Energy: The universe and the body
Reiki is all about experience. So why do we need to look at science? Well, we don’t. The experience and the results are all that matter.
But we humans are a funny species – we have a mind. And this bombards us with questions. Why did I just have this experience? Where is it coming from? And who knows, we may even attempt to explain Reiki to a sceptical friend. Then science will come in handy.
Nevertheless, I will keep this section as short as I can and limit it to the bare essentials. Because it isn’t just about science – it’s also about its limitations. For me, this is where it gets even more interesting, for when we reach the boundaries of scientific knowledge, Reiki goes beyond them. And provides a science of its own.
But let’s start at the beginning – with energy.
We commonly associate the word ‘energy’ with higher, finer vibrations. Colour and light, heat and sound are all energy. Or look at your mobile phone. It rings, you answer, and you can talk to a person anywhere in the world without any physical connection.
When we think of energy, we tend to think of these examples. We can’t see the energetic vibrations involved, but we can see or hear what they do. And we rightly assume that they must be there.
Then we do the opposite: we see something and know where it is, but we don’t see what it does. We call this ‘matter’. It is solid, sturdy, reliable. (Interestingly, this judgement even made it into our language: something that matters is important.) House, car, cheesecake – all fall into the category of matter.
What is the connection between energy and matter? We can see this in action all around us. There might be a tree outside our house, for instance. And a tree (matter) needs nourishment to grow: soil, water, sun (energy).
This is our comfortable way of perceiving the world. We categorize everything around us; we give it a name. But science tells us differently: everything is energy. Sound, light, our heating system … but also our house, our car and the chair we’re sitting on.
Of course, we all learned that at school. We know it in theory. But have we actually internalized it? I certainly haven’t! When I see a chair I think of matter. How could something so solid possibly be energy? How could a chair vibrate, oscillate, move and change? Well, no matter what I think, it does. It’s only because its components vibrate so slowly and at such low frequencies that I perceive it as solid at all.
Our senses simply aren’t made to detect these slow movements. I love Einstein’s description of matter as ‘curdled energy’.
So, the scientific approach to energy can be summed up like this:
To make it easier, therefore, and more relevant for the understanding of Reiki, we could actually discard the word ‘energy’ and simply replace it with ‘connection’ and ‘impermanence’.
So often when we look at the world, we see ourselves as slightly detached from it. ‘There is the world. Here am I. There is an outside (world) and an inside (me).’ And yet the concept that works for the universe can also be applied to the body. And here it becomes even more interesting.
First, there is matter: bones and flesh, blood and organs, all made up of billions of little cells. When we look into a mirror, this is what we see: a body. Our body! And of course this is also what we tend to identify with. The body in the mirror is who we are. We take great care of what we see, applying an abundance of creams and lotions to it, going to the gym and eating healthily, and even saying things like ‘I’m looking after myself.’
Occasionally, matter – the body, that is – causes problems: parts break, bruise or in various other ways don’t function properly. But problems can also be created by other means. Every so often, for instance, we say, ‘I have so little energy’, ‘I feel depleted’ or ‘I’m exhausted’, even though nothing is physically wrong with us. What does this mean?
The obvious: we also have finer, faster vibrations in our body, referred to as ‘energy’ or ‘life-force’. In other languages and traditions this is called ki, chi or prana. And on this basis, an entire library of healing arts has developed, collectively called ‘energy healing’. Reiki is often classified as one of them. But is it? Only partially, as we will see.
And yet for me it was a complete revelation to see that there was more to us than the physical body – especially as the word ‘see’ can be taken literally! I’m sure you’ll find the following exercise just as fascinating as I do:
When we do this exercise on my courses, more than 80 per cent of the students see (not just sense) an aura around their fellow students. But even if you can’t see an aura at all, let me assure you that you have one. Otherwise it would be a corpse reading this book!
Fascinating though it is, seeing the aura isn’t fundamental to learning Reiki. Once we place our hands around a person in a Reiki treatment, we’ll become aware of the aura anyway. But it’s a fun way to start.
In the exercise we tend to see the innermost layer of the aura, which is one of seven. The further away from the body a layer is, the higher and finer its vibrations. The outermost layer extends to 1–2 metres (around 6 ft) at the front and back of the body, and about half a metre (1½ ft) at the sides. (Just imagine how many people stand in your aura on a packed underground train!) But the aura also changes – and grows with personal development. It seems to follow the equation: small ego = big aura.
