Reiki For Dummies®
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2005932584
ISBN-13: 978-0-7645-9907-1
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7
1B/RV/RR/QY/IN
Nina L. Paul, PhD, has worked in the field of science and health communication for over 20 years. She started down this path at SUNY Purchase, where she received her bachelor’s degree in biology and performed research in the field of neuroimmunology. She also published articles for her college news-paper on scientific research topics.
After working in medical publishing at Rockefeller University Press (Journal of Clinical Investigation), she received her master’s degree and PhD in infectious disease epidemiology (the study of diseases) and immunology from Yale University.
After leaving Yale, Nina pursued postdoctoral research in London and Oxford, England. Nina’s research focused on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and related viruses and their interaction with the immune system.
Nina also taught science to schoolchildren of different ages and abilities in New Mexico and volunteered at a hospital-based Cancer Information Centre in England. She worked in the field of evidence-based medicine and contributed to the Cochrane Library (a medical database). She is also the author of Living with Hepatitis C For Dummies.
Nina believes in a multifaceted approach to health. She became a master of Reiki, which is a universal life-force energy that is transmitted through the hands. She is both a practitioner and a teacher of Reiki and uses Reiki as a way to help herself and others. Check out Nina’s Web site at www.ninapaul.info.
I dedicate this book to my father, Marvin Paul, the greatest of them all.
I thank my teachers:
In England, to Sissel Fowler, my yoga and meditation teacher in Oxford with whom I first studied energy work.
In New Mexico: the amazing Ivan Scheier who ran the Stillpoint Healing Center in Truth or Consequences (T or C), New Mexico and still provides Reiki training and healing to many; Rose Kennedy and Jane Alderson who were my first Reiki teachers.
In Oregon: Kathleen McKevitt on the Oregon coast taught me about mastering Reiki.
In New York: Kathie Lipinski, with whom I learned to teach Reiki and pass attunements to others.
My friends and Reiki pals who, as Reiki teachers, practitioners, masters, students, or recipients, have taught me so much and whose wisdom has landed in these pages:
Anna Maria Soto; Anita D’Onofrio; Barbara Baudouin; Barbara Cali; Barbara Leete; Barbara Lynch; Barry Goodman; Bonnie Caponi; Caroline Aldiss; Laura Maglio; Donna and Al Maldonado; Jada Prane; Joan Schwart; Joseph Cassles; Joseph Natoli; Katie McGowan; Nathan, Noah, and Anna Kasmanoff; Raven Valencia; Rebecca Sularski; Robin and Charlie Liffman; Teri and Sandy Sarin; Vicky Lewis; Wendy Nine, and many others not named here.
I acknowledge the Reiki historians and authors who have sought to keep Reiki alive and healthy for the benefit of all.
I thank the excellent editorial staff at Wiley: Mikal Belicove, acquisitions editor, who got this project started; Natalie Harris, project editor, who calmly kept the ball rolling through thick and thin; and Tina Sims, copy editor, who caught the inconsistencies. I also thank Jill St. Ambrogio for her technical review of the book and Kathryn Born for her wonderful illustrations. I thank my agent June Clark for her guidance and support.
I am particularly grateful for the love and support of my family and close friends, furry and otherwise, who have kept me going in every which way.
