As I have explained in the articles “The True History of Reiki” and “The True Lineages of Reiki” which you can read following these links:
there are two lineages of Reiki, the Japanese lineage and the Western lineage. The Japanese lineage is composed of the Shihans of the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai and the Shihans of the Gendai Reiki Ho. The Western lineage is composed of the Masters of the Usui Shiki Ryoho. Both lineages keep the energy of Reiki pure and teach accordingly. For both lineages, THE ATTUNEMENT IN PHYSICAL PRESENCE IS A MUST. Why? Because Mikao Usui Sensei never performed distant Reiju (attunement). So if these two lineages want to be loyal to the teachings of Mikao Usui Sensei and the purity of energy transmitted during the attunement, it must be IN PHYSICAL PRESENCE WITHOUT EXCEPTION (not even pandemic is an exception).
Nowadays, it’s very easy to find on internet “Reiki Masters” who offer Reiki “courses” online, through WhatsApp, through PDF. These “masters” are not performing an attunement because the attunements are in physical presence. THEY ARE JUST SELLING A COURSE.
To be crystal clear: Mikao Usui Sensei travelled across Japan to teach Reiki. If he would have considered that distant Reiju (attunement) was possible, he would have developed a technique for that instead of travelling to the remote prefectures of Japan in the 1920s. However, he never did that plus he taught the Shihans (Senior Masters) of the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai that the way of performing Reiju was in physical presence.
Usui Sensei taught the Shihans of the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai that the way of performing Reiju was in physical presence.
For this reason, those who learnt “Reiki” online, through WhatsApp or through a PDF can’t be considered attuned (Despite they say they can sense energy in their hands. They are just sensing their own energy, not Reiki). And those who are teaching “Reiki” online, through WhatsApp or through a PDF are NOT TEACHING TRUE REIKI, some are just unaware some others are just DOING BUSINESS. If a “Reiki Master” swears that he/she has learnt how to perform a distant attunement from his/her Master, that “master” has been cheated. If a “Reiki Master” swears that he/she has developed a technique to perform distant attunement, that “master” believes he/she is better than Mikao Usui Sensei himself. Pride and true Reiki don’t match.
This is not the only way money-minded healers pervert Reiki, there are more. Internet is full of advertisement offering different styles of “Reiki”. Let’s discuss some of them:
Animal Reiki: all of us want to use Reiki to heal our pets. In fact many vets in Western world use Reiki as a complement to the allopathic treatment, as well as Acupressure and Bach Flower Remedies. What if I tell you that Mikao Usui Sensei taught his students how to use Reiki to heal animals and plants in Sho-den level (level 1)? What if I tell you that both lineages, Japanese and Western, teach that in level 1 too? Why will you pay for “Animal Reiki” if you were supposed to learn that in a normal level 1 attunement seminar? Money-minded “Reiki Masters” removed the teachings from level 1 and created a separate course to sell you a different “product” to earn from you. Those who sell “Animal Reiki” will tell you that you will learn more, that is a different technique, etc. If it’s a different technique, it doesn’t follow Mikao Usui Sensei’s teachings. Why do they call it “Reiki”? It shouldn’t be called “Reiki”, it should be called “Animal Healing”.
Menopause Reiki: when I read about this “course” I thought to myself: why a woman who is in her menopause would need a different Reiki? This course discriminates women. Is being a menopause woman different from being a non-menopause woman? We are all women. Moreover, does a woman need different Reiki than a man? Reiki is energy of light, love, harmony and healing. Is for everyone the same: woman, man, LGTBQIA+, animal, plant, object, place. Reiki is an intelligent energy, that means that the amount of energy which every person requires according to his/her needs is regulated by the Great Universe, not by our Egos. In fact, as Reiki practitioners we must be JUST A CHANNEL, we mustn’t contaminate the energy with purpose or expectations.
Do you want to sell a course for ladies who are in their menopause? Do it. Sell “Menopause Healing”, don’t call it “Reiki” because Mikao Usui Sensei never discriminated people according to their life journey. He taught the way to channelize the purest energy which has the power to enhance the vibration of every being without distinction.
Angel Reiki, Atlantean Reiki, Lemurian Reiki, Pleyadian Reiki: nobody denies that there are many many systems of healing. If you have the possibility of channelizing systems of healing from angels, archangels or light beings, that’s wonderful! Don’t call these systems “Reiki” because Reiki is what Mikao Usui Sensei has taught and he never met angels, archangels or light beings. He was a Zen Buddhist and he didn’t believe in angels, archangels or light beings. It’s not true that he was Christian. It’s not true that he wanted to learn how Jesus healed people. He received Reiki in March 1922 after a fast in Mount Kurama directly from the Great Universe.
There are other styles of “Reiki” that mix the Japanese technique with Egyptian gods and symbols, with Hindu gods and practices, with Tibetan traditions, etc. Mikao Usui Sensei was Japanese. His technique is Japanese. It is not true that Usui Sensei learnt Reiki from Tibetan monks. It is not true that the symbols Usui Sensei taught are from old Sanskrit manuscripts. Why mixing Reiki with other cultures? These cultures had their own healing systems. MANY CULTURES AROUND THE WORLD HAVE HAND HEALING TECHNIQUES, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT THOSE HAND HEALING TECHNIQUES ARE REIKI. These are different hand healing techniques, why calling them “Reiki” if they are not?
