heal thyself.

"the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." mahatma gandhi
 

understanding.

reiki is an energetic healing technique where the practitioner channels universal life force energy and shares this energy through hands-on touch in order to alleviate physical, mental, emotional and spiritual blocks, trauma or stress and encourage healing, improved energy flow, restorative balance and well-being. 

experience.

to receive reiki, the healing recipient will be asked to wear comfortable clothing, no jewelry and remove their shoes before lying down on a massage table. the reiki practitioner will gently lay her hands on the recipient's body, and using light touch, move through a series of hand positions, channeling the reiki energy to the recipient. recipients will sometimes feel a sensation of warmth or heat from the practitioner's palms. the practitioner will work on the front of the recipient's body during the first half of the session and the back of the body for the second half of the session. 

during a reiki session, the healing recipient often enters into a deep meditative state, where they experience an extreme sense of calm and relaxation. it is also common for the recipient to experience a heightened sense of awareness or consciousness and cycle through thoughts, memories, visions, and emotions. the practitioner removes any energetic blockages and corrects any imbalances so that the recipient's energy is returned to a state of harmony.  

after a reiki session, the healing recipient is encouraged by the reiki practitioner to drink water for the remainder of the day or evening to further cleanse the body of any toxins and departs in an extended state of relaxation, with a feeling of balance and of renewed positive energy.

history.

reiki originated in india thousands of years ago, where it was referred to in spiritual texts as energy healing or touch healing and was used by spiritual mystics to promote healing and positive change in others.

the healing technique of reiki was soon brought to the tibetan monasteries where it was instead used as a method of self-healing, self-development and purification, rather than as a way to heal others through touch. 

reiki largely disappeared and became a lost art and practice until the 1800's in japan when it was rediscovered by dr. mikao usui during his quest to understand how buddha had healed through the power of touch.

known as the first grand master, dr. usui discovered through his work with the poor that a person must want and request healing in order for reiki to make a true difference in his or her life. moreover, it is not the position of any healer to provide aid where healing is not desired. dr. usui successfully revealed the power of reiki to many until passing his teachings on to his student dr. chujiro hayashi, who would succeed him as the second reiki grand master. 

following dr. usui's death, dr. hayashi continued the expansion of reiki to the public by opening a clinic in tokyo where many people suffering from severe illness and disease were treated with reiki, including, mrs. hawayo takata, a young japanese-american widow who arrived at the clinic in search of alternative holistic healing.

after several months of reiki treatments, mrs. takata was cured of her ailments. fascinated by the power of reiki, mrs. takata asked dr. hayashi to apprentice with him and would soon become the third in the grand master lineage, the first woman to be selected, and the person responsible for bringing reiki to the united states. 

today, the usui system is the most commonly known, taught and practiced form of reiki in the world. 

principles.

just for today, i will not be angry.
just for today, i will not worry.
just for today, i will be grateful.
just for today, i will do my work honestly.
just for today, i will be kind to every living thing.