more practical can you get?

Belly Crawls

One of my grandchildren was a very light sleeper. Victoria had more energy than three children. From infancy on, she considered sleeping a waste of time.

I remember nights when we had played and laughed, and it was her bedtime. I always dreaded bedtime, because it was so difficult to get her to fall asleep. The singing, rubbing her back and feet, the reading of stories, and playing music would go on for 90 minutes or more. Her mother and father tried everything. It was difficult for her parents, Victoria, and me, her Nana. I specifically remember the night I realized there was a much easier way to help her fall asleep.

The tape cassette of lullabies, with a money back guarantee to produce sleep, clicked off for the sixth time. Each time, when the music stopped, Victoria would awaken and sit straight up in bed. We would then repeat the same process. I would turn on the music and rub her back. With a bit of luck, she would shut her eyes. I then would begin the ritualistic belly crawl, hugging the floor and praying she would not wake up before I could crawl silently out of her room. One night, it dawned on me to use Reiki. I did and it worked. I used all three of the Usui Reiki symbols, and that child went to sleep and stayed asleep. Oh, Thank You Reiki. No more belly crawls.

My Cooking Secret

Most people love eating whatever I cook. My toasted cheese sandwiches get rave reviews right along with the pasta marinara and a balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing. I love well prepared food that is beautifully served. My cooking style is a little bit country and a little bit gourmet.

Once people taste what I prepare, they often ask for the recipe. But I often cook without a recipe, or modify a recipe. I cook like my grandmother, a pinch of this and a dollop of that. But my secret ingredient is Reiki.

I use the trinity of Reiki Symbols. The power symbol, the mental emotional symbol, and the distance symbol all go into the preparation. Then whoever eats my food is blessed and receives all the blessings of the Reiki energy. The mental emotional symbol helps dissipate any negative feelings. The distance symbol goes ahead in time to create a wonderful healing experience for anyone who partakes of my cooking. It does a body good!

Over the years it has become humorous. When people ask for a recipe I always provide them with a written recipe. They prepare the recipe, and always lament that it never tastes like mine. If my friends have been instructed in the art of Reiki, I always ask, “Did you put Reiki into the food you were preparing?” They smile and shake their heads. The next time, they use Reiki, and they too, get rave reviews. I love knowing that whoever and whenever people eat my food, it nourishes them, mind, body, and spirit.

Reiki And Writing A Book

The Book. Well, for the past seven years, I have been saying, some day I am going to write a book about healing. Some day. You know how some day is. It just never happens.

Ironically, even though I use Reiki daily, I am somewhat embarrassed to admit, initially, I did not use Karuna Reiki in conjunction with writing the book. One morning that all changed. I realized I could use this spiritually guided life force energy to help create the circumstances, discipline, & resources required to make my book a reality.

Reiki Never Goes Away

Each morning, I awaken and mediate and activate all the Usui and Karuna Reiki® symbols to which I have been attuned. Both types of Reiki work well together. It was a unique experience during meditation that helped me understand the innate wisdom associated with the symbols, and specifically a Karuna Reiki® symbol.

It was a wonderful sunny day. The sun had been streaming through the windows because I remember how warm and good the sun felt on my face. I had been meditating for five minutes, when one of the Karuna Reiki® symbols appeared in my mind’s eye.

This beautiful symbol was an indescribable iridescent pink and violet color infused with white light. Words are inadequate to describe the image and the feeling accompanying it. The image lasted for seconds and then dissipated. My cat, Bentley, made weird cat sounds that he previously had reserved for intense Reiki sessions. He has a sixth sense about energy.

Over six years ago, when I had taken the Karuna Reiki® Class, I had studied and learned about this symbol. I had always used Karuna in tandem with Usui Reiki. But my use of the symbol was a very generalized use at the start of Reiki session with a client.

I ended my meditation, and hurried to find my Karuna Reiki® manual filed under K in the filing cabinet. I found the symbol.

A Perfect Symbol To Help

This symbol connects the higher self with the lower self for deep healing. I was very much in need in the deep healing department. Remember, the act of writing about healing brings up opportunities for healing.

It also improves learning ability, assists with mental clarity to organize our minds, and improves communication. Last but not least, this Karuna Reiki® symbol brings greater creativity by inspiring us with new ideas and adding depth to our projects. That pretty much describes what I needed. The wisdom of the Universe never ceases to amaze me.

