Reiki (pronounced RAY-KEE) is a Japanese healing technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words – Rei which means “God’s Wisdom or the Higher Power” and Ki which is “life force energy”. REIKI is also called Universal Life Force Energy. It stands for the non-physical energy which creates and maintains a balanced and healthy body and spirit. When this energy is blocked, there is an imbalance often creating dis-ease. To help understand how REIKI works, one must understand that the universe is made up of energy. Einstein put it into his famous mathematical equation E=Mc2 (Energy=mass times the speed of light squared). Everything in our world and universe is made of energy including our physical bodies, thoughts, emotions and feelings. Our personal energy fields create who we are, what the object is and what our thoughts are. This is often referred to as our “aura” or Electromagnetic field. What happens in our energetic field will eventually affect our physical body and the reverse can be true, whatever happens in our energetic field can impact if an illness or dis-ease can manifest.
REIKI is usually administered by through light touch. If one’s “life force energy” is low or blocked by negative emotions, stress, fatigue, poor self-care, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high and allowed to flow, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.
One of the greatest wonders of REIKI is that is does not require the practitioner or receiver to embrace any specific religious ideals or concepts. REIKI does, however address all aspects of the body: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. It is the spiritual aspects of REIKI that make this modality stand out from other mind-body therapies.
A REIKI session it can be offered with a person laying down (fully clothed) on a massage table or in a bed or chair for physically challenged individuals. The session can be as short or long as needed. Typically, a full REIKI session lasts 45 and 60 minutes. The REIKI practitioner will begin at the top of the head and work down to the feet, covering the main chakras and major organs of the body. Typically the practitioner will stay on each area for a few minutes at a time being mindful of the sensation that is felt as the energy moves from the practitioner’s hands to the body. There are no physical manifestations that occur for the client. It is simply energetic. Once the front of the body is completed the client can turn over and the back of the body can receive the energy down to the feet. Describing what is felt for the client can be difficult because it varies from person to person. Some report feeling totally relaxed and supported as if they are being wrapped in a warm, loving blanket, others feel like they could, and often do, take a relaxing nap. Clients have also reported a feeling of floating or lightness. Typically, clients who are experiencing physical body issues can report a warm feeling when a target area is treated. Since REIKI is considered a holistic modality which supports well-being and healing, it is hard to predict how quickly particular symptoms may respond. REIKI sessions often leave clients feeling refreshed, relaxed, and clear thinking, similar to the after effects of a good massage. Both the practitioner and the client benefit from the energy exchange. In general, if a chronic condition requires attention, a minimum of 4 full treatments is suggested before evaluating a clinical benefit. The client is encouraged to drink a glass of water and slowly return to their daily activities being mindful of their flowing life force energy.