5 classic Reiki principles still show the way to success in 21st century

A free article on Personal Development

By: Alexander Gottwald

Reiki is a simple yet mysterious healing technique from Japan, founded about 100 years ago by a Bhuddhist called Usui Mikao, who also invented this name that sounds strange to modern Japanese ears. Some people in Japan even get a little frightened when they hear the word, because "Rei" can also mean something like "ghost". Reiki instead doesn't care so much about the meaning of the words and spreads itself all over the planet, where it has become quite popular within the scene of western spiritual healers and seekers.

Reiki started its triumph in Hawaii in the late 1940s, when a Hawaiian Lady called Hawayo Takata began treating people with Reiki, she had learned from Churijo Hayashi. As in Hawaii Pearl Harbor was located, it's not that surprising, that Mrs. Takata made up her own version of the origin of Reiki, to sort of veil the Buddhist and Shinto roots of the system, as they may have triggered a whole lot of negative emotions in American people at this particular time. From this long passed time there are still some legends passed on and around the world by not so well informed Reiki practitioners, e.g. the myth Usui Sensei had been a Christian Monk, studied in Chicago and many other biographical details invented by Mrs. Takata.

In the beginning of the 1980s Reiki came to Europe. At first only the Takata myths were known and taught, until a German Reiki Teacher moved to Japan and started teaching Reiki there. To his big surprise he found Reiki to be alive in Japan, which contradicted another Takata myth: She had claimed to be the one and only living Reiki teacher in the world, even calling herself a "Grand-Master" (a title Usui Sensei himself neither used nor ever gave to anyone!). From these days on, more and more informations about the origins of Reiki and its founder Usui Sensei came to light. The doors of the Usui Gakkai - the Organization founded in Tokyo to preserve Usui Sensei's work - stayed closed to westerners until today. But Japanese Reiki Teachers like e.g. Doi Hiroshi - the founder of Gendai Reiki - or Inamoto Hyakuten - who founded Hayashi based Komyo Reiki Kai made many details known also to western Reiki practitioners and teachers, so there is a much broader picture of what Reiki is and how it can serve us in the 21st century.

There are five basic rules, the Japanes Meji Emperor had invented. Usui Sensei adored this man very much (some might know him in his young years from the movie "Last Samurai" with Tom Cruise) and so he applied these five principles to his Reiki path. Let's have a look, how they can serve our personal development in the western realm even today about 100 years after Reiki had been founded and took its way from traditional sittings with the master himself to advanced online courses available e.g. in the Reikifriendship, the Online Reikischool founded in 2004:

1.Just for today - don't be angry! This first principle is probably one of the most misunderstood in the west. It doesn't invite us to suppress angry emotions, but to deal with them in a more friendly and compassionate manner. So the first reason for learning Reiki online is to be reminded daily that letting anger take over simply destroys our lives. Reiki has some smart suggestions how to get over it again and again.

2.Just for today - don't worry! This is another big one. As we all know from many self-development programs, worries are very contra-productive. Failure can be the immediate result, if we don't stop this negative trip right away. Having an online resource to daily remind me to stop worrying can be immensely helpful to save your business or even your life!

3.Just for today - be grateful! In the movie the Secret the say: If you can say thank you to something you're attracted to, it's almost yours!" So gratitude is one of the huge attractor factors for wealth, health, happiness and success. Gratitude is such a powerful gift, given to us by the 3rd principle, which in fact shows us how weak we were without it. It's so helpful, and you Won't want to miss this one another day!

4.Just for today - work hard on yourself! This one is a little more challenging to get, but not less important than the first three principles: If we don't take 100% responsibility, we won't achieve what we came here for. So this principle reminds us of the only person worth working on: Ourselves! Working on others will only show poor results compared to what is possible if we take the full responsibility and live from that.

5.Only today - I will be kind to everybody! This last principle of course also starts with me! Only if I learn to be friendly with myself, I can be truly live compassion and kindness in my interaction with others. Online we have the daily opportunity to practice kindness to ourselves and all other Reiki students.

As we can see very clearly here, learning Reiki in an Online school can be far more supporting and challenging, than learning in an ordinary weekend class, with regular meetings following only once a month. The Reiki principles as presented by Usui Sensei are so precious for our daily success and well-being, that having the support of being reminded to them daily can be very useful for making the progress desired in one's life, may it concern business, health, relating or other areas of the human realm.

Information about the Author:

Hundreds of Reikisystems, Self-Coaching and Energy Work are available to the members of Reikifriendship - the online Reiki School for their personal development. Since it has been founded by Coach and Reiki-Teacher Alexander Gottwald in 2004 hundreds of members have been joining worldwide.

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