So What Is Reiki?

We are teaching Usui Reiki Ryoho and Karuna Reiki.
Our students are asking us to recount the real story of Reiki. "There are so many different forms," they remark "where did they come from"? "Which is the real Reiki?"
Remember that Dr. Usui called the technique that he channeled Reiki Usui Reiki Ryoho, as the word Reiki was already in use in Japan. Several other Reiki techniques with different symbols and different vibrations have been introduced in the West. The list includes: Karuna Reiki, Tibetian Reiki, Rainbow Reiki, The Radiance technique, Saku Reiki, Jinlap Reiki and Satya Reiki among numerous others.

I quote William Rand's (my Karuna Reiki Master's) definition of the four unique qualities of Reiki that identify the class of healing techniques he believes to be appropriately called Reiki:

"These four qualities of Reiki are:

The ability to do Reiki comes from receiving an attunement, rather than developing the ability over time though the use of meditation or other exercises.

All Reiki techniques are part of a lineage. This means that the technique has been passed on from teacher to student through an attunement process starting with the one who first channeled the technique.

Reiki does not require that one guide the energy with the mind, as it is guided by the higher power and knows where to go and how to act all on its own.

Because of this, Reiki can do no harm.