Reiki is a old Japanese healing art rooted in the idea that life force energy (known in other traditions as qi, chi, or prana), flows through all of us, and that when this energy is plentiful and harmonized, we feel good, whole, grounded, and at ease.  If on the other hand it is blocked or unbalanced, it will tend to have the opposite effect. 

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For thousands of years Asian masters have studied how to understand and use energies.  Various systems were developed, some using sounds,  some symbols and / or movements for healing and optimizing qi.  As these practices evolved, many different "schools" came into being.  Mikao Usu, the founder of Reiki, likely studied and was influenced throughout his life by Shugendō, as well as medicine, Buddhism, Christianity, psychology, and Daoism.

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According to accounts Usui was 57 years old when seeking a deeper connection with the ultimate source, he embarked on a profound spiritual retreat at Mount Kurama, a sacred mountain north of Kyoto, where he spent 21 days in fasting, prayer, and meditation under the guidance of his Zen master. 

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In the final days of his fast, Usui reached a state of profound ego dissolution, often called the "Great Death", a state of total surrender and non-dual awareness.  He described a violent rush of universal energy,  a blinding beam of spiritual light which descended from above into his mind's eye.  He experienced intense waves of colours, the kind found in a rainbow - followed by a radiant white. Rather than a physical loss of consciousness, accounts describe the experience as a sudden spiritual awakening bringing about a moment of alignment and profound clarity, in which the sacred symbols and healing teachings that he had studied became clearly illuminated.  Usui realized he had become a channel for this unlimited source of universal life force, allowing transformation to occur without exhausting his own personal ki (qi). He called this Reiki; Rei, meaning Higher Power, and Ki - Life Force. 

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As this practice evolved, today through a gentle, hands-on (or near-body) touch, a Reiki practitioner acts as an antenna or channel for this pure source energy, helping it to move, circulate, transform and replenish.  Qi /Chi energy goes where it is most needed, not always where we intend or wish. While setting specific intention can be very helpful, during and after a session it can sometimes move in unexpected ways, creating long term, profound shifts.  As it moves through, it tends to eventually releases that which is no longer beneficial, helps steady and calm the mind, clear blockages, supports the restoration of a sense of wellness, and the balancing of Yin and Yang.

 

It's a beautiful and gentle and transformative practice, which can deepen one's connection to oneself and others, and also become a way of life.  Reiki is not intended to treat, diagnose, or cure any diseases, rather it enhances the body's innate ability to heal (especially emotionally) and can be a wonderful addition to other healing modalities both conventional and holistic.  Although this universal force flows through everything, including us, it should not be interpreted as the vital energy of a person (bio-energy, auric fields, or the deeper dimensions/templates of each individual being)

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Whether you're seeking personal healing or feel drawn to bring this gift into the world as a practitioner or teacher, the certification courses will guide you through each level from your very first introduction, to the ability to pass Reiki on to others.

Typically thought either one one one, or in group with 2 students.  Each course is a pre-requiste for the next one (with the exception of the final one).  If you already have some training from a different linage, please mention it at the time of booking.