I cannot speak about any other form of Reiki, but I can say that traditional Usui Reiki Ryoho does not rely on faith to work. Without going into a tutorial into the core philosophy and principles of Usui Reiki Ryoho, the system has distinct teachings and methods that are used to allow the practitioner to channel energy. Faith or belief are not necessary, the correct practice of the methods are all that is required for any one to be able to heal effectively.

Usui Reiki Ryoho has a simple beauty to its methods that is distinctly Japanese, much of which has been lost in the Western forms of reiki. Energy healing with just intention and faith is not Usui Reiki Ryoho.

I think people are drawn to the system that suits them, I like Japanese arts, I like the discipline and structure and the effectiveness and beauty of Japanese arts, whether they are martial arts or healing arts. That's why I teach traditional Usui Reiki Ryoho and will not use or teach the Western versions.

I cannot speak about any other form of Reiki, but I can say that traditional Usui Reiki Ryoho does not rely on faith to work. Without going into a tutorial into the core philosophy and principles of Usui Reiki Ryoho, the system has distinct teachings and methods that are used to allow the practitioner to channel energy. Faith or belief are not necessary, the correct practice of the methods are all that is required for any one to be able to heal effectively.

Usui Reiki Ryoho has a simple beauty to its methods that is distinctly Japanese, much of which has been lost in the Western forms of reiki. Energy healing with just intention and faith is not Usui Reiki Ryoho.

I think people are drawn to the system that suits them, I like Japanese arts, I like the discipline and structure and the effectiveness and beauty of Japanese arts, whether they are martial arts or healing arts. That's why I teach traditional Usui Reiki Ryoho and will not use or teach the Western versions.

Thank you, I am trained in the Usui method, but am not aware of the differences between Traditional Ryoho Usui and Western Usui. However, you have helped me arrive at a satisfactory answer to my question. Thank you for that 🙂

I guess we will each have a different answer on why we chose Reiki (or why Reiki chose us!). At the time of being drawn to healing, I was actually Centre Manager for a local charity that provided healing and support, and although it wasn't specifically a spiritual healing centre, it just seemed that all the healers were spiritual healers! I'd received a lot of spiritual healing and had come to a point where I wanted to take responsibility for my own healing and stop relying on others - it's fair to say that at that point giving healing to others was not on my radar.

So given that I was surrounded by it, why wasn't I drawn to spiritual healing? Hard to say really, I knew I had a natural healing ability and I wanted to progress that. I looked into spiritual healing, reiki and other healing modalities, and I just felt more drawn towards, or maybe even compelled towards, reiki, and suddenly everywhere I turned there was reiki - it just felt like the Universe was hitting me over the head with it! Reiki seemed so simple and beautiful compared to some other healing modalities that I read about. My spiritual journey was also at a stage where I needed to form my own (informed) views on things, to develop a faith system that fitted me, to not have other peoples faiths and beliefs "forced" onto me, and Reiki kind of fitted into that in that I didn't need to have any particular faith or belief system.

Going off now to think about this some more......

Always with love,
Amber

Well I do both Reiki and Spiritual Healing, and my spiritual healing mentor asks me a lot why I prefer to do Reiki. Here are some of the answers I have given her:

While I have always been a healer - I used to lay my hands on my mom's washing wachine when it was broken and it would work - I ran away from it. Reiki brought me back to my spirituality and to the healing.

I find spiriitual healing more risky than Reiki.

Reiki has built in protections and I know when I am giving Reiki I am not using my own energy.

Reiki is not dependent on the spiritual state of the channel, it only needs the connection to be available to work. When I am giving spiritual healing I have to do a lot of work on myself beforehand.

Reiki is like working on mains power, while spiritual healing reminds me of battery power. (I have to say others who do both disagree with me!)

I don't do the Japanese spiritual practices that go with Reiki. Reiki found me, a Westerner with Christian background, and I feel that's fine: Reiki isn't about turning Japanese!

I benefit from the Reiki when I am giving it, whereas I don't think I benefit from spiritual healing.