MANY CULTURES AROUND THE WORLD HAVE HAND HEALING TECHNIQUES, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT THOSE HAND HEALING TECHNIQUES ARE REIKI.
Violet Flame Reiki: why mixing Saint Germain’s Violet Flame practice which is complete in itself with Reiki? The members of Metaphysics groups and the brothers of the Great White Brotherhood wouldn’t like this blend. This is not Reiki nor Saint Germain practice. Those who consider that Saint Germain practice can be improved with Reiki, diminish Saint Germain’s teachings. And again, this is not Reiki.
Kundalini Reiki: isn’t it enough the practice of Kundalini? Why mixing it with Reiki? Talking about “Kundalini Reiki” is an oxymoron. They are two opposite concepts. When you practise Kundalini meditation or yoga, your aim is to awake your own energy -your Kundalini- which lies dormant in your Muladhara chakra (root chakra), move it along your chakras and release it through the crown chakra to create balance, awakening and enlightenment. WHEN WE PRACTISE REIKI, WE NEVER USE OUR OWN ENERGY. WE RECEIVE THE ENERGY OF THE GREAT UNIVERSE THROUGH OUR CROWN CHAKRA EFFORTLESSLY. Reiki energy enters our bodies through the crown chakra because during the Reiju (attunement) the Shihan/Master has opened our crown chakra so that it can exchange energy (receiving and releasing) effortlessly. Our spine and the rest of the chakras have been cleansed by the Shihan/Master during the attunement to warrant the right flow of energy without intention or concentration. Kundalini and Reiki are two opposite practices: while Kundalini requires our focus and attention to raise our own energy to the crown chakra, Reiki is the energy of the Great Universe that we are able to channelize through our crown chakra and that flows effortlessly through our spine removing the low vibrations and enhancing our frequency so that we can resonate in oneness with the Great Universe. As Kundalini and Reiki are two different practices, they are not improved with the mix, on the contrary. This mix also dishonors the more than two thousand years of Kundalini teachings and its gurus and Usui Sensei’s teachings. Of course, this style of “Reiki” shouldn’t be called “Kundalini” nor “Reiki”.
The Five Principles or Gokai: “Just for today, do not be angry, do not worry, be thankful, do what you are meant to do, be kind to others.”
Money Reiki: the first thing you learn in a Reiki Seminar is the Gokai or The Five Principles: “Just for today, do not be angry, do not worry, be thankful, do what you are meant to do, be kind to others.” Someone who practises the Gokai knows that to resonate with Reiki he/she shouldn’t be worried about anything because the Great Universe is supporting him/her. Being worried is against the Gokai. You can’t resonate with Reiki being worried. Being worried about money is against the Gokai. You can’t resonate with Reiki being worried or concerned or overthinking about money.
The fourth principle: “do what you are meant to do” refers to the unattachement from the outcomes: do what you are meant to do and leave the outcome to the Great Universe. You can’t control the outcomes. Trying to control outcomes is not trusting the Great Universe and being attached to the Ego’s expectations. Trying to control the money flow is going against the Gokai.
Nobody says that you have to live in poverty or to make a poverty vow. If you are resonating with Reiki, the Great Universe will provide you what you need, not what your Ego considers you must have or deserve.
A system of “Reiki” that teaches the opposite of what Mikao Usui Sensei has taught, shouldn’t be called Reiki.
The same applies to all these systems which promise you will get your twin flame, your best marriage, your inner warrior, etc. All these systems go against The Five Principles of Reiki and allow the Ego to introduce intention and purpose, to seek for an outcome. Whenever there’s Ego, there’s no Reiki energy.
Every week a new “Reiki” system is launched. Why? Because money-minded healers need to earn. Nobody is against their business. They can create all the healing systems they want. Only time will tell if they are effective or not. I’m not interested in discussing that. This is not my point. My point is that all these created healing systems SHOULDN’T BE CALLED REIKI BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT. They change Reiki “from its correct use and original purpose”[i]:
· They don’t follow Mikao Usui Sensei’s teachings
· They don’t follow the Gokai or The Five Principles of Reiki
· They don’t keep Reiki pure because they mix techniques
· They dishonor other techniques of meditation/ practices/ healing/ cultures
· They are Ego-orientated
· Most of them are taught online/ through WhatsApp/ through PDF
Reiki is what Mikao Usui Sensei has taught and what the students of the two lineages are teaching. The teachings of Mikao Usui Sensei are complete and Reiki can be used for every living being, object and place, in different situations, to heal the past, the present, the future and the Karma. There are techniques for Self-purification, for enhancing the amount of channelized energy and for Spiritual Growth. There are breathing techniques, meditation techniques, chakra cleansing techniques, Karma cleansing techniques, techniques to receive guidance from enlightened masters and more. There’s no need to seek outside the True Reiki. Only those who don’t know the true teachings of Mikao Usui Sensei think that Reiki can be improved by adding techniques to create new systems. THE TRUE POWER OF REIKI IS IN ITS PURITY.
Natalia Addiechi
Gendai Reiki Ho Shihan, 5th in lineage
Member of the Gendai Reiki Network
Facebook: Heal India Complementary Therapies Private Limited
[i] https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/pervert
