Reiki was developed in the 19th century in Japan by Dr. Mikao Usui. Dr. Usui was widely regarded as a most studious scholar, and teacher. He studied widely across many disciplines including history, literature, medicine, psychology, and world religions. He received a doctorate in literature, spoke several languages, and became well-versed in medicine, theology, and philosophy. 

Dr. Usui was often addressed as Sensei – meaning “Teacher”. This term was routinely used in East Asian cultures as an honorific term to address certain professionals, or people of authority – or to show respect to someone who had achieved a very high level of mastery in an art form, or some other skill, such as, accomplished musicians, writers, artists, and martial artists. 

Having begun his Qi Gong practice and spiritual studies since the age of 4, and having found this focus to only deepen as he grew older, he came to be profoundly adept in various martial arts, and meditation. He was known for his kindness, compassion, curiosity, and open-mindedness, which led him to study and understand many different cultural perspectives. His caring and inclusive nature would come to play a pivotal role in the creation of Reiki. 

Having seen much human suffering in his own community, Usui had a very compelling and broad interest in understanding the human condition, the human spirit, and particularly, what causes illness and suffering. He also found great inspiration in his studies of what inspires and heals us. This led him to fervently investigate and study the long-standing ancient methods used in times past to facilitate healing and wellbeing. And out of his persistence, devotion, compassion, and determination to bring relief and aide for human suffering, he committed himself to find a way to develop a technique that was both effective, and could be taught to anyone, regardless of their background, education, or religious beliefs.

He did much searching and researching which included the ancient Sanskrit texts where various healing techniques were spoken of. It is also noted that he traveled widely to the Americas, Europe, and China as a part of his continued study. His focus spanned over many world religions and traditions. 

After many years of study and meditation, Dr. Usui came to a profound clarity, of heart, mind, and understanding which gave him the whole picture of what this lovely healing art, he called Reiki, was to be.

The term “Reiki” originates from two Japanese words: “Rei,” which means “universal,” and “Ki,” meaning, “life force energy.”  Together, these words create the concept representing the life force energy that permeates every living being. 

Reiki then, is a method of applying life force energy to the body’s system, to clear congestions, and promote the optimal flow of ki.

When Dr. Usui initially began to practice this technique, he chose to do so in some poverty-stricken populations near his clinic in Kyoto. As he applied this technique to relieve pain and suffering, and help people heal, he observed that it brought them much relief, and in some cases, profound or unexpected healings.

He continued monitoring those he had treated. And in his ongoing observation and contemplation of this healing technique, as well as his reflections of the connectivity of mind, body and spirit and their influence in health and well-being, he eventually determined that the practice of Reiki would be well-paired with a mind-body-spirit orientation that led us into more self-awareness and self-care to robustly support the healing process, and deepen well-being, stability, and balance, in our life.

The intelligence behind this acknowledges that most people have some store of conscious and subconscious mental, emotional, attitude, behavior, or coping patterns which were born out of what you might call “old programming” and hurts from the past. These patterns can sometimes distort or dim our experience and joy in life, or pull us back and hold us in limitation, discomfort, or discontent.

When we free ourselves from these unhelpful influences, we are then able to feel – and to more fully embody, the peace, happiness, and freedom which is our natural desire, inclination, and nature.

Aside from its reputation and use as an effective and broadly supportive tool for stress relief and well-being, Reiki is often associated with helping these older, sometimes unconscious traumatic hurts; or other difficult feelings, stressors, or dynamics, improve.

Believing our emotions, thoughts, attitudes, and habits to be intimately related to our overall health, and in part, causal of our unwellness, and as well, the disturbances and congestions in our energy system, Dr. Usui set forth Five Fundamental Principles as a guiding framework for practitioners and recipients alike to support and encourage mind, body, and spirit healing and wellbeing.

They were intended to be of a universal appeal and application; and are entirely complimentary and compatible with all cultures and traditions. They require no belief of any kind to implement. 

In recognition of the import our various mental and emotional experience and sufferings play into our health and daily experience, the Reiki Principles were designed to support movement  towards a more balanced, happy, and harmonious life, and, in the broader connectivity of everything in our life. This, he felt, would render greater improvements that continue to enhance our health on every level.

Consciously practiced in daily life, they reliably yield a healthy supportive orientation which can help us enhance our self-awareness, and create an intimately kinder connection with others, and the world around us. 

The Five Fundamental Principles Dr. Usui asks us to remember daily are the following:

The First Reiki Principle is:

Just for today, I will not worry.

While this may seem simple, any one of us knows how difficult it is to stop worrying – and especially, if worry is a strong tendency that we have. We live in a weighty and complicated world that can very easily lean us towards worry. But if we think about worry logically, we can see that there was never a time that worry gave us any real benefit.

Science has fully affirmed the degrading effect that stress and worry has on our health. So we have every good reason to give this First Reiki Principle a try so we can shift this tendency – and better feel the strength, fortitude and courage that lives in us too. 

It is not a matter of denying we may have things that are worrying going on. It is a matter of recognizing that worrying does not help us, the situation, nor anyone else. So, we are called to recognize our responsibility to choose our attitude and focus while moving thru life’s ups and downs. 

Patterns repeated for a long time take some willful intention and practice to undo their hold on us. But this first Reiki Principle, quietly repeated and remembered daily, encourages ever more mindfulness and calm in our self that will one day overturn our long-standing tendency towards worry and reveal an inner strength and balance which is much more capable of running the show in our life.

The Second Reiki Principle is:

Just for today, I will not be angry.