This beautiful symbol is now posted on the bulletin board above my computer. I have renewed my appreciation, personal experience, and more in-depth knowledge with Karuna. I also discovered there is an additional Karuna Reiki® symbol that works well with the one that appeared in my meditation. The two work well together to manifest the development and fulfillment of creative projects. Yes, indeed, I am using those two, and all of the Usui and Karuna Reiki® symbols.

As I write this, I am thinking, why didn’t I remember to use that wonderful symbol earlier?

You know, we are all so very human. We get busy. And we forget. We get hyper focused on other life details. In retrospect those details don’t seem all that important. It is reassuring to me, know and remember that once attuned to these sacred symbols, they never abandon you. They never go away. They will be there always to support and assist.

Elmer’s Glue Of The Universe

From sleeping children, cooking, finding keys and writing a book, Reiki is like Elmer’s Glue of the Universe. Our intention and focus, supported by spiritually guided life energy of Reiki, creates possibility and connection with our dreams, and highest good. From the practical, to the not so practical, I have used Reiki everyday for 13 years. Usui and Karuna Reiki®, and their associated sacred symbols, act like keys, to open ancient doorways to universal light, love, peace & compassion. This process and the results never cease to amaze me.

Reiki is such a valuable resource. The use of Reiki can be very practical and paradoxically impractical. My positive Reiki experiences list continues to grow longer and longer. I am very grateful.

Reiki is a living tool and a life tool to be used every day. So from the esoteric to the practical Reiki is a dynamic life tool. A living tool, helping us create more compassion, peace, love and light. And know that as you read these words, you are blessed with Reiki. I used all the Usui and Karuna Reiki® symbols to enfold you and bless you with love, light, and peace and possibility.

Educated as a Registered Nurse and certified as a holistic nurse, Janny has dedicated her nursing career to bridging the gap between conventional and complementary health and medicine. She is a natural intuitive and has been certified as a Healing Touch Practitioner, an Usui Reiki Master Teacher and Karuna Reiki Master Teacher. Visit her website at http://www.jannyadkins.com

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Many people today, in search of a more natural healing methods, have heard of an ancient healing energy technique called Reiki.

Reiki describes a technique wherein a practitioner lays his or her hands onto a client’s body, while “running energy” into the client’s energy field. Some of the most well-known and notable benefits of this healing work include: reduced stress, enabling the body to better heal itself on all levels, relaxation, relieving chronic pain, and helping to unblock and release old stuck emotions.

Traditionally, this technique was believed to have originated in Japan approximately 100 years ago, though there is some debate about its specific religious and spiritual beginnings. Some sources claim that Dr. Usui, the traditional founder of Reiki and a Japanese university professor, was Buddhist, while others claim he was Christian, and he was in search of the method by which Jesus did his miracles.

Some of the challenges Christians have had in pursuing this healing method, either as a client or as a practitioner, include the fact that there are no clear, unequivocal guidelines as to how Reiki should be practiced, and therefore it is open to the individual interpretation of each person. This can feel rather threatening, as some Reiki practitioners talk to guides, angels, and spirits, and work with healing energy in a way that seems to violate the beliefs and practices of the modern Bible-believing Christian.

However, I do believe that healing work is a clear mandate from Jesus himself. In John 14:12, we hear Jesus saying, “The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing.”

It is clear that Jesus is indicating that we should follow him in healing ministry–that we should also do what he is doing to heal others through God’s power.

In Matthew chapter 8, we read the story of Jesus healing the leper by giving him a healing touch. The Scripture says, “Jesus reached out and touched him, saying ‘I want to heal you. Be clean.’”

If properly understood, using energy techniques like Reiki can fit very well into helping us fulfill Jesus’ longer-term earthy mission. I personally prefer letting go totally of the word “Reiki” since it has so many “eastern” connotations, and simply calling healing by the laying on of hands “Christian Energy Healing.”

We can call upon the healing energy of the Holy Spirit, or Jesus, and of God the Father, we can lay our hands on ourselves and others, and we can stand in awe at the miraculous power of Christian healing.

Can there be such a thing as “Reiki for Christians?” I believe so. And it is my hope that many Christians will be able to easily let go of Reiki’s eastern baggage, and will be able to embrace the spiritual healing power of this wonderful God-given healing technique.

Michael Golzmane is a health educator, raw food enthusiast, and trained Reiki Master/Teacher, who specializes in bringing the “Good News” of Christian healing to individuals and churches worldwide.

