Unit 5 CAM Project

Reiki Lesson 1 Lecture

Lesson Summary: This lesson addresses the question, "What is Reiki and where did
it come from?" This lesson will discuss Reiki, the different levels, and how the
attunement process works. It also identifies the five Reiki principles.
Lesson Content:
Reiki Basics
What is Reiki?
Throughout history, humankind has often turned to spirituality in times of distress.
Now, with so much hostility and destruction in the world, many people are turning
to higher agencies for guidance, and some are turning inwards. There are many
ways to aim the arrow of awareness towards your own center, and Reiki is just one
of them. Reiki is a perfect self-help system that adjusts to the user and requires no
medium, regardless of whether you are a newcomer to the inner world, a hardboiled intellectual, a body-oriented yoga student, a homemaker or a devotee. It puts
us back in touch with the long-forgotten but all-pervading life energy and teaches us
how to love ourselves again. It helps us bridge the manufactured gap between our
fellow human beings and nature, so we can all live in harmony again (Petter, 1998).
For some, Reiki is one of many forms of bodywork, for others it is an alternative
New Age healing art, and still for others, it is a meditation technique. It all depends
on the practitioner's viewpoint. Reiki is the energy that pervades everything
sentient and insentient. It is ever changing, yet always the same. In the eyes of Reiki,
everything is alive and therefore worthy of respect: from the rocks in your garden to
the hand of your beloved in yours. According to Indian, Tibetan, Chinese
philosophy, and now modern science too, we are surrounded by an incredibly lively
universe that is made up of energy. Scientists have recently demonstrated that what
used to be thought of as "solid" matter is in fact rapidly moving energy particles.
Solidity is an illusion caused by the limitation of our perception. Everything is
energy and, therefore, alive and receptive to energy (Petter, 1998).
The Different Levels?
Anyone can become a Reiki channel in a matter of a day or two. No skill and no
special preparations or degrees are necessary. It is our birthright. Once initiated into
Reiki, a person remains a Reiki channel throughout his or her lifetime, even if it isn't
put to use. Of course, daily practice deepens understanding of the universal life force
and helps one become a clear channel for it. There is no philosophy or religion
attached to it; it is pure energy. Reiki treatment is safe in any situation irrespective
of disease or discomfort, but it is no substitute for professional medical care. Reiki
can be easily combined with orthodox medicine, as well as with alternative healing
or relaxation methods. It's about time that orthodox and alternative healing
methods work hand-in-hand instead of competing (Petter, 1998).

The Reiki system is divided into three, and in some cases four, degrees that are like
building blocks. An individual does not have to complete the whole curriculum. In
fact, many people the world round have learned only the first or the first two
degrees. However, the sequence of the degrees has to be followed. Each degree is
complete in itself (Petter, 1998).
The Reiki system, according to the legacy of Dr. Usui, consists of three or four
degrees depending on the school. The difference lies only in how the degrees are
divided up. The Second and Third Degree symbols are almost identical. The slight
variations in the symbols stem from the fact that they were given to students on
different levels on the path (Petter, 1998).
In the following class, I will give a general description of each degree and its
function. A detailed description of the Second and Third Degree symbols will not be
given in this workshop. They can only be passed on to the student by a teacher, and
would be of no help to anyone not yet initiated into Second or Third Degree Reiki.
The Second and Third Degree Reiki initiation methods will not be mentioned at all.
They are well-guarded secrets passed on only to those who want to share Reiki,
which means sharing themselves with others (Petter, 1998).
How the Attunement Process Works
Reiki is not taught in the way other healing techniques are taught. It is transferred to
the student by the Reiki Master during an attunement process. This process opens
the crown, heart, and palm chakras and creates a special link between the student
and the Reiki source. The Reiki attunement is a powerful spiritual experience. The
attunement energies are channeled into the student through the Reiki Master. The
Rei or God-consciousness guides the process and makes adjustments in the process
depending on the needs of each student. The attunement is also attended by Reiki
guides and other spiritual beings who help implement the process. Many report
having mystical experiences involving personal messages, healings, visions, and past
life experiences. Once you have received a Reiki attunement, you will have Reiki for
the remainder of your life. It does not wear off and you can never lose it (The
International Center for Reiki Training, 2015).
Reiki History
Mr. Mikaomi Usui of Kyoto, Japan
Reiki is one of the Buddhist offspring of Qigong with added Shontoist influence. It
was rediscovered by Mr. Mikaomi Usui of Kyoto, Japan, toward the end of the 19th
century. It was he who named it "Rei-Ki."* In Japanese the character Rei stands for
holy, spirit, mystery, gift, nature spirit, or invisible spirit, and the character Ki means
energy, nature scene, talent, and feeling. Usually Reiki is translated as "universal life
energy." (Petter, 1998)
Mikaomi Usui was born on August 15, 1862, in the village of Yago, which is situated
in the Yamgata district of the Gifu prefecture, southern Japan. He was married to
Sadako Suzuki and had two children. He died on March 9, 1926, of a stroke, after

