Reiki is a Japanese word & when used in the context of Mikao Usui’s Healing Art or Method, it means sacred or transcendental universal energy of heaven & earth. What is that?
Reiki is life existence, your existence, mine, plants & animals. It is the basis of all existence and also the essence of our being. Some would call it our true nature, our bright light or Buddha nature. We all have it but we have forgotten it is there.
Reiki is an energy that is beyond the intellect, it is more an experience or a feeling of the energy itself. Many have tried to categorize Reiki & yet, still have not quite captured its’ essence because it is beyond words, beyond the human condition of judgement & dualistic thinking. It is also very much a personal experience & not yet quantifiable by science. It exists & there is plenty of anecdotal evidence of physical & emotional benefits but science hasn’t been able define what it actually is…..yet.
But luckily for us, we can tap into this energy, generally through spiritual practices that focus on our inner being by taking the focus away from the external to the internal or more to the point, away from our thinking mind.
Reiki is just one of many spiritual practices using universal energy. Other practices include yoga, pranayama or breathing practices, meditation (especially the yogic or Buddhist practices), Tai Chi, Qi Gong & some martial arts. Of course, these practices call universal energy by a different name, prana or chi for example. There are a lot of spiritual practitioners out there who have found their bliss in their practice regardless of what form or modality that taps into universal energy. It all depends on what feels right to each individual. Reiki feels right to me because it sits well with my intellect & it settles me.
Reiki helps me find a little stillness, helps me into a meditative state & helps me unwind. This stillness is something that is missing from many people’s lives. Most do not know how to return to their inner self as our culture is based on the development of the mind from early childhood. Not that there is anything wrong with that but the balance between mind, body & inner being, gets lost. We become slaves to the mind & its’ incessant thoughts. This is the price we pay for the investment in knowledge alone.
Reiki balances, it soothes. Reiki brings back connection of mind, body & inner being. For me, Reiki is a heart-based practice that returns me to my inner sanctuary.
Try a Reiki Treatment or enrol in a Reiki Course. It was the best thing I ever did.
Photo credit: Bart Larue