The physical body and the aura
The auric layers surround the physical body in concentric circles, but they also interpenetrate each other, with the innermost being the densest (hence the most easily visible) and the outermost the finest. That means, the vibrational level of the seventh layer surrounds the entire body – and goes through it completely. And what is going on in the aura may eventually manifest in the physical body.
Summing it up, there is certainly more to us than what greets us in the mirror. We are a rather large ball of energy vibrating on various levels and holding plenty of information and potential.
The connection between our energy and our physical body is made through special receptors: the chakras. As over the past decade or two these energy centres have become quite well known, I assume that most readers will be aware that there are seven main chakras located along a central line stretching from the top of the head to the base of the spine.
The chakras
Starting from the base, we find the root chakra (at the tail end of the spine), the sacral chakra (about 2cm/1in below the navel) and the solar plexus chakra (at the beginning of the ribcage). Then comes the heart chakra (at the level of the heart but still in the centre of the chest), followed by the throat chakra (around the thyroid), the third eye chakra (the point in between the eyebrows) and the crown chakra (on the top of the head).
Each is connected to the respective layer of the aura – the root chakra with the first, the closest to the physical body, the crown chakra with the seventh, the outermost – and therefore also to the different aspects of our being that they represent. Now this whole concept becomes a science: the innermost layer is mainly concerned with aspects of our physical incarnation, the outermost with our spiritual connection, and the ones in between with various other aspects of our being. It is as fascinating as it is complex.
And much of it makes great sense. A blockage around the throat chakra may have to do with a lack of communication (for example, we should be having a proper conversation with our boss or spouse and not keeping our unhappiness inside), the heart chakra deals with relationships and empathy, the solar plexus with our inner strength, the navel chakra with emotions, the root chakra keeps us grounded, the third eye opens our intuition and the crown chakra helps us to realize our connection to the divine.
The chakras are also connected to the surrounding physical areas: the heart chakra (obviously) to the heart, the sacral chakra to the stomach and small intestines, and so on. In practice, this means that a blockage around the throat chakra could still be caused by a communication issue, but also by a sore throat or a stiff neck. Or, in fact, the sore throat itself could be caused by a communication problem…
Traditionally, the chakras and their respective auric layers are shown in certain colours – the root red, sacral orange, solar plexus yellow, heart green, throat blue, third eye indigo and crown purple – and it is indeed possible to become aware of these colours when dealing with a particular chakra. During a Reiki attunement, many students see some of these colours, most notably purple or green.
The energy, or ki, brought in through the chakras is transported around the body through an enormous number of meridians and nadis, which are something like energy arteries and veins. The first are larger, the latter smaller, and some ancient charts show 72,000 of them. Without detailed knowledge of their location, a therapy like acupuncture wouldn’t even be thinkable. When performing open-heart surgery without anaesthesia, aided only by a few long needles, you need to be fairly confident about the correct positioning!
There are many good books detailing the chakra system and its connection to mind, body and spirit. Elements of it are also taught on most Reiki courses – after all, it’s great to become more aware of the subtleties of our existence on Earth. And yet when it comes to Reiki, we face a surprise: this knowledge is not a prerequisite for its use. It is helpful and interesting – but not necessary. Reiki will guide the practitioner. It is simply impossible to place the hands wrongly! Even if, for some reason, it’s impossible to get close to the location of the physical problem, Reiki will get there anyway, as scores of Reiki recipients have experienced.
Carol, a Reiki 1 student, was completely bewildered after her first treatment. Her fellow student had placed their hands only around her head, but she’d felt a sensation in her left knee. The whole group was stunned when she revealed that she’d had botched surgery there.
With this in mind, it will be less of a surprise to learn that the chakra system was neither widely known in Japan in the early twentieth century nor taught by Mikao Usui. Instead, Reiki offers an alternative concept that explains not just the flow of ki but also our entire human existence and its relationship to the universe. This isn’t meant to replace the chakra system – in fact, it complements this understanding perfectly – but it goes even deeper.
In the philosophy of Reiki we still find the duality of energy and matter, but here they are still part of the same experience: our earthly existence. As we saw above, even on a mechanical level we can only function when we have the correct combination of both. Energy and matter together create our experience of life on the level of form – that is, on Earth. Utilizing a Taoist concept, Mikao Usui therefore called this Earth energy.
Earth energy includes everything we need to exist on this level: food and shelter, body and clothing, income and work. Without these, life is rather difficult. We have incarnated on planet Earth and this set-up comes with needs. When resources are scarce, trouble looms: we find ourselves hungry or homeless, sick or cold, poor or unemployed. In fact, most of the time there’s something in our life that isn’t perfect. Our food isn’t healthy or our house too small; we aren’t well or our clothes aren’t the latest fashion; our income isn’t sufficient or we hate our job.
