I want to be clear about something before I go any further: I am not writing this to dismiss Reiki. I practiced it for nearly twenty years. It helped people. It helped me. The practitioners I learned from were skilled and sincere, and I carry genuine respect for the tradition they taught me.
But when my wife showed me a video about Shiva Murti two years ago and I began training with my teacher Jero Jason, something shifted that I couldn't explain away. The results changed. Not incrementally — significantly. And if you are someone trying to choose between modalities, or trying to understand why one healer might produce different outcomes than another, you deserve an honest account of what I actually observed.
So here it is.
Where Each Comes From
Reiki originated in Japan in the early 20th century through Mikao Usui, who reportedly developed the system following a period of fasting and meditation on Mount Kurama. The word itself combines rei (universal) and ki (life energy) — universal life energy. Usui's system spread through Japan and eventually to the West through a chain of teachers, arriving in the United States in the mid-20th century. Today there are dozens of Reiki lineages and hundreds of Reiki certifications available worldwide, including online weekend courses and digital attunements.
Shiva Murti comes from a different place entirely. It is rooted in the Gana Usadha lineage — an ancient Balinese healing tradition practiced within the Hindu-animist spiritual culture of Bali, Indonesia. It was developed and refined by Ratu Nabe, a high priest and master healer in Bali, and brought to the West through a small number of initiated practitioners. The transmission is direct — from teacher to student, in person, over time. There is no weekend course. There is no digital attunement.
"Reiki gave me a foundation. Shiva Murti gave me precision. The difference between them is the difference between a flashlight and a laser."
This distinction in origin matters more than it might seem. A modality transmitted through direct lineage over generations carries something that a modality available through a downloadable certificate does not. I say this not to be dismissive of Reiki practitioners who have trained seriously and practiced for years — many of them are genuinely effective. I say it because the depth and integrity of a transmission affects what the practitioner can actually move.
How Each Works
Both modalities operate on the premise that the human body is surrounded and permeated by an energy field — what Reiki calls ki and what the Gana Usadha tradition understands within its own cosmological framework. Both work by directing healing energy into that field to clear blockages, restore flow, and support the body's innate capacity for self-healing. Both can be practiced at a distance with equal effectiveness to in-person work.
The difference is in the mechanism and the precision.
Reiki works primarily through broad-field transmission. The practitioner channels universal life energy through themselves into the client's system. It is somewhat diffuse by nature — the energy goes where it is needed, and the practitioner's role is largely to hold a clear channel and allow the flow. This works. But it works in the way that a warm bath works — broadly soothing, generally beneficial, difficult to direct precisely.
Shiva Murti works differently. The practitioner is trained to identify specific energetic structures within the client's field — particular blockages, intrusions, or disruptions — and to address them directly. The energy is not simply channeled through; it is applied with intention and precision to specific locations and specific problems. The result is less like a warm bath and more like a targeted intervention.
On the SUDS Scale
One of the things that distinguishes my Shiva Murti practice is the use of the Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) — a 1–10 rating system borrowed from clinical psychology. Before addressing any issue, I ask the client to rate it. We check again mid-session and at the close.
This isn't just a client communication tool. It's a real-time feedback mechanism that tells me whether the intervention is working and whether to continue, adjust, or move on. In nearly two years of using this system with Shiva Murti, I consistently see ratings drop from 7–9 down to 1–2 or zero within a single session. That kind of measurable, reproducible result was not something I could reliably produce with Reiki.
The Numbers: 50% vs 98%
I am aware that stating a 98% success rate sounds like a marketing claim. I want to address that directly.
Over nearly twenty years of Reiki practice, I experienced consistent results in roughly half my sessions. The other half showed partial improvement, minimal change, or no measurable shift that I could confirm. I kept practicing because the half that worked was genuinely significant — real relief, real change, real impact on people's lives. But I was honest with myself that I was not getting consistent results.
Since transitioning to Shiva Murti, the sessions where I cannot confirm measurable progress have become rare — fewer than 1 in 20. The SUDS ratings move. The clients report relief. The results are reproducible across different clients, different issues, different circumstances.
I attribute this to three things: the depth of the lineage transmission, the precision of the technique, and the feedback system that lets me course-correct in real time rather than hoping the energy went where it needed to go.
A Direct Comparison
| Reiki | Shiva Murti | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Japan, early 20th century (Mikao Usui) | Bali, Indonesia — ancient Gana Usadha lineage |
| Transmission | Attunement — available through courses, including online | Direct lineage transmission from initiated teacher only |
| Mechanism | Broad-field universal energy channeling | Targeted intervention at specific energetic structures |
| Distance healing | Yes — practiced widely | Yes — equally effective to in-person |
| Session length | Typically 60–90 minutes | Often complete in 20–45 minutes |
| Progress tracking | Largely subjective — client sensation and feedback | SUDS scale — measurable before, during, and after |
| My success rate | Approximately 50% over 18 years | Approximately 98% over 2 years |
What This Means If You're Choosing a Healer
If you are considering energy healing for the first time, or if you've tried Reiki and experienced limited results, here's what I'd want you to know.
The modality matters less than the practitioner's depth of training and the integrity of their transmission. A serious Reiki practitioner with years of dedicated practice will outperform a Shiva Murti student who completed a weekend course. Depth always wins over credential.
That said, not all modalities are equal in what they make available to a deeply trained practitioner. Shiva Murti gives a trained practitioner access to a more precise set of tools. That precision is why my results changed when I transitioned — not because I suddenly became a better person, but because the instrument in my hands became more capable.
"The question is not which modality is better in the abstract. The question is what a specific practitioner can actually do with the training they have received."
When you are evaluating any energy healer — Reiki, Shiva Murti, or anything else — ask them about their training. Ask how long they've practiced. Ask whether they track results systematically or rely purely on subjective feedback. Ask what happens if you don't see improvement. A healer who can answer those questions clearly and honestly is worth trusting regardless of what tradition they work in.
I use the SUDS scale in every session because I want you to be able to answer those questions for yourself. The numbers are yours. They don't require you to believe anything or trust anyone's claims. They just tell you what happened.
If you've tried Reiki and been disappointed, or if you're simply curious about what a more targeted approach might do for an issue you've been carrying, a single session is the most honest introduction I can offer. Bring your skepticism. Bring your issue. We'll see what the numbers say.