Please visit Michael’s Christian Energy Healing site at:

http://www.ChristianEnergyHealing.com

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Reiki-For-Christians?&id=2225245

With the number of teachers, trainings, and institutions teaching Reiki, interested apprentices are at a loss as to where and who to enroll under in order to receive the Reiki attunements necessary to practice the art. It is also quite hard to find which Reiki institutions and Reiki masters are truly qualified in initiating new learners. For students, finding the right master is crucial. They’ve got to find that person who has the energy to bring them exactly what they need and expect from Reiki.

If you’re looking for a Reiki Master and are willing to enroll in a Reiki school, here are the things that you have to know before enlisting:

1. Reiki proficiency
It is very important that your master has been working with Reiki long enough to know everything about it, including the techniques not written in any book or manual. His [or her] own training is going to be very relevant as well. As much as possible, the teacher should spend ample time teaching the craft and is using it personally.

2. Lineage
There are different types of Reiki and each of them follows certain techniques and teachings. If you want to learn Usui Reiki, it is very important that you learn the art from a real Usui Reiki master. Know the lineage of your Reiki master as it will determine what type of Reiki he’ll [or she'll] teach you.

3. Qualifications
Certain institutions require qualifications before students are taught the basic principles of the art. But for Usui Reiki, there are rarely any qualifications required. For advanced Reiki classes though, like Karuna Reiki, you would have to be a certified Usui Reiki master first.

4. Classes Coverage
When learning Reiki, you have to know beforehand what are the things you will learn once you have decided to enroll. Know the total class hours required and how much time is allotted to theoretical instructions and the amount of time given for hands-on practice.

5. Application
Students should also ask the Reiki master about the things they will be able to do after the training. It should be clear right from the start if the lessons that will be given to you would make you an advanced Reiki practitioner or it would be more for personal use.

6. Fees and certification
Reiki instructions correspond to a certain amount of money. Know how much you have to pay for the training sessions and whether you’ll get a manual and a certification after completing the course.

7. Taking Notes
Some Reiki masters forbid the use of notes or recorders in their class. This practice can be traced back during the time when Reiki and its symbols are regarded to be sacred. As such, the whole lesson has to be memorized and not written down.

8. Symbols
The most important elements of the art of Reiki are its symbols. Know straight from the Reiki master whom you’ll train under the actual number of symbols you will learn in the course.

9. Support
A Reiki support group is very essential because through it, you will be able to enrich your knowledge in the art after completing the training sessions. There should be adequate support from your master too – even after you have finished all the necessary sessions with him.

10. Respect and reputation
Before enlisting for a Reiki training under a master or an institution, it is necessary that you know first whether they enjoy good reputations as Reiki masters and practitioners. They should also be respectful of other practitioners and masters who don’t belong to their lineage.

Visit us at TrainingReiki.com and find out more about the ancient healing art of Reiki and Reiki symbols, what is a Reiki attunement, how you can become Reiki master and shop for Reiki manuals that will help you understand better and learn Reiki.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?10-Tips-to-Find-the-Right-Reiki-Master&id=1518073

Usui Sensei, the recognized founder of Usui Reiki once said, “Just for today, do not worry. Be filled with gratitude.”

There are reasons why the great Reiki teacher uttered such words. And it’s primarily because he knows how much power your thoughts and statements have on you. If you tend to worry about a lot of things such as your job, money, health, and everything else in between, negative energy will flow into your body. The positive, mind enriching ones will be cast away to your disadvantage.

Everything that happens to a person occurs in his mind first and foremost. When you dream, you think hard about it. You imagine what it feels like when you finally made that dream come true. If you don’t think much of that dream, then it ceases to be one. It stops to become your desire and it will never come true any more.

So if you allow your thoughts to be filled with worries and fears, then it would eventually manifest in your life. As a Reiki practitioner, you can heal yourself from such negative thoughts and attract positive forces such as prosperity instead. Why worry about tomorrow’s finances if you can think about prosperity and abundance today?

Your goal is the same anyway – to provide everything you might need to live a comfortable life in the future. But your method of going about it becomes different. By using Reiki’s positive energy, try to envision yourself as a powerful and successful man. And then do everything that you have to in order to make that happen. Don’t make negative thoughts of hunger and being homeless or penniless become your motivation to work hard.

Being attuned to Reiki, you have the power to empower your thoughts. And this is very important in prosperity consciousness. Unite your heart and mind. Transmute your words into light. If you do all these, then your positive thoughts will become as strong as your actions.

