Japanese Way of Healing: Reiki

A great deal of ancient methods of healing has survived over time and Reiki is no stranger, as it also serves as spiritual guidance for some. Today, the practice is seen as a complementary therapy that joins a treatment specialized to aid a patient suffering from a physical, emotional, or mental disease. In this article, you will encounter an introduction to this ancient way of healing.

Brief History of Reiki

Reiki was the brainchild of Mikao Usui (a Japanese Tendai Buddhist), who established the healing therapy in 1922 after what he says was the realization that he had been given the ability to ‘heal’ without losing any energy after he underwent three weeks of fasting, prayer, and meditation while on Mount Kurama , located in Japan. Usui stated that the knowledge he gained, as well as the spiritual power , allowing him to spread the work and techniques of what became known as “Reiki.”

In April of 1922, Usui relocated to Tokyo and developed the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai (which translates into Usui Reiki Healing Society). To further his method of healing, Usui looked towards the literary works of Emperor Meiji, who influenced him in his approach to mold the system of Reiki. Usui took some of the emperor’s works and created a collection of principles based on ethics, which would later be called the “Reiki Principles.”

The majority of teachers and practitioners that followed Reiki would come to embrace five principles of the system. Usui stated the following (which has been translated and may have lost some of its original meaning):

“The secret method of inviting good fortune.
The marvelous medicine for all sickness
Just for today:
Do not be angry
Do not be worried
Be grateful
Work hard (on improving yourself)
Be kind to others.
Every morning and every night, sit in the Gassho position [which are hands that are held palm-to-palm] and speak these words out loud in your heart.
For the evolution of body and soul, Usui Reiki Ryoho”

Reiki was rather familiar to some, as it actually mimics some of the features associated with “laying of the hands,” which is said to transport healing energy from one person to another. Those who practice Reiki exclaim that energy is released through their palms, which can encourage healing. The method was also used as a way to self-treat.

When it came to Reiki, Usui taught more than 2,000 students the ways of this ancient approach towards healing. Out of all these followers, 16 of them were able to reach a level deemed “master” , called “Shinpiden.” The founder of Reiki would pass away in 1926 , leaving behind a legacy that still influences contemporary healers.

To learn about what is taught when one learns the ways of Reiki , seek out the article titled “The Teachings of Reiki,” which will introduce you to some of the beliefs, as well as a few levels of training.