Posted on December 16, 2008 - by Andrew
Reiki
Image by nexus6 via Flickr
Reiki
Some of the concepts of Reiki can be seen by studying the composition of the word.
The Japanese “Rei” means ghost, spirit, miraculous or ethereal body and “Ki” means air, breath, atmosphere or emotion. The compound word Reiki could then translate as “an atmosphere of mystery” or “an ethereal atmosphere”.
It is also not uncommon to find translations which take the Japanese “Rei” to mean “the Higher Power” and “Ki” for “life force energy”.
Reiki is about the unseen life force energy which flows through everyone. Illness and stress are due to low levels of this life force whereas well-being and health can be attributed to high levels of the life force.
Reiki is spiritual but not a religion. Nevertheless Reiki masters teach that harmony with others is important. Mikao Usui (1865 – 1926), who discovered Reiki after a twenty-one day meditation on Mount Kurama, built the core of Reiki’s ethical belief. This core would become GOKAI or the Reiki Principles.
The five principles are:
- Do not be angry
- Do not worry
- Be grateful
- Work with integrity
- Be kind to others
Reiki Treatment
Whole body reiki treatment often begins with the recipient lying down on a massage table.
The practitioner will normally spend a few moments to centre themselves or meditate before going on to place their hands on the recipient. A typical treatment may be one where the practitioner moves their hands between 12 or 20 times, keeping them in place for around 5 minutes at a time and with the whole treatment lasting between 45 to 90 minutes.
Recipients often report the feeling of warmth or tingling from the areas being treated – sometimes even without a physical touch being necessary.
Reiki practitioners are enabling the recipient to boost their own flow of life force.
In Pure Spirit
Reiki can be very calming and relaxing. Do you have any tips or recommendations for a Reiki session? We’d love you to share them in the comment section below.
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