Hope this helps

My experience is similar to yours Chris. Reiki found ME 12 years ago. I knew that I had some sort of 'gift' when I was about 39yrs old and Reiki seemed to be everywhere I looked lol! I was advised to look into Spiritual Healing but it didn't resonate with me. I was told that I would have to train for 2 years and be assessed by a panel. Well, that smacked of ego to me. Why did I need another human being to tell me what to do when I was doing it already??? Reiki found me and so I decided to follow that route and have never looked back. I am just the channel for it to flow through and it seems to be happy working with this channel lol.

Love and light

reikiangel

xxx

Well I do both Reiki and Spiritual Healing, and my spiritual healing mentor asks me a lot why I prefer to do Reiki. Here are some of the answers I have given her:

While I have always been a healer - I used to lay my hands on my mom's washing wachine when it was broken and it would work - I ran away from it. Reiki brought me back to my spirituality and to the healing.

I find spiriitual healing more risky than Reiki.

Reiki has built in protections and I know when I am giving Reiki I am not using my own energy.

Reiki is not dependent on the spiritual state of the channel, it only needs the connection to be available to work. When I am giving spiritual healing I have to do a lot of work on myself beforehand.

Reiki is like working on mains power, while spiritual healing reminds me of battery power. (I have to say others who do both disagree with me!)

I don't do the Japanese spiritual practices that go with Reiki. Reiki found me, a Westerner with Christian background, and I feel that's fine: Reiki isn't about turning Japanese!

I benefit from the Reiki when I am giving it, whereas I don't think I benefit from spiritual healing.

Hope this helps

Yes, this does help a lot, I resonate with what you have written (although I don't have a Christian background!! ;))
Thanks Chris xx

Thanks ReikiAngel, Amber Lady, ChrisRams and Omega1... u r all super dooper xx

Hi Dipti

I think in a way Reiki seemed more accessible to me than spiritual healing. It seemed that Reiki was for everyone, whereas I had conceptions of spiritual healing being more selective in terms of who could do it or develop this ability. It always seemed to me at the time I got interested in these things that to be a spiritual healer one had to be spiritually very 'pure', spend a lot of time in prayer and as said above working on themselves... whereas in Reiki this is certainly helpful, but it is not so much a prerequesite to being able to do Reiki (in a way I think Reiki stimulates our desire to work on ourselves in a natural way anyway).

From what I've been told, Reiki is suitable for everyone and everyone is capable of learning Reiki... but in the end, people will always go with what resonates with them best and I guess we all have our own paths to walk and many reaosns for our choices.

Well I do both Reiki and Spiritual Healing, and my spiritual healing mentor asks me a lot why I prefer to do Reiki. Here are some of the answers I have given her:

While I have always been a healer - I used to lay my hands on my mom's washing wachine when it was broken and it would work - I ran away from it. Reiki brought me back to my spirituality and to the healing.

I find spiriitual healing more risky than Reiki.

Reiki has built in protections and I know when I am giving Reiki I am not using my own energy.

Reiki is not dependent on the spiritual state of the channel, it only needs the connection to be available to work. When I am giving spiritual healing I have to do a lot of work on myself beforehand.

Reiki is like working on mains power, while spiritual healing reminds me of battery power. (I have to say others who do both disagree with me!)

I don't do the Japanese spiritual practices that go with Reiki. Reiki found me, a Westerner with Christian background, and I feel that's fine: Reiki isn't about turning Japanese!

I benefit from the Reiki when I am giving it, whereas I don't think I benefit from spiritual healing.

Hope this helps

I am one of those that disagree. Reiki is Spiritual Healing and always has been. As for saying that you find spiritual healing more risky than Reiki Why?

If you understand Spiritual Healing you should be aware that all Spiritual Healing has a built in protection and if you have been taught correctly you will not be using your own energy. The same also applies of course with reiki. As for battery this quote always reminds me of two children and one saying "mine is better than yours.

