Reiki: Hands That Heal

by Joyce J. Morris, William Morris

Overview

Reiki: Hands That Heal is a perfect introduction to Reiki and a useful workbook for practitioners at all levels. As an introduction, Joyce Morris outlines the history and general principles of Reiki, and her lineage to the tradition. For the practitioner and those who want to learn more about specific aspects of Reiki, further chapters delve into the legal and ethical considerations of treatment, current research, and examples of Reiki healing miracles. Particularly useful are extensive illustrations of hand placement for healing, color plates of before and after aura illustrations, and a list of treatments for specific disorders. Included is a chapter dealing with general treatment principles by William Morris. Used by Joyce Morris as a workbook in her Reiki workshops, Reiki Hands That Heal is a practical resource for anyone interested in alternative healing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781578631186
Publisher:	Red Wheel/Weiser
Publication date:	04/01/1999
Pages:	174
Sales rank:	840,372
Product dimensions:	8.75(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.42(d)

Read an Excerpt

REIKI HANDS THAT HEAL

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By Joyce Morris

Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC

Copyright © 1999 Joyce Morris
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-57863-118-6

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CHAPTER 1

What I Believe

Reiki is not a belief system.

Anyone who gets the full Reiki initiations can use the Reiki energy for healing themselves and others. Belief in Reiki is not a requirement for Reiki to work. If you get the Reiki attunements, you have the ability to flow the Reiki energy; a class, and this book—or any book—are only the packages a Master wraps Reiki in to present it to you. This book reflects MY Beliefs, my package. It stays as close as possible to the teachings I received when Reiki was passed down to me and only broadens that knowledge with new information that I have gained since becoming a Master. What I write about Reiki has not changed from what I was taught. What I write about a context for Reiki evolves as I evolve.

I believe the Principles of Healing are always the same. The Principles are not dependent upon anyone's beliefs. Since Reiki is not dependent upon a belief system, it certainly is not dependent upon your believing what I believe.

Let me start by saying that I believe in God. For me, God is NOT a man sitting on a cloud in a white robe and long white beard. That concept of God places limits based on our human ability to imagine. God is beyond limit. Nor do I believe in God as male, but as both male and female energy, so I also like to use the terms "Mother-Father God," "Divine Love," "Higher Power," "Goddess Energy," and "Spirit." To me they are just different aspects of the same loving being I call GOD.

I believe in reincarnation. I believe that we have always been, and that we will always be. I believe that this lifetime is just "a weekend vacation on earth" when placed in the context of eternity, from the beginning of time to the end of time. This is what reincarnation is all about—coming back again and again to either learn lessons, help someone, or work out Karma.

Karma, the law of cause and effect, goes along with my belief in reincarnation. I believe that some of our Karma returns to us instantly; some returns years or even lifetimes later. It can be "good" or "bad" if you give it value judgments; in truth it is simply what is. When I deal with others, if I give out love and joy and happiness, then that is what I will get in return. If, on the other hand, I give out hatred, anger and resentment, then that is what I get back. That's Karma.

Free will, on the other hand, indicates how God does NOT control us, but rather with love allows us to grow and make our own choices, make our own mistakes, and to learn from them—or not. That's up to us. As we go along in life, we are constantly at new crossroads where we must make a choice: do we go right or left? A little further down the path there will be another fork and we must choose again. Life is one choice after another, from birth until death. God does not interfere with these choices. That's free will. That is how we as individuals determine our own Karma.

I hope you find this book enjoyable, and that it broadens your knowledge of Reiki. It is important to remember, however, that only through attunements by a true Reiki Master can you be opened to flow the specific frequency of energy that is Reiki. This manual is meant primarily for my students; you may also find it interesting if you simply wish to know more about Reiki or if you are a Reiki Master and want a thorough manual for use in class. It is my hope that this book will help correct much of the misinformation that people currently have regarding Reiki, its history, what it is and what it is not. In addition, it reflects my "package"—how I see Reiki fitting into a life of healing, harmony, balance and love. In Love and Light,

What is Reiki?