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development
Project Editor: Natalie Faye Harris
Acquisitions Editor: Mikal Belicove
Senior Copy Editor: Tina Sims
Editorial Program Assistant: Courtney Allen
Technical Editor: Jill St. Ambrogio, RMT
Editorial Manager: Michelle Hacker
Editorial Assistants: Hanna Scott, Nadine Bell, David Lutton
Illustrator: Kathryn Born
Cover Photos: © image100/Getty Images
Cartoons: Rich Tennant, www.the5thwave.com
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Layout and Graphics: Andrea Dahl, Lauren Goddard, Stephanie D. Jumper, Barbara Moore, Melanee Prendergast, Heather Ryan, Mary Gillot Virgin
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Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies
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Title
Introduction
About This Book
Conventions Used in This Book
What You’re Not to Read
Foolish Assumptions
How This Book Is Organized
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here
Part I : Discovering Reiki
Chapter 1: Reiki: The Art of Channeling Life-Force Energy
Discovering What Reiki Is and Isn’t
Understanding the Spiritual Foundation of Reiki
Examining the Energy of Reiki
Exploring the History of Reiki
Getting Connected with Reiki
Choosing a Reiki Practitioner or Master
Experiencing the Benefits of Reiki
Looking at the Reiki Symbols
Combining New Age and Reiki
Chapter 2: Navigating Your Body’s Subtle Energy Systems
Describing Subtle Energy
Discovering Your Body’s Energy Anatomy
Detecting Your Subtle Energy System with Reiki
Chapter 3: Exploring Reiki’s Roots and Branches
Mikao Usui: Founder of Reiki
Exploring the Medical Approach: Chujiro Hayashi
Bringing Reiki from East to West: Hawayo Takata
Reiki in Japan and the West
Looking at Reiki Branch Lineage
Choosing a Reiki Branch for Yourself
Letting Reiki Branches Differ
Picturing the Future of Reiki
Chapter 4: Looking at the Reiki Principles
Describing the Reiki Principles
Incorporating the Reiki Principles into Your Daily Life
Additional Versions of Reiki Principles
Part II : Experiencing Reiki for Yourself
Chapter 5: Getting the Reiki Treatment
Finding the Right Reiki Practitioner for You
Preparing Yourself for Your First Reiki Session
Exploring a Reiki Session from Beginning to End
Repeating Your Reiki Experience
Using Reiki in Tandem with Other Therapies
Committing Yourself to Healing with Reiki
Chapter 6: Letting Your Entire Family Experience Reiki
Helping Yourself with Reiki
Cycling through Life with Reiki
Using Reiki for the Family Pet
Part III : Becoming Well-Versed in Reiki
Chapter 7: Seeking Reiki Training and Classes
Examining Reasons to Study Reiki
Asking the Right Questions about Reiki Classes and Teachers
Knowing the Reiki Classes and Certification
Defining Reiki Master
Answering Questions about Attunements
Chapter 8: Discovering the Reiki Symbols
Understanding Reiki Symbols
Taking a Close Look at the Four Reiki Symbols
Memorizing the Reiki Symbols
Activating the Reiki Symbols
Looking at More Symbols, Reiki and Otherwise
Chapter 9: Getting Ready to Channel Reiki Energy
Connecting with the Reiki Energy
Combining Prayer and Intention with Reiki
Meditating to Connect with Reiki Energy
Receiving Guidance through Intuition
Chapter 10: Healing Others with Reiki Positions and Techniques
Examining Full-Body Hand Positions
Knowing Where to Go and When to Leave
Using Reiki without Touching the Body
Balancing Chakras with Reiki
Chapter 11: Applying Reiki to Yourself
Putting Yourself First
Preparing to Give Yourself Reiki
Treating Yourself with Reiki
Chapter 12: Reiki Rocks! Using Crystals with Reiki
Exploring the Healing Power of Crystals
Distinguishing between Crystals, Rocks, and Gems
Finding the Right Crystals for You
Staying Crystal Clear: Cleaning a Crystal’s Energy
Giving Your Crystal a Reiki Charge
Bringing Crystals to the Reiki Table
Part IV : Sharing Reiki with Others
Chapter 13: Putting Together a Reiki Healing Session
Finding Your Reiki Style
Preparing Yourself to Give Reiki
Getting Your Surroundings Ready
Merging Different Healing Practices
