This energy has been known to every culture and every civilization, from primordial antiquity to the present: the Chinese know it as Qi, the Vedic sages as Prana and Vayu, the ancient Greeks as Pneuma and the Hebrews as Ruach. Dr. Wilhelm Reich called it Orgone Energy. The movie Star Wars popularized the concept as The Force.

According to the teachings of Reiki, If one's "life force energy" is lacking in quality or quantity, then one is more likely to become ill or more vulnerable to stress. Conversely, if one's Ki is high, one is more likely to be happy and healthy.

A Reiki treatment feels like a wonderful, glowing radiance that flows through and around you. Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing. Many have reported miraculous results following the application of Reiki treatment.

Reiki is a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual and energetic healing that everyone can make use of. It has been effective in helping virtually every known illness and always - at a minimum - creates a beneficial effect. It is what is referred to as a complementary therapy works in conjunction with all other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery.

An extraordinarily simple technique to learn, the ability to use Reiki is not "taught" in the usual sense, but is transferred to the student practitioner during a Reiki training. This ability is passed on during an simple rite known as an "attunement" given by a Reiki Master and allows the student to tap into the unlimited, omnipresent "life force energy" to improve health and enhance the quality of life.

Reiki's use is not dependent on one's intellectual capacity or spiritual development and therefore is available to everyone, everywhere. It has been successfully taught to thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds. It is estimated that today there are about one million Reiki practitioners and about one hundred thousand Reiki Mastersspread across the face of the Earth.

Though Reiki is spiritual in nature, it is not a religion. It has no dogma, and there is nothing that one is required to believe in order to learn and use Reiki. Reiki is not dependent on belief at all and will work whether its recipient believes in its effectiveness or not. Because Reiki comes from another spiritual, or energetic, realm, many people find that using Reiki puts them more in touch with the experience of their religion or spirituality rather than having an only intellectual concept of it.

While Reiki is not a religion, it is still important to live and act in a way that promotes harmony with others. Dr. Mikao Usui, the founder of the Reiki system of natural healing, recommended that one practice certain simple ethical ideals to promote peace and harmony, which are nearly universal across all cultures.