Reiki: For Body and Soul
By Sharon D. DillonReiki, a Japanese form of hands on healing, is based on the words Rei (universal) and ki (chi, qi or energy). Some prefer to translate Reiki as "spirit taking breath." Though Reiki works similarly to other forms of healing it is truly unique. Reiki differs from other healing modalities in three ways.
1. Lineage is our master teacher's connection to Master Mikao Usui, who gave us this method. (I am the 8th generation after Usui.)
2. Self-Healing and the knowledge that we our worth our own efforts to heal.
3. Symbols given to us by Master Usui are both sacred and empowering. Each level of training increases our power exponentially when we are given the sacred symbols.Before I digress further let me offer a brief history of Reiki. More than 2,500 years ago Tibetan lamas developed a practice that involved anchoring healing energies to the physical body. However, over the years this method was lost. In the late 1800's Master Usui began a many-year search to learn what the lamas knew. Usui studied Japanese, Chinese and Tibetan Sutras and gained technical and mental knowledge. However, he lacked the spiritual and physical empowerment to actually heal.
Usui then went on a 21-day pilgrimage to Mt. Kuri Yama where he fasted and meditated the entire time. On the twenty-first day he was struck in the forehead by a powerful light that contained the symbols we use today. Usui then returned to Kyoto and worked with beggars in the slums.
He had much success but found that after some time the beggars he had healed returned to the slums, once again ill. Usui received guidance explaining the need for healing the spirit and the healee's responsibility in the process.
Before his transition Usui asked Dr. Chujiro Hayashi to preserve the traditions. Hayashi founded the first Reiki clinic in Tokyo in the early 1900's and taught several masters. Knowing that he and the other male masters would be called to serve in the upcoming World War II, Hayashi initiated Hawayo Takata, a Japanese woman who lived in Hawaii. Then he created his own transition to save lives and maintain the spiritual principles of Reiki. Takata became the only master to survive the war and continue the lineage.
Takata's story is interesting in it's own right. Not only does it address the whole person, mental, emotional, spiritual and physical; it also offers some new possibilities. Suffering from a stomach tumor, gallstones and appendicitis, Takata traveled to Japan to visit her parents where she took a turn for the worse and was scheduled for surgery. She asked the surgeon about other options. He explained that Reiki might help; though it would take longer. After receiving healing Takata asked Hayashi if she could work with him for a year while she learned the practice.
After the war until her transition in 1980 Takata trained 22 masters who have spread the practice throughout the western world. Each Reiki student is very much aware of his/her lineage and works to preserve the tradition.
Reiki uses the chakra system as a guideline for hand placement and a channel for the free flow of healing energy. However, in an emergency or stressful situation Reiki can be applied to just the affected area for as long a time as is available and is still quite effective. We are taught that "a little Reiki is better than none." I can attest to this.
Not long after receiving my Reiki One certification I scratched the cornea of my left eye and was in severe pain. I called my son and asked him to come and "do" Reiki for me. His response was that I had the power to heal myself. So, I place my hand over the eye patch and began Reiki. When I returned to the doctor to have the bandage changed he was astounded at how much the eye had healed in just one day. I continued to apply Reiki for the next few days. When I returned to the doctor for a follow-up appointment he was amazed that the eye was completely healed in less than half the usual time.
In addition to a traditional table treatment, practitioners can offer quick or chair treatments or energy boosts. I find energy boosts especially helpful when I awaken feeling groggy and flat. In just a few minutes my energy is up and I’m ready to tackle the world. Recently, some other Reiki practitioners and I provided chair Reiki to a friend who had had back surgery and could not lie on the table. This woman’s doctor was also shocked at her speedy recovery. Another client came for pre- and post-operative sessions. She healed from her gallbladder surgery in an unusually short time.
While I mentioned only physical distress in my examples, Reiki can be used to clear emotional, mental and spiritual issues.
Even though many small issues can be addressed with one or just a few sessions, some chronic situations may require one or more 21-day cycle of sessions to restore health. Usui found that his 21-day seeking on Mt. Kuri Yama was the basis for all healing. Those learning Reiki must do a 21-day clearing between each class level.
Additionally, the practitioner needs to maintain a regular schedule of self-healing and meditation in order to be a clear and perfect channel for the Reiki energy.
The most important aspect of any healing is the attitude of the person being healed. He/she must be willing to raise his/her consciousness and honor the Reiki process. Usui learned, the hard way that his clients did not remain healed unless they were willing to offer an energy exchange in return for the session. This could be cash or a trade of services. Family members and close friends exchange energy or favors on a regular basis so no "payment" is required. A person who has never had a Reiki treatment will want to know that this is a "clothes on" except for shoes experience and that the practitioner will never touch the client in an inappropriate way. If the client prefers not to be touched the practitioner can work in the client’s aura. Another option is absentee healing. This is a loving way to reach out to people who can not come for a session.
While I am an avid Reiki fan, I realize that Reiki, just like any other healing modality, is just a method or tool to facilitate the energy flow. I respect and occasionally avail myself of other methods when it seems appropriate. I suggest that anyone who wants to learn Reiki for self-healing take at least the levels one and two. Level three or Reiki Master is a good addition and gives the student much more energy power.
Sharon Dillon lives in Williamsburg, VA and is a Certified Reiki Master Practitioner and Teacher Certified Reflexology Practitioner can be reached at sharon.dillon06@verizon.net