Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Foolish Assumptions 2
Icons Used in This Book 3
Beyond the Book 4
Where to Go from Here 4
Part 1: Getting Started with Reiki 5
Chapter 1: Reiki: Connecting with Life-Force Energy 7
Discovering What Reiki Is and Isn't 8
What Reiki is 8
What Reiki isn't 9
Describing the System of Reiki 10
Examining the Energy of Reiki 11
Defining universal energy 11
Detecting subtle energy 11
Understanding how Reiki works 12
Distinguishing Reiki from other forms of energy healing 12
Exploring the History of Reiki 14
Getting Connected with Reiki 14
Trying a Reiki session 14
Taking Reiki classes 15
Choosing a Reiki Practitioner or Master 16
Experiencing the Benefits of Reiki 17
Healing a physical illness 17
Healing emotions 17
Getting insights or inspiration 18
Going further in spiritual development 18
Looking at the Reiki Symbols 18
Chapter 2: Navigating Your Body's Energy Systems 21
Describing Subtle Energy 21
Discovering Your Body's Energy Anatomy 23
Knowing the body's physical and energetic anatomy 24
Sensing your body's electromagnetic field: The aura 26
Pinpointing the acupuncture system: The meridians 28
Locating your energy centers: The chakras 29
Detecting Your Subtle Energy System with Reiki 31
Chapter 3: Exploring Reiki's Roots and Branches 33
Mikao Usui: The Founder of Reiki 34
Finding Reiki on the mountaintop 34
Teaching Reiki to others 35
Mikao Usui's legacy 36
Considering Reiki before Mikao Usui 37
Exploring the Medical Approach: Chujiro Hayashi 38
Bringing Reiki from East to West: Hawayo Takata 39
Learning Reiki for herself 39
Takata's versions of Reiki history 41
Seeing Reiki in Japan and the West 42
Reiki in Japan 42
Japanese and Western Reiki today 42
Looking at Reiki Branch Lineage 44
Japanese Usui Reiki branches 45
Western Usui Reiki branches 45
Choosing a Reiki Branch for Yourself 46
Letting Reiki Branches Differ 46
Forecasting the Future of Reiki 47
Chapter 4: Looking at the Reiki Principles 49
Describing the Reiki Principles 49
Staying in the present: Just for today 50
Going through the five Reiki Principles 51
Incorporating the Reiki Principles into Your Daily Life 55
Sharing Additional Versions of Reiki Principles 56
Just for today, be humble 57
Honor your parents, teachers, elders 57
Part 2: Experiencing Reiki for Yourself 59
Chapter 5: Getting the Reiki Treatment 61
Finding the Right Reiki Practitioner for You 62
Locating a professional practitioner 63
Interviewing your potential practitioner 63
Preparing Yourself for Your First Reiki Session 65
Exploring a Reiki Session from Beginning to End 65
What to expect before the session 66
Undergoing the Reiki session 67
Session accomplished: After the Reiki session 69
Repeating Your Reiki Experience 70
Using Reiki in Tandem with Other Therapies 71
Committing Yourself to Healing with Reiki 72
Chapter 6: Letting Your Entire Family Experience Reiki 73
Helping Yourself with Reiki 74
Cycling through Life with Reiki 75
Starting with pregnancy 76
Cherishing childhood with Reiki 77
Traipsing through the teenage years with Reiki 78
Gracing the senior years with Reiki 79
Concluding life with Reiki 81
Using Reiki for the Family Pet 82
Knowing when to use Reiki 82
Finding the right pet practitioner 83
Listening to animals 83
Using different techniques 85
Part 3: Becoming Well Versed in Reiki 87
Chapter 7: Seeking Reiki Training and Classes 89
Examining Reasons to Study Reiki 90
Asking the Right Questions about Reiki Classes and Teachers 91
Knowing the Reiki Classes and Certification 94
Distinguishing types of Reiki courses 95
Preparing before your Reiki class 96
Looking at individual Reiki levels 97
Defining a Reiki Master 99
Answering Questions about Attunements 100
Do I need to receive an attunement to access this high-level energy? 100
What about repeating attunements? 101
What will happen to me during the attunement? 101
What happens after the attunement? 101
Chapter 8: Discovering the Reiki Symbols 103
Understanding Reiki Symbols 104
Making it easy to connect 104
Looking at the background of the symbols 105
Using symbols without an attunement 105
Removing the secrecy, keeping the sacred 106
Taking a Close Look at the Four Reiki Symbols 107
