Books about being a Reiki Practitioner

Essential Reiki: A Complete Guide to an Ancient Healing Art

This is one of the best selling books on Reiki. It is indeed a complete guide to using Western Reiki. Because Diane Stein wrote this book before Japanese Reiki became known to the Western world, the information (such as the Reiki history) is strongly shaped by the teaching we received through Mrs. Takata. What's given in the book is clear and heartfelt wise guidance from someone who's taught her share of Reiki classes.

While discussing the hand positions used during Reiki sessions, the book contains charts of the anatomy underneath those positions. The point being using Reiki above an organ should help that organ, and it is helpful for Reiki practitioners to understand that connection.

In 1995 when this book was published, it was controversial to contain the Reiki symbols. As discussed elsewhere on this site, Mrs. Takata taught us that the symbols were to be kept private, and certainly not published openly in a mass market book. Given what has been published since in the Reiki field, I think its safe to say the world did not fall in because the Reiki symbols were published, and we certainly know that Usui would not have prohibited publishing the symbols.

The book is a very comprehensive guide to Reiki and its use by first, second, and third degree practitioners. The writing is clear and straightforward.

In the introduction Diane gives her story of becoming a Reiki master. She had a very circuitous and non-traditional path, in that she never took a traditional Reiki class but instead worked it out on her own. She did receive all the attunements, even though she lacked formal training. One thing she grokked from her experiences is how much Reiki is needed for the planetary healing process, and this comes through clearly in the book. In service to that vision she apparently is very free with giving Reiki attunements, charging an affordable price for all training, and often giving scholarships.

The Complete Reiki Handbook: Basic Introduction and Methods of Natural Application: A Complete Guide for Reiki Practice

Walter Lubeck is one of the westerners living in Japan to work with the Japanese Reiki societies, and bring Japanese Reiki to the Western audience. The book is full of great information, with instructions for using ALL the hand positions -- including those close to "private parts".

It seems there is a controversy in that the pictures and illustrations show both the practitioner and client nude. This was done so it is extremely clear where the hand positions are, because clothing would create some imprecision. If nudity offends you then do not buy this book.

Reiki Best Practices: Wonderful Tools of Healing for the First, Second and Third Degree of Reiki

Walter Lubeck and Frank Arjava Petter come together to present methods for using Reiki not just for healing but but for manifesting, using Reiki on for healing the past and the future, clearing rooms and a huge variety of methods for emotional healing.

Abundance Through Reiki

Written by Paula Horan, this is an interesting book about the *application* of Reiki. Many Reiki books are introductory in teaching an overview of how to use Reiki to treat oneself and others. Instead, this book presents a 42-day program of exploring ones "abundance" issues.

Ms. Horan begins the book by discussing our essential nature, or the Core Self as she calls it, and the "42 steps from Core Self to Core Abundance". Abundance is defined as "creating richness within and without."

If Reiki is Universal Life Force Energy, and you and I are that same Universal Life Force Energy, it stands to reason that the Usui method of natural healing is an effort process of applying to oneself or others, more of what we essentially already are.

And she goes on to discuss various points of view around the concept that all the things in our world are manifestations of that Universal Life Force Energy. Ultimately, as she puts it, our beliefs govern a large part of what comes to us in our lives. An example she returns to time and again is the difference between the Masculine and Feminine styles of living. The Masculine is very "doing" and going out into the world for satisfaction, and there is a lot of struggle, and it's really rooted in a belief of lack.

Therefore, of course we can apply Reiki to heal our personal process of wealth and abundance.

The meat of the book is a 42 day program. The first 21 days are three cycles of 7 days of cleansing the belief in "lack" which gets in the way of receiving abundance. The second 21 days are three cycles of 7 days of affirmations bringing in abundance.

This is a very interesting book, and should give any Reiki practitioner grist for thinking about abundance in their life.

Empowerment Through Reiki: The Path to Personal and Global Transformation

Also by Paula Horan, this book focuses on normal Reiki practice to give healings. It is an excellent accompaniement to the training manuals typically handed out by Reiki Teachers.

The first portion of the book describes how Reiki practitioners are trained. The second portion describes how Reiki practitioners give healing to their clients.

As you might expect because this was written by the author of Abundance Through Reiki, the 21 day cleansing process takes a prominent role. This time period, 21 days, of course refers to the 21 day meditation retreat Usui did in order to rediscover Reiki.

Reiki Energy Medicine: Bringing Healing Touch into Home, Hospital, and Hospice

Written by Libby Barnet and Maggie Chambers, this book sets out to do something that's both very far reaching, and very needed. The authors have set out to introduce Reiki to a medical audience and show how it can be used in medical settings of all kinds. It was one of the first books of its day (1996) to try and position Reiki with a role in medical settings, in hospitals and otherwise. Since then Reiki has made its way into many medical institutions.

Much of the book is spent on topics typical to introducing Reiki itself. There is a brief history of Reiki, an overview of its use, an overview of learning Reiki and so forth. All topics you find covered on this web site and in many other books about Reiki. Their writing is very heartfelt and conveys a cozy warm feeling in the reader.

What's different is how they approach the topic of "energy medicine".

All through the book are pictures of various medical settings, with captions indicating that the picture shows Reiki being used in that medical setting. This includes typical patient care, interactions between pracitioners, people sitting at desks, and more, all involved with using Reiki. Overall it indicates how benign Reiki is, and how easily it can be incorporated into any activity.

In the last half of the book is a discussion of using Reiki in medical settings. For example they say

Most nurses to whom we teach Reiki use it in routine patient care. Nurses report that certain shifts in patients' conditions are common following Reiki treatment. These shifts include the following:

• Patients "pink up" (i.e. circulation increases)
• Hands and feet warm up
• Patients sleep calmly and for extended periods
• Relaxation response is elicited
• Less time is needed to calm patients following a stressful event
• Patients have a more positive attitude
• Patients are more cooperative
• Patients report decreased pain

In general this is presented anecdotally. Very little in terms of "scientific research" showing benefits. One study is referenced that showed increases in oxygenation of the blood from Reiki, which only validates half of the benefits reported above.

I found the title misleading because of the typical meaning for "energy medicine". Normally that phrase refers to the whole field of healing through using subtle energy techniques, and Reiki is just one form of energy medicine. In this book the phrase seems to mean the use of Reiki in medical settings. For that meaning the book does an excellent job of giving an overview of Reiki in medical practice, and at least anecdotal evidence of its usefulness.

In all, this is a very nice book. It is probably a very good book to give to a medical professional to give them an understanding of Reiki. Just make sure they understand the book won't go very deep nor give them solid proof of any claim.

A Complete Book of Reiki Healing: Heal Yourself, Others, and the World Around You

This is a nice little book for anyone interested in learning more about Reiki from a straight forward book with reliable information.

It begins with an explaination of universal life energy, then a nice little history of the Usui system (the traditional system of Reiki healing).

It then goes on to give practical advice for newcomers to apply Reiki for themselves and others. Included are plenty of black-and-white photo's depicting how to give Reiki to ones-self, to others, and even to animals.