Reiki is perhaps the most popular and commonly recognized system of energy healing. "Reiki" is a Japanese word meaning "universal life energy". It is a simple, hands-on energy healing technique which works primarily with transferring universal energy to the recipient and relying on the intelligence of the energy itself to go where it is needed. The founder of Reiki, Dr. Mikao Usui, was a minister in the mid-nineteenth century Japan who wanted to know how to perform healings. A long search eventually lead to the development of a system of healing commonly called the Reiki System of Natural Healing. When the term "Usui method" is used, it indicates that the teacher is following the procedures of Dr. Usui. This method involve "attunements" to increase the ability to channel healing energies and open up healing abilities, a specific sequence of hand positions for use in a healing, and symbols which create energetic effects in the healer's consciousness to facilitate the healing.

Many different offshoots and forms of Reiki have evolved. Since so many energy workers first learned Reiki, when new energies and techniques were discovered in their work, they continued to call it Reiki, adding another term to distinguish the new form.

The way that Reiki is taught seems to vary from teacher to teacher, although there are some Reiki Masters who have tried to standardize the way Reiki is taught and have this conform with what they view as being in keeping with the way it was taught originally. Reiki is usually taught in several stages with an apprenticeship with a Reiki master, but there are also those who offer the entire training in one weekend. Many people start their energy healing careers with Reiki and it becomes a central part of their work. For some it is an ongoing spiritual and healing path, and they go very deep with it. For those who have already done hands-on energy healing, reports are mixed. Some feel it enhances the ability to conduct healing energy, and some feel it doesn't add much to their practice. It is certainly not necessary to have attunements in order to be a conduit for healing energies, although in some cases attunement may be useful. Each individual needs to honor what intuitively "draws" them.