Abundance and prosperity means different things to different people. Try to imagine what these elements mean to you. Some people associate prosperity with money. Others say that there is abundance in their life if they are surrounded with many possessions. However, prosperity and abundance may also mean riches in terms of loving relationships and spiritual success. You can be rich and prosperous devoid of all the material things in this world.

Analyze yourself. Write down everything that would describe abundance and prosperity for you. After making your list, tune in to the words that you have written down. Go from one word to another. Use Reiki symbols along with the words and connect to your consciousness. See how your thoughts and emotions respond to every word.

It is possible to attract all the riches of this world if your mind and spirit are attuned to it. Keep in mind that all material things, feelings, and emotions are simple energies. And with the use of Reiki, you can summon these energies to come to you and become you. With your mind, thoughts, and words attuned into your own concept of prosperity, it would surely dawn on you.

TrainingReiki.Com – Reiki training with Reiki books and manuals.

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Reiki can be shared as a family. When thought of it this way, it would increase for you and makes you whole. Reiki can be shared not just with the rest of the members of your family but to others that are close to your heart.

Oftentimes, Reiki teachers and masters have families that don’t fully understand what Reiki really means and what it can do. But even so, if the members of your family are willing to support each other then eventually, Reiki will be theirs too. Family members who are willing to share in the beauty and power of Reiki can become open receivers of the gift. Spiritually speaking, Reiki can make any family grow stronger and more united not only in blood but in mind, heart, and soul as well.

Having a family that practices Reiki together is a blessing. In fact, the children are the more qualified receiver of this gift because of the purity of their mind and spirit. They can feel the energy going in and out of their system. By practicing Reiki together as a family, you can scan each other, determine which parts are in need, and provide the necessary healing for it.

Inside a family, injuries and illnesses come and go. If everybody else knows how to channel Reiki, injured person will feel relieved fast. This is because of the fact that Reiki can be given to the injured by any family member who is immediately available. And if everybody in the family happens to be available, then everyone can join in and give Reiki to the one who needed it most. As such, his or her illness and injury will heal faster.

Distant Reiki can also be sent over to children every time they’re in school. This is especially helpful during crucial examination days. Reiki can be used to give a person a clear mind and a relaxed body. And these are conducive to fairing better in class and in academic tests.

Reiki can also be used to patch up relationship. In a family, sibling rivalries do happen. If the parents only know how to send Reiki to their children, problems like these become petty. And the naturally healthy relationship of their children will be restored in no time.
Reiki can also strengthen the mind and the soul. Death may strike a family at any time. As such, the role of Reiki in making family members emotionally and mentally strong during these trying times is crucial. If you let Reiki to flow into your system in times like these, death becomes a lot easier to bear.

Reiki can be sent to any family member suffering from sickness or to anybody else who is in distress. A few minutes of your time is all you need. Stop what you’re doing and together with another Reiki practitioner, invoke on the distant symbol for healing. Think of the recipient of the energy and just let Reiki flow through him. Ask for the best outcome and the power of Reiki will do the rest.

Reiki can be used to protect the safety of a family member who is traveling. It can give good luck to somebody who is going in for a job interview. It can serve as a token of gratitude given to another who has done good deeds to you. Needless to say, Reiki can make your family share something special and something very powerful.

Learn Reiki and become a Reiki master with Reiki training manuals and books at TrainingReiki.Com.

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What is a Reiki Attunement?
By Roberta Barnes

In answering, the first thing to do is to break the question down into parts.

The word attunement became a popular way to refer to the act of opening another’s pathway to universal energy around the 1980s. The dictionary meaning for attunement is being or bringing into harmony, or a feeling of being at one with another being. Being in harmony with anything requires balance within and being in a state able to receive.

Herbalists, forest rangers, farmers, and many people have an attunement to nature. Nature has its own form of energy, and each life form within nature has its own energy. Anyone drawn to a plant, animal, or bird for no logical reason, and is aware of receiving a gift from that connection knows nature’s form of energy.

Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, and there are trillions of forms of energy. The spiritual practice of Usui Reiki Ryoho uses one unique form of universal energy. The life force energy within each living being is another form, and throughout history different people have used still other forms. Many forms of energy are within and around us 24/7. Regardless of how many forms of energy one has experienced, each new energy feels different, if he or she is open to receiving.

Each initiation or empowerment (attunement) received from a Reiki Shihan (teacher) opens up your pathway a bit wider to allow more universal energy to flow through you. To completely open up to be one with the universe, which is beyond human comprehension, would take years of study, discipline, and practice. For Mikao Usui to reach his first awakening it took years of gathering knowledge of all kinds. He did not connect to universal energy until his second awakening following three years of disciplined Zen practice, days of deep meditation, and hours of unconsciousness.

