About - Reiki Ryoho

Universal Life-Force Healing Art

Reiki Ryoho is a Japanese therapeutic healing art that requires the practitioner to tap into and then channel a natural form of energy through the palm of the hands, to heal and balance the body and mind. It reduces stress, increases relaxation, clears energy blockages within the internal energy centers of the body, and is an effective addition to physical, mental and emotional healing, especially when used alongside academic medicine and psychological therapeutic approaches. Reiki Ryoho is a method that can be used for self-treatment or the treatment of others.

Reiki Ryoho can be translated as Universal Life-Force Healing Art. As Reiki Ryoho both utilises a natural form of energy, and is in itself a natural subconscious process and ability of the human form, it is therefore easy to learn and anyone can practice and utilise this healing art after taking classes with a trained Reiki teacher. The Reiki practitioner is usually attuned to the utilisation and application of this form of energy through training in the various degrees of Reiki training. While Reiki Ryoho is a spiritual ability or practice, it has nothing to do with religion. It is a natural human ability that one can develop through the practice of meditation.

The word Reiki

The word Reiki is a Japanese word pronounced ray-key, and is made up of two Japanese characters; Rei (the top character) meaning something sacred, spiritual, mysterious and miraculous, while Ki (the bottom character can mean energy of the universe, atmosphere or something unseen. When combined to form the word Reiki, these characters represent the sacred energy (life-force) of the universe. Within the Japanese language, the word is also used as a term for any generic 'spiritual power'.

Energy

For many people the word 'energy' can be an ambiguous term as it has various uses. Its basic meaning is force, vitality, strength and vigour. In Physics, the word ‘energy’ relates to the properties of matter and radiation. The type of energy used in Reiki relates to a universal life-force. This universal life-force is well known in many ancient cultures around the world, but especially within Asia. In China, life-force energy is called 'Qi' or 'Chi'; in India and Tibet the Sanskrit word is 'Prana'; and in Japan it is known as 'Ki'. This universal life-force permeates everything without exception. The science of Quantum Physics that looks at the microscopic nature of the reality has more recently discovered this to be true. At a deep level, everything contains this energy force. The understanding and utilisation of Ki in either a Yin (positive) or Yang (negative) way can also be found in many martial art practices such as Tai Chi, Aikido, Qi Gong, Ninjitsu etc.

A living body, whether human or animal, generates and radiates energy. Life-force flows within the physical body through energy centers called 'chakras' (chakra is a Sanskrit term meaning circle or wheel) and a network of pathways known as 'meridians'. It also flows around us in a torus (donut shape) field of energy known as the energy field. According to ancient knowledge, as well as food, water and oxygen, the living body also requires this Ki life-force to stay alive and function properly. As most people do not breath properly and become lazy breathers, breathing through the chest (shallow breathing), they receive smaller quantities of this life-force. As life-force permeates everything, we also receive smaller quantities of it through our food and water, which all helps to keep us barely functioning. The way to receive high quantities of Ki life-force is through the natural way of deep yogic breathing using the diaphragm (as in meditation and the way babies naturally breathe until a certain age). Life-force nourishes the organs and cells of the body, supporting them in their vital functions. When this flow of life-force is disrupted or received in such small quantities, it eventually causes diminished function in one or more of the organs and tissues of the physical body, allowing for quicker aging and shorter lifespan.

Life-force is also responsive to our thoughts and feelings and likewise also affects our consciousness. Ki life-force can become disrupted when we accept (either consciously or unconsciously), negative thoughts or feelings about ourselves. These negative thoughts and feelings affect the energy field and cause disruption in the flow of life-force as it flows through this field, thus diminishing the vital function of cells and organs of the physical body, as well as diminishing consciousness.

Healing through the palm of the hand

The act of laying hands on the human body to comfort and relieve pain is as old as instinct itself. When experiencing pain, the first thing people naturally do without any thought process is to place their hands on the area that is experiencing pain, this in turn helps to slightly relieve the tension and pain from the affected area. The act of laying hands on the injured or painful area is a subconscious act. At a subconscious level, our consciousness is aware of energy within the body and the healing potential of placing hands over an affected area.

Apart from the main chakra energy centers that run along the spine, there are also smaller energy centers in the palms of the hands. Practitioners of Reiki learn how to consciously move the life force energy through the body and out of the palm chakras, thus understanding and utilising this natural act on a more conscious level rather than just subconsciously. The effect of this is a greater healing ability compared with the natural subconscious act of laying hands on the effected area.

The Usui Reiki practitioner is attuned to the utilisation and application of this form of energy through training in the three levels of Reiki training. These levels are Shoden (first degree), Okuden (second degree), and Shinpiden (third degree or master degree).

Usui Reiki Ryoho

The school of Usui Reiki Ryoho was founded by a Buddhist, Mikao Usui - Sensei (1865-1926). According to his memorial stone in Tokyo, Usui-sensei became spiritually awakened whilst fasting and meditating for 21 days on the sacred mountain, Mount Kurama in Kyoto, Japan. According to one of Usui-sensei's students, this took place around 1914 (although other later sources say it was in 1922). Through his meditations at this time, he received and developed his healing ability through meditative revelation. Eventually Usui-sensei relocated to Tokyo in around 1922 and opened his first healing practice and training centre (dojo) in Harajuku, Aoyama, Tokyo. His motto for the training centre was: "Unity of self through harmony and balance"

It is also believed that Usui-Sensei founded the 'Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai' dojo at this time, though others believe that the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai was actually founded by a number of his senior students sometime after Usui-Sensei's death, and that out of honour and respect for him, they named Usui-sensei president of the dojo.

