The Nature of Reiki: A Path of Inclusion

Hearing the Word

"In the beginning was the Word; and the Word was with God;
and the Word was God."
John 1:1 - King James Bible

The word of God is the sound of creation. It contains within it the inseparable quality of the life force. Reiki is a Japanese word which, when translated, means Universal Life Force Energy. This soundless sound, or word of God, is the causative vibration of light and Love that has always been and always will be, it is light and Love in motion. In a sense, Reiki is the word of God.

The Chinese translation of the same Kanji (or characters) that create the concept “Reiki” is “life force energy from beyond the beyond”. In other words, life force from a place beyond intellectual conception. Its balance and intelligence can be easily seen by observing the life pattern of anything from an amoeba to a galaxy and everything in between. Take, for example, the human body. It is so complex that science is involved in an ever-expanding study of how it works. Did you ever notice that there is no end to this study? No matter how advanced our technology becomes, the mystery of how the life force interpenetrates, revitalizes, regenerates, connects, and balances the trillions and trillions of cells in our body’s remains beyond our understanding. Studying the effects of these complex interactions is a fascinating, yet endless pursuit.

Sometimes it appears that an imbalance within the system has taken place which can lead to all manner of physical and emotional problems. Typically, the field of health care will investigate the effects or symptoms of this imbalance and seek to stabilize it. The result is an ever-expanding array of approaches, such as drugs, technology and modalities to deal with the situation. Even holistic or alternative health care practitioners are often focused on the effects. Instead of a prescription drug, vitamins or nutrients of some sort are commonly offered. Perhaps balance is found through various modalities like massage, Thai Bodywork, QiGong, Reiki, Craniosacral Therapy or something similar. These are all wonderful ways to bring ourselves back to homeostasis[1], or healthy balance. It cannot be denied that these methods can be effective.

In fact, I remember a personal incident when I had an illness that brought moderate fear into my life. My initial visit to the doctor suggested I get a biopsy and prepare for an operation. The thought of becoming part of the medical system sent shudders down my spine. I decided I would try to heal myself. I struggled to overcome my problem using every modality I knew. Two or three months went by to no avail. The pain was as severe as it had been from the onset. Frightened and confused as to why I had not been able to heal myself, I sought counsel from a gifted friend of mine who acted as a channel for “higher” information to be vocalized through her. When asked what I could do to demonstrate a healing, the reply was a surprise. “Go to a doctor you feel comfortable with, and let them take some of the burden from you. You have been trying too hard and just need to release some of your concern to someone you trust, and in the space of allowing, your healing will occur much faster.” I felt relief as I heard the message. It immediately resonated as true.

I promptly sought out a holistic chiropractic physician and began treatment.  Within a couple of months I was feeling less pain and a lot less fear. But more importantly, I now had space to explore the mental and emotional issues that surrounded and created my illness in the first place. In this way I moved toward a vibrational shift that was complete and my healing permanent. I believe that when we use the help available to us we can more easily move into alignment with the life force that animates our being. Let me be clear about my gratitude regarding modern allopathic medicine and the broad spectrum of alternative approaches. They have served us well in many ways. Countless ailments and even disease have been eradicated because of the dedicated individuals researching how the physical body works. My heartfelt thanks goes to them all.

Yet, all too often, even in alternative and holistic practices, I see people who just want to be “fixed”. They want someone else to do the work for them without ever spending time with themselves. The problem with this is that unless we are able to genuinely shift the root of the problem it will continue to manifest. It may look a little different the next time, but rest assured that until we address the block inhibiting the life force (Reiki) from moving freely through our body/mind, we will continue to be plagued.  Trying to escape this truth often leads the person from one modality to another, creating a storyline all its own which keeps him or her from addressing core issues.

Please notice that I have not stated we have to find the root of the problem, only that we have to shift it from a very deep place. We may or may not be able to discover the root of our illness. In fact, sometimes as we tunnel back to the past, we end up getting caught in more and more pain since that is where we are focused. If you feel it necessary to journey into the past to heal the present, do so with clear intention and a watchful eye.

For those searching for something different than endless techniques, claiming one is more powerful than the next, perhaps a dip into Source itself will serve us in working from a place beyond intellectual understanding; a place where the journey itself brings healing while we are gently guided to the next step; a place where the flow of life force carries us peacefully into the arms of God. “For man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of The mouth of God”[2]. In other words, our life is not sustained only by the physical care we give it, but also by the full spectrum of life force energy emanating from Source[3], or God.  In his book, Friendship with God, Neale Donald Walsch quotes God as saying “God is the life force energy turned all the way up!”[4]

What if we begin to think of Reiki as the essence of who we are? After all, doesn’t the life force permeate every cell of our being?  What if we could align our consciousness with the intelligent consciousness of the life force? What if Reiki were more than a hands-on healing technique and we could use it to expand into greater awareness? What if the possibilities of our limited self could be expanded to the unlimited self? Would you want to take the journey? If you answered yes, I invite you to enjoy looking at a new view of the history of this gentle but powerful force. You’ll soon discover that its known history beckons an inquiry into its use long before Dr. Usui, who is credited with bringing Reiki to the modern world in the early 1900’s. If you answered no, and you just want to learn more about the “hands-on” aspect of using it, I invite you to continue, for that too is covered in detail.

In either case, perhaps you will be able to answer the question, “what is Reiki?” from an experiential and personal place after you have opened to the concepts and exercises offered in this book. Truly, your experience is the only way to understand it.