Reiki is a magical universal energy that is deep within us all—the secret to connecting with it is simple.

The word Reiki is formed from two Japanese words Rei, meaning “God’s wisdom or higher power” and ki, which translates to “life force energy.”

Basically, Reiki is a spiritual life force energy.

Many people think that Reiki is an alternative therapy or a treatment to alleviate pain or illness. While Reiki can be used for these things, it is also a way of life.

Reiki isn’t something that lasts for half an hour on a therapist’s couch, it seeps into every part of life, if the basic principles are practiced regularly.

A lot of people already live their lives in alignment with Reiki and will very quickly find they have a strong connection.

When we start to learn about Reiki one of the first things we realize is each of have the capacity to heal ourselves.

We already know the answers to the causes of our conflict or pain. We need to just be still and we will find whatever we are seeking. Our greatest love and treasure is within us.

Practicing meditation regularly and learning to understand ourselves better, we can discover all that we need to heal—just by sitting still and listening.

Hermann Hesse explains this clearly in his book, Siddhartha and so does Paulo Coelho in his bestseller The Alchemist.

For centuries Reiki has been protected, with the practice being passed down through strict lineage lines with high fees being charged, in order to learn the skills and qualifications needed to practice and teach.

However, like with most things, we can pay for an experienced and qualified person to give us a quality treatment, but we can also learn the basics so that we can treat ourselves when we need it most.

Not everyone can afford Reiki treatments and sometimes when we are most in need of a treatment, there may not be a practitioner available

My hours of need have been late at night after a particularly stressful day or when I awake in the dark full of anxiety. It is durning these times that I am especially grateful for the miracles that I have received through being able to instantly calm and heal myself with very simple methods.

Reiki is a spiritual practice that anyone can tap into at any time.

To receive the full benefits, I recommend visiting an experienced practitioner.

I fully believe that everyone will benefit form understanding Reiki—how it works and how to connect with it.

Here are the basic principles of Reiki. 

The philosophies of Reiki are very similar to those of Buddhism, Yoga and other spiritual practices.

“The secret art of inviting happiness
The miraculous medicine of all diseases
Just for today, do not anger
Do not worry and be filled with gratitude
Devote yourself to your work. Be kind to people.
Every morning and evening, join your hands in prayer.
Pray these words to your heart
and chant these words with your mouth
Usui Reiki Treatment for the improvement of body and mind.”
~ Usui Mikao, the founder

The basics of Reiki are; mindful living, conscious thoughts and actions, alleviating negativity, being grateful and appreciation of life.

Since I was a teenager (years before I’d even heard about Reiki) I was already tapping into Reiki to heal myself.

If I had a headache, my instinct was to hold my hands to my head, allow my mind to calm and focus gently on the feeling of the warmth and energy flowing from my hands through to my head.

Within moments, my aches would ease and any stress that I was feeling would alleviate. I would then do the same if I had tummy pains, shoulder pains and even heartache.

I would lie down, on my bed, or sit on the sofa and fully relax allowing the focus to move toward the area in need. I begin to feel vibrations flowing to my hands whenever I even think about Reiki healing.

As soon as the connection is made, the energy and heat flows naturally.

I discovered most often the pain had manifested through emotional trauma.

By meditating while placing my hands on the areas of pain, I found it possible to uncover areas within my life, I didn’t even realize were causing me distress.

Once I learned to break down the cause of the emotional pain, I was able to rid my body of the physical aches too.

To benefit fully from the energy that Reiki creates, it is necessary to calm the mind, relax and surrender to the treatment.

A basic Reiki healing treatment for yourself.

1. Sit down somewhere comfortable or lie down and keep the body still.

2. Listen to your body, relax it completely and scan it from top to toe to connect with how it is feeling.

3. Slow your breathing and focus on the mind, gently consider anything that may be causing you emotional distress.

4. Feel the energy travel to the hands, be open to it and allow the sensations to filter through them—you may feel heat or tingling, this is normal.

5. Place the hands on or above the area that you instinctively feel that needs focus.

6. Just stay in this position allowing the energy of your body to flow through your hands, with your mind calm, relax as much as possible and let go of any negative energy that you may be holding.

7. Notice how the body and mind is feels and when you feel ready, slowly awake and rise gently.

Receiving a Reiki treatment, either from your self or from a practitioner, gives the feeling of a glowing radiance flowing through and around your mind, body and spirit.

I have likened a Reiki treatment to being wrapped tight in a spider’s cocoon, completely protected and safe. Experiencing the sensation of being entirely immersed in love and divine light. My body, mind and spirit connected as one, while a warm glow surrounds me.

Reiki is not something that is explained easily, it is something that is felt and experienced. So many people do not consider Reiki as they think it is a complex practice that takes a lot of training. I believe that Reiki is the most simple and loving thing we can do for ourselves. It is just a blend of mindful thinking, understanding our selves clearly and breaking down areas that are built-ups with pain.

Our life energy is already flowing, we just need to embrace it, not fear it, and we will very quickly discover how to gently free our bodies and minds of any negativity.

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Author: Alex Sandra Myles

Editor: Ashleigh Hitchcock

Photo: flickr