This is the perfect description of the first level or first degree in Usui Reiki Ryoho. Usui Reiki Ryoho, commonly shortened to Reiki, is the name Mikao Usui gave to the vibration of love and harmony of universal energy he connected to in 1921. Take a minute to think of all the strength contained in love, and in harmony. This will give you an idea of how powerful the combination of these two vibrations is. The strength of Reiki is such that it needs nothing to increase its strength. Training in Reiki can be described as a gift to me and you. Reiki knows where imbalances exist in the mind, body or spirit and travels to the core. Reiki balances and surrounds with harmony; what is in balance and surrounded by harmony is healed, and to heal yourself is to all that is around you.

A person must check out the certificates and energy lineage of a Reiki Shihan(teacher) to be sure he or she has a direct link to Mikao Usui, but anyone of any age can be trained in Reiki. There is nothing strange, fake, or difficult about Reiki taught by a qualified person. The first level of Reiki training is the first step on the path of self-discovery, and enhancing all positive in your life. It is a step into a life of health and good fortune. When training in this level, immeasurable hours are devoted to self-healing and self-growth. Reiki cannot be directed, and is often called a hand-on healing, because it is usually done by Reiki flowing through the palms of the hands. Once you have been connected to Reiki that connection remains with you always.

There are no short cuts, to identify with an energy most people cannot see, hear, taste, or smell requires hours of study with a qualified Reiki Shihan, and practice. Hours are spent learning personal affirmations and the Gokai (the five precept or five principles). The Gokai is the backbone of Reiki-ho, showing the path to happiness. The five lines are short and simple in word length, but the meaning behind each line is powerful.

Reiki is easy to learn but requires time and discipline. No level of Reiki can be learned in one afternoon, by a quick download from the internet, or from a book. The first level, or entrance to Reiki requires at least 12 hours of interactive instruction with a Reiki Shihan. Your communication skills whether they are verbal or in sign, as with your independent mobility skills, took time to learn. So why should the ability to channel two of the strongest vibrations from the universe be any different. The ritual of opening another persons channel to Reiki takes only a few minutes, but the width and clearness of that channel requires time. Think of all the practice and time put into learning to walk upright even if all systems within the body are functioning perfectly. Then think of the connection to Reiki as the most complex of professional ballet routines. Can you imagine any person learning to not only walk upright but also achieve the grace of a professional ballerina or danseur in 1 afternoon, 1 weekend, or 1 month?

The universe does not discriminate, so not race, sex, religion, formal education, or wealth will allow anyone to condense the time required for Reiki training. Each of the overwhelming number of energies within the vibration named Reiki has a unique beauty of its own, and therefore the wonderment of experiencing never stops. Reiki (universal energy) and Qi (life force energy)blending within some people can delight the senses of another person to whom the blend flows. Reiki and Qi are not the same energies, but Reiki reinforces and replenishes Qi when needed. Energy can be neither created nor destroyed, but it changes into many forms.

Hiroshi Doi one of my teachers and a member of the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, the original society began by Mikao Usui, shared much insight with me and other students. The Gakkai believes no person since Mikao Usui has obtained the perfect connection that he had achieved. Considering the devotion to Mikao Usuis teachings that the Gakkai has maintained in the spiritual practice of Reiki, I have no reason to doubt any information that actually has come from the Gakkai. Members of the Gakkai share what they have learned through various means, with each other. Because of the way in which Mikao Usui taught, he did not share the wealth of his entire knowledge with any one student. To know the full extent of Mikao Usuis knowledge and its sources, not only would the three people he raised to the highest level have to be interviewed, but also his other 1,997 known students, and Mikao Usui.

Hundreds of what are called symbols, or training wheels, have been created since Mikao Usuis passing in 1926. Symbols have no power; they are used only to help some to identify with the overwhelming number of energies contained in Reiki. There is no symbol that is the magic key to open what Mikao Usui opened only after his first awakening followed by three years of Zen studies, followed by days of meditation, hours of unconsciousness, and then practice combined with drawing upon all the wealth of the life experiences he had accumulated. Mikao Usui never received a doctorate of any kind, and did not go searching to find Reiki. We know he was an extremely intelligent and caring man that had been searching for knowledge all his life.

If you advance through the four or more levels of Reiki you will learn to let balance and harmony flow to others, but keeping yourself in balance automatically touches all you meet in a positive way.

The second level will take you deeper into Reiki as you learn how it can travel over time and distance, but each level of Reiki is honorable. Most Reiki teachers use symbols in the second level to help students learn to feel the energies. They are used again in the spiritual third level, and in the fourth level you learn how to leave the symbols and continue on your journey without their weight. More factual information about Reiki can be found on some websites. My website, containing pages of text and links to other informative sites is www.natrualhealinglearning.com.

Achieving certification to teach Reiki, in any style, is not the destination but part of a wondrous journey. I began learning styles of Reiki common in North America. Through Richard Rivard a Reiki Shihan(teacher) in Canda I was fortunate to connect with Japanese Reiki Shihans. I then studied with Hiroshi Doi, a member of Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, and then Rev. Hyakuten Inamoto a Buddhist monk and Reiki Shihan; both of these teachers have a close energy and technique lineage to Mikao Usui the founder of Reiki. Each day I practice to maintain the clearness of my Reiki channel and continue to gain knowledge.