Reiki seems mystical to most people, but if you are familiar with the practice, you know that Reiki is a natural healing technique. Reiki therapy can be passed from the therapist to the patient through light touch or none at all, to activate the natural healing process of one’s body. Reiki has been used for over a hundred years to restore physical and emotional well-being. But where did this practice begin?

Mikao Usui, the father of Reiki
The history of Reiki begins with its founder, Dr. Mikao Usui. He is also referred to as Usui Sensei meaning “one who teaches.” Mikao Usui was born in Japan in 1865 into a wealthy Buddhist family. Usui had an interest in psychology, theology, and medicine, as well as energy movement and religion.

Usui was known to read and study widely on all his subjects of interest. He also traveled to China and the West to study medicines and other disciplines, but eventually returned to become a Tendai Buddhist monk and live in a monastery near Mount Kurama, where he continued his studies.

Usui developed an interest in finding ways to heal himself and others using his hands. Usui wanted this healing technique to be detached from any specific religion and religious belief so that his system would be accessible to everyone. After a period of meditation and fasting, Usui was able to develop the healing system for which he was searching. Soon after, Usui set up a clinic in Kyoto where he began to heal and teach people Reiki. Mikao Usui’s clinic was a success, which allowed him to travel and spread his Reiki teachings and eventually open the first Reiki clinic and school in Tokyo in 1922. Before he died, Dr. Usui taught several Reiki masters to ensure that his system would not be forgotten.

Learning Reiki
Because Reiki has grown from a grassroots movement rather than emerging from an academic healthcare background, there are many training perspectives and practice styles without much oversight. Some aspects of training take place during a single weekend, leaving much to be discovered and explored when it comes to using Reiki to heal.

There are three levels of Reiki certification. Someone can complete a level one training in a few days or about fifteen hours. The emphasis of training mostly pertains to self-healing. It is after this course that much of the work is done. After a level one certification is obtained, the individual will practice daily to heal themselves and practice attunement before completing the level two training. The second step can take months.

Next, an aspiring healer receives level two training to heal others. Preferably, this occurs a minimum of three to six months after the level one training. This would give the practitioner ample time to become grounded in hands-on practice before learning the more involved and abstract distant healing techniques. Some Reiki masters require a minimum of one year between level one and two Reiki classes.

Level two is often defined by a focus on healing others with Reiki. Students also receive Reiki symbols and level two attunement, which allows the practitioner to connect more deeply to the universal energy and invoke healing qualities. Level three is only achieved after constant practice and represents a deep commitment to the Reiki practice after many months and possibly even years of healing and practice.

Reiki masters often give their students certificates, but without educational standards to hold them against, these certificates have little foundation. Therefore it is best to be comfortable enough with your potential Reiki practitioner to ask specific questions both before training or receiving treatment from him or her. This will give you the best sense of the quality of training and care you can expect.

Above all, you should feel a sense of comfort with your Reiki practitioner, a sense of competence, and the feeling that he or she practices self-healing techniques daily. If you have questions about how Reiki might help you, contact us to learn more or schedule a session.