It is widely accepted that we all filter our reality according to our own experiences, knowledge, perceptions, feelings & understandings. Of course, this is true of Reiki as well. Since no two people share the same filters it only makes sense that no two people share the same filters where Reiki is concerned. Therefore it is and means something completely different to each of us.

This is of vital importance when we are trying to explain and/or understand Reiki. It goes a long way towards explaining where something so simple has so many derivative styles and so many interpretations of each of those styles.

Dr. Usui’s own perceptions of Reiki would have been vastly different than any of our own perceptions due to the vast differences in experiences, knowledge, perceptions, feelings & understandings. Dr. Hayashi, who was much nearer to Dr. Usui than the rest of us (physically and culturally speaking) also had entirely different filters and so his own Reiki was also very different from that of Dr. Usui.

It’s kind of like that exercise where one person tells another a story, and then that person shares it with the next person in line, and so on down the line until the final version is remarkably dissimilar. This is how your Reiki was passed down to you. It’s no wonder so many people disagree about so many various aspects of Reiki. Its amazing we agree on anything!

Translations from the original Japanese are also an area where these filters can color things so that the prepared version is markedly different from the original. Take the Reiki Principles for example, I’ve seen so many variations of these simple five directives making it almost seem like completely different words were being translated.

Lao Tzu penned in the epic Tao Te Ching that “all words are lies”, that each and every word is colored by the different filters of the user and the receiver… and that these are never the same, resulting in completely different interpretations of each and every word.

The example of this I usually use to clarify this is the word ‘honey’. The word ‘honey’ is not honey. It is just the signal people use to refer to honey and everyone has different interpretations of exactly what that word means. The example of Buddha’s Finger pointing at the moon is also apropos. Once you see the moon, you don’t need the finger any more. Yet it is amazing about how many people still stare at the finger, as if it is the important thing, and completely disregard the moon. Kind of reminds me of a few dogs I’ve had the pleasure of keeping…

I’ve always found Lao Tzu’s statement quite fascinating. Even more interesting is that after he made it, that is, after he pointed out that all words are lies, he then filled many pages using these ‘lies’ to explain the way things really are… quite effectively I might add.

The words on this page are no exception. It really is amazing that people can communicate at all with this given. So I guess the whole point of these ‘lies’ I am sharing with you today is that we should always be endeavoring to read between the lies, or lines rather. It is the space between the words that hold the truth. That is where you will find ultimate understanding… not in the words.

So we should pay attention to these spaces and allow for the filters of others to color their understandings just as we allow our filters to color ours. Doing so will take you a lot closer to Total Reiki Mastery.

For further explanation or discussion, your thoughts are most welcome and highly encouraged, please feel free to comment below!!!

Had a very interesting encounter last night at one of the local watering holes. Thought you might like to hear about it…

I met a Japanese punk rocker and his girlfriend and you couldn’t image two greater sets of opposites. We spoke completely different languages… and I’m not talking about English and Japanese, because he spoke very good English… which was one of the first things that really surprised me. I mean our values, or interests, our education, our political leanings, our religions and basically everything that could possible be discussed were exact opposites.

You should have no problem then imagining my astonishment in finding out that he and his girlfriend were Reiki Masters.

You could’ve blown me over with a feather.

Upon discovering this I grilled him on Reiki, intent on proving his inability to properly understand Reiki, what with the tattoos, spiked hair and miscellaneous body piercings… how could he?

I failed.

His knowledge of the subtle Reiki energies, techniques and applications was amazing.

How could two people, with such diverse interests come together to agree at such a deep level on anything? Especially something as abstract as Reiki?

After coming to the realization that there was more to him than meets the eye it really got me thinking, and the implications that I may have seriously misjudged an entire generation is now uncomfortably looming much too closely.

This guy actually went as far as to show me a few energy exercises that even I had never heard of.

What moxie!!!

I guess there is a lesson to be learned here, although I can’t quite put my finger on it… something about not judging books by their covers or something like that. I’m sure I’ll figure it out once the shock wears off.

Imagine!!!