In 1923, an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale resulted in over 106,000 people reported missing or killed; the epicentre was about 50 miles from Tokyo. Usui-Sensei is said to have become well known as a result of helping many of the survivors, and his success and reputation with Reiki is said to have spread all over Japan as a result.

As well as conducting healing sessions, and teaching spiritual development, Usui-sensei taught over 2000 students in the conscious use of Reiki. Among these, sixteen of his students continued their training to reach the Shinpiden teacher level. Usui-sensei was believed to have been a spiritual man of integrity and compassion who studied various forms of Buddhism including Tendai, Jodo and Zen. He was laid to rest in 1926 at Saihoji Temple in Tokyo.

In Usui Reiki, there are various lineages of teaching that trace back to the senior (teacher level) students of Mikao Usui-sensei. Some of these students opened schools and clinics of their own in Japan. It is through these schools that various lineages of teachers trace back. One of Usui-sensei's main students was Chujiro Hayashi. There are mixed perceptions and histories concerning these lineages, some of which are controversial, however, as within any healing form, it is not so important where a practitioners lineage comes from, so much as the importance of an open heart, clear mind, integrity and clear intention of the practitioner.

Main temple on Mount Kurama, Kyoto	Spiral Tiger, Mount Kurama, Kyoto	View, Mount Kurama, Kyoto

Reiki - modern perception and misconceptions

Now that the practice of Usui Reiki is well known in the Western world, many practitioners and students enjoy the benefits of Reiki as an accepted form of therapeutic healing. As Reiki is an eastern form of healing, and involves Japanese language and symbols, there are often common misconceptions about Reiki in the West, even amongst Reiki practitioners and students.

A common misconception is that Reiki (as a healing form) was exclusively invented by Mikao Usui. This was something never claimed by Mikao Usui. The understanding of Reiki has actually been practiced in one form or another within many ancient cultures in the world, usually by those who have attained the ability through a deep level of wisdom, balance and guidance with the Inner Self; gained from forms of meditation, deep breathing, internal exploration of ones self and prayer. These ancient techniques and natural human ability were of course not named Reiki outside Japan, but had other names in other languages, for example ‘Qi Gong’ in China. Healing techniques utilising universal life-force energy through the palms of the hands can be traced back into the spiritual and martial art practices and history of China, Tibet and India. The ability to utilise universal life-force is well known within Asian history and culture. Such healing techniques are thought to have initially been developed within Buddhism, however, they are not exclusive to the Buddhist spiritual way of life and may stem back even further than Buddhism.

Other healing systems using the laying on of hands date back many thousands of years within many cultures in the world. In the transition from the natural healing techniques of our indigenous tribal past to the modern day world of academics and medicine, many of these ancient natural healing techniques have been lost through time. It is only within family traditions, remaining indigenous cultures and certain spiritual practices and disciplines, that the knowledge of these techniques have survived in one form or another, however, even in the surviving forms there is often a breakdown of knowledge. The only path to gain true knowledge of life-force healing techniques is to look within, rather than only learn from another. Of course to begin with, it is helpful to learn the basics from a teacher.

Another common misconception is that Reiki as a word relates exclusively to the school of healing developed by Mikao Usui-Sensei in 1922. The word Reiki is actually a Japanese word, just as energy is an English word. It is a Japanese word used to describe various spiritual powers and healing using Ki life-force. As a Japanese word, it actually predates the Usui school of Reiki. The term ‘Reiki Ryoho’ and its practice also predates the Usui school, for example, a book entitled ‘Reiki Ryoho To Sono Koka’ (Reiki Ryoho & its Effects) was published in 1919 by author and practitioner Mataji Kawakami and is unrelated to Mikao Usui or the Usui school. Several Japanese therapists used the term Reiki Ryoho (indicating 'Spiritual Healing' through the hands) before Usui-Sensei. Mikao Usui-Sensei used the same terms as his teachings discussed and practiced the same subject.

One other common misconception is that symbols give power to Reiki, and that without the correct symbols, one cannot correctly use Reiki. Symbols were not originally part of Usui Reiki, but came later. Most of the original Japanese symbols were simply Japanese words (characters), for example, a symbol for distance healing, would simply be the words 'distance healing' in Japanese characters. The purpose of the symbols was to assist in focussing the intention of the healer. As Usui Reiki spread to the US at the end of World War II, certain teachers of Reiki encoded the Reiki symbols and kept them secret by refusing to write them down when teaching. Students were to memorise the symbols without having a written copy. This created a couple of issues. Firstly, it presented an illusion that the symbols had more power than they really possessed. Secondly, it also had the effect of changing the symbols over time, as students could not accurately memorise the original Japanese characters. The symbols changed and distorted with time as they were passed on between teacher and student. Thus in the West many of the symbols are now incorrect when compared with the Japanese Reiki symbols. Upon investigation, similarities can be seen between the Japanese and Western Reiki symbols, and one can see where the mistakes are. Any symbol only focuses intention of purpose, or encodes / represents a form of knowledge. Symbols carry no power within themselves, only the power we give to them. The real power is within the clear and open heart, mind and intention of the practitioner.