what is reiki?
what is reiki?
- reiki -
reiki is a combination of two japanese words: rei and ki (also known as chi or qi). ki is interpreted as the life force energy that infuses all living things. rei is translated as the wisdom of god or a higher power. combined, it is interpreted as spiritually guided life force energy.
while reiki is present in all living beings and things and is available to everyone, practitioners of reiki have received intentional activation of these energies and are able to tune in to, transmit, and emit these energies more potently with their training and practice. reiki in healing sessions operates as a natural exchange of energies that benefits both the practitioner and the person in need. once trained and attuned to the specific symbols and their uses, a reiki person acts as a conduit for this universal life force energy: which then is directed to flow through them, projecting outward through the palms of the hands. positive intent and attention is focused on important energy centers and internal organs of the recipient (traditional full treatments incorporate 12 positions on (or above) the physical body). this is performed fully clothed while in a relaxed supine or seated position.
reiki is NOT an alternative to medical care. it is a companion and energetic supplement in any heath related issue. it helps reduce stress while increasing the natural flow of energy within the human body. many report the added benefit of reduction of pain and/or inflammation, as an added benefit of reducing stress on the physical and energetic bodies.
what is TIBETAN REIKI?
many reiki practitioners were trained and attuned through an instruction lineage originating with a man named mikao usui who lived, taught, and treated individuals through his healing center in japan. one of his students, dr. chujiro hayashi, created the system of instruction that was brought to the west by a woman named hawayo takata. her efforts and those of the International reiki association resulted in reiki becoming recognized as a form of energy healing throughout the united states.
our training lineage comes from a tibetan monk and healer named tschen li, who reportedly was the original teacher of mr. usui in the mountains of tibet in the late 1800’s. mr. usui sought him out to learn the healing principles and symbols which he then used to create the healing modality that he coined “reiki,” along with the five reiki principles that came to him in the mountains. tschen li later chose and mentored our teacher, dr. ralph white, to be the one to carry on the original teaching and lineage in its pure and expanded form. dr. white was then serving his country captaining ships throughout the pacific, and first met the tibetan monk through his offering of transport for sacred objects out of their occupied homeland. their student/teacher relationship began with lessons in meditation, and continued on for over 30 years.
dr. ralph white referred to his program as the tschen li-usui reiki program, honoring both mr. usui in his naming of the modality, along with his original teacher and his wisdom. we have chosen to refer to this reiki tradition as the “tibetan reiki” system to clarify our feeling that our trainings are distinct from the traditional lineage in the western world. while the two are closely interrelated and originate from the same original teachings and master, they derive from two students that had varying degrees of instruction and as such carry different focuses and energies within. furthermore we feel that the trainings, as with any modality, carry a degree of the energy of each teacher as it is transferred to each student down the line. we do not wish to assert any division in the world of reiki or assert any sort of hierarchy whatsoever. we believe each practitioner carries their own magic from a mixture of their essence, their lineage, the original teaching, their intent, and their own discipline and practice. and as our teacher has always taught us, intention carries the most weight - as you give 10% , spirit gives 90%. we urge each client to seek out what feels right to them, and what (or who) they resonate with. we simply wish to give due respect to our master, dr. ralph white, and how his lineage is a separate one from the more commonly known international reiki association lineag
as part of the expanded teachings, tschen li emphasized to dr. white the importance of meditation and the invaluable use of the human imagination to assist in the healing process. through visualizing and experiencing guided meditations, students can be led to higher levels of energy and consciousness where spiritual guides, teachers and mentors can be introduced. meditation and intentional thought builds on the reiki training and discipline, bringing access to increased potency and purity of the energy. the true goal is to train the student to achieve independence and incorporate the assisting energies into their own reiki healing practice, readily available 24/7. the understanding is that the collaborative effort increases the efficacy of the energy exchange.
our hope is to carry on the spirit of our teachings through sessions as well as trainings, and to activate & empower those that find us in their own path of personal healing.
we hold the deepest gratitude to the memory of dr. ralph white who passed away in december of 2010, and especially to his wife erna who has kept these teachings from tschen li alive, continuing to provide training, attunements and treatments to this day.
drawings by garnet fisher