What is Reiki?
What is Reiki?
Reiki is a combination of two words: Rei, which means spiritual wisdom, and Ki, which means life force or energy. Therefore, Reiki is spiritually guided life force energy. The founder and president of the International Center for Reiki Training (ICRT), William Lee Rand, defined Reiki as “A Japanese technique of stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing.”
A Reiki practitioner works on another person’s body through their system of energy centers or Chakras. Everything has an energy system including animals, plants, and the Earth. The human body has seven basic chakras: the root chakra is associated with physical needs and the color red, the sacral chakra is associated with emotional needs and the color orange, the solar plexus chakra is associated with self-esteem, ambition, intuition, boundaries and the color yellow, the heart chakra is associated with relationships, complex emotions, empathy and the color green, the throat chakra is associated with communication, listening and the color light blue, the third eye chakra is associated with perspective, learning, psychic ability and the color dark blue, the crown chakra is associated with a being’s connection to the Divine and the colors violet and white. The chakras are connected by lines of energy called meridians, including the Hara line, which is the main meridian that connects the seven main chakras vertically along the spine.
The body is also surrounded by a field of energy called the aura. The aura is made up of five basic layers that correspond to different aspects of being, similar to the chakras: the physical layer, the emotional layer, the mental layer, the spiritual layer, and the boundary layer. Just as a Reiki practitioner can sense potential blockages or trauma in the Chakras, they can sense them also in the aura. The aura protects us from external energies and takes in energy that we need. Remember an unpleasant experience at work, when a customer or coworker disrespected you and you could feel their strong negative energy. People who are more empathic or who have a weakened aura due to unhealed trauma are more sensitive to the energies of others and may not be adequately protecting their own energies. Now remember a time when you were at your grandmother’s house (or other family member) and she just baked you some fresh cookies to take home with you. She gave you a big hug that squeezed you a little too tightly and she gave you a sloppy wet kiss on the cheek and you cringed because you heard her dentures clack in her mouth. This was likely a pleasant experience for you that warmed your heart and you could feel the loving energy coming off of grandma. The aura is an amazing part of our energetic anatomy that is responsible for how our energies interact with the world. The Earth’s aura is called the electro-magnetic field and is well documented.
Experiencing trauma and holding onto emotional baggage from past experiences or relationships can block a person’s chakras, holding them back from living life to their brightest potential or even manifesting illness, injury, or other unwanted experiences. For example, if a person is holding onto emotional energy from negative experiences with their parents from their childhood, let’s say from unmet physical needs, then this is likely to block this person’s root chakra. This may lead to the individual having trouble caring for themself with cooking, cleaning, adequate hygiene, keeping a job, managing bills and finances, etc. If the parents were domineering and suppressed the child’s ability to speak freely, then this individual may have trouble communicating as an adult, either too quiet and afraid, or possibly too obnoxious and aggressive toward others. Soliciting the help of a Reiki practitioner can help to unblock the affected chakras, clearing away old energy that is no longer serving the individual with their growth toward wholeness.
It is important to note that though a Reiki practitioner can greatly assist an individual with cleansing and healing their energy body, it is up to the individual to accept the help and to let go of those emotions. All of the Reiki in the world won’t do much good if the receiver is closed off and unwilling to let go.
Reiki was taught by Mikao Usui as early as 1922. There is an interesting web page that explains in detail the life of Usui Mikao and the development of Reiki (likely called Usui Do or Usui Teate) on the website for the International House of Reiki. I recommend giving it a read if you’re interested in learning about where Reiki originated.
I was taught a light touch method of Reiki where I lightly place my hands on the receiver’s chakras and focus on allowing the Reiki energy to channel through my body and into the person who I am working with. For the lower chakras, I would place my hands above the belt for obvious reasons. I could also touch the knees, legs, or feet and that would still work, because the Reiki energy is divinely guided and goes where it’s needed. I could, as a practitioner, touch a person’s hand for the entire session and it would still be effective, but it is best practice to get as close to the chakras as appropriate. There are even some practitioners who do not touch the client at all, rather, they practice a no touch method where they hover their hands above the client and focus on channeling the energy. There is also distance Reiki, where the practitioner sends Reiki energy to the client over a distance.
Since we are all part of God and never left the source, all of this is possible. To experience the benefits of Reiki, both participants need to have faith and be open to healing and enlightenment. Part of enlightenment is to lighten one’s burdens to make room for better things; It’s literally in the name. Reiki is always practiced with love for the highest good of all, so it can’t hurt you. If you are struggling with chronic pain, whether physical or emotional, then I would recommend supplementing your care practice with a local Reiki practitioner. Try it a few times and be as open as possible to experience the maximum benefit. It won’t be effective for everyone (I know a handful of people who are quite stubborn and think they know all there is to know), but if you are on my website, then I’m guessing that you are a more spiritually open person.
Writing from my own experience, I have healed from my spiritual development and choosing to let go of unpleasant experiences. I highly recommend the books written by Theresa Caputo, especially Good Mourning, as a self help guide to heal from everything (including small daily happenings). Her books greatly helped to propel me forward with my personal development and to be a more happy person in general. It is truly amazing how things change for you once you learn that some things are just not your problem; Why should you have to live with them?
Really, we heal ourselves. We do this by learning our lessons, letting go of the past and of things that are not in our control, and by accepting what is so that we may move on. We can receive help from others, sometimes a perspective from a friend can provide a new take on your situation that you had never thought of before but changes everything for you, but ultimately it is up to you to heal. Think of all of the people whom you have met who lived in negativity and became ill or even passed away. Now think of those who were ill, but had a positive attitude and worldview and made a miraculous recovery. It doesn’t always end that way; there is still the divine plan and soul contracts, but when we do the best that we can and trust the Divine, then we receive the best outcome possible.
I would like to write more about Reiki and Energy (with a capital E!), but this is a good introduction for now. Of course, I do not claim to be an authority and I offer this information in service to the collective for the highest good of all. Be blessed!
I used the following resources to guide my writing of the information shared here:
REFERENCES
Campion, Lisa. The Art of Psychic Reiki: Developing Your Intuitive & Empathic Abilities for Energy Healing. New Harbinger Publications. 2018.
International House of Reiki. International House of Reiki, 17 March 2025, https://ihreiki.com/?v=0b3b97fa6688.
The International Center for Reiki Training. The International Center for Reiki Training, 17 March 2025, https://www.reiki.org/about-international-center-reiki-training.