While anger is a normal human emotion; because it is stressful and disturbing to our system, it is a disrupter to our energy flow. Dr. Usui offers this mindful remembrance as a daily marker to help us shift patterns that have become self-defeating so we can live out of our most natural inclination of peace and equanimity. When we choose not to harbor anger, we are choosing to operate from our higher nature, which better supports our emotional balance and healing.

However, this intelligence is not meant to eclipse the reality that there are many sudden, traumatic let-downs, hurts, losses, or disturbances we face in the span of our life which would naturally cause frustration, fear, or anger. In Reiki, we do not deny nor judge these natural human emotions. But rather we aim to provide the support needed to help someone move past these traumatic hurts, so they can put it behind them and be their best self.

The Third Reiki Principle is:

Just for today, I will do my work honestly.

Viewing honesty and integrity as essential qualities to well-being, this principle simply encourages us to act with truth, integrity, and sincerity in all our endeavors. This includes our mindful attention on all our words, actions, activities, and relationships, personal and professional. 

Dr. Usui felt the practice of growing inward honest quiet self-reflection, self-awareness, and conscious integrity to be a cornerstone to wellbeing.

In the world today, it’s fair to say that some days we may be carrying one too many responsibilities which stresses our system and causes us to lose sight of our inner strength and best balance. If we can just notice when we feel this way, we will at the same time realize that there is a call for some means of rest, reflection, and restoration that we all deserve.

Taking a little time, or a day off, so we can allow ourselves some personal care and restoration will help us stay in our best balance and be able to manage and do whatever work we do with more quality, ease, and awareness.

The Fourth Reiki Principle is:

Just for today, I will be grateful.

Again, it is very easy to feel overwhelmed by the various hardships we come to see and feel in our life sometimes. Believing gratitude to be a healing attitude, Dr. Usui offers the practice of gratitude as an instrument in keeping our natural good nature at the fore, and as well, in enhancing our ability to keep and share an uplifting outlook, hope, and encouragement with others.

The Fifth Reiki Principle is:

Just for today, I will be kind to every living thing.

Believing all humans and all of life to share the same sufferings, needs and value, Dr. Usui emphasizes compassion and kindness as our natural true nature; out of which, we find the most uplifting and fulfilling course in our personal and professional life.

Most of us have felt strained enough by the demands of our life, to have found our attention contract, as we go into fight or flight patterns, living out of fear, separation, and survival, rather than out of love. This coping tendency can happen very spontaneously as we try to protect ourselves from whatever hurt or overload we perceive, or feel – and we can fairly easily find ourselves in a fast-paced mindless rut, going from one responsibility to the next without really looking, seeing, hearing, or noticing deeper the many kind, helpful, and lovely people that we cross paths with in a single day.

This narrowing of our ability to see more is just another coping mechanism that we revert to when we feel too busy, stressed, unstable, bothered, or overwhelmed. So this Reiki Principle really aims to remind and return us to our natural good nature which is already full of awareness, kindness, and compassion; the natural qualities in us that are most capable of managing our life, and helping the many people we will touch in our personal and professional life. 

In the Reiki perspective, that everything is connected, we can see how treating others with kindness, compassion, and respect contributes to our own well-being.

As well, in the understanding of Reiki, it is very important to have compassion for ourselves, and our human feelings and struggles. We do not judge them or deny them, but merely allow our own better nature to shine through, bringing more consciousness and awareness that naturally leads us to higher ground, or perspective, and in turn, understanding, so we can operate out of a better balance.

These Five Reiki Principles serve as practical wisdom anyone can use to create a happier, healthier, more fulfilled life. The simplicity of these affirmations makes them easy for anyone to use. They resonate across all belief systems, emphasizing the much bigger common ground we share in our human existence.

You may have noticed that each of these Principles begins with the words – “Just for today”. 

Behind this, is a great and needed intelligence that is asking us to hold our mind in the present moment because that is the only place where we can feel peace, the only place that change can happen, or where we can forgive, or, where we can make a different choice. 

That is, 

Through Awareness 

Now. 

Due to the many hurts, traumas, misunderstandings and pressures we have absorbed through our human existence, our minds have all developed the deeply self-defeating habit of moving to the past to relive or lament what was before, or to the future to fear or lament what might be. 

This pattern, while totally understandable from the deeply sensitive and conscious human experience, has proven to be a most disabling pattern which doesn’t help us feel peace, heal, and move past the fear- based existence we have all come to live out of. 

There is  a kinder softer way to be with all of “what is” that allows us to be in the world without getting consumed by the many appearances of suffering and tumult, and to be an influence of help for others. 

These Reiki Principles are designed to shift and return our consciousness and abilities to the natural peace, equanimity, strength, happiness, and goodwill that lives in us all. Embodying these principles requires some conscious effort and reflection. Taken even by themselves as a tool for personal healing we can become ever more mindful of the tone we are holding and sharing with everyone we touch.

After complementing his Reiki Practice with these Five Principles, Dr. Usui went on to test, form, and refine this technique so that it could easily be shared and taught to others. In his day, Dr. Usui’s teachings attracted a diverse group of students, including medical professionals, spiritual seekers, and even members of the Japanese Imperial family.

His teachings soon expanded to many other countries, and to Europe and America too. Today Reiki is practiced and taught around the globe, all from the original methods and works of Dr. Usui. His gift of Reiki invites us to explore our innate healing capacity and rediscover the deep peace and harmony that resides in us all.

Reiki can help us remember our true nature