For further explanation or discussion, your thoughts are most welcome and highly encouraged, please feel free to comment below!!!

Subtle Reiki is is a rather advanced style of Reiki that I developed mainly for practice in understanding the subtle nature of Reiki energy. You can take a look at The Subtlety of Reiki for an introduction, should you care to.

I first began the development of Subtle Reiki about 5 years ago when I read the book Subtle Aromatherapy by Patricia Davis. In that book, she describes Subtle Aromatherapy as “the use of essential oils in non-physical ways” drawing on the vibrational, energetic qualities of the essential oils, rather than their physical, chemical properties. For Subtle Reiki its a bit different in that Reiki energy is, itself, comprised solely of vibrational, energetic qualities. So, for our purposes, Subtle Reiki involves an exploration of those subtle energies themselves, as well as of subtle hibiki, subtle responses, subtle indications and as well as the distinct subtleties involved with whichever aspect of healing (physical, mental, emotional and/or spiritual) is involved.

Let’s take a quick look at each of these in turn.

Subtle Energies

The first area of exploration in Subtle Reiki is in exploring the subtleties of the Reiki energy itself. This involves distinguishing between the subtle differences in the energy of different styles of Reiki, between the different Reiki symbols, between the different Reiki mantras, etc. This isn’t something that can be picked up over night and oftentimes requires years of experimentation with the various Reiki energies.

As was discussed in the 30 Day Reiki Challenge, there are a number of games that are useful (and enjoyable) when attempting to master these subtle differences. From ‘guessing’ which index cards has which symbol (if any) written on it to ‘guessing’ which cup of coffee or glass of beer has been Reikied, having fun with the process will keep it both challenging and interesting for many years.

Subtle Hibiki

All hibiki are not created the same, and beyond categorizing them into different degrees (as was discussed in Reiki Hibiki) it is also possible to notice variations within each of those degrees. Hibiki in different parts of the body have different meanings, just as reflexology type Reiki (treating the reflex points in the hands or feet in lieu of their actual counterpart) will give different readings than when scanning the actual area involved.

Many Reiki practitioners perform Byosen Scanning and then immediately apply Reiki when any type of hibiki is detected. In Subtle Reiki, we spend a bit of time exploring that hibiki first, in order to get a better understanding of it… both physically and psychically.

Subtle Responses

When giving a Reiki treatment many Reiki practitioners remain oblivious to the energetic responses being unconsciously given by the person they are giving the Reiki to. In Subtle Reiki, we are constantly aware of any reactions, responses and unconscious signals being communicated. Again, these communications can be either physical or psychic and without paying attention to them they are being missed.

Once these subtle responses are understood, healing can progress at a much deeper level… often involving the cause of the dis-ease, as opposed to just the effects.

Subtle Indications

Medically speaking, indications refer to signs that point to the cause, treatment, etc. of a dis-ease. I distinguish these from responses in that responses are generally caused by something you do, where as indications are present even before you start your Reiki treatment. For our purposes, the indications are not the problems. Even though they might be remedied quite quickly, we are primarily concerned with the causes.

In the case of a headache, the headache itself might be healed quite easily, but it may be indicative of undue stress (or any of a number of causes) and by seeking further indications, which are generally quite subtle and may occur at physical, mental, emotional and/or spiritual levels, staying on the alert for them will lead to much deeper healing.

Aspect Related Subtleties

Depending on whether the treatment is directed towards physical, mental, emotional and/or spiritual healing there are different mechanics involved. Being aware of the subtleties involved in spiritual healing, for example, will help considerably in the treatment.

When you perform any type of Reiki treatment, curiosity about the root causes should always be a consideration. The more curious you are, the more likely you are to explore the symptoms, indications, responses, reactions, etc. and their presence in any of number of guises. Application of a Subtle Reiki frame of mind to whatever style of Reiki you use can only lead to a deeper understanding of Reiki as well as a deeper level of healing.

For further explanation or discussion, your thoughts are most welcome and highly encouraged, please feel free to comment below!!!