Considering Ethics and Boundaries
Going through the Session
Receiving Guidance through Intuition
Cleaning and Protecting
Chapter 14: Experiencing Reiki in a Group
Participating in Reiki Events
Harnessing the Power of Group Reiki
Going on a Reiki Retreat
Taking Reiki to the Community
Chapter 15: Sending Reiki Where Needed
Like a Prayer: Understanding How Reiki Can Be Sent
Getting Permission to Send Distant Reiki
Getting Prepared for Distant Reiki
Performing the Distant Reiki Session
Using Distant Reiki to Heal Yourself
Sending Reiki to Many at Once
Chapter 16: Combining Reiki with Other Health Practices
Discovering How Reiki Heals
Integrating Reiki into Medical Care
Using Different Reiki Techniques for Illness or Pain
Using Reiki in Special Situations
Matching Reiki with Bodywork
Using Reiki with Counseling
Using Reiki to Change Habits and Heal Addictions
Chapter 17: Becoming a Professional Reiki Healer
Making a Business out of Reiki
Maintaining High Standards
Planning Your Reiki Business
Being Part of the Reiki Community
Part V : The Part of Tens
Chapter 18: Ten Uses for Reiki in Everyday Situations
Helping Plants Reach Their Potential
Boosting Your Food’s Fortitude
Shoring Up Your Water
Making the Most of Your Medicine
Calming Computer Problems
Managing Money with Reiki
Bolstering Up Your Automobile
Cleaning and Clearing Out Clutter
Protecting Loved Ones
Shielding Your Home
Chapter 19: Ten Uses for Reiki as a Tool for Personal Growth
Receiving Healing with Reiki
Going Inward with Meditation
Honoring the Reiki Principles
Getting Attuned to Reiki
Keeping a Journal
Empowering Your Affirmations with Reiki
Giving Reiki to Others
Setting Your Intentions
Letting Your Intuition Blossom
Living with Integrity
Chapter 20: Ten Common Myths about Reiki
Mikao Usui Was a Christian Minister
Dr. Mikao Usui Studied at the University of Chicago
You Must Believe in Reiki to Benefit from It
You Must Pay for Reiki for It to Benefit You
You Should Not Charge for Reiki
There Is Only One Right Form or School of Reiki
Reiki Is a Religion
You Know How Reiki Will Heal You
Reiki Can Cure Anything
Reiki Can Be Used Instead of Medicine
Chapter 21: Ten Non-traditional Reiki Symbols
Double Cho Ku Rei
Tibetan Dai Ko Myo
Tibetan Fire Serpent
Raku
Zonar
Harth
Halu
Antakharana
Om
Shoshana
Appendix: Great Reiki Resources
International Association of Reiki Professionals (IARP) Codes of Ethics
Reiki Organizations
Reiki Magazines
Reiki Branches
Reiki Chat Forums and E-Mail Lists
Reiki History and Usage Information
Reiki Schools and Teachers
Other Related Information
Glossary
T he touch of a hand is increasingly recognized as being important and also absent in much of modern medicine. Reiki as an alternative and complementary therapy provides the soothing comfort of human touch. This can make a world of difference to someone in pain. Reiki is the energy of love that never ends. You can experience the bliss of Reiki as a recipient and receive healing that is channeled through another. Or you can learn Reiki yourself to boost your personal growth and enlightenment.
Reiki has gained in popularity as more people seek solutions to personal and global problems. You might have tried meditation and yoga or even massage. Reiki is a natural partner to these and other healing practices. The person to thank for the Reiki healing system is a Japanese man named Mikao Usui (1865–1926). He developed the original Reiki system that has blossomed into a multitude of worldwide branches. What is common to all Reiki systems is the channeling of the Reiki life-force energy.
Reiki comes from a higher source — call it God, higher power, creator, or spirit. A series of simple initiations turns on your Reiki “light switch,” which gives you the lifelong ability to channel Reiki energy. The benefit you get from Reiki and how much you can help others depend on how often and with what intent you use Reiki. The more you use Reiki, the more you get out of it.
Reiki connects you with the ultimate source of healing at all levels. If you desire peace, consciousness, healing, or enlightenment, then Reiki is for you.
