FAQ on Reiki

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction, relaxation, and healing. It is based on the idea that a "life force energy" flows through us, and when this energy is high, we are more likely to be healthy and happy. When it's low, we may feel stress or become ill.

The word Reiki comes from two Japanese words: Rei (God's Wisdom or Higher Power) and Ki (life force energy), meaning “spiritually guided life force energy.” Reiki is administered through gentle touch and promotes overall well-being by treating the body, emotions, mind, and spirit.

Reiki is simple, natural, and safe. It works alongside other medical treatments and has helped people with a wide range of conditions. It is not taught in the traditional sense but passed on through an "attunement" from a Reiki master, allowing anyone to connect with this healing energy.

Though spiritual in nature, Reiki is not a religion. It requires no belief to work and supports people of all backgrounds in finding balance and peace. Its founder, Mikao Usui, encouraged ethical living through simple principles to deepen the healing experience.

A New Reiki Energy

Holy Fire® Reiki is a new form of Reiki that was introduced about three years ago by the ICRT. It is both powerful and gentle and provides purification, healing, empowerment and guidance. It is included as part of our Usui Reiki classes and has also been added to Karuna Reiki® training.

Holy Fire® energy is noticeably more refined and comes from a higher level of consciousness. Some of the qualities students have experienced include:

• Works continuously even when not thinking about it and spontaneously heals issues as they come up.

• Always respects free will.

• Heals deeply and quickly without distress.

• Heals relationships and interactions with others.

• Releases worry and replaces it with a sense of safety in a most pronounced way.

• Spontaneously provides guidance that is palatable for every level of life experience.

• Tends to develop all the personality traits that are healthy for a person to have such as love of self and others, kindness, patience, confidence, vitality, enthusiasm, optimism, trust, joy, peace and so forth.

• One of the more wonderful effects is a feeling of being loved. This is a deep and refined feeling that is very nurturing.

• Once received, it continues to develop itself to be more evolved and effective.

These qualities are present in I&II and become more pronounced in the ART/Master Level and Karuna classes.

Reiki is a form of healing energy that works by restoring the natural flow of Ki—the life force energy that animates all living things. This energy is guided by Rei, or Higher Intelligence, which allows Reiki to flow exactly where it's needed, addressing imbalances on physical, emotional, and energetic levels.

Illness often begins when the flow of Ki becomes disrupted—typically by negative thoughts, stress, or emotional trauma that collect in the body and aura. These disruptions block energy pathways, weakening the functioning of nearby organs and tissues. Over time, this leads to physical or emotional disease.

Reiki heals by breaking up and clearing these blockages. Because it is spiritually guided, Reiki bypasses the limits of the practitioner’s conscious mind and acts directly on the source of the imbalance—even within unconscious areas of the body-mind. As Reiki energy flows through, it dissolves negative patterns and restores the free, healthy movement of Ki. This renewal nourishes organs, balances the system, and supports deep healing.

Unlike simple life force energy, Reiki cannot be misused or directed by ego—it always creates a beneficial effect. It works non-invasively, without force, and harmonizes naturally with the recipient’s unique needs. As a result, Reiki offers a safe, intelligent, and holistic approach to healing that complements both traditional and modern medical care.

• Reiki is very simple to learn.

• No prior experience with healing, meditation, or training is needed.

• Over one million people of all ages and backgrounds have successfully learned Reiki.

• It is easy to learn because it’s not taught in the traditional way.

• The ability to use Reiki is transferred from teacher to student through an attunement.

• Attunement occurs during a Reiki class.

• After receiving an attunement, a person can immediately begin practicing Reiki.

• Reiki energy flows automatically when one places their hands on themselves or others with the intention to heal.