Recently the National Fatwa Council (NFC) of Malaysia issued a fatwa or religious edict declaring yoga as haram (prohibited) in their latest fight to save the soul of Islam. Their argument is that there are religious elements inherent in yoga that the council feels are against the tenets of Islam. This follows another recent fatwa against tomboys, declaring also that girls that act like boys are in violation of the tenets of Islam. Last year Pakistani Clerics sought a fatwa against hugging which has been said to denote a trend towards conservatism by those in authority, and whether or not it is right or wrong is not my place to say, but I do see it as a threat to Reiki in that Reiki and Yoga (as well as other spiritual pursuits) share some strikingly similar fundamentals.

Most people who practice Yoga do so for the asanas, or postures, as they have been proven over thousands of years to promote health. The spiritual aspects of Yoga are seldom taught and are not even understood by most Yogis… especially those outside of India. The same holds true for Reiki, that is, the spiritual aspects are quite neglected and most Reiki practitioners do so for the physical, mental and emotional health benefits. This includes most of the Reiki practitioners here in Japan.

I know many Muslims practice Reiki, as there are also many practicing Yoga, and if a fatwa is issued they will simply stop without question. I think a better alternative would be to create a style of Reiki that is geared strictly towards Islamic Spirituality as I know there are strict guidelines which need to be adhered to. For a deeper understanding of this you might want to have a look at The Spiritual Path of Islam, as it explains it much better than I ever could.

After reading that article I can see how both Reiki and Yoga could be considered to be against the spiritual path of Islam in its strictest sense, but I also see a very clear definition of how Reiki could be adapted to fit quite nicely into Islam, which I feel would be the best alternative, because, by my limited understanding of Islam it would be against Islam to deny oneself and others of an ability that was only made possible by Allah in the first place. Therefore, IMHO, an Islamic Reiki would be the best alternative for everyone.

For further explanation or discussion, your thoughts are most welcome and highly encouraged, please feel free to comment below!!!

Being a long-time fan of Monty Python and John Cleese I generally pay attention when I see something with his name attached, so it was with great curiosity that I watched his Laughter Yoga video. Knowing nothing about Laughter Yoga I first thought it was one of his wacky routines, but soon into it I found it was quite serious… well, as much as laughter can be anyway. Here is the video if you’d like to see what I’m talking about before I start applying it to Reiki.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXEfjVnYkqM

There are scores of stories, both clinical and anecdotal, about the healing powers of laughter, so combining two healthy endeavors, like laughter and yoga is not such a stretch of the imagination. Nor is the combination of laughter and Reiki… et voila, Laughter Reiki is born, and I can think of quite a few applications right off the top of my head (yeah… that’s right… where the hair used to be). Here are a few:

1. Add a laughing component to your Reiki circles… 10 minutes of laughter makes a much closer group while releasing the necessary chemicals to augment the healing in a rather enjoyable way.
2. Give yourself a Reiki treatment while watching the Three Stooges or whatever comedy tickles your funny bone.
3. Add laughter to your Reiki treatments… as revealed to John Cleese in the video, the laughter does not have to be real, but chances are one you start it will become real. Keep up on the latest bed-side humor and add it liberally to your Reiki healings.
4. Learn to be funny… there are quite a few books written about being funny, delivering jokes any of which can help you to add humor to your teachings, healings, Reiki shares, etc. and it will get you invited to quite a few more parties, which at Christmastime is a nice thing.

If you’re still not convinced there is an interesting article about the healing powers of laughter called Laughter is Good Medicine that makes a pretty compelling argument. Patch Adams presented a similar argument and if you don’t find the evidence that laughter t promotes a longer healthier life incentive enough than I only have one thing to say… pffffft!!!

For further explanation or discussion, your thoughts are most welcome and highly encouraged, please feel free to comment below!!!

Today I’d like to take a very brief look at the mechanics of Reiki Certification, and what it actually means to be certified in Reiki… as the variations are quite vast.

First, I’d like to point out that there are many different styles of Reiki and within each style there are potentially many more styles, as each person who teaches Reiki does so from their own experience and sees thing through their own filters. There is therefore, no set of rules or qualifications that applies to all the different types of Reiki in existence.