Cho Ku Rei 107
Sei Hei Ki 109
Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen 110
Dai Ko Myo 111
Drawing the Reiki Symbols 113
Activating the Reiki Symbols 114
Visualizing the symbols 114
Saying the names of the symbols 115
Looking at More Symbols, Reiki and Otherwise 115
Chapter 9: Connecting with Reiki Energy Techniques 117
Connecting with the Reiki Energy 118
Combining Prayer and Intention with Reiki 119
Meditating to Connect with Reiki Energy 120
Prayerful hands: Gassho 121
Breathing meditation: Joshin Kokyu Ho 123
Focusing technique: Seishin Toitsu 124
Chakra meditation 125
Contracting the Hui Yin 127
Receiving Guidance through Intuition 128
Chapter 10: Applying Reiki to Yourself 131
Putting Yourself First 132
Discovering the benefits of self-Reiki 132
Creating ways to incorporate self-Reiki 133
Preparing to Give Yourself Reiki 134
Treating Yourself with Reiki 134
Listing the self-Reiki hand positions 135
Branching out to other positions 144
Personalizing Your Self-Reiki Practice 146
Being creative 146
Using Reiki for first aid self-care 146
Giving yourself a Reiki Shower 147
Chapter 11: Healing Others with Reiki Positions and Techniques 149
Examining Full-Body Hand Positions 150
Starting at the head 151
Moving down the front of the body 155
Switching to the back of the body 161
Don't forget the legs and feet! 164
Considering additional Reiki positions 166
Knowing Where to Go and When to Leave 167
Deciding on hand placement 167
Moving on 169
Using Reiki without Touching the Body 169
Beaming Reiki energy from across the room 170
Using your breath and your eyes 170
Balancing Chakras with Reiki 171
Chapter 12: Reiki Rocks! Using Crystals with Reiki 173
Exploring the Healing Power of Crystals 174
Sensing the energy of crystals 174
Knowing the lore of crystals 175
Distinguishing among Crystals, Rocks, and Gems 177
Finding the Right Crystals for You 178
Considering the crystal's shape 178
Choosing which crystal to use 179
Staying Crystal Clear: Cleaning a Crystal's Energy 179
Knowing how to cleanse your crystal 180
Jakikiri Joka Ho: Using Reiki to clean inanimate objects 180
Giving Your Crystal a Reiki Charge 181
Bringing Crystals to the Reiki Table 182
Knowing which crystals to use 182
Placing the crystals during a Reiki session 183
Part 4: Sharing Reiki with Others 185
Chapter 13: Putting Together a Reiki Healing Session 187
Developing Your Reiki Style 188
Preparing Yourself to Give Reiki 188
Getting Your Surroundings Ready 189
Merging Different Healing Practices 190
Considering Ethics and Boundaries 190
Recognizing that each person or situation is unique 191
Sharing information with others 192
Respecting boundaries 192
Going through the Session 193
Starting the session 193
Taking notes mid-session 194
Ending the session 194
Cleaning and Protecting 195
Exploring the technique of aura cleansing 196
Using the Kenyoku Ho technique 196
Protecting yourself with the Power symbol 197
Cleansing the Reiki room 198
Chapter 14: Experiencing Reiki in a Group Setting 199
Participating in Reiki Events 200
Finding Reiki events 201
Knowing what to expect 201
Reaping the benefits 202
Harnessing the Power of Group Reiki 202
Giving group Reiki sessions 203
Meditating in a Reiki group 205
Passing energy around in a circle 205
Sending distant Reiki as a group 206
Receiving a group Reiki session 206
Going on a Reiki Retreat 207
Taking Reiki to the Community 208
Chapter 15: Sending Reiki Where Needed 209
Like a Prayer: Understanding How Reiki Can Be Sent 210
Sending Reiki to people who are far away 211
Sending Reiki to the future 211
Sending Reiki to the past 211
Sending Reiki to different places and situations 212
Getting Permission to Send Distant Reiki 214
Receiving consent from the recipient 214
Sharing what you learn with the recipient 215
Getting Prepared for Distant Reiki 216
Performing the Distant Reiki Session 216
Using visuals for the distant session 216
Performing the distant Reiki technique 217
Creating the session structure 218
Using Distant Reiki to Heal Yourself 219
Sending Reiki to Many at Once 219
Chapter 16: Combining Reiki Healing with Other Health Practices 221
Discovering the Healing Power of Reiki 221
