The word Reiki is derived from two Japanese words, "Rei" which means "God's Wisdom" or "Higher Power" and "Ki" which means "Life Force Energy." This healing art was re-discovered by Makao Usui, who connected it with a 2500- year old Tibetan healing discipline. Reiki was passed down the centuries from Makao Usui to the subsequent Reiki Masters.

A Reiki Master is one who has mastered the healing art. He is the one who feels the call and has the willingness to enter into this relationship of initiator, mentor, and teacher. He is the one who knows how to teach and attune others to this art.

A Reiki Master is endowed with many skills of spiritual healing. These include communication skills, handling and transforming emotional responses, developing and delivering therapeutic figures, overcoming unconsciously motivated resistance to healing, and specialized teaching skills. Reiki knowledge is divided into various levels. A Reiki Master should be able to teach all the levels in order to be able to grant a degree to his students.

A Reiki Master should know how to use and direct energy. According to Reiki theory, energy flows where attention is concentrated. For this purpose, attention is concentrated on various symbols to produce energy. Different symbols generate different kinds of energies. These energies are then used for different objectives such as healing, stress release and for curing different problems.

Various courses are offered to help a person become a Reiki master. Reiki revolves around the simple philosophy of self-healing before helping others. Hence, the first task of a Reiki Master is to heal himself before helping his students. A student is trained to resolve his past issues to gain a greater control over his or her emotions. The mind is then trained to manifest their desires.

A Reiki Master's spiritual power cannot be understated. As the knowledge spreads, these people are sure to influence several needy lives around them with their positive influence.