As popular a phrase as Reiki attunement has become sometimes the knowledge that Usui Reiki Ryoho is a spiritual practices becomes lost. I first experienced Reiki in the 1980s. I explored other energy practices, met a few Reiki Masters, and then in the late 1990s I connected with a gifted Canadian Usui Reiki Ryoho teacher who taught me the spiritual practice of Usui Reiki Ryoho is not complicated, but has a depth that requires time to understand and guidance in how to embrace the energy.

While I often say just the word "Reiki", I know "Reiki" alone does not necessarily represent the spiritual practice that Mikao Usui founded in the early 1920s. As you read on, you will see why I say this.

I completed the teacher’s level in Western styles of Usui Reiki Ryoho and then went on to complete the teacher’s level in Gendai Reiki-ho and Komyo Reiki, commonly called Japanese Reiki. The research conducted and close lineage to Mikao Usui of three of my Usui Reiki Ryoho Shihans (teachers) gave me a wonderful beginning in my practice of Usui Reiki Ryoho. I feel honored at what they shared with me, and have continued to listen and read words of other Reiki teachers, even if some things I disregard. There are no secrets to be revealed about Usui Reiki Ryoho, but the hours of guidance from the right teacher can help a person to gain the understanding to grow spiritually and enhance all areas of his or her life. Healing is a byproduct of Usui Reiki Ryoho, it balances and surrounds with harmony so that one can live with health and happiness.

Reading an interview Paul Mitchell, a Usui Shiki Ryoho teacher (a style of Usui Reiki Ryoho), gave in October 2003 I saw an appropriate way of expressing how a teacher invites another into the spiritual practice of Usui Reiki Ryoho. He said. "Initiation is the sacred ritual passed on from master to master, which allows Dr. Usui’s gift to be available to us. It is spiritual transmission." I disagree with Dr. placed in front of Mikao Usui’s name and with the usage of master, but that does not take from the appreciation I have for the wisdom in his words.

Mikao Usui never received a doctorate. He was a very intelligent and insightful man, traveling a different path then formal education. I often include master/teacher after Shihan, but I have come to feel I would be a bit full of myself to think I could master the universe or any form that comes directly from it. When you visit my website http://www.naturalhealinglearning.com/ you will see master on my certificates, but I am most comfortable referring to myself as a Reiki teacher and practitioner.

No style of Usui Reiki Ryoho is better then any other style and each person should connect with the Reiki Shihan (teacher) that feels right to him or her. I would not suggest however if you want to learn a spiritual practice, that you study 5239 Reiki. I would also not suggest that your first choice of a Reiki teacher be Reiki Kushida. Then again, even though Reiki Kushida is a Japanese astronomer who co-discovered the asteroid 4875 Ingallis, discovered at least 14 supernovas in other galaxies, and who the asteroid 5239 Reiki is named after, she still might have studied with members of the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai.

Even if Reiki Kushida did not study Usui Reiki Ryoho, she still may have mentally connected with a part of herself that was a very strong energy when she was looking through her telescope. In the 1980s I experienced altered states of mind through meditation, which might be described as the same feeling as an attunement by someone not having been connected to universal energy by a qualified Reiki Shihan. Experimenting with certain audio tones, what some call toning, during meditation not Reiki, I would go into that space where time and worry simply do not exist. Brain waves operate at many levels, so with guidance and practice you can experience many energies simply within yourself. I have experienced many energies, but none has the same feel as the unique form of universal energy called Usui Reiki. Unless a person has experienced the different energies, he or she cannot know if two energies have any similarities.

Following studies of other forms of energy I attended a festival of energy practices. I opened myself up to receive all the positive energies around me. It certainly sat me down, but it was not the same energy as Usui Reiki. The world is full of mysteries and many different forms of energy. Each time we experience a new energy it is foreign to our whole self and feels different then what we have experienced before, but that does not mean it is universal energy.

You do not have to be looking for energy to experience it. Love is energy and people often find that without looking for it. Mikao Usui was not looking to connect to the vibrations of love and harmony of universal energy, it just happened while he was in deep disciplined focused meditation. I say connected because for centuries people have known that universal energy has been and is always all around us, so he did not discover or rediscover anything.