On first encountering the word, "Reiki," most people want to know what it is and what it does. My answer can be as simple as "It's a healing energy," but since I feel strongly that the best way to find out about Reiki is to have a personal experience of the energy, I generally invite the person to a free Reiki Workshop. In a workshop, a person learns what Reiki is and what it will do—and, most important, experiences the actual energy. There are several fine books that will broaden your knowledge of Reiki, but five minutes of treatment will tell more than five hours of lectures or reading.

Reiki is East meets West. It is all religions, it encompasses all religions, it is the ultimate ecumenical link. Dr. Usui, who rediscovered Reiki, was a Christian monk, studying with Zen Buddhists, going to India and the United States for additional study, then back to the Zen Master where one of his first miracles took place. Reiki is based on a Master/Teacher relationship and on student initiations as the basis of learning. Western culture is growing more aware of multiple approaches to spirituality, and Reiki is a perfect melding of East and West.

Reiki is Universal Life Energy—a balanced energy flowing through the therapist that brings about healing. (It makes no difference whether we call ourselves therapists, practitioners, channels or healers. It is all the same: we flow the Reiki energy.) When I learned Reiki we were taught that it worked on 4 levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Over the years we have found evidence that it works on karmic and etheric levels, and we are getting validation that it also works on both time and space. Before we are finished learning all that Reiki is, I believe we will find that it works on 12 levels. I have no idea what the additional levels may be; it should be an interesting journey for all of us to discover these new levels.

How does Reiki work on these different levels? On the physical level, Reiki helps to bring balance. When the body is in a state of balance it tends to heal itself: burns heal faster, breaks mend sooner than expected, bleeding stops, etc. On the mental level, when one is in a state of balance stress is easier to handle, learning comes easier, clarity becomes a part of everyday life, etc. With emotional balance, one is less likely to need psychiatric medication; the everyday ups and downs of life become more manageable. Spiritual growth is extremely important to many of us today, and when one is in a state of balance it is easier to meditate and pray, to listen to the inner voice and to act on higher guidance.

Karma with another individual can impede growth, and Reiki often assists the practitioner to see the karmic ties to another individual, and ways to cut or balance out the situation. Many people feel that dis-ease often begins first in the etheric web and then manifests in the physical. Reiki helps to heal rips and tears in this web and also strengthens the overall etheric web. Time and space, as well as the other 4 levels (whatever they turn out to be), are areas we are just beginning to experience.

Reiki is not learned with the conscious mind. We have memory at cellular level, and we learn all over our bodies, with every fiber of our being. The ability to flow the Reiki energy is acquired through a process done by a Reiki Master. This process is called an alignment, an attunement, or an initiation. We really do not have the vocabulary to properly describe much of what Reiki is, what it does, or how it is acquired. Since Reiki is not acquired with the conscious mind, anyone, regardless of age or mental abilities, can be attuned to the Reiki energy. The important thing to remember is that to do Reiki one must first be initiated by a Reiki Master. This is the ONLY way. It cannot be "channeled," given by one's "guides," acquired by reading or by knowledge shared by anyone other than a Master.

To become a Reiki Master one has been through the process of being initiated into First Degree, then into Second Degree, and after much time and practice has been chosen to be a Master. First and Second Degree are levels one chooses for oneself and are available to everyone. Rarely is one chosen to be a Master, for Mastership is not for everyone. At this level it is not a personal decision. If and when it is time for you to become a Master, your master will know and will tell you so, just as it has been for centuries in the Oriental martial arts and in spiritual practices.

Reiki has its own innate intelligence. It knows where it is needed and it goes there. Every area of the body knows its own perfection, i.e., the liver regenerates as liver cells, not as skin cells, and skin cells as skin cells not as liver cells. What Reiki does on the physical plane is to help the body return to its own perfection, whatever that might be.