Looking at the various types of Reiki certification I see two ends to the spectrum, one that requires some type of training and one that doesn’t. The one that doesn’t, merely requires that you receive an attunement, these are generally done over a distance, and an accompanying explanation, which is usually found in some form of manual ranging from anywhere between 1 and 100 pages (and sometimes more). There is no proof that these attunements actually work and that you are actually being attuned to anything, yet this style of certification is quite popular and the number of ‘qualified’ teachers is growing exponentially.

Those that require some type of training can be done in anywhere from an hour to several hours (or even days). Some types of Reiki are more intense, while others are quite general. There are also some teachers who require more than others, even if they are teaching exactly the same material and exactly the same style. Again, there is no right or wrong… just vast differences in interpretations of what it means to give or receive certification.

I’ve received Reiki certifications after merely sending an email or forum post voicing my desire to have it. Others I’ve received after making payment through eBay, PayPal or other online options. But the trainings that I value the most were done live and in person, with Reiki Masters who were expert enough to answer all my questions, know exactly where I was on my Reiki path, and see to it that I was propelled to greater heights (or depths… as the case may be) in my Reiki training.

I’ve received great knowledge from many of the above, and while I would recommend the live training, I would not limit anyone to that… I never limited myself to it and wisdom comes from many directions.

The bottom line is that the certification itself is worth very little, its the training that I treasure and that I consider the true emblem of Reiki achievement. Make sure that the certification you pursue fulfills the requirements you desire. And above all… enjoy!!!

For further explanation or discussion, your thoughts are most welcome and highly encouraged, please feel free to comment below!!!

While in Tokyo this week I got into a discussion with a group of Reiki enthusiasts about Seiki Jutsu. They had read the comments I had made concerning Feng Shui and Seiki on these pages and were curious as to its relationship to Reiki. Now, I have studied both Classical Feng Shui and, shall we just say, some more modern approaches and the two are vastly different. Most of what is being taught in the West, I refer to as New Age Feng Shui… and it bears a striking resemblance to that which might be called New Age Reiki, on many levels. Allow me to elaborate…

The New Age movement, in its current incarnation, began roughly in the 1990′s. Earlier incarnations in the 60′s and 70′s seemed to be building up steam until the Harmonic Convergence in 1987 really propelled it to greater heights. While I don’t wish to belittle or denigrate the New Age movement in any of its capacities (I rather enjoy it in its many forms), I do wish to point out where certain boundaries have been crossed which might be construed as coloring outside of the lines in certain circles.

To take the example of Feng Shui, my Classical Feng Shui teacher really takes offense when anyone calls Diamond Feng Shui, or any of the other more contemporary versions, Feng Shui. I rather enjoy Diamond Feng Shui, but to his thinking it is criminal to sell a program like that and call it Feng Shui… its just bad Feng Shui, he always adds with a grin. True Feng Shui is derived purely from the Chinese Classics (originally from Guo Pu’s Burial Book) and for thousands of years the methods and formulas were perfected into what was originally called Kan Yu and later (about 1900) started being referred to as Feng Shui. Decorating your house by adding colors or objects in certain corners, starting in about the 1990′s and has more to do with Interior Decorating than Feng Shui and these additions have no impact at all on the energies of the environment… they just look and feel good (which is from whence their power derives). With the popularity of the Law of Attraction came even more additions to Feng Shui (affirmation cards, paraliminal recordings, etc.) which also have nothing at all to do with Feng Shui.

So what is Feng Shui then and what does this have to do with New Age Reiki? Glad you asked! Feng Shui is all about balance. Balancing the energies of your external environment. Just as Reiki is all about balancing the energies of your internal environment, so to speak, by correcting energetic imbalances on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels. Feng Shui works pretty much the same way by balancing the energies of the places you live and work in. For millennia the Ki in our surroundings has been shown to have a direct influence on us, and it was through a study of this Ki that Feng Shui was born.

