The calming practice of Reiki can benefit adults and children by promoting relaxation and confidence. Learning about and utilizing Reiki at a young age promotes a healthy way of living throughout their lives, helping children make better choices and create balance. Other Benefits include being less likely to show signs of excitability and depression, improved concentration, enhanced relaxation and sleep, calming and promoting balance and enhances self awareness and self esteem.

Reiki treatments are safe and non-invasive. Adults and children today are dealing with anxieties, fears, peer pressures and educational pressures. Childhood ailments such as ear infections, respiratory infections, asthma, G.I. upset and type 2 (adult onset) diabetes are on the rise. Reiki has been helpful in the treatment of ADD/ADHD, inattentiveness, irritability, emotional issues, hyperactivity and defiance. Since Reiki works on all levels of the body-physical, mental/emotional and spiritual, the body will be able to use the energy to find balance in its own way. It will adjust to the moment and the needs of the individual. Because Reiki is balancing, it can be of benefit regardless of the type of “disorder” and can provide soothing moments for parents and kids alike.

What is Reiki?

Reiki is generally described as an energy healing system,

re-discovered in the early 1900’s by Japanese scholar Mikao Usui.

Here are some key facts how it works:

• Reiki is – literally – very hands-on: The energy is transmitted by simply placing your hands on a client – or even on yourself.
• Reiki is “truly sustainable energy”: The more you give to other people, the more energized you become yourself.
• Reiki can heal your life – in a truly encompassing sense. Not only does it stimulate your body’s innate healing abilities and deal with physical ailments, it goes right down to the root of problems, whether physical, mental, or emotional.
• Reiki helps to relaxand cope with stress, harmonising body and mind, and aiding meditation.
• Reiki starts a detox processin the body, helping to rid itself of the toxins we take in every day.
• Reiki increases intuitionand will help you to become more aware of your life’s purpose.
• Reiki is a spiritual path, re-connecting you with the power and peace within yourself.
• Reiki is not a religion. It is simply a tool that works with whatever religious path you have chosen for your life – and equally well, if you do not follow traditional religious beliefs.
• Reiki is “applied quantum physics”. It works on the level that makes the fabric of the universe, slowly un-doing the illusional world that we created.
  … and finally:
• Reiki will change your life. Once you feel the flow of cosmic energy coming out of your palms, and witness the effect it has on anything it touches, you cannot help but question the established ways of the world.

The Reiki History

Although much has been written (and re-written) about the origins of Reiki, very little is based on proper scientific research.

Therefore, here are just a few – undisputed – facts.

We will dive deeper into the Reiki history during the courses.

Reiki was (re?-) discovered by Japanese scholar Mikao Usui.

Born in 1865, he was partially educated in a Buddhist monastery, and developed a strong interest in spiritual matters at a very early age. He was also a keen martial arts practitioner – which may explain the emphasis on energy in the system of Reiki.

Besides pursuing various “worldly” careers throughout his life (as well as caring for a family), Usui dedicated much of his time to spiritual studies. Although a Buddhist throughout his life, he explored different traditions, including Tendai Buddhism and Zen Meditation, he seems to also have studied other religions. For a number of years he even was a Buddhist monk, although he was allowed to stay with his family.

It seems that he was looking for a certain, deeper spiritual connection within himself, something he had apparently read about in ancient scriptures, but grew disappointed as he could not find what he was looking for.

After years of intense search, he finally embarked on a long period of fasting and meditation where he came close to death. On the last day of this retreat, he suddenly felt a big change in himself – and had found the spiritual connection he had been looking for.

It is generally assumed that he meditated on Mount Kurama, near Kyoto, when he experienced this moment of enlightenment, or Satori, as the Japanese say.

It is said that on his way back from his retreat, he met a number of people with physical illnesses, and placed his hands on them in a gesture of comfort. To his great surprise, the symptoms got better.

He explored this more and more, and eventually realised that his spiritual awakening, or connection, came with the “side-effect” of physical healing.

Back in Tokio, he started teaching his method of opening a channel for a spiritual connection with oneself – with great emphasis on meditation and spiritual growth. But he also started to offer healing to people.

This was the birth of the system that is now known as Reiki – all over the world.

Mikao Usui
1865 – 1926
Founder of Reiki

Usui-Sensei (or Master Usui), as he was called by his students, never actually called his system Reiki.

What he taught was a 3-part system, consisting of meditation, principles for everyday life, and the cultivation of spiritual energy, that he simply called “My method” or “My method to achieve personal perfection”.

Mikao Usui brought the world nothing less than an amazingly straightforward system to achieve enlightenment.