Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by "laying on hands" and techniques such as this have been practiced for thousands of years. Reiki is a very simple yet powerful technique that can be easily learned by anyone.
The word Reiki comes from two Japanese words - Rei and Ki. The word Rei means universal and this is the definition most have accepted. However, this interpretation is a very general one. Rei as it is used in Reiki is more accurately interpreted to mean higher knowledge or spiritual consciousness. This is the wisdom that comes from God or the Higher Self and is the God-Consciousness which is all-knowing. It understands each person completely. It knows the cause of all problems and difficulties and knows how to heal them.
Ki is life energy. It is also known as the vital life force or the universal life force. This is the non-physical energy that animates all living things. As long as something is alive, it has life energy circulating through it and surrounding it; when it dies, the life energy departs. If your life energy is low, or if there is a restriction in its flow, you are more vulnerable to illness. when it is high, and flowing freely, you are less likely to get sick. Life energy plays an important role in everything we do. It animates the body and has higher levels of expression. Ki is also the primary energy of our emotions, thoughts and spiritual life.