having recovered from two previous ones two years before. He is buried at Saihoji
temple, a Buddhist temple in the suburbs of Tokyo. His wife and son are also buried
there (Petter, 1998).
Mikaomi Usui made it his life's work to heal other people's body and mind. In the old
days in Japan, his students called him Usui-sensei, which means teacher. Usui-san
went out to heal the victims of the great Kanto earthquake that devastated Tokyo in
1923, and was honored for his good deeds by the Meiji Emperor of Japan (Petter,
1998).
The Western Reiki Movement
Most Reiki teachers describe the Western movement as follows: Before his death,
Dr. Usui passed his knowledge on to several others and made Mr. Chujiro Hayashi, a
commander in the Imperial Navy of Japan, the Reiki grand master with the
responsibility of leading all the other Reiki teachers. Hayashi brought Reiki from
Japan to the USA when he visited Hawaii at the end of 1936 to meet with one of his
students, Hawayo H.Takata. Ms. Takata was a "nikkeijin" (the Japanese word
"nikkeijin" means a Japanese immigrant living abroad) born on the island of Kauai,
Hawaii on December 24, 1900 (Petter, 1998).
Just how many people received the Reiki master title from Dr. Hayashi is unknown,
but we do know that he made Ms. Takata a Reiki master when he visited Hawaii in
1938. Just before his death on May 10, 1941, he declared Ms. Takata Reiki Grand
Master and head of the Reiki movement. Ms. Takata reportedly declared that in
1941 there were only five living Reiki Masters under her leadership. She, in turn, is
reported to have granted 22 masterships before her death on December 12, 1980,
and she willed the title of Grand Master to her granddaughter, Phyllis Lei Furumoto.
After Ms. Takata's death, the Western Reiki movement split into two directions: the
"Reiki Alliance" led by Phyllis Fururnoto and the "The Radiance Technique" led by
Ms. Barbara Ray and based in the USA. Several other Reiki branches grew out of the
"Reiki Alliance," such as the independent Reiki Masters (our line) and Osho Reiki
(Petter, 1998).
The Five Reiki Principles
Reiki not only heals diseases, but also amplifies innate abilities, balances the spirit,
makes the body healthy, and thus helps achieve happiness. To teach this to others
you should follow the five principles of the Meiji Emperor and contemplate them in
your heart. They should be spoken daily, once in the morning and once in the
evening (Petter, 1998).
1)Don't get angry today.
2)Don't worry today.
3)Be grateful today.
4)Work hard today (meditative practice).
5)Be kind to others today.

References
Petter, F. A. (1998). Reiki Fire: New Information about the Origins of the Reiki Power: A
Complete Manual (Shangri-La) . Twin Lakes, WI: Lotus Press.
The International Center for Reiki Training. (2015). Learning Reiki . Retrieved from The
International Center for Reiki Training: www.reiki.org/faq/learningreiki.html