Hiya

The reason I find spiritual healing more risky than Reiki is that Reiki has its own built in protection. This is because it is the gift of a Buddha who is pledged to only do good for human kind. I have been taught spiritual healing has no protection of itself, and you have to do all sorts of faffy things to be protected. Protected from what? From the lower energy entities that are attracted to its light, apparently. I would rather not expose myself to such entities, so I choose Reiki.

When I use Reiki there is no danger whatsoever of using my own energy, whereas when I use spiritual healing I find that my own energy often goes along with the supernatural energy. It's not a matter of "mine is better than yours", it's a description of what I find. There are situations when you can't use mains energy, and that's obviously when battery power is better than mains. This is my truth: tell me yours, as the Manic Street Preachers said!

Hiya

The reason I find spiritual healing more risky than Reiki is that Reiki has its own built in protection. This is because it is the gift of a Buddha who is pledged to only do good for human kind. I have been taught spiritual healing has no protection of itself, and you have to do all sorts of faffy things to be protected. Protected from what? From the lower energy entities that are attracted to its light, apparently. I would rather not expose myself to such entities, so I choose Reiki.

When I use Reiki there is no danger whatsoever of using my own energy, whereas when I use spiritual healing I find that my own energy often goes along with the supernatural energy. It's not a matter of "mine is better than yours", it's a description of what I find. There are situations when you can't use mains energy, and that's obviously when battery power is better than mains. This is my truth: tell me yours, as the Manic Street Preachers said!

My truth is quite simple I have been a Healing Channel since 1962 and have never experienced any problem at all. Healing will only send the required energy. Reiki is Spiritual Healing by another name. I have no problem with entities or using my own energy. I like all Healers are pledged to only do good for human kind, I do not need a Buddha for that.

I was drawn to Reiki because it was placed in my path... lol. 🙂 I was tentitively exploring my own healing abilities via the books of Betty Shine, when I came across an article about Reiki in the Daily Mail, of all places. The contact number there led me to my first teacher in Edinburgh and from there my spiritual/healing path has blossomed.

I do agree that spiritual healing and reiki are opposite sides of the same coin. May I respectfully suggest that ChrisRams' 'battery power' is perhaps a limitation built upon poor teaching and/or information on this aspect of healing? For myself, I was taught spiritual healing by my spirit guides along the way and have learnt my shamanic healing in much the same way. Lately, they have indicated a need to 'take it to the next level', which my own spirit is happy to do... 🙂

We all heal in the way most suitable to us. Healing is in everything we do; every action, thought, mood and response. In the end, the only important thing is that balance is restored, for the highest good of all concerned... including the healer.

😀
Moonfeather

I have found this thread really thought provoking. I do Usui Shiki Ryoho reiki and have never appreciated the difference between this and the ‘western’ version of reiki. I also never thought of reiki as being the same as spiritual healing (because I know nothing about spiritual healing) so the idea of them both being the same is really interesting. So thank you everyone for opening my eyes.

I would like to add though, in response to ChrisRams comment about reiki having inbuilt protection, that during both 1st and 2nd degree reiki my teachers both stressed the importance of 'protection' and taught me specific techniques to achieve this. This suggests to me that reiki doesn't have 'inbuilt' protection automatically at the ready, and that we do have a responsibility regarding this, while practicing reiki.

during both 1st and 2nd degree reiki my teachers both stressed the importance of 'protection' and taught me specific techniques to achieve this.

The concept of using specific techniques for protection when practising Reiki is very much a Western addition to Reiki and has no equivalent methods in the traditional Usui system.

If we think about what we are doing when we are giving a Reiki treatment, what exactly are practitioners protecting themselves from? And how exactly do these techniques actually work? I would be interested in peoples experiences of using these techniques. I have to say I have never used any such technique in all the years I have been practising Reiki and I have never had any thing bad happen to me as a result of giving a Reiki treatment.

With regards to Reiki being the same as spiritual healing, I suppose in so far as they both use energy for healing purposes, they are similar in that respect, but in the actual methods used they are very different. Unless spiritual healing uses the Usui Reiki shirushi and kotodama to access the energy, and the practitioner directs the energy to treat specific conditions using Usui-sensei's techniques, the methods are very different.

