Understanding Reiki
The word Reiki is composed of two Japanese characters: Rei (universal or spiritual) and Ki (life force energy — the Japanese equivalent of Chinese Qi). Together, they point toward the fundamental idea underlying the practice: that life is animated by a universal energy, and that when this energy flows freely and harmoniously, wellbeing naturally follows.
Reiki was developed by Mikao Usui in early 20th-century Japan following a period of fasting, meditation, and spiritual practice on Mount Kurama. Usui sought not just a healing technique, but a complete approach to living — one that integrated healing of the body with growth of the spirit. The result was a practice that is simultaneously simple and profound.
"The secret art of inviting happiness,
The miraculous medicine of all diseases."
— Mikao Usui, on the Reiki principles
How Reiki Works
In a Reiki session, the practitioner places their hands lightly on or just above the recipient's body, channeling life force energy through specific hand positions. The recipient — fully clothed and reclining in comfort — is invited simply to breathe, relax, and receive.
Recipients often report sensations of warmth, tingling, or a profound sense of peace during sessions. Many fall into a deeply relaxed, meditative state — sometimes described as the hypnagogic state between waking and sleep — where the body's natural healing processes are most active.
The Five Reiki Principles
Usui understood that true healing extended beyond the body. He formulated five principles — often called the Gokai — as daily guides for mindful, compassionate living:
Anger is often a response to unmet expectations. Today, we practice releasing the grip of this energy — observing it without feeding it.
Worry lives in the future. Today, we return again and again to the present moment, where peace is always available.
Gratitude opens the heart and shifts our relationship to life from one of scarcity to one of abundance and appreciation.
Integrity in how we work and interact builds a life of wholeness. Our actions ripple outward — honesty heals beyond ourselves.
Kindness extended to all life — human, animal, plant — reflects and deepens our understanding of the interconnected nature of existence.
Reiki and the Modern World
Reiki has spread worldwide and is now practiced in many hospitals, palliative care centers, and integrative medicine clinics. It is used to support patients undergoing chemotherapy, surgery recovery, chronic pain management, and emotional trauma processing — not as a replacement for medical care, but as a profound complement to it.
For everyday practitioners, Reiki offers something equally valuable: a set of principles and a practice that invites us to slow down, feel our bodies, and return — again and again — to the simple miracle of being alive.
Introduction to Johrei
Closely related to Reiki in its philosophy, Johrei is a Japanese spiritual practice developed by Mokichi Okada in the 1930s. Johrei translates roughly as "purification of the spirit" and works through the channeling of divine light energy. Practitioners extend their open hand toward the recipient, transmitting what is understood as spiritual purification and harmony. Like Reiki, Johrei emphasizes that true health arises from spiritual clarity, emotional balance, and right relationship with the natural world.