Essential Reiki: A Complete Guide to an Ancient Healing Art (Paperback)

by Diane Stein (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Reiki is an ancient and profoundly simple system of “laying on of hands” healing derived from Tibetan Buddhism. In the West, Reiki has been kept highly secret for many years. ESSENTIAL REIKI presents full information on all three degrees of this healing system, most of it in print for the first time. Teaching from the perspective that Reiki healing belongs to all people, Diane Stein breaks new ground in her classic guide to this ancient practice. While no book can replace the directly received Reiki “attunements,” ESSENTIAL REIKI provides everything else that the healer, practitioner, and teacher of this system needs.

About the Author
DIANE STEIN is a popular and acclaimed healer and the best-selling author of Essential Reiki and 25 other books in the fields of metaphysical healing, women's spirituality, and alternative health. She lives and teaches in Florida.

THE AUTHOR SCOOP

Read any good books lately?
My favorite reading is science fiction, there are new good books coming out every day.  Look at Sharon Shinn, Tamora Pierce, Ann Bishop, and so many more talented women fiction writers.

If you had to boil your book's message down to one sentence, what would it be?
Serve the Light, trust the Light, make a difference in the world with who you are and what you do.

What are you working on now?
I prefer to keep future books a secret until they are finished.  No one will know until the manuscript is mailed in.

Do you eat your vegetables?
I have been a vegetarian since 1983.  I do eat my vegetables.

If you had a superpower, what would it be?
Wonder Woman, of course.

How long did it take you to write this book? 
I have been working with herbs for over 35 years, so you could say it took that long to write it.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Crossing Press; 1 edition (April 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0895947366
• ISBN-13: 978-0895947369
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (151 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,783 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #9 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Alternative Medicine > Energy Healing
  #29 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Alternative Medicine > Healing
  #41 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age > Mental & Spiritual Healing

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

180 of 184 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great reference book, July 26, 2001

By	Avalon Daughter (I wish I was in Glastonbury) - See all my reviews

Being a Reiki practitioner I prefer Diane's guide over the rest. Of course, it is not the be-end of all books dedicated to the craft of Reiki, but it is a great guide.

For those who don't know about Reiki, it is the art of holistic hands-on healing with the use of sacred symbols drawn on the palms of the hands of the practitioner and on the "patient" in order to start the flow of healing energy from his or her God. (I know that is a rough definition, but please understand that there are whole books dedicated to what Reiki is.)

The reason why this book is so controversial is because, as far as I know, Diane decided to publish the actual drawings of the symbols which is considered taboo. The symbols are supposed to be secret -- only revealed to the people who actually get an attunement (and people who have not received a Reiki attunement cannot perform Reiki on another person. Although that has been questioned as well.) Because of this, Diane has been looked upon as a type of "black sheep" of the Reiki community.

However, I personally am not one for secrecy and find her book extremely informative. Most Reiki guides keep out so much information on Reiki, because it is considered "secret" that their manuals for first-time practitioners can be confusing. Obscure references do not make a master of the student. Personally, I've had practitioners of my own become confused and ask questions constantly. After having them buy her book instead, they understand more. In other words, despite the fact that Diane's book "crosses the line" in some areas, she explains in great detail what each symbol means, when they are given to practitioners as well as step-by-step instructions on how to use them. She also says that one cannot perform Reiki without the attunements and that each level a person goes through they are able to receive more symbols to work with. She also includes others she has personally discovered for experimentation as well.

Diane's book is not perfect, but thorough and informative. Through the history of Reiki, it has been documented that Hawayo Katata (the last Grand Reiki Master) gave different but similar symbols to her 12 students she attuned to Reiki Master status. Why, no one really knows. In other words, the symbols are slighly different to many Reiki practitioners and hers are not considered the absolute correct ones. But then again, everyone in the Reiki community claims that their symbols are the correct symbols. When it comes down to it, there is a "power" symbol, an "emotional healing" symbol, "distance" symbol, "master" symbol and an "attunement" symbol that most everyone uses. How they are drawn is the actual debate.

Do I recommend this book to beginner Reiki students? It really should be up to their teachers. Some teachers are very informative and give out pamphlets on their methods and the individual symbols. Unfortunately, I've met students whose teachers don't give any direction at all and are very confused or eager to learn more. This book is a great start to those practitioners who want more information, but other texts should be considered as well in order to make a well-rounded practitioner. Reiki Masters have nothing to lose with looking at this book. As for people who have not received Reiki attunements and want to learn more, I suppose that this book is a good choice, but personally I have to say that I bought this book before I received my first attunement and honestly it didn't make a lick of sense until I actually became a practitioner. Then again, this is my own experience.

A thorough manual in addition to other Reiki books, a good reference for Reiki Masters as well as giving new ideas and not necessarily a good book for non-Reiki practitioners, but give it a try as well. Otherwise, I recommend personally looking up teachers in your personal areas as well as surfing the internet for information.

110 of 115 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An encyclopedia of Reiki!, December 13, 1997

By A Customer

This is the most comprehensive book on Reiki that I have ever come across. I was so fascinated that I stayed up and read the whole book in one night--and I have read it, or even single chapters, again and again. Diane Stein's experiences in trying to find a way to learn Reiki (since her financial means were limited) were especially intriguing to me. I was convinced by her view that all people are meant to know Reiki, and as a Reiki Master, I have attuned everyone free. I do not have the time to teach extensively, so I explain the basics and see that the student has William Rand's Reiki, The Healing Touch for a basic introductory text. (I use a book in Japanese for those who don't read English.) For people who want more information, I always recommend Essential Reiki. I think taking classes with good teachers and classmates on whom to practice is probably the optimum way to learn Reiki, but as Ms. Stein says, that's not always an option.

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.

138 of 149 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars [e-mail] April 13, 1999 La Palma, California, April 14, 1999

By A Customer

I read Diane Stein's book before I received my attunements. It was highly suggested by my Master Teacher. I found it to be a very comprehensive study and well illustrated. I was delighted to find the symbols for all 3 levels of Reiki and a complete explanation of her workshop sessions. I have 6 books on Reiki with their own style of writing, some more comprehensive than others on healing animals and varied information on the history, and healing techniques. Though I like them all (traditional), Essential Reiki is the most complete reference book that I have found. I am not wiccan, and I'm not a feminist. My background is Christian. The meta-physical side of me embraces the Truth in all religions. I am a Reiki Master in the non-traditional sense. Personally, I would exclude the power exercises in the back of her book, and refrain from the feminist slant that her book promotes. For this reason my rating is a 4 instead of a 5. At the same time I'm grateful that she had the courage and knowledge to write this book! The main difference I find between Diane's book and traditional Reiki is...non-traditional isn't secretive, and isn't exclusive because of cost. I teach in a workshop setting and give Reiki treatments. I am open to travel, and teach other self help workshops. You are welcome to contact me for further information.