I have been thinking about Reiki and also the other forms of healing - like spiritual healing, faith healing, healing with intent etc. I know that "intention" and thoughts are instrumental to all these types of energy to flow abundantly. However, the difference between Reiki and these other forms of healing is, one needs to be initiated by an attunement process to be able to practice Reiki

If we wish to use a prescribed way of healing then there is always some form of alignment to that form of energy. Most of the energy modalities, including Reiki, are programed by the creators to work in certain ways. In order for us to be able to replicate that way of working, we receive the programing during the initiation.

We are then taught to utilise the programme through the use of routines and or symbols etc. Without the programme we can't work in this or that specific way.

So, why do we choose to go down the Reiki route if all have the ability to heal anyway, purely with intention?

Yes we all have the potential to heal, the same as we all have the potential to design and build our own home. Saying that it is helpful if we learn the necessary skills of house design and building before we build it, or else it might well fall down round our ears.

Think of it like using our computers. We do not have to know how someone has programed the computer for us to make use of it to brows the internet, we just go through the routine of turning it on and choosing which browser we wish to utilise to brows the net.

We could, should we choose, learn how to program computers and design our own browser. It would take a lot of time and effort, but we could do it: it is the same with healing, Reiki works like the internet browser program which we use to access the internet, Reiki connects us to the energy that Usui worked with and allows us to use it the way he programed it to work.

What makes Reiki so different to other forms of healing?

Most forms of Reiki allow people to give healing without having to understand the mechanics of healing. It also allows people to give healing without first learning to take responsibility for their energy healing work; yes, I know some people will go on and develop an understanding about how healing works; others will in time learn to take responsibility for their energy work, but as it stands this in not a requirement to learn to practice Reiki.

Hi

Paul, thanks for your answer, it made me stop and think and I agree with what you are saying about the 'programming' making different ways of working with healing accessible, it makes sense to me how you put it. I was wondering about your last paragraph...

Most forms of Reiki allow people to give healing without having to understand the mechanics of healing. It also allows people to give healing without first learning to take responsibility for their energy healing work; yes, I know some people will go on and develop an understanding about how healing works; others will in time learn to take responsibility for their energy work, but as it stands this in not a requirement to learn to practice Reiki.

I think I agree with this too, but wondered if you could elaborate more on the responsibility involved in healing work (forgive me i'm quite new to this subject). I see this as being a general duty of care to the people we heal and to ourselves, but I also get a feeling you might mean something deeper than this, which made me wonder what we mean when we talk about responsibility for the energy work and healing we do?

Is this responsibility emphasised more when learning other healing modalities (which I am not familiar with)? If reiki allows people to practice healing without first taking responsibility for their energy work, is this possibly a bad thing, or is it more a case that Reiki sort of teaches you about these things gradually as you progress with your reiki practice? Or do people feel that perhaps a good reiki teacher should impart the importance of responsibility to their students?...

Sorry, I have lots of questions now and not many answers! I would like to think that my reiki teachers did teach me something about the responsibility I have for my own energy work and healing, but I guess I'm just not exactly sure what we mean when we're talking about responsibility here!

Hi Curious George

Please consider that when we perform energy work, we are actually manifesting our creative intentions in one form or another. Should we then not take responsibility for the outcome of our intentions?

On the other hand would you not consider that the healee needs to take full responsibility for what is wrong with them. In this way they can fully participate in the healing process. This will self empower them and help them to make the necessary changes in their lives to become more balanced.

This concept is only taught in the modalities that recognise this as the foundation of healing.

This is a really interesting discussion, I've enjoyed reading all the different viewpoints posted here...

I practice Reiki in a traditional way, but for me, this isn't about "turning Japanese" at all. Usui's teachings and methods have a really beautiful simplicity to them that really does transcend cultural boundaries. I'm often quite puzzled as to why more Reiki practitioners in the West decide not to incorporate more of the traditional material into their practice; for me, this is where it all fell into place and it's been really beneficial. It really deepened my understanding of Reiki, and improved my healing capacity immensely.

