This page, Reiki Basics, includes the answers to these questions:

Q. What is Reiki?
Q. Is the system of Reiki a religion?
Q. Can anyone learn to use Reiki?
Q. Is Reiki intrusive?
Q. How does it actually work?

The society that has evolved in this new millennium is one that is interested in balance. Learning to balance work, family, pleasure and personal growth appear to be our major concerns today. We understand that with this balance we can achieve a lifestyle that offers calm and strength rather than stress and illness.

To achieve these ends, spirituality rather than religion has become our focus.

There are many avenues that can be taken to explore one's spirituality. The system of Reiki is just one of these. Within the system of Reiki there are also many variations depending (amongst other things) on the branch of Reiki, the beliefs of the teacher and the country in which it is taught.

Q. What is Reiki?

The system of Reiki is a form of Japanese energy work that promotes healing in the body on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level. The energy used can be translated from the Japanese to mean 'Spiritual Energy' or in the West is more commonly called Universal Energy - the energy of everything.

Q. Is the system of Reiki a religion?

The system of Reiki is in no way a dogma or religion.

Q. Can anyone learn to use Reiki?

The system of Reiki is extremely simple and can even be taught to children. A Shoden Level I course is two days long and is complete in itself (no further courses are required unless so desired).

Q. Is Reiki intrusive?

Absolutely not. It is not even necessary to remove any clothing while receiving Reiki and private parts of the body are not touched. The hands are simply laid on or above the body and energy is channeled through the body of the practitioner into the client.

How does it actually work?

Reiki re-aligns you with your true path, your source and your spirit.

If you can imagine that everything has energy in it. For example a piece of paper or a plant and you look at everything in your room you will realize that there's a lot of energy there. And then you think of the building you're in, then the city, the country, the world, the universe and on and on - you realize there is an unlimited amount of energy. It is this energy that makes us and our world and those universes function. It is our fuel that drives us and gives us our ultimate structure and purpose in life. This is what we call Reiki.

But sometimes we humans get a bit of dirt in the fuel line or a better way to explain it is perhaps if you think of us as a river. You are this beautiful river and the water (the energy) is flowing easily down through you. Occasionally a pebble, and even a rock, will fall into your river making the flow of the water a little more difficult. These pebbles are our worries, fear, anger, and each pebble builds on top of the other and soon you find that there is only a trickle of water running in your once beautiful free-flowing river. And so it is with energy in the human body.

During a treatment on yourself or by someone else the energy re aligns you to the pure flow of energy that you should naturally be. It washes down through you clearing obstructions and strengthening the flow of your river.

This means a connection to the understanding of your purpose on earth and the easiest, most successful way of achieving it.

You can use Reiki on yourself, others, animals, plants, medicine, buildings, Mother Earth, the Universe. Everything is energy.