- What Belongs to Energy Healing and What Does Not
- The Formation of Reiki: A History with Dates and Names
- The Inner Structure of the Field: Branches, Schools, and Subdomains
- Key Texts, Figures, and Traditions
- Essential Terms of Reiki and Energy Healing
- How Reiki Is Practiced Today
- Common Misconceptions about Reiki
- Where to Go Next
In March 1922, a Japanese scholar named Mikao Usui climbed Mount Kurama, a sacred peak north of Kyoto, and began a 21-day fast. On the morning of the twenty-first day, as the sun rose, he felt a sudden blow to the crown of his head and saw a golden light. He did not eat, drink, or sleep for those three weeks. When he descended, he found he could heal with his hands. Reiki is a Japanese energy healing practice that channels universal life force (ki) through the practitioner’s palms to restore balance in the recipient’s body and energy field. The word itself means “spiritually guided life force energy.” Today, Reiki is the most widely practiced form of energy healing in the Western world, taught in hospitals, clinics, and private studios from Tokyo to Toronto.
What Belongs to Energy Healing and What Does Not
Energy healing is the umbrella term for practices that work with the human subtle energy system. Reiki sits inside this category alongside Qi Gong, Therapeutic Touch, Pranic Healing, and Healing Touch. What separates Reiki from its cousins is a specific lineage of attunements, a set of sacred symbols, and a structured system of hand positions. A Qi Gong practitioner moves energy through deliberate exercise and breath. A Reiki practitioner channels energy through intention and light touch, without directing or depleting their own reserves.
The borders matter. Reiki is not faith healing. The practitioner does not need to believe in any deity, and the recipient does not need to hold any belief for the treatment to work. It is not massage. The hands rest lightly on or above the body, never manipulating tissue. It is not psychic surgery. No energy is “removed” from the body. The Reiki practitioner acts as a conduit, nothing more.
We also distinguish Reiki from the broader category of “energy medicine” used in clinical settings, such as biofield therapies studied by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Those are evidence-based modalities with clinical trials. Reiki has its own research base, but its roots are spiritual and traditional, not medical.
The Formation of Reiki: A History with Dates and Names
Mikao Usui was born in 1865 in the Gifu Prefecture of Japan. He studied Tendai Buddhism, martial arts, and Chinese medicine. In the 1910s, he began searching for the healing methods used by historical figures such as Jesus and Buddha. He enrolled in a Christian seminary in Kyoto to study scripture, then spent years in Zen monasteries. Dissatisfied with what he found, he undertook a 21-day retreat on Mount Kurama in March 1922. On the final morning, he experienced what he called reiki — a spiritual awakening that gave him the ability to heal.
Usui returned to Kyoto and founded the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai (Usui Reiki Healing Society) in April 1922. He opened a clinic in Harajuku, Tokyo, and began teaching. His students included Dr. Chujiro Hayashi, a naval medical officer who would later systematize the hand positions and create the three-degree structure we use today.
In 1937, Hawayo Takata, a Japanese-American woman living in Hawaii, traveled to Japan for surgery. Instead, she received Reiki treatments from Hayashi and was healed. She became a Reiki master in 1938 and returned to Hawaii, where she taught and practiced for the next four decades. Takata modified the teachings for Western audiences, dropping some Japanese spiritual elements and emphasizing the healing aspect. She trained 22 Reiki masters before her death in 1980.
Those 22 masters spread Reiki across North America and Europe. By the 1990s, Reiki had become a global phenomenon. In 1996, the Reiki Alliance was formed to preserve the Usui lineage. Today, there are hundreds of Reiki schools, each with its own interpretation of the original teachings.
The Inner Structure of the Field: Branches, Schools, and Subdomains
Reiki is not a monolith. The tradition fractured early, and each branch carries a different emphasis. Understanding these divisions helps a practitioner choose a path.
Usui Reiki Ryoho (Traditional Japanese Reiki)
This is the original system as taught by Usui and preserved by the Gakkai in Japan. It emphasizes spiritual development over physical healing. The practitioner spends years on meditation, breathing exercises, and the five Reiki principles before receiving attunements. There are no hand positions in the original system. The practitioner places hands where intuition guides. The symbols are taught only at the second level, and they are used primarily for meditation, not for treatment.
The Japanese school uses reiju (blessings) rather than the Western attunement. A reiju is a brief, meditative blessing that strengthens the connection to Reiki energy. It can be given repeatedly, unlike the one-time attunement of Western Reiki.