My initial Reiki training back in 1998 was very strong energetically...but also really confusing! It was advertised as "Usui Reiki", but was quite non traditional. And quick...we did the first two degrees in one day. We learned a little bit of the system as taught by Hawayo Takata, but also in there were chakras, crystals, extra symbols, angels, spirit guides, psychic surgery...and probably a lot more stuff that just went completely over my head!

As my Reiki practice developed, I was drawn to more traditional methods, but I struggled to find a new teacher who offered training from a Japanese perspective. I considered going to Australia to train with Frans and Bronwen Stiene (I had read their book "The Japanese Art of Reiki" and was really impressed) but of course, the travel costs were a big hinderance. And then, funny enough...I found that one of Frans' Shinpiden (Reiki III) students was offering training an hour from where I lived! Reiki sure does work in some really amazing ways. It always fascinates me how it can bring you exactly what you need, at exactly the right moment.

The concept of using specific techniques for protection when practising Reiki is very much a Western addition to Reiki and has no equivalent methods in the traditional Usui system.

If we think about what we are doing when we are giving a Reiki treatment, what exactly are practitioners protecting themselves from? And how exactly do these techniques actually work? I would be interested in peoples experiences of using these techniques. I have to say I have never used any such technique in all the years I have been practising Reiki and I have never had any thing bad happen to me as a result of giving a Reiki treatment.

Wow this thread is really making me think a lot about reiki. I never thought of it as being so complex. Thank you for sharing your advice and ideas everyone.

My teacher taught me that we are attracting ‘things’ (bad energy or something), to us like moths to a flame, when we do energy work. I just accepted this and this is the first time I have heard of people not agreeing. I do other forms of therapy as well and have found protection be to necessary as it is possible to exchange energy with the client, which is not conducive to good practice. I realize now that this may not apply to reiki, I am really interested to learn more about the ‘inbuilt’ protection that reiki has.

I am a bit confused now because I always thought that I had learnt the Japanese way and never apprehiated there were other forms of reiki, such as the western way. I guess as time goes by the different methods will be become more distinct as people will add their ideas (e.g. western reiki incorporating protection techniques that the Japanese version never considered necessary).
I learnt 'Usui Shiki Ryoho reiki' and after reading this thread I have to admit the name really doesn't convey much meaning to me. All reiki originates from Usui's teaching but there are lots of different methods now which he never taught (some of which I have been taught) being included into reiki courses, with no recognition made that it is not part of the original philosophy. I know that ideas and philosophies grow and develop over time as people make new discoveries but should people be concerned about learning things that are unnecessary additions? Also, it looks to me as if most reiki courses seem to have “Usui’ in the title, whether the course is a ‘Japanese’ one or a ‘western’ version. Should we be concerned about the confusion this can cause as to how much of Usui’s original teachings we are learning?

My teacher taught me that we are attracting ‘things’ (bad energy or something), to us like moths to a flame, when we do energy work. I just accepted this and this is the first time I have heard of people not agreeing. I do other forms of therapy as well and have found protection be to necessary as it is possible to exchange energy with the client, which is not conducive to good practice.

I teach students to work with focus and concentration when giving Reiki treatments to ensure energy goes only in one direction - i.e. from the source into the practitioner and then into the client. I think teaching students to actually concentrate and be fully focused when giving healing is something that has been diluted or even removed from some of the Western forms of Reiki.

Should we be concerned about the confusion this can cause as to how much of Usui’s original teachings we are learning?

I think this all depends on what you are looking for from Reiki:

Traditional Usui Reiki is used for treating illnesses and injuries directly to initiate and accelerate the repair and recovery process. Practitioners are active in the healing process and use focus and concentration. The practitioner decides where to work on the body and what energy to use depending on the condition being treated. The system is based on the Japanese philosophy of uniting 'Heaven and Earth' i.e. creating oneness within and with the source of the energy. The three energy bodies (spiritual, emotional and physical) have specific energies that are used to heal them. The energies are accessed through the shirushi/jumon/kotodama. The techniques used are specific and precise. Students practice the techniques until they become intuitive and flow without conscious thought or effort. The concept of "there is no right way or wrong way to practice Reiki" is not part of traditional Usui Reiki. The system requires discipline, effort and time, but to me it is more than worth it!

