The REIKI Principles are intended as guidelines for higher consciousness growth.

Just for today, I will let go of anger.

Just for today, I will let go of worry.

Today, I will count my blessings.

Today, I will be kind to every living creature.

Say the REIKI Principles daily for positive affirmations of growth and understanding.

Energy Flow

The down-flow of spirit or energy moves through in the body's psychic channels. Many are identified as the meridian system. As energy moves through, it removes blockages and releases toxins; it also restores vitality to that area. In many instances the energy is drawn to the areas most in need of energy. A person may have a splitting headache but the cause of the headache may be far removed from the head area. Reiki energy will be drawn to the cause and work on restoring balance to that organ, tissue or whatever. In general, the headache will usually be lessened.

As a general rule, it is wise to give at least three Reiki treatments to someone who is moderately ill, as colds, flu, and diseases of a usual short duration. Chronic illness or life threatening illnesses require more treatments; but in any case, three treatments are necessary. Less than three does not generally provide enough energy for the patient and they may not have the personal energy to sustain the boost. These are general rules. Miracles are possible and very probable. Much can depend on the person you are treating. Reiki treatments for relaxation can be the time you have available. A minute of Reiki can relieve headaches, muscular aches, pains, and tensions. As you give Reiki, you will find there are no hard and fast rules other than it always works.

The History of Reiki

Dr. Mikao Usui was interested in healing and in the life of Buddha. He wondered why Buddha and his disciples could heal physical illnesses and why this power had been lost. He made it his goal to rediscover how to heal the physical body. He started by visiting Buddhist temples and asking monks if they knew how to heal the physical body. Invariably the answer was that they did not. They were concentrating on healing the mind as they believed that this was more important as most disease came from the mind first.

One of the abbots of a Zen monastery he approached told him that "they no longer knew how to heal the body. They used to, but this had been lost through disuse". The abbot was also interested in healing and he invited Dr. Usui to study with them and look at their secret books in their original language. In order t o do this, Dr. Usui learned Chinese and eventually Sanskrit. It was in the Indian sutras, written in Sanskrit that he found part of his answer. A formula that allowed him to contact higher power in a meditation.

Armed with this formula, Dr. Usui decided to go to the holy mountain of Kori-yama to fast and meditate for 21 days. He sat on top of the mountain with 21 stones in front of him. Every day as dawn broke, he threw a stone away. The rest of the day was spent in meditation. On the twenty first day, he threw his last stone away and shortly after saw a very bright light in the horizon that was coming straight at him. He realized that this light was a message and that he was about to receive what he had been looking for all his life. The light was very strong and he realized that to receive the instructions he needed, the light would have to strike him. This light was very powerful and it might even kill him. Dr. Usui was given a choice whether or not he wanted to go through with the experience. He decided to receive the light and see what happened. The light struck him on the third eye and knocked him unconscious. He then had an out of body experience when he was shown bubbles of light with symbols in them. He memorized the symbols and as he did so, he received an attunement from the light so that he was able to use the symbols. This was the way Dr. Usui was initiated to Reiki.

When Dr. Usui regained consciousness, he was full of energy although he had not eaten for 21 days. He set out to go back to the monastery and as he came down the mountain, he tripped and his toe started to bleed. Instinctively, he put his hands around it; the bleeding stopped and the pain went away. He knew then that he had acquired some healing power. On his way back, he had a full meal (having fasted for 21 days). While having his meal he was served by the Inn keeper's daughter who had a terrible tooth ache. Dr. Usui felt he could help her and held his hand near her jaw where it hurt. Within a few minutes, the pain had gone. Back at the monastery, he discovered that the abbot was in bed crippled with Arthritis. He proceeded to relate his experience and at the same time successfully treated his friend's problem.

Dr. Usui then spent 7 years taking care of sick people (beggars) in the slums of Tokyo. Unfortunately some of these beggars, although cured of physical illnesses, went back to begging as the life of a working man is much more tiring than begging. Dr. Usui realized that he had made a mistake and that the person receiving healing must first ask for it and that there must be an exchange of energy. This can be money, work, goods or whatever. Without the person asking for healing or exchanging, he believed the healing would not work.

Dr. Hayashi (1878 - 1941), a retired naval officer, was interested in Dr. Usui's work. Before his death, Dr. Usui initiated Dr. Hayashi as a Reiki Master. Dr. Hayashi was initiated as a Master in 1925 at the age of 47.

Dr. Hayashi is responsible for breaking Reiki into three degrees and setting up new hand positions. Up to that time, Reiki was given in a series of attunements and could be given in a very short period of time (Dr. Usui himself was given Reiki in one powerful attunement). Dr. Hayashi opened a Reiki clinic in Tokyo, near the Imperial Palace, and kept detailed records of the treatments given. His clinic consisted of a reception room and a large room with 8 couches and 16 practitioners working (2 per patient). The practitioners worked there from 7 to 12.00 and did house calls after this till 7 p.m. Dr. Hayashi designed the system of hand position taught during the first degree and their initiation procedures.

One of Hayashi's students was a woman named Hawayo Takata. She underwent a course of treatments for a terminal illness at Hayashi's clinic. In a country where man was king and Japanese pride was high, she was told that Reiki should stay in Japan and that she could not be initiated. Takata was a stubborn person who did not take no for an answer. She went to her surgeon and asked him for a letter confirming that she was sick and needed Reiki daily. Eventually Dr. Hayashi was impressed with Takata's persistence and initiated her in First Degree Reiki in the Spring of 1936. She was initiated in the Second Degree in 1937. She was initiated as a Master on February 21, 1938.

There is no question that Dr. Usui, Dr. Hayashi, and Hawayo Takata have introduced and popularized a system which has made a huge change in our world. Likewise, because of Reiki's continual growth, that change will only expand geometrically with time. They have given our planet one of the greatest gifts that we have known and we owe them a great debt of thanks for their efforts.

Reiki Master teachers, Reverend Randal Shultz and Reverend Angel Shultz are available for Reiki treatments and/or Reiki attunements. A treatment is simply receiving Reiki energy from a Reiki practitioner. An attunement is a simple process through which you become a channel for Reiki energy.

Click on the card for more information on energy exchange.

Click on the card for more information on energy exchange.

Want even more information about Reiki, may I suggest "Reiki ABC".
Everything Reiki, from 5 Reiki rules to wound healing. 

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