Reiki may not seem like a down-to-earth subject, but this is a down-to-earth book about Reiki. The open-access style of the For Dummies series makes this comprehensive book on Reiki pleasant to navigate and use.
Reading this book doesn’t make you a Reiki practitioner, but you can use this book as a reference and guide as you use Reiki in your own life and to help others.
Reiki is practiced all over the globe, and the Reiki techniques presented in this book include those commonly used from both Western and Japanese lineages. Many classes and sessions today incorporate techniques from both types of Reiki. Japanese Reiki is becoming more popular as previously unknown Japanese practitioners present their version of Reiki in Japan, and in the West. So both Western and Japanese Reiki classes are taught worldwide.
The most well-known Reiki lineage passed from Mikao Usui to Chujiro Hayashi to Hawayo Takata of Hawaii. The students of Takata then taught more students, who became the major source of so-called Western Reiki. My Reiki teachers came from this initial lineage.
I include a discussion of chakra-energy systems even though these weren’t part of Usui’s original teaching. I think this information helps you to see how the Reiki energy system fits into other energy systems that are used today.
You find the four basic Reiki symbols and some additional nontraditional Reiki symbols illustrated in this book. This information was previously considered secret — to be revealed only after paying a teacher. More and more authors of Reiki material choose to include this information and make the distinction between sacred and secret. The Reiki symbols are sacred. I hope that you take the information on the symbols along with other information in this book in the manner in which it is offered: with deep respect for the people who have come before me, and those who come after me in Reiki.
You find ample illustrations of not only the Reiki symbols but also the Reiki hand positions (for treating yourself or treating another).
Reiki is miraculous in that it can help you transform illness or difficulties in your life. But the exact nature of the miracles that Reiki provides differs from person to person. Reiki may help one person recover from cancer, and another may reach a place of peace and die. One person may find that his marriage is rejuvenated, and another may decide to live apart from his mate.
Because of the individuality of the response to Reiki, I don’t include Reiki miracle stories. What may work in one way for you will work in a different way for someone else. I don’t want you to read that one woman overcame her infertility with Reiki and think it will work for you that way too. Instead, maybe you’re meant to adopt a child who is waiting for you somewhere. You get the picture? Reiki will bring you to your highest outcome, whatever that might be.
In terms of my own story, Reiki is a major tool that helps me in every single area. But this book is not about me; like Reiki, this book is coming through me. I add my personal experience where I think it can help the reader in his life. I also include a few other personal stories, in sidebars, to give you a sense of the variety of responses to Reiki.
Different Reiki practitioners use different terminology to cover the topics of Reiki, and here are the terms I’ve chosen to use in this book:
The person who receives Reiki is called the Reiki recipient.
The person who gives Reiki is called the Reiki practitioner.
Higher power, God, or Universal Energy is called spirit.
Because a Reiki recipient or practitioner can be male or female, I use both the he and she pronouns throughout the text.
You’ll also notice some changes in text font to get your attention:
The first time I define a term in the chapter, I italicize the word.
I use boldface to emphasize action steps.
When I list Web addresses, I use monofont.
Go ahead and read the chapters that interest you. Or, if you’re using this book for a Reiki class, read the chapters your teacher recommends. What you do with the other chapters is your own business. What’s nice is that you have the information on your bookshelf when you need it.
Also, note that the information presented in sidebars is incidental to the main chapter and you can skip them if you want.
I assume that you, the reader of this book, fall into at least one of the following categories:
You’re curious to find out more about Reiki.
You’re considering trying Reiki for yourself or a family member.
You’re looking into taking Reiki classes.
You want a book to guide you through classes and the beginning of your Reiki practice.
You might be one of the following:
A skeptic who is open minded: “I’ll reserve final judgment until I’ve read the book or tried it out.”
A newbie to Reiki: “I want to know more about Reiki. Bring it on.”
A New-Age aficionado: “I’m open to just about anything. I want to add Reiki to the techniques I already use.”