Western Reiki (Usui Shiki Ryoho)
This is the form most people encounter. Hawayo Takata simplified the system for practical healing. She created the three-degree structure: First Degree (Reiki I) for self-treatment and hands-on healing, Second Degree (Reiki II) for distance healing and the use of symbols, and Third Degree (Reiki Master) for teaching and attuning others.
Western Reiki uses four symbols: Cho Ku Rei (power symbol), Sei He Ki (mental/emotional symbol), Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen (distance symbol), and Dai Ko Myo (master symbol). Practitioners learn specific hand positions for the head, torso, and limbs. The attunement process is a ceremonial opening of the energy channels, performed by a Reiki master.
Karuna Reiki
Developed in the 1990s by William Lee Rand and the International Center for Reiki Training, Karuna Reiki adds eight additional symbols and focuses on compassion. The word karuna means “compassionate action” in Sanskrit. This branch is often taught to experienced Reiki masters who want to deepen their practice. It uses a different attunement process and incorporates guided visualization.
Tibetan Reiki
Tibetan Reiki blends Usui Reiki with elements from Tibetan Buddhist practices, such as the use of mantras, mudras, and the fire serpent energy. It was developed by Arthur Robertson and others in the 1990s. The system includes additional symbols and a focus on clearing past-life karma. Some practitioners find it more intense than Western Reiki.
Kundalini Reiki
This branch, founded by Ole Gabrielsen in the 1990s, uses a series of symbols to awaken the kundalini energy at the base of the spine. It is a self-healing system that does not require hands-on treatment. The practitioner meditates on the symbols to raise energy through the chakras. Kundalini Reiki is often taught in a single weekend, making it accessible but controversial among traditionalists.
Crystal Reiki
Crystal Reiki combines Reiki with the use of healing stones. The practitioner places crystals on or around the recipient’s body to amplify or direct the Reiki energy. Clear quartz, amethyst, and rose quartz are common choices. This subdomain overlaps heavily with crystal healing, and many practitioners use both modalities together. For a deeper look, see our guide on the relationship between crystal healing and Reiki.
Animal Reiki
Reiki for animals follows the same principles but adapts the practice to non-human recipients. The practitioner works from a distance or with light touch, respecting the animal’s boundaries. Horses, dogs, and cats are common clients. Animal Reiki is often used alongside veterinary care for anxiety, injury recovery, and end-of-life comfort.
Key Texts, Figures, and Traditions
The foundational text of Reiki is the Usui Reiki Hikkei (Usui Reiki Handbook), a manual compiled by Usui’s students in the 1920s. It contains the five Reiki principles, instructions for meditation, and the symbols. The original Japanese version is still used by the Gakkai.
The five principles, known as the Gokai, are:
- Just for today, do not anger.
- Just for today, do not worry.
- Just for today, be grateful.
- Just for today, work diligently.
- Just for today, be kind to others.
These are recited daily by traditional practitioners. They are not commandments but reminders of a mindful life.
Key figures beyond Usui, Hayashi, and Takata include:
- Diane Stein, author of Essential Reiki (1995), who popularized Reiki for the feminist spirituality movement.
- William Lee Rand, founder of the International Center for Reiki Training and author of Reiki: The Healing Touch (1991).
- Hiroshi Doi, a modern Japanese Reiki master who revived the traditional Usui methods in the 1990s.
- Frank Arjava Petter, a German practitioner who studied with the Gakkai and wrote Reiki Fire (1997).
The tradition of Reiki is primarily oral. Attunements are passed from master to student in a direct lineage. This lineage is traced back to Usui, and many Western schools require students to know their lineage back to the source.
Essential Terms of Reiki and Energy Healing
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Reiki | Japanese: “spiritually guided life force energy.” The practice of channeling universal ki through the hands. |
| Ki | The Japanese term for life force energy, equivalent to Chinese qi and Indian prana. |
| Gassho | A meditation posture: palms pressed together at the heart, eyes closed, breathing slowly. Used to center the practitioner. |
| Byosen | The sensation of energy in the practitioner’s hands, often felt as heat, tingling, or pulsing. Used to locate areas of imbalance. |
| Reiju | A Japanese blessing that strengthens the connection to Reiki. Given repeatedly, unlike Western attunements. |
| Attunement | A ceremonial process in which a Reiki master opens the student’s energy channels to allow the flow of Reiki. |
| Cho Ku Rei | The power symbol. Used to increase or decrease energy, and to protect. |
| Sei He Ki | The mental/emotional symbol. Used for healing emotional trauma and mental patterns. |
| Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen | The distance symbol. Used to send Reiki across time and space. |
| Dai Ko Myo | The master symbol. Used for attunements and advanced healing. |
| Aura | The subtle energy field surrounding the body. Reiki practitioners often scan the aura for blockages. |
| Chakras | Seven main energy centers in the body, from the base of the spine to the crown. Reiki is often directed to specific chakras. |
How Reiki Is Practiced Today
A typical Reiki session begins with the recipient lying fully clothed on a massage table. The practitioner sits or stands beside them. The room is quiet, often dimly lit, with soft music optional. The practitioner begins by centering themselves: a few breaths, a silent recitation of the Gokai, perhaps a brief Gassho meditation.
