Although "reiki" is a common noun in Japanese and means "sacred or mysterious atmosphere", it is most commonly known as an abbreviated name of a Japanese healing art, "Reiki Ryoho (therapy, treatment)" which was started by Usui Sensei (teacher).

In 1922 at the age of 57 while he was fasting and meditating on Mt, Kurama in Kyoto, the ancient capital city of Japan, Usui Sensei attained spiritual enlightenment.  At the same time, healing ability to improve the mind and body by channeling the inexhaustible and unlimited energy of the universe, which he named "Reiki", was bestowed upon him as a godsend. Then he opened up “Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai” at Aoyama,Tokyo and started sharing this wonderful gift of healing ability.

What to expect at your Reiki session?
After checking in about where you are at on your healing journey, you will rest on a massage table, fully clothed (and covered with blanket if wanted). A Reiki practitioner becomes a medium of Reiki energy and pours the cosmic energy into or over you. His/her hands may be placed over, on, or beneath your body during the session.

Reiki brings you a deep sense of support and acceptance. Because sensitivity to energy is different from person to person, everybody has a different experience from Reiki treatment. Here's a list of common experiences reported: you may be aware of hot Reiki hands, feel energy flowing through you, enter a dreamlike state, or experience physical, emotional, spiritual, powerful shifts.

Usually the effects of a Reiki treatment will continue for a few days to a few weeks. You might want to  journal your shifts after or between your sessions to bring more awareness to your transformation throughout your healing journey. 

Who benefits from Reiki?
Anyone benefits from Reiki! in addition to restorative and therapeutic effects, Reiki helps support issues such as:

• recovery from illness, rehab after injury or surgery
• releasing addiction, healing trauma, old triggers and patterns
• major life transition, anxiety and stress, depression, grieving
• overall happiness, and recovering our joyful spirit

Aska's Reiki Journey
    Aska wasn't aware of her energetic ability until she started getting a number of comments on her touch from massage clients and yoga students: the common report was that they felt very strong warm energy through her touch as if she had been giving them Reiki. Becoming curious about energy work especially Reiki from those experiences, Aska took her first Reiki trainings (Level 1 through 3) with Char Pias in year 2010 and re-took her trainings (Level 1 and 2) in 2012. She completed her Reiki Teacher training with Anna Dorian, who was Char's Reiki teacher, and became a Reiki Master in 2012.

   Aska has been visiting Mt. Kurama, the birth place of Reiki, for the energy boost every time she goes back to Japan.