Of course, in all these cases we’re looking for change – change for the better. Physical healing, a new job, a loving partner – or just a slightly easier life! I’m sure I’m not far off in suggesting that in one way or another almost everybody is looking for change. Reiki can help with all of this.
In the system of Reiki, Earth energy is represented by the Power Symbol. This helps to bring the power of Reiki into the here and now. Or, to stay in the wording, to bring it down to Earth.
But, contrary to what we are often given to believe in our science lessons, the level of form (the Earth and other planets and stars) isn’t the entire universe. Where were we before we were born? Where are we going back to? There is a world beyond this one.
This other level of the universe is the spirit realm. Here we find guides, angels and bodhisattvas and all the people who are in between incarnations. We are well known to those in this world and have lots of friends there – unlike, as it often turns out, on Earth.
This ‘parallel world’ is constantly present and when we raise our vibrations (or the guys up there lower theirs), we can get in contact with it. Then we can receive guidance, support and insight – or maybe just feel a presence.
New ideas and creativity, harmony and balance are the result of this connection, which Mikao Usui aptly called Heaven energy. Not in the sense that this is paradise (although it probably feels like it compared with our experience on Earth), but in the sense of being the unseen, the before-and-after. A higher realm, with lighter, finer vibrations. Something above.
To deepen our awareness of our connection to the spirit realm and therefore enable us to open up to guidance and intuition and finding more harmony and balance in life, Usui introduced the Harmony Symbol.
Contrary to outer appearance, nothing on either the level of form or the level of spirit operates independently. On the level of form, everything is ultimately connected (see quantum physics) and it’s the same on the level of spirit (after all, everything there is still energy, as many reports from that realm show). And, as we have just seen, the two levels are themselves closely entwined.
Individually, we may consider ourselves to be a lonely being floating around in the universe. But this is an illusion. Whether we like it or not, we’re connected to the entire world. Which, of course, brings responsibilities. Everything we do has an effect on others.
We are now tapping into the idea of oneness – and getting much closer to the heart of Reiki. This is what Reiki does: it brings us closer. To other humans, to other beings, to nature, to meaning, to ourselves. And, typically, it gets practical: Reiki utilizes this concept. Every Reiki treatment is proof that we are connecting with a person on a deeper level, even if we keep our hands away from them. A particularly spectacular result of this ‘applied oneness’ is the ability to send Reiki over vast distances (see Reiki for distance healing (after Reiki 1)).
To help his students concentrate on connection, and ultimately oneness, Mikao Usui created the Connection Symbol.
Now we’ll move on and look at the body in a slightly different way. We’ll take the Reiki view and see the body as a universe in itself. And what a revelation this was for me!
There are three main energy centres along our body, called Tanden points in Japanese (or Dantien in Chinese). They reflect the structure of the universe (see image overleaf).
The first is called Hara, or lower Tanden. This is our point of connection with Earth energy. It represents our existence in the here and now.
It is also the location of the energy (ki) of the body. From it, ki moves up the central meridian (also called Hara) and is distributed throughout the body.
The Tanden points
When we store and maintain enough ki in this point, we are strong and healthy and can deal with the demands of the level of form.
This Tanden is also the centre of the body in terms of steadiness. Sumo wrestlers can consolidate their strength there so that they’re almost invincible. Only when they are distracted can they be toppled. Focusing on the Hara is the key.
Then we move to the obvious opposite of Earth: heaven. Our connection to heaven energy lies around the brow chakra, often called the third eye.
Most people are aware of this point through seeing Indian people sporting a dot there. Not too many observers tend to know, though, that this isn’t meant to be merely a pretty adornment. It is supposed to remind the wearer that they don’t just have two physical eyes to see the outer world but also a ‘third eye’ to see and sense intuitively.
When opening up spiritually, people often feel sensations at this point. In India, some people put sandalwood paste there to cool it down.
The duality of heaven and Earth energy is often felt in an attunement. We feel the movement of energy, often as a sensation in our palms, and may also experience a strong sensation between the eyebrows.
In the middle between heaven and Earth we find another energy centre: the heart chakra or third Tanden point.
This is the point from which we reach out to others – the point of empathy and love. And it is here of course that we can feel love physically. Don’t we get a feeling of warmth in our chest when we’re in love? When we’re in love with someone, we feel close to them, we want to be with them, we open up to them, we want to share, to know more. We strive to become one with them.
