A Vancouverite's explanation of Reiki:

Reiki is a form of energy healing. Where exactly it originates nobody is really sure. The reason for this is there are forms of Reiki in unique cultures and on many different continents. There are Egyptian, Celtic, Tibetan & Indian forms among others but the most commonly known forms (at least in North America) are Japanese. The reason for this is that it was re-discovered and developed into a comprehensive system in 1922 by Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui and brought to the states by one fo his students. It is said that it was gifted to Usui while meditating and fasting on a mountaintop for 21 days.

The translation of Usui's text below reads; If just for today do not anger, do not worry, be grateful, work with diligence on self, be kind to people. These are the principles followed by the Reiki master. This ensures that the master is a clean and clear vessel so that he may best help those in need.

Reiki offers a form of 'palm healing' whereby the Reiki Practitioner (someone who has been attuned/transitioned with the Reiki understandings) uses his/her hands to promote the healing of the patient. The healing does not require the hands but our sense-selves often resonate best with the parts of us with the largest number of nerve endings!

When asked how Reiki actually works many newcomers to Reiki stumble. Here is the best way I have found to explain it from a western medical perspective and without making it sound airy-fairy.

1) Reiki is synonymous with energy. Energy is simply a frequency. This frequency can be understood as a 'spectrum' that does not have a start nor a beginning that we have found yet. In conventional knowledge this is understood best by looking at the color spectrum; InfraRed, ultraviolet, the traditional colors + the wavelengths beyond yet undiscovered. Using another sense; It can be understood as sound, for instance high pitched noises heard only by your dog, through symphonic music and into the lower ranges such as the thump from a subwoofer and the sonic BOOM from a fighter jet. In essence the energy 'spectrum' goes FAR beyond our senses, and therefore beyond our understanding of it.

2) If you have any formal education in science and are Familiar with Sir Isaac Newton you know that energy cannot be destroyed nor created, merely 'moved' from one form to another. You may also know that in Quantum Physics the further you reduce matter "down" to molecules, atoms, and further, the harder it is to find borders to your matter. Or for that matter it is impossible to pinpoint its location, as it never seems to stop 'moving'. This is the same for solids, liquids and gases. If this is indeed the case, then there are truly no borders between anything, there is simply the sensual perception that they are such. Using the same rationale we see that energy (what we refer to as Reiki) has no borders.

3) Reiki'ing someone is therefore not giving your energy to someone else, it is simply the offering (by someone "attuned" to the reiki practices) of a concentrated form of the always flowing waterfall of energy around us at all times. The human body knows this already, but the senses and the unconscious mind distract us from this inherent knowledge. Reiki is not so much the practitioner healing you as it is you healing you with the healers help. The Reiki Practitioner often is simply involved in helping to open 'chakras' and point out to the body places requiring attention. You might ask then "why can't I do it myself..." and the answer is that you can, but it is not as easy as an explanation. Anyone can become attuned and do Reiki, but sadly it is something that few do.

4) Most interestingly, and what is most important is the intention to heal a particular affliction will directly benefit that area. However, Reiki does not always directly do this, it can take multiple treatments to acheive the desired result. Often there are underlying factors within the psyche or physial self that require attention (manifesting as a "blocked Chakra"). By opening these 'energy centers' the body's natural healing processes can function freely. The chakras and meridians mirror very closely the main nervous and circulatory pathways along with internal organs and primary glands. If these are not functioning properly, how can the body heal itself? The practitioner therefore helps the patient discover unconsciously what the issues are and then offers the opportunity to 'plug in' to the energy of the 'waterfall' at whatever 'frequency' or 'spectrum' is required and therefore heal from the inside.

Reiki is not just for rehabilitation tho'. It can be used as part of your 'lifestyle arsenal' so you can be proactive in keeping your mind still and your body productive and tuned up!