My Reiki Healing Journey (灵气疗愈之旅)

Three years ago, during a solo journey of self-discovery through Southeast Asia, Reiki healing unexpectedly entered my life on a small island in Indonesia. Although some friends had mentioned it as a “miraculous therapy,” I was unaware of its principles and practice. Driven by curiosity, I enrolled—but due to travel plans, I could only complete the Level 1 course, initially regretting not being able to take Levels 1 and 2 together. Little did I know that this was destiny’s perfect design.

In the Level 1 Reiki course, I first understood the concept of “energy”: how everything vibrates with an invisible vital force, a truth I had overlooked while immersed in the material world. After the course, I began meditating daily, quieting my mind to perceive the energy flowing through people and nature.

A year later, in Barcelona, I met Jordi, my Reiki master, in what felt like a destined encounter. That year of consistent practice—energy work, meditation, and offering Reiki to loved ones after Level 1—prepared me to advance to Level 2.

The advanced course revealed a profound simplicity: healing is innate, not esoteric. This resonated with Lao Tzu’s teaching—“In the beginning, the Great Way was simple; complexity came later.” Here, “the beginning” is Reiki itself; the “Great Way” is far simpler than rational thought imagines.

Healing ceased to feel mystical; I could sense the Reiki current flowing through my body, exchanging energy with all existence. This is the purpose of every healer: to rekindle this natural ability, though it requires discipline. We also explored suffering—the First Noble Truth of Buddhism (dukkha). Reiki does not eliminate life’s pains (aging, loss, existential anguish) but restores the courage to face them with equanimity.

That year transformed me. “To heal others, you must first heal yourself”: that path led me to my hidden true self, now delicately held and loved. This infinite energy of love blossomed within me, filling every corner of my soul. I learned to commune with nature, healing both myself and the Earth through permaculture and traditional farming in remote communities. Lao Tzu’s words—“Man follows Earth, Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Dao, Dao follows Nature”—came alive. Through Taoism, yoga, Chinese medicine, and Reiki, I witnessed their timeless unity: all teach harmony between Heaven and humanity.

In the summer of 2025, I joined Jordi in an intensive ten-day Reiki master training in Japan. Our group of nine, seemingly random, was perfectly aligned cosmically. At Master Usui’s memorial, the silence in the wind connected us to his Spirit; I felt the energy of the Tradition. Centuries ago, he brought Reiki to serve humanity. In ancient Zen temples, we debated, meditated, and absorbed sutras in halls charged with a century’s accumulated Reiki—their energy luminous and potent.

My deepest epiphany came while studying the Chinese character 靈 (líng, “Spirit”):

Rain (雨) — cosmic energy flowing like water

Field (田) — nurturing earth, akin to the dantian where energy is stored

Human (人) — bridge between worlds

Shaman (巫) — healer as conduit

Together, they embody unity, as Lao Tzu said: “Heaven is purified through the One; Earth is calmed through the One.” The essence of Reiki is reconnecting with this primordial unity, whether through tea, earth, rain, or our bodies — all manifestations of the cosmos.

The Universe in a Cup of Tea

A cup of tea holds:
mountain mist,
earth’s dreams,
sun’s kiss,
whisper of streams.

The fire murmurs beneath the kettle;
porcelain, like the moon,
cradles a drifting world.

I sip—
the five elements dissolve on my tongue,
and suddenly,
the universe fits
into this small space.

Yuyan Wang (雨燕。)