The word “reiki” is built from the Japanese words for “universal” (rei) and “life energy” (ki). “Rei” is often known commonly as the Chinese word “chi.” Practitioners believe that there’s a “life force” flowing through all of us that can be channeled by “reiki masters” who have been attuned to it. This life force flows through various channels in our bodies, known as chakras, meridians, and nadis. When those channels are disrupted by physical or emotional trauma, a reiki master may be needed to clear them. As the reiki master concentrates their healing energy to the clogged channels of the body, those channels are said to be cleared of negative energy, allowing positive energy to flow through once again.