Okay, back to Reiki, I really didn’t want to dwell on Feng Shui here, but rather on how the same phenomena can be witnessed with Reiki as with Feng Shui, that is, things being added to Reiki to make it easier and more appealing, sexier, as it were, in order to sell more courses and books. Truth be told, Reiki is not as easy as getting a distance attunement and putting your hands on someone to heal them. There is much more to it than that and while it doesn’t take a lifetime to master it, it can’t be done in a day either.

The original Reiki, as practiced by Dr. Usui & the Gang, may not have had all the bells and whistles it does today, and it is difficult to know exactly what was natural evolution and what was forced evolution (so to speak) and I certainly don’t want to step on any toes (well, any more than necessary anyway ) but one does need to bear in mind the impact the new age movement has had on Reiki and related (and non-related) pursuits. This is not to say that the Reiki practiced in Japan is any less vulnerable to the whims and arrows of the admen on Madison Avenue, the Reiki aficionados I was discussing this with this weekend were Japanese and they didn’t know very much about traditional Reiki at all… which only goes to show (exactly what, I don’t know, but I’m sure it shows something).

For further explanation or discussion, your thoughts are most welcome and highly encouraged, please feel free to comment below!!!

Recently I was asked about a certain Reiki Master who teaches that making mistakes is alright in Reiki. Of course different styles of Reiki have different beliefs and teach different philosophies about Reiki, and I have no problem at all with that, and to err is human and all that not withstanding I thought I’d take a quick look at this in greater detail.

The teacher in question was Diane Stein and in her Essential Reiki Workshop videos she teaches that in the past she has often made mistakes in the drawing of the Reiki Symbols, the sequence of Reiki patterns, the exact steps in an attunement, etc. and she says that, according to her Reiki guides and spirits, as long as the intention is there, Reiki, as intelligent energy, knows what to do and where to go so she doesn’t need to worry about it and instructs her Essential Reiki students to do the same.

Diane has received quite a bit of notoriety in her Reiki slash Wiccan beliefs, as she was one of the first Reiki Masters to share the Reiki Symbols publicly which drew quite a bit of criticism from some camps, while drawing accolades from others. Personally I don’t think that particular sharing makes any difference, for many reasons, not the least of which is that the energy is more in the drawing of the symbol than in the viewing of it.

Each Reiki symbol has an energetic frequency and some schools of Reiki teach that their use is optional. Others teach that use of the jumon (Reiki symbol names) is optional. Since they both contain the same energetic vibrations, use of either is fine, but, IMHO, you need to correctly use one or the other in order to get the exact frequency right. I personally use them both, as to avoid mistakes in this regard, as wek=ll as to strengthen the vibration, but one or the other will suffice.

When giving an attunement, each frequency is placed in particular spots of the auric field in order to complete, unblock or otherwise activate those Reiki channels in the recipient. I’ve never changed the order or to the best of my knowledge have neglected any steps in the sequence I was shown. Since I generally give 3 attunements per level, there are 3 chances to get it right although someone with the ability to see these energies in their proper place can see immediately if they’ve had the intended results. I used to always test to make sure the energy was in place afterwards, but I never encountered a situation where it wasn’t and have since dropped the testing phase.

Its been several years since I’ve watched Diane’s videos so I don’t recall exactly how she treats this, to the best of my recollection (which admittedly isn’t all what it used to be) she said that the Reiki spirits would correct any mistakes she made, and while I’m not sure if that is the case or not I do know that use of both, the energetic symbol and its related jumon greatly decreases the chance of mistakes in attunements as well as in healing, and I would recommend getting at least one of them right. I don’t believe there are any Reiki spirits at work, but there is an intelligent energy at work that does allow for certain mistakes to be corrected. To what degree would have to be tested, and it no doubt varies from Reiki practitioner to Reiki practitioner, but I think the sequences and symbols are easy enough to get right… except that third symbol… it’s a doosie! <technical term>

For further explanation or discussion, your thoughts are most welcome and highly encouraged, please feel free to comment below!!!