I have received what is commonly called attunements in many styles of Usui Reiki Ryoho. The vibrations of love and harmony of universal energy is always the same, but the life force energy of the person through which it flows can change the way the energy feels, looks, and smells. Think of universal energy as the pure water coming from a spring in an untouched natural forest. The water drunk from a paper cup will taste different then that from a glass or a tin cup, different again depending upon what other beverage was first in the cup or glass, and different depending upon how well the cup or glass was cleaned. It is the same with universal energy flowing through body, mind, and spirit. Universal energy that has not been altered also has a very fine delicate feel.

An attunement is only the beginning and is best received from a qualified Reiki Shihan in the style you decide is best for you. There are no odd rituals practiced if the style follows the tradition of Usui Reiki Ryoho. No hidden secrets and no way anyone can skip the time needed for the shifts to happen at all levels. Each person assimilates in her or his own reality and what appears new to him or her might be viewed as a secret.

There are many others energies and energy practices in the world. Usui Reiki Ryoho is the connection to a unique form of energy and stems from living the Gokai.

It is each person’s choice what he or she wishes to study, but not all paths lead to the same destination. Words have many meanings and when translated from another language that multiplies. Do you know the meaning of Japan? The kanji for Japan literally means, "The origin of the sun", or less literally, "Land of the Rising sun". On my website I show my lineage to Mikao Usui and explain more about the spiritual practice of Usui Reiki Ryoho.

Roberta R. Barnes a Gendai Reiki-ho and Komyo Reiki Shihan (teacher) in Maine is also an Herbalist. In her Center nestled in a wildlife habitat certified by the National Wildlife Federation, she teaches Reiki, meditation, and offers healing sessions and guided journeys into a person’s past for healing and discovery. Weather permitting, she gives nature walks that can raise a person’s awareness of life. website http://www.naturalhealinglearning.com is filled with information and has a calendar for some of the classes she offers. Roberta R. Barnes also enjoys giving talks on Usui Reiki Ryoho and Herbs and she will travel to teach Gendai Reiki-ho or Komyo Reiki.

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Usui Reiki
By Eric Hartwell

Reiki is a system of natural healing that was founded by Dr. Usui Mikao hence it is also called Usui Reiki after it’s founder. Dr. Usui or Usui Sensei as he is called was a staunch Buddhist who studied esoteric ancient Tibetan and Sanskrit scrolls and meditated on Mount Kurama on the outskirts of Kyoto, Japan. Dr. Usui was also a member of the Rei Jyutu Ka, a metaphysical group dedicated to developing psychic abilities and performing esoteric practices that were looked down upon by traditional monasteries. He was said to have achieved enlightenment there and he synthesized the teachings of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism with Indian and Chinese medicines to form his own brand of healing in which the Universal Healing Light energy was channeled and directed to perform healing. Thus Reiki does not work on merely the physical body but on the subtle body and at the soul level to bring about change. Western medicine treated the physical manifestation of a problem but Reiki treated the problem by correcting the energies in the body or “Ki” and aligning it with the Universal energy to completely cure a disease that were caused by such energy imbalances in the mind, body or spirit.

Soon Dr. Usui’s healing method became very popular in Japan and he traveled throughout the country to teach his skill and perform Reiki Empowerments. Dr. Usui also set up a Reiki Association called the The Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai where the word Gakkai meant Association and this was the first formal Reiki association and even today it maintains the traditional teachings of Dr. Usui Mikao. He was the first president of this organization and after his death the presidency was given to his best friend, Mr. Ushida.

However this was a time when the West was still unaware of this method of healing. Though Usui Reiki or Usui Reiki Ryoho as it was called was the original system of Reiki, over the years it has traveled to the West where practitioners have merged this system with other esoteric healing practices to form many other branches of Reiki which are practiced today. Usui Reiki was bought to the West by a lady called Mrs. Hawayo Takata who lived in Hawaii. She was visiting her realtives in Japan when she came upon this form of healing by a student of Dr. Usui’s namely Dr. Hayashi. She underwent treatment everyday for four months for some serious ailments she was suffering. After four months not only was she completely cures but was very impressed by this form of healing. She learnt this form of treatment from him and soon after an Attunement from him in 1938 she began practicing this when she returned to America. She initiated twenty-two Reiki Masters in America and this list has continued to grow and branch out and continuously evolve like a chain reaction.

Dr. Usui wanted to create a spiritual form of healing that was without the denomination of religion or any other boundary. Reiki can be practiced as a way of life without disturbing any religious practices.

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