| Reiki is an ancient method 
                          of healing that is performed by the laying on of hands. 
                          It is based on the idea that a universal life force 
                          is flowing through all of us. If one’s life force 
                          is low, we feel lethargic and are more prone to becoming 
                          sick. If one’s energy force is high, we feel happier, 
                          healthier and more alive. Through a practitioner’s 
                          hands, healing is channeled into the individual to increase 
                          the amount of life force available to him or her. The term, "Reiki" 
                            is consists of two Japanese words, “rei” 
                            which means “higher power or universal wisdom” 
                            and “ki”, which refers to the life force 
                            flowing in all living beings.  A Reiki treatment is done with 
                            patient sitting or lying down. The practitioner moves 
                            his or her hands to different areas of the patient’s 
                            body. Healing energy is then directed into the body 
                            and moves to wherever it is needed. To the receiver, Reiki energy 
                            feels like a glowing warmth flowing in and around 
                            the body. As healing occurs, feelings of anxiety are 
                            often released. A sense of relaxation, well-being 
                            and peaceful security ensues. Any injured or weakened 
                            areas of the body are soothed. The benefits of Reiki 
                            are physical, spiritual and emotional.  Reiki is an amazingly simple 
                            and safe treatment that anyone can learn. The ability 
                            to give reiki to others is passed on during an “attunement” 
                            given by a Reiki master. This attunement allows Reiki 
                            practitioners to become a channel and tap into the 
                            supply of life force energy to help themselves and 
                            others.  Reiki is one of the more widely known forms of energy 
                            healing. Energy Healing involves direct application 
                            of Chi for the purpose of strengthening the clients 
                            energy system (aura). Chi is the term used by the 
                            Chinese mystics and martial artists for the underlying 
                            force the Universe is made of. Mystics in all cultures 
                            have talked about the physical universe being made 
                            of an underlying form of something, much as modern 
                            physics research is now coming to understand the Universe 
                            is made of energy which is subject to (or affected 
                            by) thought. Just as modern physics says this energy 
                            is affected by thought the mystics also say this underlying 
                            form is affected by thought, going so far as to claim 
                            we create our own reality from our thinking and the 
                            thoughts we share between each of us every day.
 Stop and reflect for a moment. 
                            Imagine the implications of the universe around us 
                            made from energy which can be shaped and manipulated 
                            by thoughts. This is the implication of both Quantum 
                            Physics and ancient Metaphysics. Might this make some 
                            diseases easier to explain, especially those which 
                            have no apparent physical cause? Might this make miraculous 
                            cures easier to explain? For example there was research 
                            study done a couple years ago showing that prayer 
                            improves the health of those who are prayed for, the 
                            focus of intent in prayer sends thoughts out in the 
                            form of "I wish such-and-so to happen", 
                            so if the world is energy subject to the power of 
                            thought then prayers must work (depending on how clearly 
                            and carefully you hold and elaborate on the prayers 
                            or thoughts).  Remember this while reading 
                            here about Reiki.  Reiki is very easily learned, very simple to use, 
                            and beneficial for all. It is one of many forms of 
                            healing through the use of the natural forces which 
                            were given the name Chi by ancient chinese mystics. 
                            Some forms of healing using Chi energy forces are 
                            Chi Gong, Pranic Healing, Chelation (as taught by 
                            Brabara Brennan and Rosalyn Bruyere), and Polarity 
                            Balancing. All (apparently) use the same energies, 
                            with the difference being techniques of application 
                            and an energy quality commonly known as vibration. 
                            (This term vibration is widely used in the "New 
                            Age" community to refer to the range in experience 
                            between the dense or low vibration of the physical 
                            world to the high vibration of the highest spiritual 
                            expression; while the term is inadequate to truly 
                            describe the differences, and while Reality is probably 
                            not a simple bipolar scale of experience, the term 
                            is descriptive of how the energy feels). I'm reluctant 
                            to definitively say Reiki uses Chi because I am not 
                            an expert on what the Chinese mean by this word. To 
                            my eye the force referred to with the name Chi is 
                            the same as Prana, Orgone, Odic, they are all names 
                            for the same force.
