It has been written by some that Reiki is earth energy and by others that it is universal energy. For me, it has always been a combination of earth and universal energies. I believe all the different types of healing modalities are all based on the same premise. Energy is the loving energy of the divine source, whatever you call it. The only differences are the numerous ways in which you can connect to it and the ways you can do it. These are the different modalities from all over the world. The more you use energy the more you will be in balance and the more you can bring through.
What Makes Reiki Different
The main difference between Reiki and other modalities is that you are ‘attuned’ to the energy by receiving attunements from a Reiki Master. The attunement process varies according to the type of Reiki you are learning. We are studying the original form of Reiki discovered by Dr. Usui in Japan in the early 1920’s.
The living body radiates warmth and energy. The energy is the life force itself and has as many names as there are human civilisations. In Japan it is called Ki. We feed our bodies with food and water to keep them healthy and our etheric bodies also need energy and this is delivered through our aura and chakras. (More of this later). In Japanese Reiki (ray-kee) means universal (rei) free passage. The meaning of Ki is universal life-force energy. For example, the Polynesian Huna call this life force Mana, the Native American Iroquois people call it Orenda. In India it is known as Prana, Ruach in Hebrew, Barraka in the Islamic countries. This is the same energy that the Chinese call Chi, as in Tai Chi. This energy is indirectly available to us from air, sunlight, earth food, water and love. (From here on in we shall call all the healing energies, including Reiki, simply ‘Healing’).
How does Reiki Healing Work?
Reiki is a laying on of hands touch (physically touching the body) healing system of incomparable ease and power. It can also be done in the aura, ie not physically touching the body). Healing energy is naturally available to all living beings from birth, but what makes Reiki so different from other healing methods is the attunements (also known as the initiations or empowerments).
Once you have received the Reiki attunements you are connected to the energy and able to offer healing to all. Attunements are designed to open and raise your vibrational level to connect to the universal life force energy of healing and pure unconditional love.
Anyone can lay their hands on another person to help accelerate the healing process. For example, a mother placing her hand on her child’s forehead because the child has a fever. The energy is the life force itself. But a person attuned to Reiki has fine-tuned the 7 etheric bodies and layers of the aura and been clearing and balancing the chakra’s to a higher vibratory level, opening all the energy centres and releasing any blockages, thus allowing the healer to receive an increased amount of life force energy (ki) to heal with. The healer’s connection to the source is much stronger and easier.
Reiki is structured on three levels and with each set of attunements/empowerments you will raise your vibrations enabling you to channel stronger and stronger energy as you progress through the three degrees, ie. moving down the branches and closer to the trunk.