Healing Hands And The Basic Principles Of Reiki

Reiki is an ancient healing art that has survived - and become more accessible than ever before - in the modern day. At its most basic level, it involves the administering of healing energy through touch. This energy, which doesn't originate from the Reiki healer but rather moves through him or her, aids not only the physical body but also a patient's mind, emotions, and spirit. Essentially, Reiki can be thought of as the power of love reaching out to nurture those who are in need of it.

The healing energy that lies at the heart of this practice has been known by many names in countless cultures throughout history. The word "Reiki" is formed from the Japanese word for the life force, Ki. Ki has also been described as vital essence, breath, and the impetus behind the heavens. It is the energy that creates the physical body, and thus the state of Ki determines the condition of the body - its health, or lack thereof. Some Reiki practitioners believe that all people can draw upon this energy, while others think of it in more exclusive terms. What is generally agreed upon, however, is that Reiki healers must first be attuned (i.e., their body's energy channels opened and cleared of any blockages) before they can minister to others. These attunements must be personally received from a trained teacher who has also, in turn, received them.

In the past, this aspect of Reiki initiation was a more closely guarded secret. The advanced levels of training, particularly, were very expensive and offered only to a chosen few. In recent decades, however, many teachers have broken with tradition, their usual reasoning being that the healing benefits of Reiki should be made more widely available and affordable in this age of great turmoil and change. But the stages of initiation have remained relatively intact, and are usually divided into three levels or degrees.

The first degree of Reiki attunement heals the physical body of the receiver and opens him or her to hitherto unknown abilities that had always lain latent inside. Henceforth, the person is a practitioner and can perform self-healing as well as the healing of another through direct laying-on of the hands. The attunement may require a few weeks for the person to adjust to, as the body and subtle body clears to allow space for the energies involved in Reiki healing to be channeled. Second-degree Reiki attunement significantly increases the practitioner's access to healing energy. This time the focus is on a deeper healing of the person's inner being, a process that can take months to run its course but is well worth the initial discomfort often experienced. Practitioners who have received the second degree of attunement can also perform healings for people who are not physically present. This is known as distance healing. The third degree of Reiki intensifies all the conditions of the second, and is typically only advised for those serious students who want to make this healing art a central part of their lives.

It is instinctive for us to resort to touch when someone whom we love is hurt, and children also innately respond to pain by longing for human contact in the form of cuddles and kisses. The principles of Reiki can be seen as a more formalized application of this innate human tendency to address various ills with love and life-giving energy.