Reiki as the calm during the storm

Today, while going through some personal adversity, I turned to Reiki to calm myself. My heart was racing and my thoughts focused on the worst aspects of my situation. I went and grabbed what I call my "Reiki cheat sheet", this contains notes I have on healing and the Reiki symbols. I find constant review of the symbols aids in my "digesting" of them, much in the way I still practice my martial arts basics on a regular basis. The keys to all are in the basics! I cleared my head and accessed the universal Reiki energy. In doing this I envision and experience an opening in my crown chakra that brings energy down through the heavens. It's akin to a cloudy sky suddenly opening up to reveal a bright sun behind. I've never spoken to other practitioners about this so I'm not sure it's the same for them. My actual experiences with energy work precede Reiki, however my attunement made the access and process much more refined and powerful. From there I decided to draw the Reiki power symbol (cho ru kei) on my heart chakra. My heart was hurting and I felt it could use the draw of power. On top of this I drew the harmony symbol (sei hei kei). Sei Hei Ki helps with emotional and mental harmony. In this case I needed purification and protection. Finally, to bind this all, I drew the distance symbol (hon sha ze sho nen) in the air. "Distance" in this case doesn't mean physical location, rather it refers to time. My hope is to heal not only the future but the past as well.

When I first started the healing I was rather cold and had just put on a sweater. Within 60 seconds of completing my final symbol I was burning hot and had to strip down to my teeshirt. I could feel a flood of healing an calm descend upon me. Did my troubles suddenly disappear? No, not completely. However, what did transpire was the actualization that everything can and will be ok. My worry turned into acceptance. My pain subsided to an unaffected level. I was able to carry on normally and centered.

Just a short Reiki story that was very powerful to me.

The Reiki Symbols

While many know Reiki is a powerful healing method, few but the initiated know of the existence of the Reiki symbols that are used to focus that power. The Reiki symbols are characters derived from both Sanskrit and Japanese. While many in the Reiki community consider the characters to be of sacred value, it's important to note that the characters are not proprietary to Reiki use. Indeed three of the four Reiki symbols have significance in Buddhist philosophy.

Traditionally the Reiki Ryoho (typically stated in English as "symbols") were passed down from master to student in secrecy. Reiki students themselves were not allowed to keep written copies of the symbols, rather they would need to have them committed to memory. The publishing of the Reiki symbols in print and on the internet is the subject of much controversy among practitioners. Some feel that traditions of Dr. Usui (the founder of Reiki) should be honored while others feel that the characters on their own do not hold power to those who have not undergone a Reiki attunement with a Reiki master.

In respect for my Reiki teacher and own personal beliefs, I will discuss the Reiki Ryoho but will not publish them. They are easily found though.

The first symbol: Cho Ku Rei

The power symbol. A Reiki practitioner would use this symbol to increase the power of their healing. The symbol has many stand alone uses (cleaning negative energy, on the spot treatments, spiritual protection, etc.) and can also be used in conjunction with other Ryoho to enhance their power.

The second symbol: Sei He Ki

The symbol for emotional/mental harmony. A Reiki practitioner would use this symbol for calming the mind or emotions and to promote healing of such areas. The symbol clears emotional blockages, balances the spirit, and heals past traumas.

The third symbol: Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen

The symbol for distance healing. This symbol is used when a Reiki practitioner sends healing to a client who is in another area. The symbol can be invoked to promote healing in the past, present, or future.

The fourth symbol: Dai Ko Myo

This is the master symbol of Reiki and the most power of the Ryoho. It is only used by Reiki masters. It signifies intelligence and wisdom and can be used to heal the soul.

The Reiki Characters

The Reiki symbol typically used is written in Japanese Kanji. Kanji are Chinese pictographs or ideograms imported from China to Japan long ago. Kanji characters all contain a certain meaning that can correspond to a word or group of words. Different kanji put together can be used to create a whole new word or concept. The Reiki symbol is comprised of two kanji characters. The first, or top character is pronounced "rei" as if you were saying "ray of light". Rei refers to the universal life, spirit, or soul. Ki is a character that can have much broader meaning but for our purposes it refers to energy. Together Reiki kanji means "universal life energy".

