Reiki healing

This page will give you some information about the Reiki healing therapy offered by "Inner Light Therapies" here in Bournemouth. It will give some information about what Reiki is; its origins and history as a therapy; what to expect during a treatment session, and our current charges.

WHAT IS REIKI?

Reiki (pronounced ray - key) is a Japanese term that may be defined as "universal life-giving energy". Reiki works at subtle levels to promote healing, balance and wholeness on spiritual, mental, emotional and physical levels. It is a simple, natural, hands-on healing system, in which Universal Energy is channelled through the hands of the practitioner to the recipient, often utilising specific sacred symbols. It is an ancient method of healing which was rediscovered in the mid 1800s by Dr Mikaomi Usui after years of study and meditation. The system is thought to have originated in Atlantis or earlier as a discipline for personal and spiritual development. Originally its purpose was not as a method for healing others: such abilities developed as a consequence of personal growth. This aspect of personal development still retains its importance in the original Japanese Usui system today. Before Atlantis fell, much wisdom was dispersed around the world and from this the Tibetan and Seichem forms developed in Tibet and Ancient Egypt respectively.

THE recent HISTORY OF REIKI - Dr. Usui onwards:

Reiki is believed to be a Buddhist offspring of Qigong, with Shinto influences. It is an ancient healing form rediscovered in the late 19th Century by Dr. Mikaomi Usui. The original Usui movement was called Usui Shiki Ryoho, and the method called Usui Reiki Ryoho (the Usui Reiki Healing method).

MIKAO USUI was born in 1865 and entered a Tendai Buddhist school near Mt. Kurama at the age of 4. He studied many things there, including Kiko - a Japanese version of Qigong, which is a health and healing discipline based on the development and use of Life Energy. When he was older he travelled extensively in China and Europe to further his education in medicine, philosophy, religion and fortune telling. In 1914 he went on a 21-day meditation retreat at Kurama, and it was here that he underwent his "great enlightenment" into Reiki energies. It is said that he "saw" the symbols coming towards him in waves of light, and that as they entered his crown chakra he "knew" what they were for, and how to use them. In 1922, having worked with and developed his healing system based on these energies, he moved to Tokyo, and started a healing Society. Here he gave treatments and taught classes, showing students how to work with Reiki energy. These classes were in levels and degrees - 1st degree (4 levels), 2nd Degree (2 levels) and Master degree (2 levels). For the Japanese students of the original system, each level could take years to master. In his lifetime Usui travelled widely throughout Japan, and directly taught over 2000 students and initiated 16 Masters. He died in 1926.

One of the Masters initiated was CHUJIRO HAYASHI. He continued to teach Reiki and treat patients, as did other students and Masters initiated by Usui. In fact in 1940 there were at least 40 Reiki schools throughout Japan, and training in the Usui traditional methods have continued to be passed on to native Japanese people since then by / through these Masters. In all Hayashi initiated 13 Reiki Masters before his death in 1941.

For us in the West however, things were to change. Hayashi brought Reiki to Hawaii, and thus to the USA, when he met Mrs HAWAYA TAKATA. He initiated her as a Master in 1938, and it is through her that the title "Grand Master" came about. She was declared Grand Master (although it is not known by whom) on Hayashi's death. Mrs. Takata taught Reiki to many people in the West, and had some very strict rules regarding its' teaching - high fees were charged to students wishing to learn it; students were not allowed to take notes; all teaching was purely verbal (no written copies of the symbols were allowed either) and she advocated loyalty to the same Master Teacher. It is thought these changes were to make the system more acceptable to Westerners, who were thought to value everything by cost, and to have no interest in spiritual discipline for its own sake. In all Mrs. Takata initiated 22 Masters, and passed on the title of Grand Master to her daughter PHYLLIS LEI FURUMOTO on her death in 1980.

Since then Western Reiki has split, firstly into 2 main factions (partly because some Masters disagreed with some or all of Mrs. Takata's stringent rules, especially those regarding charges), and then has developed several off-shoots, as various Masters have chosen to change or add to the original system (by experiment or by "receiving" new information from Higher sources.)
We teach and work with mainly the Tibetan / Usui version which was developed by William Lee Rand, based on the original methods taught by Dr. Usui but with some additions that have Tibetan Buddhist sources.

(See also our Reiki Training page at www.schoolofinnerlight.co.uk if you would like to learn to work with Reiki

WHAT TO EXPECT IN A TREATMENT

Reiki works at very subtle levels to promote healing, balance and wholeness on spiritual, mental, emotional and physical levels. To receive a treatment, the recipient remains clothed and lies down or sits in comfort. The practitioner gently lays their hands on the head, front and back of the body, often in a series of traditional positions, allowing the Energy to flow to all major organs and systems of the body. Specific areas and conditions may be treated instead where more appropriate. You may experience sensations of heat, warmth, coolness or simply energy flowing into or through the body.  Some people drift off into sleep, others might find themselves in a state of heightened awareness, where they experience a play of colours or light behind their eyelids. Most find the treatment very relaxing, promoting a feeling of comfort and ease.

reiki healing - session & CHARGES:

£30 per session.
(concessions £20) 

A session will take between 45 and 90 minutes, depending on each client's energetic state and how much work they are able to assimilate in that session. We do not adhere to a strict timetable as this type of energy work cannot (and should not!) be stopped in mid-flow.

Absent reiki Healing CHARGES:

£10 per session (30 minutes) - no concessions

We find absent healing to be a very effective form of treatment. It is ideal for the housebound, those in hospital or those who live some distance away from us. It also enables us to perform Reiki healing sessions when we are not at home!