What I have found is that Reiki is a harmonizing energy: it enters and balances out any imbalances within the system. When we are in a state of balance, we are healthy—both physically and emotionally. When we are out of balance, we are in a state of dis-ease. By bringing balance and harmony to the system, Reiki helps the body and the mind to heal themselves.

Reiki is a healing, balancing energy that comes through the Reiki Channel. It is NOT the practitioner's own energy, but rather a cosmic energy that enters through the crown chakra at the top of the head, flows down through the body, expands the auric field and flows out through the hands. It is drawn through in direct proportion to the amount of energy needed by the recipient, not what the therapist thinks is needed.

This has been validated for me many times over the years by many different clairvoyants, who can actually see auric fields. What they uniformly see is a funnel of white light coming in through the crown chakra; then they see the auric field expand; next they see it coming out of minor chakras in the palms of the hands and from the fingertips.

Another way I have of explaining Reiki is by comparing it to a radio. We are surrounded by radio waves at all times. If I reach out and wave my arm it goes right through radio waves. At the same time it also goes through Reiki waves. I cannot just cup my hand behind my ear and hear the radio; neither can I just reach out and tap into Reiki waves. I must have a radio, an instrument designed specifically to pick up and amplify the radio waves, in order to hear the radio. In like manner I must go through a Reiki initiation in order to pick up and amplify the Reiki energy. Reiki, like radio waves, is a vibratory energy. In the chapter on Creating an Environment we will talk much more about vibratory energies.

REIKI:

"Heals the cause and eliminates the effect," according to Madam Takata

Can be used on plants, animals, infants & children, other people, and yourself

Lasts a lifetime

Is compatible with both allopathic and homeopathic medicine

Protects the therapist from "taking on" the dis-ease of the client

Gives a treatment to the therapist as they are treating a client

Can usually be felt by both the therapist and the client, and manifests as HEAT, COLD, TINGLING, THROBBING, and a variety of other sensations.

Always works—it may not work on the area you wish, but it always works

Always works, but the client may not stay with it long enough to effect a "cure" or change in the problem

Makes a statement to the Universe that you are WORTH healing, and that rather than going to someone else and saying, "Here I am, fix me," you are taking RESPONSIBILITY for your own health and well-being

REIKI IS: A GREAT stress reducer Simple and easy to use A "psychic roto-rooter" Compatible with all religions Easy to learn, easier to use A release for blocked energy Safe

REIKI IS NOT: A religion A belief system Hypnosis or mind control Psychic Healing Laying-on-of-hands Learned with the conscious mind

ACCORDING TO WILLIAM MORRIS, O.M.D.:

Reiki is pure undifferentiated life force; as such, it is pure goodness.

Reiki is that life force which exists before polarization into yin and yang and the 10,000 things; as such, it is close to the Tao.

As a nonpolarized energy, Reiki is attracted to where polarized imbalances exist.

As universal life force in expression, Reiki is a quantum form of healing.

Reiki is a form of healing which emanates from the absolute.

Reiki is an unconditional form of healing.

Reiki reveals the innate gift of healing which is the human birth-right. As such, it is a consummate expression of love.

Reiki reveals the body's innate intelligence to heal itself.

The gift of Reiki is a gift of supreme satisfaction.

Reiki - The Word

Reiki is pronounced—

Ray as a Ray of Light

Key as a Key to unlock a door

The dictionary gives varied meanings of the word. Some of them are:

Rei - Spirit, Soul, Universal

Ki Energy

Together they could mean "Soul Energy" or "Spirit Energy." However, the essence is more that of Universal Life Energy.

Ki has a name in most languages:

- In Chinese, Chi or Qi

- Christ Light to Christians

- Prana in Hindu

- Bioplasma in Russia

- Mana to Hawaiian Kahunas

- Orgone Energy to Wilhelm Reich

- In English, the Breath of Life, Vital Life Force Energy, Ectoplasm, BioEnergetics.

On the certificate you receive at the completion of class, you will see, "USUI SHIKI RYOHO." This translates into "The Usui System of Natural Healing."

