It was extremely important that we delegated due reverence to age-old cultures - to fully understand the thoughts and logic forms of their beliefs and to sincerely embrace them with full understanding and absolute humility. It was equally important that we abstained from foolish frivolity and the application of renaissance logic in trying to understand topics that occurred long before the arrival of renaissance thinking.

To us, Reiki is a process, which, when properly administered, restores balance and health for anyone in search of wellness. It is a technique that came from the far east and one which has worked extremely well for many. Reiki is administered through the application of an energy source referred to as chi or ki in the orient.

In cultures, long before the advent of Christianity, early societies believed in the existence of a supreme power as the creator of all life. These cultures understand that within every living form exists an essence which provides life to it. Without this essence, nothing lives. The Chinese refers to the essence as ‘chi’; the Japanese calls it ‘ki’. They believe that lack of this essence within the living body can cause imbalance to the physical. They also believe that if the ki flows abundantly and unhindered within the body, then all will be well physically.

It is understandable, therefore, that old cultures in the orient began to search for a way to develop the art of harnessing this ki. The many techniques that were developed are best illustrated through the martial arts. When ki is generated and allowed to flow smoothly through the physical body, the martial artist is able to perform tremendous feats of strength which a lay person is not able to do.

It is further believed that if one can connect with this universal energy, one can transmit the ki to a person in need of the energy simply by laying hands on the person. When this process happens, balance is restored not only in the physical but also the emotional, mental and spiritual.

The ancients also maintained that all creatures have an innate ability to heal themselves; a human being is no exception. Ask a pet owner if he or she has observed what the pet does when it is not feeling well. From experience, I know that my dog goes quietly into a corner and takes a rest; and stays there until he feels well again.

Remember how our elders used to tell us to go lie down and rest when, as children, we told them we were not feeling good? I remember well my grand-parents, parents, even aunts and uncles and care-givers telling me to do that. They all seem to have that innate sense that sleep is nature’s way of healing - of bringing balance to the physical.

A properly administered Reiki treatment would cause ki to flow and lull the recipient into a state of deep relaxation, sometimes even sleep. It is usually at this point that the healing process begins. As the physical is drawn into balance, the emotion and the mental is attracted to the balanced state as well.

To administer a proper treatment, it is imperative that the Reiki practitioner is clearly aware of the need to step out of his own ego and knows exactly what he has to do to attain this state. He then commences to work selflessly to attain the level of an open and clear channel – becoming a mere conduit through which the universal ki can flow without hindrance. He must have the humility to acknowledge that he is not the healer but is only an instrument for the healing energy to flow through. It is important he believes in and trusts the universal ki. Similarly, the recipient must have the same faith and trust in the universal energy. When channel and recipient work together this way, many wonderful results can be manifested during a Reiki treatment.

Chrystalla and I were very fortunate to be witnesses to many wonderful happenings to people who found healing and wellness through Reiki. Each time this happens, we felt tremendous gratitude and humbly thank God for His infinite love, compassion, mercy and forgiveness.

Everyone of us has individually discovered that a good rest not only eliminates physical discomforts from the body but also puts us at peace with ourselves and also with others around us and our environment. In our physical euphoria, we become more accepting of people and situations. We cease being judgmental when people do not behave or situations do not occur according to our expectations. We do not conform to the angry desire within that we have to change people and circumstances so that everyone behaves, and everything happens, according to our expectations.

When our physical, mental and emotion find balance, the spiritual side of us is drawn into the equation as well. This does not mean that we will now rush to places of worship, embarking on living monastic lives and dedicating ourselves to our religion. It simply means that as we discover balance, we become powerfully and clearly aware of our spirit within, our own sense of humanity. The awakening comes in the form of jolts and questions from every direction engaging us in a careful review of our acquired rationales and faiths which we have accepted as being truths.

We realize we have been conditioned to believe that soft emotions were weak and hard emotions were strong. Consequently we learn to deny and suppress our soft emotions, identifying only our strengths, the hard emotions. As our spirit finds balance, the floodgates open and through feeling and realization we begin to experience a mighty surge of emotions within us, particularly the soft emotions. Often many wonder why we burst into tears at this point. Who says “real men don’t cry” ?

Welcome to the joy of finding balance and peace, to be in touch with yourself and to being human again, feeling love, care and compassion and recognizing yourself as a loving child of a loving God.

Please remember that Reiki addresses the cause and not the symptoms. Therefore, it is important for the recipient to understand that if he desires balance and wellness from Reiki, he must be prepared to accept responsibility for himself. He must realize that life comprises a series of decisions and choices one makes and that each results in a consequence that one has to live with. In today’s society many of the ailments that confront us are often the results of mental or emotional manifestations. We cannot delegate blame to another person or a situation. Until a person faces and accepts responsibility for the mental or emotional cause and its subsequent consequence, the person can never be free from the affliction.

We live in a divine world, cloaked with awe-inspiring mysteries - mysteries way beyond our ken. Its truth and beauty revealed only in glimpses when we reach out in simple innocence and absolute faith. We must learn to hold the faith within and trust not with the logic that we inherit. Learn to revel in the benevolent embrace of a loving mother, envisioning her beauty and rejoicing in her love. Keep reaching out and trust the reciprocal warmth that returns to you. The truth lives within us.

Remember!