The practitioner places their hands on or a few inches above the recipient’s body, starting at the head. They hold each position for three to five minutes. The hands may feel warm, tingly, or pulsing. The recipient may feel heat, coolness, or nothing at all. Some people see colors or have emotional releases. The practitioner does not diagnose or interpret these sensations. They simply hold space.
The session lasts 60 to 90 minutes. At the end, the practitioner gently closes the energy field by smoothing the aura from head to feet. The recipient is given water and time to rest.
Distance healing is equally common. The practitioner and recipient agree on a time. The practitioner uses the Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen symbol to connect across space. They perform the same hand positions on themselves or on a surrogate (a pillow or stuffed animal). Recipients often report the same sensations as in person.
Self-treatment is the foundation of Reiki practice. Every student is taught to give themselves a full treatment daily. This involves placing hands on the head, throat, heart, stomach, and other areas. It is a form of meditation and self-care.
Reiki is now integrated into hospitals, including the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and many cancer treatment centers. Nurses and doctors offer it alongside conventional care. It is used for pain management, anxiety reduction, and post-surgical recovery. The evidence base is growing, though many studies suffer from small sample sizes.
Common Misconceptions about Reiki
Reiki is a religion. It is not. Reiki has no dogma, no deity, no worship. It is a technique for channeling energy. People of any faith or no faith can practice it. Some Christians worry it conflicts with their beliefs, but many Christian nurses and clergy practice Reiki without conflict.
You must believe in it for it to work. The research suggests otherwise. Reiki works on plants, animals, and infants who have no belief. The mechanism is not dependent on the recipient’s mindset.
Reiki can cure any disease. Reiki is a complementary therapy, not a substitute for medical treatment. It can support healing, reduce side effects, and improve quality of life, but it does not cure cancer, mend broken bones, or replace antibiotics. Responsible practitioners always refer clients to doctors.
Reiki is dangerous. There is no evidence of harm. Some people experience emotional release or temporary discomfort as energy shifts, but these pass. Reiki is gentle and non-invasive.
Reiki is just placebo. Placebo effects are real and powerful, but Reiki has shown results in double-blind studies where the recipient does not know they are receiving treatment. The mechanism is not fully understood, but it is not reducible to suggestion.
You can learn Reiki online in a weekend. You can receive an attunement online, but mastery takes years of practice. Many online courses offer certification quickly, but the depth of the tradition requires ongoing study and self-treatment.
FAQ
Can Reiki be done remotely? Yes. The Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen symbol allows the practitioner to send Reiki across any distance. Many practitioners offer distance sessions by appointment.
Do I need to believe in Reiki for it to work? No. Reiki works regardless of the recipient’s belief. It has been shown to benefit animals, plants, and people who are skeptical.
How long does a Reiki session last? A typical session is 60 to 90 minutes. Self-treatments can be as short as 15 minutes.
Can I learn Reiki online? Yes, many reputable teachers offer online attunements and courses. However, hands-on practice with a teacher is recommended for deeper learning.
What is the difference between Reiki and Pranic Healing? Reiki uses a specific lineage of attunements and symbols, while Pranic Healing, developed by Master Choa Kok Sui in the 1980s, uses a systematic protocol of scanning, cleansing, and energizing without attunements. Both work with life force energy, but their methods and lineages differ.
Where to Go Next
Reiki is a living tradition, still evolving as it crosses cultures and generations. The branches we have outlined here are only the beginning. For a deeper exploration of how Reiki intersects with crystal work, read our guide on practical ways to use healing crystals in your daily Reiki practice. If you are curious about the science and skepticism, see common misconceptions about crystal healing and Reiki. And for those ready to find a practitioner, we have a guide on how to find a crystal healer near you.
The energy field is real. The hands know what to do. The rest is practice.