To help increase our understanding of Reiki, where it comes from and what it means, we have an explanation of the Reiki symbol by William Morris, O.M.D.

This entire character (both Rei and Ki together) is used in very ancient medical texts. It has been found in manuscripts dating from two and three thousand B.C.

About that time in most cultures the two classes, priests and physicians, became divided. Before then the spiritual leaders were also the healers.

In the Orient, the physicians took the Reiki character out and inserted another character which symbolizes herbs or potions or some physical substance that they would give to the people.

The first portion of the symbol is Rei

1. The upper section of the character is a cloud formation or condensation of energy. It represents an all-prevailing energy and what it shows is a coming together and focusing of the energy.

2. The middle section is under the cloud formations. These are 3 squares which represent people with open hungry mouths.

3. Below the squares are stick figures that symbolize priests performing ceremony.

This part of the story tells of the people beseeching the priests to bring rain.

The second part of the symbol is Ki, and this is a very specific form of Ki. In some ancient medical texts there are as many as 38 different forms of Ki or Chi manifestations. These range from breathing vital life force to basic organ functions. This character represents grains or other nutrients coming out of the earth.

1. The whole symbol is a vortex of energy.

2. The cross is symbolic of a patch of earth or ground.

3. These four little sprouts are rice.

This is the essence of Reiki—a balance of heaven, earth and humanity—a concept which is intrinsic to Chinese thought.

The Reiki Story

In the mid-1800s, Dr. Mikao Usui was head of a Christian School, comparable to a theological seminary in the U.S., in Kyoto, Japan. His students were constantly asking him why they were only being taught to heal the soul when the Bible says it is possible to heal both the body and the soul. Dr. Usui did not have an answer for them, and he felt he was compelled to.

He left his position at the school and went on a lengthy search, which took him to several countries, including the United States. He learned several languages in the progress of his travels so he could study each culture's manuscripts in their original form instead of in translations.

After long years of searching, Dr. Usui finally found what he was sure were the keys for physical healing and balancing in the Sanskrit sutras (the word "sutras" simply means "holy writings"). What he found was a formula, very clear and precise, for a simple, quick, easy way to activate and direct the Universal Life Energy that he later named Reiki. What he did not find was the way to get the power to start the activation. He conferred with the abbot of the Zen Buddhist monastery where he was staying; they decided he should go up onto Mount Kurama-yama, a sacred mountain outside Kyoto, for 21 days of meditation, prayer, and fasting to see if he could gain the power he sought.

To keep track of the days, Dr. Usui gathered up 21 stones. Each day he threw away one of the stones, and then he meditated, prayed, read from the sutras, and fasted. Finally the morning of the 21st day came. We are told that before dawn he said:

"My Father, my God, this is the morning of the twenty-first day. I pray you will show me the light." And I threw the stone away.

And in that way over on the horizon, as he did that, he saw a little bitty beam of light. And it started moving towards him. As it moved, it came faster and faster and got larger and larger and it frightened him nearly to death.
(Continues...)

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Excerpted from REIKI HANDS THAT HEAL by Joyce Morris. Copyright © 1999 Joyce Morris. Excerpted by permission of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Note from the Author          

What I Believe          

What is Reiki          

Reiki - The Word          

The Reiki Story          

The Story Continues          

Virginia's Affirmation          

Masters' Photos          

Reiki Masters Lineage          

Reiki Principles          

Exchange of Energy          

Professional Ethics          

The Reiki Center          

The Three Degrees          

Treatment Guidelines          

Team Treatments          

Legal Considerations          

The Temptations          

Transformation Tools          

Reiki Miracles          

Reiki Research          

Healing Environments          

Hand Positions          

General Treatment Principles          

Specific Treatments          

Appendix A - Thesis          

Appendix B - Research Paper          

Appendix C - Aura Sketches          

Appendix D - Biblical References          

Appendix E - Addresses          

Bibliography          

Seminar Information          

Index          

About the Author