GENDAI REIKI is a form of energy-based healing therapy, which helps to balance energy and stimulates self-healing naturally, which leads to improvements in terms of physical, mental, and emotional balance in a person.
Gendai Reiki – which originated from Kyoto, Japan and was developed by Mikao Usui-sensei – focuses on achieving a state of happiness in life, starting with the health of a person, according to Japan-born, Kuala Lumpur-based Reiki master Asako Suehiro.
First, a person needs to start working towards achieving a good state of health, before experiencing a state of relaxation and eventually, attaining a peaceful mind.
“Reiki is healing energy that anybody can resonate with. There is no hard training needed to learn the basics of Reiki. You can start using it from the very first day of the class,” said Asako, who teaches Reiki courses, and posts about them on her Instagram account @asakosun.
“Our founder Mikao Usui-sensei said the goal of Usui Reiki Ho (method) is to be happy in your life, and to be healthy is just the starting point. Most people misconstrue Reiki as just a healing modality but the real goal of Reiki Ho is to gain the state of extreme relaxation,” said Asako.
Achieving energy balance is important to increase the flow of energy in the body. “When you relax, your energy can flow easily and you can bring back your balance (needed for a healthy body). Then, you can awaken your own natural healing power,” she added.
“I often say that Reiki is not magic. It helps you to experience harmony and return to the original state of mind, untainted and very powerful.”
Unlike physical exercise or activities, you don’t feel any drastic changes in your body. Reiki is all about inner healing and returning to authentic nature, and it encourages one to connect with their own energetic body while opening up the mind to new perspectives in life.
“The biggest benefit of Reiki is that you can relax, and you will be able to accept whatever comes into your life as it is. Our mind is a genius when comes to creating drama and making you worry about the future or regret the past,” she said.
However, Reiki teaches us to stay focused and live in the present, instead of replaying the past or overthinking about the future. “You will be able to start enjoying your life and you will be living each moment with gratitude.”
Every person is unique
Asako has been a Reiki practitioner for more than a decade, but still finds each session is different and unique.
In Reiki sessions, a practitioner would place the hand over the body and heal through energy. Although impossible to see with the naked eye, one may feel or experience the changes in the energy within the body.
“In Gendai Reiki, we become a pure conduit of Reiki. We just trust and surrender to this healing energy. Many people have told me that they feel super relaxed and fall asleep immediately after the session begins,” admitted Asako.
Reiki and symbols
Symbols play an important part in Reiki, and each symbol represents ‘chi’, or energy powers.
“We use Reiki symbols to enhance energy or to send remote healing, but the most important part is the consciousness and ability to resonate with good vibrations,” said Asako.
Asako also cleared up some misconceptions about symbols in Reiki schools.
“Some Reiki schools even teach that you need symbols to connect with Reiki, but it’s wrong. Symbols are just tools, like training wheels for small children. Once you learn how to ride a bike, you don’t need them anymore,” explained Asako.
To reiterate her point, Asako referred to a quote by the founder, Mikao: “At the end, say goodbye to the symbols because you are always resonating with this healing energy.” This means symbols are used only as a medium.
Choosing the right one
The Usui Reiki Ryoho (treatment method) has been practiced for over a century now, and in fact, Asako said a grand celebration to mark the 100th anniversary will take place in Kyoto in 2022.
Though it started in Japan, Asako said throughout its hundred years of existence, Reiki has traveled all over the world, and many styles and different teachings were created by others.
Asako, who is also a yoga instructor, said in different practices energy is also known as Qi, Prana, or life force, which works with channelling or increasing health and energy.
“There are various practices on energy healing or vibrations. Choosing the one that resonates with you is very important. I always say what you come across and choose is your own decision. You will attract whatever your vibrations resonate with,” she advised.
“With Reiki, you will be able to heal yourself and others and many things around you, pets or even space. Reiki will flow to wherever it’s needed, so, we just have trust and surrender.”
A journey into Reiki
Being a Japanese, one would have thought Asako would have grown up knowing about Reiki, but on the contrary, she had no clue about Reiki until she discovered it at a yoga studio right here in KL about 15 years ago.
After being exposed to the practice, Asako was intrigued and found a workshop to learn more, but she was not able to, as she had to move to Singapore.
There, she took a Western-style Reiki course from a Japanese Reiki Master.
However, it did not work well for her as she felt something is missing. “I had completed the master course with her (the Reiki Master) but the lineage (energy line from the founder) was not clear so I did it all over again with Hiroshi Doi-sensei, who is the founder of Gendai (modern) Reiki in Japan.”
“Gendai Reiki combines the very traditional Usui Reiki and the western style of Reiki. He was very lucky to have found the original Usui Reiki group, which teaches the traditional Reiki in Japan, and the rest is history.
Reiki changed my life
Speaking about the practice, Asako herself has undergone tremendous change in her life after learning about Reiki.
For the past few years, Asako went through inner transformation, which liberated her from mental anguish.
“My life has become much easier now and I enjoy my everyday life. I had a huge mental block due to serious scoliosis, and yoga helped me, but Reiki helped me even more to free myself. I hope more people would enjoy this beautiful energy and realize how easy to learn the self-healing practice,” she added.