In the 1940's, in an effort to simplify the overly abundant number of Chinese characters used in written Japanese, the Japanese government launched a grammar reform. At this time many Kanji were simply "retired" from the Japanese language. The character for "ki" itself had many untold variations. Reiki, having been founded before these reforms, was originally written by the founder, Dr. Mikao Usui using an older character for ki. Hence you will see at time Reiki written with different characters. All such variations are correct. Our chosen characters use the original spelling laid forth by Dr. Usui.

The Reiki symbol itself has many uses. It can be applied for personal growth and well being, as well as external uses. The Reiki symbol can be hung in a room to offer balance and protection to the area. Some also have made claims to the Reiki symbol's power to shield against the electromagnetic spectrum. Strategically placed they claim that it can shield objects from electromagnetic discharge.

In a future post we will look at the different Reiki kanji and the origins of their use.

What is Reiki?

REIKI is a natural, noninvasive, hands-on healing technique that has been used for thousands of years to treat specific injuries and ailments, as well as to promote general health and well-being, and to increase the quality of life.

REIKI is made up of two Japanese words: REI (ray) and KI (key). REI symbolizes divine wisdom -- a natural understanding of the root of all imbalances and what is needed to correct them. KI is the life force energy that exists throughout the universe in all living things. It gives us our physical and spiritual life (our emotions and thoughts). REIKI combines the forces of REI and KI into a powerful and tangible tool for healing that can be defined as Naturally Guide Life Force Energy or Universal Life Force Energy. A REIKI practitioner can channel this "guided life force energy" through a gentle, hands-on technique.

The power of REIKI can help cure disease (dis-ease), relieve pain, accelerate the healing of injuries, release stress, alleviate depression and insomnia, diffuse tense situations, help build confidence, calm crying children, improve concentration, promote emotional and spiritual well-being, and bring out countless other wonderful results.

All forms of discomfort, or disease, can be traced to blockages of the life force energy in your physical body as well as your other dimensions of mind, emotion and spirit. These blockages can manifest themselves as a common complaint such as a headache or stomach ache, a severe illness or chronic condition, or even as uneasy feelings of anxiety, confusion or stress, which are likely to manifest as physical symptoms if they go unattended.

Rather than masking the problem with drugs or submitting to invasive surgery (both of which can be extremely costly, often unnecessary, and frequently lead to serious side effects and continuing complications), REIKI offers a healthier, gentler choice. By going directly to the root of the problem, unblocking energy flows and restoring balance, REIKI accelerates the body's natural healing process and helps eliminate the real source of your discomfort without any danger of side effects.

REIKI cannot ever cause harm. There is no such thing as "good" or "bad" REIKI. The REIKI knows where it needs to go, even beyond the knowledge of the practitioners and the client. For example, if you came for a REIKI session with a complaint of a headache, but you were unaware that you were about to have an attack of appendicitis, the REIKI would first go to your appendix, since this would be the place most in need of attention. Also, unlike drugs or surgery, you can never have too much REIKI. Virtually any amount can be helpful, even as few as five minutes, and the more REIKI you receive, the more positive results will be achieved.

REIKI can work hand in hand extremely well with other therapies, both Eastern and Western. For example, if you are already taking medication, REIKI can help to ease the side effects and amplify the desired results so that your experience while on the medication is much more positive. Your doctor may even surprise you by lowering your dosage or taking you off the medication completely, sooner than expected. If you've had surgery, REIKI greatly decreases the pain, accelerates the healing process, which in turn shortens the recovery time, and may even lessen the need for further surgery. If you are already experiencing, or about to explore holistic therapies such as acupuncture, herbology, massage, yoga or any others, REIKI will, again, complement and amplify the desired results, greatly enhancing your health and daily happiness.