Crescent Shadows On-Line Newsletter of the Hudson Valley Pagan Network, Inc.

Reiki (Ray’ key) is a healing technique that consists of energy transfer through the “healer” or practitioner to the client. It often uses but is not dependent upon a laying on of hands technique. Reiki is theorized to have originated thousands of years ago in Tibet as a Buddhist practice which through time and secrecy was eventually lost. It was rediscovered in the late 1800’s by Dr. Mikao Usui. “Reiki” means “the life force which is guided and informed by Divine consciousness”. In essence, the practitioner becomes a channel through which the Divinely guided energy flows into the client.

Reiki is like other hands-on energy healing techniques in some ways, but it is also very different from them in others. It can be said that everyone using energy hands-on healing techniques are doing so with Ki. Ki, or energy, passes from the healer into the client which then effects healing by re-energizing depleted areas and clearing blockages in the overall energy flow. However, it would be incorrect to say they are all using Reiki. We all have personal Ki within and certain healing techniques make use of this personal Ki. Reiki, however, does not make use of personal Ki. In Reiki, the healer is only the vessel through which the Ki passes to the recipient. The origin of the Ki in Reiki is Universal Divinity. Therefore the Reiki healer does not get depleted of personal Ki by doing a treatment and is in fact able to benefit from the work as much as the recipient because they are also replenished by the Ki as they channel it. Also, those who use personal Ki in their healing work typically must consciously gude it toward its healing goal through concentration, visualization, or altered states of consciousness. It is not necessary to guide Reiki in any way. The healer need not even have any conscious awareness of the health problems of the recipient. Reiki is self-guiding.

Reiki can be used as a complimentary approach to the treatment of most any illness. It treats illnesses on all levels, physical, mental, and spiritual. It is never harmful and can actually improve outcomes from other forms of treatment. However, Reiki should never be promoted as an alternative to standard medical care or as a guaranteed form of healing. Clients treated with Reiki will typically experience reduced stress, increased energy, increased sense of well being, pain reduction or elimination, and a shortened healing time. However, results will vary from case to case.

If you are interested in learning more about Reiki please feel free to contact me personally and watch for upcoming announcements for HVPN University where I plan to offer an informational class about Reiki.

— Allan F. Patnode, Reiki Master/Teacher

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Last Updated: January 30, 2002
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