Bridging Eastern and Western lineages to reclaim Reiki's roots as both a healing art and a spiritual practice, Nicholas Pearson offers a new comprehensive exploration of Reiki's history and evolution, the foundations of Usui Reiki Ryoho theory and practice and the original techniques and modern tools of both the first degree, shoden and second degree, okuden. He explores the etymology of key Reiki terminology and presents a complete discussion of the origins of the symbols used in the second degree, providing new historical, cultural and spiritual context. He examines the core teachings of Reiki founder, Usui Mikao, who taught that Reiki Ryoho enacted healing at the soul level, as well as insights from other important Reiki masters such as Hawayo Takata. Explaining what Reiki is and how it heals, the author outlines the six core characteristics that all varieties of Reiki share, including initiations and the Five Precepts. He details effective hand positions, self-healing exercises, spiritual development meditations and the Japanese Reiki techniques introduced in first degree and second degree practice. He, also, explores a number of other techniques that have been adapted by Western lineages, such as aura sweeping, chakra tune-ups and charging and programming crystals with Reiki. He provides a thorough introduction to the five levels of byosen, the energetic mechanism used to scan an individual's energy field and locate areas of disharmony, allowing you to increase your ability to sense centres of toxic imbalance as well as begin dislodging them, thereby increasing the effectiveness of Reiki treatment. Offering Reiki tools to transform your life from the inside out, Pearson shows how Reiki Ryoho is a healing system that focuses on the inner and spiritual aspects of your being first. · Details hand positions, self-healing exercises, spiritual development meditations and the Japanese Reiki techniques introduced in the first degree, shoden and the second degree, okuden · Provides a thorough introduction to the five levels of byosen, the energetic mechanism used to scan an individual's energy field and locate areas of disharmony · Examines the core teachings of Reiki founder, Usui Mikao and offers a new comprehensive exploration of Reiki's history and evolution · Explores tools and techniques adapted by Western lineages, such as working with crystals and the chakras