Simply put, Reiki is a healing technique based on the principle that the practitioner is channeling energy through them, into the patient by means of touch. What this does is activates the natural restoration process for the recipient to assist in restoring physical and emotional well being.
Certified Usui Reiki practitioners are required to undergo classes taught by a certified Usui Reiki Master Teacher, in order to receive their attunement, which corresponds to a particular Level. Generally speaking, each progressive level the practitioner learns more “Reiki Symbols” to become more advanced in their ability to treat individuals, which are received through an attunement process. What this means is the Reiki Master Teacher through a type of guided meditation journey, will energetically bestow the symbols and ability to practice Reiki relative to their level. There are traditionally four levels consisting of Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 which would be considered a Reiki Master that cannot or desires not to Teach, and finally Level 4, which is a Reiki Master that can then begin teaching otherwise known as “attuning” other students interested in becoming a Reiki practitioner.
Reiki extends beyond “fixing” that of which is “broken” and is encouraged to be viewed as an energetic regimen to balance the mind, body and soul. Often times we are bombarded with energy from all around us. We create stress energy, we absorb others lower level energy indirectly and directly and also just in general require a “tune up” so to speak. A wonderful practitioner that regularly provided me treatments made this analogy of the best way to describe Reiki healing. She said that if you were to picture a bucket with dirt and mud at the bottom, this would be the recipient. That dirt and mud could be anything from physical, mental or emotional imbalance. If you were then to consider the Universe a unlimited resource of higher vibrational, rejuvenating life-force energy; picture that as water flowing into the bucket to remove the dirt and mud that was built up from regular everyday life. The Reiki practitioner is then the individual that is channeling that life-force energy into the recipient, or to complete this analogy, would be the water hose that is the delivery mechanism for the water to flow into the bucket.