Healing what hurts and achieving balance 222
Considering the spectrum of illness and wellness 223
Understanding how Reiki heals at many levels 223
Seeing Reiki as energy medicine 224
Supporting the healing process with Reiki 225
Getting as much (or as little) Reiki as you need 226
Integrating Reiki with Medical Care and Settings 227
Knowing that Reiki can't do it all 227
Adding Reiki to the balancing act of health 228
Recognizing Reiki and health care professionals 229
Connecting Reiki to different health care conditions 230
Offering Reiki in hospitals 232
Using Reiki to help medicines 233
Using Different Reiki Techniques for Illness or Pain 233
Using Reiki in Special Situations 234
Reiki in first-aid situations 234
Reiki and surgery 234
Reiki during labor and birth 235
Reiki and chemotherapy or radiation 236
Reiki around the time of death 236
Reiki and hospice 237
Matching Reiki with Bodywork 237
Using Reiki with Counseling 238
Using Reiki to Change Habits and Heal Addictions 239
Overcoming addictions 240
Trying a technique for addictions and habits 240
Chapter 17: Becoming a Professional Reiki Healer 243
Surveying Some Requirements for Becoming a Reiki Professional 243
Minimum requirements for practice and teaching 244
Types of certification and standards 244
Knowing the Benefits of Becoming a Reiki Professional 246
Finding Ways to Turn Your Passion for Reiki into a Vocation 246
Maintaining Integrity in Your Work with Reiki 247
Following the Reiki Principles 248
Preparing yourself to work as a Reiki professional 248
Knowing your place as a Reiki professional 250
Setting Up Your Reiki Business 250
Making a plan 250
Knowing the legal issues of practicing Reiki 252
Pricing your services fairly 252
Finding a healing space 252
Getting the right equipment 253
Being Part of the Reiki Community 254
Collaborating with other Reiki healers 255
Staying up-to-date in the world of Reiki 255
Finding Reiki Opportunities 256
Chapter 18: Connecting with Reiki Online 259
Comparing Reiki Online to Reiki in Person 260
Maintaining Reiki Presence While You're Online 261
Going online with the Reiki Principles 261
Staying present and connected 262
Finding Reiki Information Online 263
Getting started 263
Knowing what to look for in a Reiki website or social media page 264
Receiving a Reiki Session Remotely 265
The basics of distant Reiki 265
Types of online sessions 265
Communication after a session 266
Requests for free Reiki healing 266
Studying Reiki Online 267
Recognizing that online Reiki training is a controversial topic 267
Choosing among online Reiki training options 268
Seeing the Benefits of an Online Presence for Reiki Providers and Teachers 269
Part 5: The Part of Tens 271
Chapter 19: Ten Uses for Reiki in Everyday Situations 273
Helping Plants Reach Their Potential 273
Boosting Your Food's Fortitude 274
Shoring Up Your Water 275
Making the Most of Your Medicine 275
Calming Computer Problems 276
Managing Money with Reiki 276
Bolstering Your Transportation 277
Cleaning and Clearing Out Clutter 278
Protecting Loved Ones 279
Shielding Your Home 279
Chapter 20: Ten Uses for Reiki as a Tool for Personal Growth 281
Receiving Healing with Reiki 282
Going Inward with Meditation 283
Honoring the Reiki Principles 283
Getting Attuned to Reiki 284
Keeping a Journal 285
Empowering Your Affirmations with Reiki 285
Giving Reiki as Service 287
Empowering Your Intentions 287
Letting Your Intuition Blossom 288
Using Reiki Symbols 289
Chapter 21: Ten Misconceptions about Reiki 291
Reiki Is a New Age Practice 291
There's No Proof for Reiki 292
You Must Believe in Reiki to Benefit from It 293
You Must Pay for Reiki for It to Benefit You 293
There's Only One Right Form or School of Reiki 294
Reiki Is a Religion 295
You Know How Reiki Will Heal You 295
Your Reiki Practitioner's Energy Heals You 296
Reiki Can Cure Anything 296
Reiki Can Be Used Instead of Medicine 297
Chapter 22: Ten Nontraditional Reiki Symbols 299
Double Cho Ku Rei 300
Tibetan Dai Ko Myo 300
Tibetan Fire Serpent 301
Raku 302
Zonar 303
Harth 304
Halu 305
Antakharana 306
Om 307
Shoshana 307
Part 6: Appendixes 309
Appendix A: Great Reiki Resources 311
Appendix B: Glossary 319
Index 325