 Since the word Reiki means 
                            Universal Life Force Energy, it (strictly speaking) 
                            refers to the energy and not the specific techniques 
                            taught by Reiki Masters. The techniques are more properly 
                            called the Usui System of Natural Healing after the 
                            founder of the system, Dr. Mikao Usui. However as 
                            Reiki is the common name, and a fine name at that, 
                            this is the name we will use here. A Reiki healing is very simply 
                            performed. The practitioner places his or her hands 
                            upon the person to be healed with the intent for healing 
                            to occur, and then the energy begins flowing. The 
                            Reiki energy is smart since the Universe is a very 
                            smart place indeed. The energy knows where to go, 
                            and what to do once it gets there, or else is being 
                            directed by a higher intelligence. The energy manages 
                            its own flow to and within the recipient. It draws 
                            through the healer exactly that amount of energy which 
                            the recipient needs. All this happens without direct 
                            conscious intervention by the healer. The healers 
                            job is to get out of the way, to keep the healing 
                            space open, and to watch/listen for signs of what 
                            to do next.  Reiki is capable of healing 
                            anything because it works at very fundamental levels 
                            of reality. Even though the capability is there, this 
                            is not what always happens. The limits to Reiki seem 
                            to be in the recipients willingness to cast off old 
                            habits and patters, to accept change and to accept 
                            healing. The level of reality where Reiki operates 
                            is the underlying energy structure of matter, as the 
                            physical matter we see around us is a solidified form 
                            of energy (Remember Einsteins famous equation which 
                            says that each unit of mass is equivalent to a certain 
                            amount of energy). At the level where Reiki functions, 
                            anything can be changed because all is fluidlike and 
                            is very malleable. Or so is the theory and so is the 
                            experience of Reiki practitioners. Emotional difficulties 
                            are just as healable as physical ones since emotional 
                            issues are even more directly present in the energy 
                            structures. In this context, the word Healing 
                            has a somewhat different meaning from the widely accepted 
                            meaning. The widely accepted meaning for healing seems 
                            to be curing of symptoms, for that seems to be what 
                            medical doctors and the like look to do in their practice. 
                            The other meaning for healing, used in the practice 
                            of Reiki as well as other related areas, is the return 
                            to greater wholeness. There is an ideal form each 
                            of us has, this ideal form being the highest and clearest 
                            expression of who we are. Pain or disease comes from 
                            any deviation between the persons current form in 
                            the 3D physical world and this ideal form. Healing, 
                            then, is to bring this physical form into closer alignment 
                            with the ideal form. The way we aquire deviations 
                            from our ideal form is to accept limitations into 
                            our life. Most of this comes from early childhood 
                            because that is the phase of life where we are the 
                            most open and inquisitive about life. A limitation 
                            may be a parent yelling "BE QUIET!!" enough 
                            times that the child learns to not speak. Another 
                            limitation may be a limp that continues longer after 
                            the physical injury has healed, maybe with phantom 
                            pains. These limitations are behavior patterns, eating 
                            patterns, physical limitations, imagined physical 
                            limitations, psychological, mental, or emotional ways 
                            of being, living, expressing or loving that is not 
                            in alignment with our personal highest expression. In any healing the goal is 
                            to find the limitation, recognize the pattern, recognize 
                            where it came from, and let it go. Reiki accomplishes 
                            this by providing the recipient enough energy to step 
                            above (metaphorically) to see all that and have the 
                            courage to let go. This usually does not happen consciously 
                            as a result of Reiki, but sometimes it does happen 
                            that Reiki gives the recipient the conscious awareness 
                            of the pattern and recognizing where it came from. 
                            Our lives are a constant flow of patterns of activity 
                            (such as the pattern used to accomplish eating breakfast) 
                            and it is our choice to have these patterns remain 
                            stuck in limited expression, or to release the old 
                            patterns and try on new and shinier ones. Reiki is also a gateway shining 
                            pure love into the universe. It is this love which 
                            allows us to transcend our wounds and help us remember 
                            our true nature.
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