I’m assuming that you also may be saying, “I’m smart, but I really don’t know much about this subject and don’t want to spend too much effort getting the information I need to know.” In order for you to get this most from this book, I’d like to assume that you’re doing the following:
Keeping an open mind to the possibility that Reiki can help you
Seeing whatever concept you have of God, higher power, universal energy, or spirit as the source of Reiki energy
Using Reiki to build upon and supplement your own personal growth and healing practices
Being ready to make some changes in your life and let Reiki help you do that
Taking what you like from the book (and Reiki) and leaving the rest
Reiki can work for everyone, even someone who doesn’t believe in it. The only person for whom Reiki doesn’t work is the person who doesn’t want Reiki. And that’s okay, if that’s you. Come back if you change your mind.
Reiki information is separated into the following parts so you can easily find what you need.
I provide Reiki basics and background information in this section. The system of Reiki is traced from Mikao Usui’s founding of Reiki in Japan to developing Reiki branches all over the world. Though Reiki is an “energy medicine” with similarities to other systems, Reiki has distinctive features that separate it from other energy-healing techniques. The Reiki principles, which were delineated by Usui, are another common feature of all Reiki branches, and they have their own chapter in this part.
To experience Reiki is to know a feeling of bliss. Everyone deserves this feeling of absolute harmony, which will keep you coming back for more. Anyone in your family can use Reiki at any age for any cause. Even your pets will appreciate a Reiki treatment to help them with an illness or just as a general energy boost. In this part, find out what a Reiki session feels like and what you can expect. Hint: Expect the unexpected!
Going farther with Reiki means taking Reiki classes, and I explain the many varieties in this part. I include information about the Reiki symbols (2nd-degree Reiki and beyond), techniques to channel and use the Reiki energy to help others, and methods to give yourself Reiki. As a fun addition to this part, I include information on adding crystals to a Reiki practice.
When you have your Reiki practice under your belt, you’ll want to contribute to the well-being of others on either a volunteer or professional basis. This part describes how to structure a Reiki session and start using Reiki professionally. You may want to join or start your own Reiki shares or circles or bring Reiki to your local hospital. Reiki has the ability to pass through time and space, so you find out how to use Reiki to heal events all over the world, and even in the past or future. Reiki is a natural companion to many therapeutic treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, massage, psychotherapy, and chiropractic work, so practitioners from these other therapies can find ways to use Reiki to help their patients and clients.
This traditional part of the Dummies series lists information in accessible lists of ten. You find uses for Reiki in everyday life, tips to apply Reiki for personal growth, a list of Reiki myths, and ten extra nontraditional Reiki-inspired symbols.
After the Part of Tens, I provide an appendix of Web sites, books, and other contact information to help you go farther with Reiki. That same appendix includes the International Association of Reiki Professionals Code of Ethics. After the appendix is a glossary of Reiki terms in one convenient place.
Icons are the little drawings in the margins of the book that are designed to draw your attention to certain topics. They serve as guides to the type of information being provided.
The beauty of this book, like all For Dummies books, is that you can start reading any place you like. You can flip through the pages and see what page opens up first, or you can scan the Table of Contents for chapters of interest.
You can always read from Chapter 1 and continue onward, though I don’t assume you’ll read every single chapter or that you’ll read the chapters in order. If you’re totally new to Reiki, I suggest Chapter 1 for an overview of Reiki. Then you may want to jump to Chapters 5 and 6 to see what Reiki can do for you. I wish you a bountiful healing journey with Reiki!
In this part . . .
R eiki is a natural and simple way to achieve healing at all levels: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Reiki is a Japanese word for “spiritual energy,” and the system of Reiki has evolved since it was founded by Mikao Usui in Japan. As Reiki has evolved through changes made by different Reiki masters, it still retains its essence: to provide healing to all who seek it.
This part includes basic information on what Reiki is and what it is not. You also find out about the founders of Reiki. In addition, I explain the five underlying principles of Reiki and how this energy system compares and contrasts with other types of energy healing.