Reiki (English: /ˈreɪkiː/) is a spiritual practice[1] developed in 1922 by Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui, and uses a technique commonly called palm healing as a form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).[2] Through the use of this technique, sometimes refereed to as "tenohira" (meaning "the palm" in Japanese), practitioners believe that they are transferring "healing energy" in the form of qi (or ki in Japanese) through the palms.[3][4]
There are two main branches of Reiki, commonly referred to as Traditional Reiki and Western Reiki. Within both Traditional and Westernised forms of Reiki, there are three forms of degrees, commonly refereed to as the First, Second, and Master/Teacher degree. According to Reiki practitioners and Masters, at First Degree, a Reiki practitioner is able to heal themselves and others, at Second Degree is able to heal others distantly (commonly called distant healing) with the use of specialised symbols, and at Master/Teacher level is able to teach and attune others to Reiki.