A few people have asked about comments I’ve made about the Japanese practice of Seiki, so I thought I’d shoot out a quick post about what it is all about for those who are interested. I can’t say too much about it due to my own teacher’s limitations, but I’ll share what I can.

Seiki, aka Seiki Jutsu, is a traditional Japanese Art which bears a striking resemblance to Reiki in many ways. One of the most distinguishable differences is that Seiki makes use of the Earth’s Energy Meridians and Chakras to pull in those energies to assist in healing and other aspects of life rather than pulling in universal energy as Reiki does. My own training in Seiki Jutsu is from the Ikuko Osumi lineage (which I believe may be the only remaining lineage) and I was lucky enough to find a connection to a student of one of her students.

Seiki History

The known history of Seiki dates back to the 1600′s, but it is possibly much older than that as its exact beginnings are lost with time. Ikuko Osumi learned Seiki from her aunt and her lineage can be traced back to her ancestor Eizon Hoin who became well known in Northern Japan after being tasked to restore an ancient shrine on Mt. Maki (Miyagi Prefecture) in 1641. The spirits of that shrine were very powerful and they were responsible for wealth in the region. When the area’s wealth dried up, Eizon Hoin restored it by reactivating the decrepit shrine.

As a historical note, Eizon Hoin’s grandfather was a famous samurai named Katsumoto Katagiri (1556-1615) (no relation to the Katsumoto played by Ken Watanabe in The Last Samurai) who was a very high ranking official to the warlord Hideyoshi Toyotomi (1536-1598) who ruled Japan during the turbulent later part of the 16th Century. He is a blurb about him:

Katsumoto was the son of Katagiri Naomasa. He first distinguished himself as one of the Seven Spears of Shizugatake, where he fought for Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1584). He participated in the Kyushu Campaign (1587) and was given a fief at Ibaraki in Settsu province. Following the death of Maeda Toshiie in 1599 Katsumoto became Toyotomi Hideyori’s official guardian and received a 28,000-koku fief in Yamato province at Tatsuta. He remained neutral during the Sekigahara Campaign and later attempted to negotiate a peace between Tokugawa Ieyasu and Toyotomi Hideyori. When his efforts proved in vain, he retired to his home, though his men fought for Ieyasu at the sieges of Osaka Castle. Out of regret that he could not bring peace between the Tokugawa and Toyotomi, Katsumoto committed suicide after Osaka fell.

Following his death in 1681 many mysterious legends grew concerning Eizon Hoin and in years to come he became worshiped as the spirit or guardian of Mt. Maki and its environs. Seiki was passed down through the family (although not restricted to it) and had little (if any) interaction with other branches of Seiki Jutsu.

Seiki Practice

Fortunately (or not) for Seiki, it was never Westernized. So there is no one giving distance attunements or selling certification. I know of several practitioners and there are several books written about it which give much more information about it than I can, so that would be your next step if you wish to learn more. The traditional learning of Seiki takes many years, and my teacher is very traditional and does not allow for shortcuts and she doesn’t have very much respect at all for Reiki.

In Seiki, the attunements can take hours to perform, and one has to be ready to receive it, which can take up to a month of preparation. The time, place and earth’s position are critical factors to be considered. Teachers don’t accept very many students as it is quite rigorous. Once attuned, the student must develop some proficiency in locating the Earth’s meridians before being allowed to continue. My own teacher believes that her teaching me how to do this would negate its effect and so I must find them on my own… as she did.

In many ways Seiki is more similar to Feng Shui than Reiki. The positioning of things in ones environment has a great impact on ones health and ones situation in life. Creating the proper flow of the right kinds of energy into your house creates a “healthy house” and by living there you will absorb those healthy energies.

Seiki is also similar to Qi Gong (aka Chi Kung) in many respects in that one can get quite exhausted if the internal energies are not replenished regularly. Stale Seiki energies can be quite harmful and so fresh energies must be constantly circulated. Daily exercises are necessary to this end whitout which the Seiki practitioner can easy absorb the harmful energies of those they are treating. Which can’t be good…

For further explanation or discussion, your thoughts are most welcome and highly encouraged, please feel free to comment below!!!

