What is Reiki?

As a Reiki Master Teacher I encounter numerous questions concerning Reiki. A lot of information can be found on the Internet - however, some of the information is misleading, inaccurate, other just plain biased. It's almost impossible trying to describe Reiki in a couple of short sentences - but this description sums it up pretty neatly.


Reiki was rediscovered in Japan by Dr. Mikao Usui in the late 1800's or early 1900's. He went to Mt. Kurama on a 21-day fasting retreat. On the last day he had a satori (enlightenment).

Reiki is a Japanese form of stress reduction that also promotes healing at the same time. Reiki is based on the Asian concept of life energy. It is done by laying hands on. A subtle energy flows from the hand of the practitioner into the client and it is this energy that creates the relaxation and healing effect. Reiki works on all levels of our being and focuses on the 4 levels of existence: the physical level (the body and manifested pain), mental level (what you are allowing others to think and believe), emotional level (what you are feeling), and spiritual level (your capacity to love yourself and others).