Western Reiki (as far as I know - I do not know too much about it!) seems to be geared more towards the practitioner working along the principles that there is no wrong way or right way to practice, however they want to work is ok; the energy is intelligent and will go where it needs to; the practitioner is just a channel and plays no part in the healing process; Reiki can do no harm; Reiki allows the body to heal itself by bringing the body into harmony or balance; Reiki is used to work on the chakras;

As I said, it all depends what you are looking for, some people like the simplicity and beauty of the Japanese way of working, others prefer the looser Western way of working.

I have to say, when I started this thread, I didn't realize that it would be such a great discussion! 🙂

However, I too have learnt that there are different ways of practising Reiki depending on how you were taught.

I don't think there is a right or wrong way, I believe that as with all therapies, there is the guideline, and the practitioner will develop their own style of practising. The Usui method has to be at the core of the practice, but as far as routines, cleansing, symbol use and attunement styles (not the initiation itself) - can be individual, as our energy is unique and therefore we will bring our own individuality to being Reiki Practioners/Masters.

This is why some people resonate with some Reiki Masters, and others with others.... Honour yourself and honour others. It's all good! 🙂

The Usui method has to be at the core of the practice, but as far as routines, cleansing, symbol use and attunement styles (not the initiation itself) - can be individual, as our energy is unique and therefore we will bring our own individuality to being Reiki Practioners/Masters.

I think that really exemplifies the Western approach to Reiki and shows one of the key differences in approach. In Japanese culture, the students honour the founder of a system by keeping true to the founders teachings. The routines, cleansing, symbol use and attunement style is set within the system by the founder and is not open to change by any of the students.

I tend to prefer the Japanese way personally. Usui-sensei spent his entire life dedicated to self-development and spiritual growth. He worked as a healer for many years and was rewarded with a satori or enlightenment on Kurama Yama. I for one do not feel I have the right (or awareness) to change what he worked so hard to develop. I think it is very Western to believe anyone can change and improve a system that was developed by someone else, especially someone as spiritually enlightened as Usui-sensei.

The Usui method has to be at the core of the practice, but as far as routines, cleansing, symbol use and attunement styles (not the initiation itself) - can be individual, as our energy is unique and therefore we will bring our own individuality to being Reiki Practioners/Masters.

I think that really exemplifies the Western approach to Reiki and shows one of the key differences in approach. In Japanese culture, the students honour the founder of a system by keeping true to the founders teachings. The routines, cleansing, symbol use and attunement style is set within the system by the founder and is not open to change by any of the students.

I tend to prefer the Japanese way personally. Usui-sensei spent his entire life dedicated to self-development and spiritual growth. He worked as a healer for many years and was rewarded with a satori or enlightenment on Kurama Yama. I for one do not feel I have the right (or awareness) to change what he worked so hard to develop. I think it is very Western to believe anyone can change and improve a system that was developed by someone else, especially someone as spiritually enlightened as Usui-sensei.

Hi!

I totally agree with you, but I didn't make myself clear, I would never say that I could improve the system... I just meant that we are all individual, and we as individuals bring our own energy and our own experience to the Reiki practice, and I recognise that Usui dedicated his whole life to the answers he was seeking, which is how reiki was born. This is why I chose to be a Reiki practitioner - to honour him and his absolute dedication.

But, I suppose, I believe in total individuality and that we all are gifted with our own inner divinity, so I recognise that within my Reiki practice and teachings too. I am in no way comparing myself to the enlightened masters such as Usui or Buddha or Jesus, I am just recognising that we all have wisdom and potential enlightment within us, and bring this energy into my Reiki.

I honour myself, and those around me, and understand that we are all different, and different methods of practices suit different people. That's the beauty of choice. I totally get where you are coming from and I understand your choice for traditional commitment.

