Essential Reiki: A Complete Guide to an Ancient Healing Art

Like the writer of another Amazon.com review, I do distant attunements, and the idea for doing so, and the instructions, I got from this book, although it seems that Ms. Stein does not herself do distant attunements intended to replace in-person ones.

Another piece of information I first encountered in Essential Reiki is the fact that doing too many attunements at once can exhaust a person. Her account of her own experiences was most helpful to me. It explained some odd experiences I had seen or heard of from others.

I don't always see eye to eye with Ms. Stein, as when she says one needs to put both hands on the body to do Reiki. I give myself Reiki on the train going to and from work, with only one hand on my body and the other hand holding the book I'm reading. She also says, or suggests, that one needs to actually touch to do Reiki, whereas I have felt Reiki from both myself and others when the hands are not touching the body. I also think she has an overly idealistic view of Buddhism. Living in Japan presents the religion and its effects a trifle differently than they are described by people who are acquainted with them mainly in theory.

These differences aside, I find Ms. Stein's book extremely valuable, and I have the utmost respect for her. I also admire her for her values and for all the good she is doing in the world. I know that her publishing the Reiki symbols is deplored by some, but I considered her reasons completely valid. In contrast to what is said in another review, I consider Ms. Stein's method of attunement excellent. I have only managed one in her style because I can't yet hold my breath long enough, but another (more experienced) American Reiki Master here says he has switched to her method of attunement because he finds it definitely stronger. For anyone who wants to know about Reiki in depth, this book is truly ESSENTIAL.


The Best Source for Reiki Energy   January 20, 2000
Susan Carnes (Indianapolis, IN)
71 out of 75 found this review helpful

This is one of the two books I, as a Reiki Master, recommend to my own Reiki students. I suggest this book for those who are more advanced or more curious than those who are only experimenting with a New Age healing modality, or are merely looking for a spiritual practice to replace a Western Judeo-Christian paradigm. Diane Stein thoroughly researches (& sometimes debunks) the Reiki legend while preserving the essence of Reiki philosophy. Her controversial book has offended many Reiki traditionalists because she exposes the Reiki secret symbols & attunement process. If you are looking for an integrative explanation of how & why Reiki healing works, then this is the best book your money can buy. If you choose to see Reiki as an exclusive healing modality to be ranked in preference to other healing modalities, then you will probably be offended because this book definitely does not present Reiki as a religious practice. Marvelous integration of historical fact, divergent philosophies, & esoteric practice.


A truly Essential part of your Reiki studies   March 22, 2001
Ginamarie Temoshawsky (Philadelphia, PA United States)
41 out of 43 found this review helpful

I read this book shortly after taking a Level One Reiki class and found it to be an amazing source of information and ideas. I have since then obtained Master/Teacher certification and highly recommend this book to my students. I do disagree with some of the things in this book but I feel it is important to read all points of view and make one's own decisions. There are many add-ins within this book that are mixed in with the Reiki information and for a newcommer, that might become confusing or misleading but that is easily remedied with further study with a Reiki Master/Teacher and through continued readings of other authors. From it's debut, this book has been controversial. Reiki elitists continue to speak out against this book in defense of their own methods as training fees are getting more affordable to the public. This book has done a great service to the public by giving detailed information about this wonderful energy and system! It can't make you a reiki practioner but it will help you learn about reiki. As far as distance attunements go, I have received them and given them as well as received and given in-person attunements and I can attest that distance attunement is quite valid and potent. Reiki has no limits, only people's minds have limits.


