Reiki is a subtle yet powerful energetic healing energy that is transmitted through the vehicle of an initiated practitioner to a client. The word Reiki (noun) comes from the Japanese pronunciation of two Chinese characters that are said to describe the energy itself: 'rei' (meaning 'spirit') and ki (meaning 'life force energy'). This ancient practice utilizing healing energy was “rediscovered” by Dr. Mikao Usui in Japan around the turn of the last century, who taught his discovery to students through his death in 1926. Since that time, thousands of people have benefited from this quiet transformative energy.
Historically accurate information about the rediscovery of this system of healing are long immersed in a kind of mythical lore that has sprung up around the man Usui Sensei, however most sources agree that he went to Kurama Yamma (literally horsesaddle mountain), a mountain near Kyoto, Japan sacred to people of both Buddhist and Shinto faiths. There he meditated, fasted and prayed for 21 days returning from the mountain with the symbols and information that would become, what is in Japan called, Usui Shiki Ryoho or the Usui System of Natural Healing.
I am not a Reiki scholar. Rather, I am a healer using this gentle energy to assist my clients in their healing process. For more information on the subject of Reiki, see What is Reiki? Many Reiki practitioners place large emphasis on the lineage of their teachers, and feel very strongly about the sacredness of the symbols used in the healings. Though I honor the symbols and the lineage of healers from whom I received my training, I choose to focus my energy on allowing myself to be a vessel for this energy. I found the following article interesting in my search for information several years ago: A (sharp) look at Reiki Symbols. Please use discernment when learning about the history of Reiki and your own experiences when judging.
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