Hugs,

Dipti xx

I just meant that we are all individual, and we as individuals bring our own energy

I agree with this to a certain degree, but where do you draw the line between individuals bringing their own energy into a system and changing the system? There has to be a point where the system stops being Usui Reiki once the fundamental teachings are individualised beyond recognition? I think individualism is fine, but it needs to be within the parameters of Usui-sensei's teachings to remain his system of Reiki. I agree that any one can add or change any system, but they should be honest with clients and say that this is not the original method they are receiving, it is their individual interpretation or adaptation of it.

🙂 Yes, agreed! 🙂

I just meant that we are all individual, and we as individuals bring our own energy

I agree with this to a certain degree, but where do you draw the line between individuals bringing their own energy into a system and changing the system? There has to be a point where the system stops being Usui Reiki once the fundamental teachings are individualised beyond recognition? I think individualism is fine, but it needs to be within the parameters of Usui-sensei's teachings to remain his system of Reiki. I agree that any one can add or change any system, but they should be honest with clients and say that this is not the original method they are receiving, it is their individual interpretation or adaptation of it.

Of course IMHO Usui did not invent reiki he just rediscovered a healing system that had been lost to the Japanese for many years (This was a Spiritual style of Healing). Usui then went on to utilise this system of healing for his students starting with the principle of Self Healing and then to Healing others. Therefore by default he probably added and changed some things to suit his own and his students personal beliefs. So I do not therefore have a problem with people in the west doing the same. After all Reiki is Spiritual Guided Energy which is a system of healing that has been with us since time began. It has been called many names and will continue to be changed and re-badged but at the end of the day it is still fundamentally, Spiritual Guided Energy.

Of course IMHO Usui did not invent reiki he just rediscovered a healing system that had been lost to the Japanese for many years

Actually, Usui-sensei tells it rather differently:

"My Usui Reiki Ryoho is an original, there is nothing like this in the world"

Perhaps we are talking about different things here. You seem to be talking about Reiki as a general form of 'Spiritual Healing', whereas I am talking about Usui Reiki Ryoho in particular, that is, a system developed by Usui-sensei with specific techniques and teachings. Usui-sensei didn't invent spiritual healing, but he did create and develop Usui Reiki Ryoho.

After all Reiki is Spiritual Guided Energy which is a system of healing that has been with us since time began.

Reiki translated can mean Spiritual Energy, but Usui Reiki Ryoho is not the energy rather it is the system developed by Usui-sensei to channel and use the energy with specific techniques that are unique to this system. Yes, there are many ways of using Spiritual Energy for healing purposes, but they are not all Usui Reikik Ryoho.

Actually, Usui-sensei tells it rather differently:

"My Usui Reiki Ryoho is an original, there is nothing like this in the world"

Thats what I said. Reiki has been with us for all time. Usui just utilised this system of healing for his students starting with the principle of Self Healing and then to Healing others. So yes you are right of course to say that we should not be calling it Usui Reiki Ryoho, just Reiki would be fine. As for the saying "My Usui Reiki Ryoho is an original, there is nothing like this in the world"
How many times has this been said by people about their own systems? I do believe however that the Usui Reiki Ryoho system if used correctly would mean a complete change of lifestyle for many of those that say they practise it. After all the concept of Usui Reiki Ryoho is a way of life and a spiritual progression. Not IMO suitable for many westerners?

So yes you are right of course to say that we should not be calling it Usui Reiki Ryoho, just Reiki would be fine.

Not really what I meant... I actually mean call the system developed by Usui-sensei by the term used by Usui-sensei - Usui Reiki Ryoho and teach and practice it the way he developed it. That way his teachings can have clear and defined criteria within the methods, techniques and concepts practised and taught by the founder of the system. Anything else can be called whatever anyone chooses. That should cause less confusion hopefully.

After all the concept of Usui Reiki Ryoho is a way of life and a spiritual progression. Not IMO suitable for many westerners?

I think it is very suitable for Westerners, our lifestyles are generally self-centred and materialistic, we need spiritual growth as much as anyone!