Let the Knowledge go Forth!   March 6, 2005
AutumnHarvest (Portland, OR USA)
39 out of 43 found this review helpful

I am a Reiki Master/Teacher. I received my attunments from two different Reiki Masters over a couple of years time. This book came out some time after I was practicing Reiki and I found it a valuable resource and use it continually. If you have a feminist leaning, a metaphysical viewpoint, an open mind and a thirst for doing something positive in a troubled world, I think this books has a lot to offer. I personally find Ms. Steins' Master Symbol easier to use than the one I was taught. I know others who have been attuned to Reiki who were taught different symbols than I was, but when we have discussed this we all feel it is the INTENT that matters, and so we proceed to pass along this amazing healing energy to others mostly using the process we were attuned with. Some Reiki folks seem to have a need to set in judgement of those who want to take the huge money factor out of Reiki (a Master level used to cost $10,000!), or find fault with publishing the symbols. Secret does not mean sacred. Let's get that straight! Yes, it was a huge risk Ms. Stein took in publishing the symbols, but if her reasoning was to show Reiki as a wonderful, easy, beautiful method, among many, to help people, animals, plants and the planet, isn't that a good thing? I happen to think it is.

I personally do not believe in intensive attunments-getting them all in one week-end or one day. The attunement process is incredibly powerful, and many people, including myself, need some time to adjust to the new energies provided by a Reiki attunement. Some people may adjust fine, but many feel "floaty" or "spacy" after an attunement. Do not make the mistake of thinking Reiki is something simple. Easy and simple are two different things, just as secret and sacred are two different things. Reiki changes you in ways you can not imagine until you experience it. It takes time to understand these changes. After my first attunement, I was amazed at my dreams, thoughts and ideas. I needed time to process what I was learning, and I gave myself that needed time before I proceeded with Level II. I did not become a Master/Teacher for another two years. I do believe you could give an attunement over the phone or to someone handicapped as Ms. Stein has done. Again, it is about intention of both the Reiki Master and the person seeking attunement, and having a proper attunement process.

I was called to Reiki, and I believe a lot of folks who will be drawn to pick up this book are also being called to Reiki. Read it with an open heart and mind, take what works for you, as with any information. Don't read only one book on Reiki, explore, gather knowledge, LEARN. No single source has all the answers. If you are called to Reiki, or any other type of healing method you are probably being called to the path of the Seeker. To seek means to think, delve, explore, question. Reiki can be one step on that path. It is a valuable path. It is a path very much needed now.

But do not think you can attune yourself to Reiki. Find a good Reiki Master who does not charge a fortune, make the time to truly participate in the beautiful experience that a Reiki attunement is, and allow time for what happens to your mind, body and sprit afterwards.

I think Ms. Steins' goal in risking so much to put this information out into the world speaks more to her desire to create another avenue for healing than it does to anythiing else. Ok, she has some areas in her own life that may still need healing. Don't we all? Don't mix up the information with what you may see as her stuff. DISCERNMENT! Practice it!

Oh-one more thing-the negative reviewer who said her hands got hot while she was reading this book-my dear, THAT is part of Reiki! When you give a Reiki treatment your hands become very very warm. You were probably being called. Too bad you did not heed that call! But the rest of us can approach this, and other books on energy healing with a much more open mind. I hope so.


Essential Reiki is truly essential for Reiki practitioners   December 22, 2000
37 out of 41 found this review helpful

Okay, so I'm not going to say that this is the only book you should buy. After all, there are a lot of good Reiki books out there. But this is one of the best ones. It presents Reiki with a simple and clear approach, truly a reflection of what Reiki is...simple and easy to do. So maybe Diane Stein was a bit overenthusiastic with her feminist and Wicca views, it's not really that distracting. Any intelligent reader can simply replace the "she's" and "her's" with "he's" and "him's" should one prefer to do so. And as far as Wicca, one can easily integrate Reiki into one's spiritual beliefs. Diane Stein is merely presenting one way of doing this and it just so happens that her beliefs are Wiccan. It's not distracting at all. One can learn a lot about all three levels of Reiki through this book. Diane Stein is a courageous woman and true Reiki teacher. Just like Usui Mikao (the founder of Reiki), she endeavors to bring Reiki to everyone. After all, Reiki does not only belong to the exclusive few whose primary end is monetary gain. Reiki belongs to all of us. We are all Reiki. It is our divine heritage. Diane Stein's book brings us one step closer to claiming that lost birthright.