Recently I’ve received a few email inquiries about a recent comment on this site concerning Reiki Secrets and thought I’d make my response available to everyone just in case any of you had any questions about it. So with the sincere hope that I don’t ruffle too many feathers… here goes…

The comment in question concerned Secret Reiki Symbols and the bottom line is that in traditional Usui Reiki there were no secret symbols, there were only three symbols originally used… the power symbol, the harmony (mental/emotional) symbol and the distance symbol. The master symbol was not added until later, and technically it is not a symbol at all, rather just a reminder of the ultimate purpose of Reiki (i.e., Anshin Ritsumei) which later gained tremendous power as the fourth or master symbol.

Some Reiki Practitioners refer to the original four symbols as secret in and of themselves and feel that their being publishing in books or on the Internet is somehow a violation of Unspoken Reiki Ethics. I don’t believe the symbols are meant to be secret, but they do demand a certain degree of respect and should be honored. Exposure through books or other media does not in any way diminish their power or render them ineffective to future users and the interpretation that this publishing is in some way disrespectful is debatable. I don’t publish them on these pages, but I have no problem with others doing so if they feel so inclined.

There are various Reiki styles that make use of so-called secret Reiki symbols and/or non-traditional Reiki symbols… but these styles of Reiki actually have very little to do with Usui Reiki and the symbols are either “borrowed” from other esoteric disciplines, channeled from various Earthly or non-Earthly sources, derived from dreams or trances and/or just made up and then applied to Reiki where they are then called secret Reiki symbols, long lost Reiki symbols, hidden Reiki symbols or any of a number of mysterious yet official sounding sounding monikers. Styles such as Karuna Reiki, Tibetan Reiki, Threshold Reiki, Medicine Dharma Reiki, etc. have little relation to original Usui Reiki other than the basic premise. This does not render them ineffective by any means… it just refers to the fact that they are not the original Usui Reiki. Does the addition of these symbols or energies go beyond traditional Reiki and take it to higher levels… I’ll let you be the judge.

Another area of Reiki Secrets is found in Secret Reiki Practices… which in most cases are exactly the same as the Secret Reiki Symbols (i.e., added later for various reasons and considered as authentic Reiki by their practitioners). The only exception to this that I have found is seen in various practices of the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai. In the early days of Reiki, Dr. Usui (and the other original members) experimented with various energy practices and Reiki exercises for increasing their Reiki channels and power, and while some of the practices they “discovered” have been shared (such as Hatsurei Ho) others are considered quite dangerous if done incorrectly (for example some that involve intense breathing exercises or Qi Gong style energetics) and those have been kept secret in order to protect the uninformed masses from harm. These are practiced at Gakkai gatherings and there is little chance of their being made public as Gakkai members are sworn to secrecy.

Another example of Reiki Secrets is found in some of the secret attunement procedures being passed around. In original Reiki there was no mechanism for distance attunement (as I’ve discussed previously) and so certain Reiki Masters have made them up themselves as they went along and “packaged” them as Original Reiki. They are not. Some Reiki Systems were originally designed for distance attunement and others were not. For example, Hana Reiki, Gendai Reiki, Komyo Reiki and Karuna Reiki do NOT contain distance attunement procedures and anyone getting attuned to any of these styles by distance attunement is NOT being attuned to these Reiki styles at all.

For example, there is one Internet-based school in Venice, Florida selling Gendai Reiki and Komyo Reiki Correspondence Courses even though the owner knows that these are not legitimate or approved courses (I have told her so myself) yet there they remain… kind of makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

Original Reiki information being discovered is very rare and I’ve seen very few authentic discoveries since the early days when Arjava Petter was researching Reiki in Japan (with the exception of the information being squeezed out of the Gakkai). I’m sure there is a lot of information out there and someday, perhaps, it will be made public, but in the meantime I believe there is more than enough to keep us satisfied without inventing new Reiki gimmicks for whatever reasons. But that’s just my opinion…

For further explanation or discussion, your thoughts are most welcome and highly encouraged, please feel free to comment below!!!