We naturally have feelings of love and connection. Mother Teresa probably had them in abundance, many people retrieve them when prompted, and with some people they’re buried so deeply that they only come out when they pat their dog. But the feeling of oneness is there nevertheless – and sharing Reiki is based on it.
In essence, all this means that our body is a microcosm. Anything that can be experienced outside can also be experienced inside. The question is: are we a mirror of the universe – or is the universe a mirror of us?
The answer is neither. It is simply the same experience. Because we’re all connected.
In some Eastern traditions, the Tanden points are called the Three Diamonds. Once they are properly polished, they reveal their beauty, their shine and their sparkle. And this is our task…
Having explored the elements of the universe, we may wonder, Is that all? Or is there something beyond the universe? In other words, beyond energy?
Science has established that the world is in constant change. Which in turn leads to the questions: does energy change by itself? Is there intelligence in energy? Or is energy simply the base material used by intelligence? Food for thought…
So how does Reiki fit in? Isn’t it an ‘energy-healing modality’? I place this in inverted commas because it really is a lot more than that. It brings everything together – heaven and Earth.
The word Reiki is made up of the phonetics of two Japanese kanji. Kanji are logographic characters, something like an alphabet but made up of syllables or short words rather than letters. Each kanji already has a meaning in itself, but the combination of two or more can lead to an entirely different meaning. To make things easier, with the word Reiki this is not the case – its meaning is simply the result of the two kanji that form it. So we can start by looking at them individually.
Reiki in Japanese writing
The easier kanji to explore is certainly the second one: ki.
The idea of ki can be found in almost every Eastern spiritual system. In fact it can be found in almost every Eastern understanding of the world. Called chi or qi in Chinese (but using the same symbol as in Japanese, as the word was imported into Japanese around AD800), or prana in Sanskrit (the ancient language of the Indian subcontinent), it probably has been around forever. It is mentioned in the Vedas, said to be the oldest written texts in the world.
The meaning is always the same: ‘the energy that animates the world’. According to Wikipedia,1 the ancient Chinese believed it ‘permeated everything and linked their surroundings together’. Variously translated as ‘universal energy’, ‘life energy’ or ‘life-force energy’, it is supposed to be present in every living being in the universe. The more strongly it is felt, the better the flow, and the stronger and healthier the life-form.
You may wonder why we don’t have a similar expression in Western philosophy. Well, we used to: ancient Greek and Egyptian philosophy, as well as many shamanic traditions, incorporated the idea of energy flowing through every living being, but it somehow got lost a few thousand years ago. However, it has started to re-emerge with the more holistic worldview of recent times.
In short, ki means ‘life energy’. If there is no ki, there is no life. Ki powers the universe. It is in every living being and is always the same. When condensed, it creates life; when diluted, it just permeates everything.
In the older forms of the Japanese kanji, ki is depicted as an asterix, which stands for a grain of rice. The staple food of the East (the Chinese are reported to say that if they have not had rice during the day they have not eaten), it represents the key ingredient needed to sustain life. The lines on top represent the aura (literally ‘ether’) of the rice grain. They seem to say that there is more to the rice than we can see.
The contemporary kanji uses a simplified version, an ‘x’, but basically it means the same.
Rei can be translated as ‘universal’, ‘divine’, ‘essence’, ‘spirit’ or simply ‘God’. But looking at its pictogram can reveal its practical relevance.
As you can see, the upper part of the pictogram looks like rain. And that is exactly what it means: it is raining down from heaven, i.e. heaven is opening up, bringing us nourishment.
But it doesn’t come down automatically – we need to ask for it! That is what the bottom part of the pictogram represents: a miko, that is, a priest, shaman or wise person. In other words, a person who knows how to get in contact with the ‘above’.
The older form of kanji (see Ki) also includes an element that has been left out of newer versions: a row of three containers (or ‘mouths’). Again, this is to be taken literally: what comes from above can be collected in the three containers (or energy centres) in our body, the Tanden points – the Hara, third eye and heart chakra.
In the Western tradition, the word Reiki is often translated as ‘universal life-force energy’. But, as we have just seen, this falls short of its full meaning, as it mainly translates the ki aspect. Playing with words, it can be said that the ki aspect is not the key aspect. The key to Reiki is understanding its higher connection. The best translation, therefore, would be ‘spiritual energy’. Or even ‘spiritually guided energy’.
Put simply, Reiki means ‘heaven and Earth coming together’. Or, if we want to keep the word ‘universal’, we could say ‘the energy of oneness’. We are connecting to the entire universe – and its creator. Personally, I tend to just use the translation of ‘universal energy’. It implies all the above.
