1. What is Reiki?

Reiki is a Japanese healing modality used to rid the body of harmful toxins and energetic blockages that cause stress, fatigue, pain, and even disease. The word Reiki translates to “universal life force energy” (Rei = universal, ki = energy), and the practice is based on the idea that the human body relies on energy to create and sustain life. This energy moves in and out of seven “energy hubs”, commonly known as the chakras. In an ideal state, there is an equal flow of energy in and out of out body, but when we emit or consume too little or too much of any one thing we create imbalances. These imbalances often result in a build up of toxins or energetic blockages and manifest in negative physical or emotional sensations (stress, fatigue, pain, etc.). Reiki uses light touch therapy to clear these harmful toxins, remove blockages, and restore the body to it’s natural state of equilibrium.

2. What are the benefits of Reiki?

  • decreases stress & anxiety by promoting a deep calming effect

  • decreases pain through muscle relaxation, increased circulation, sense of warmth, and soft vibrations

  • detoxifies the body by removing toxins and energetic blockages

  • addresses insomnia by increasing ability for a restful night of sleep

  • triggers the body’s natural ability to heal itself

3. What happens during a Reiki session?

In a standard treatment Reiki energy flows from the practitioners hands into the client. The client is usually laying on a massage table but treatments can also be given while the client is seated or even standing. The client remains fully clothed. The practitioner places her/his hands on or near the clients body in a series of hand positions. These include positions around the head and shoulders, the stomach, and feet. Each position is held for 3 to 10 minutes depending on how much Reiki the client needs at each position. The whole treatment usually lasts between 45 and 90 minutes.

4. How does distance healing work?

Distance Reiki is used when an in person session is not feasible. To initiate the session the practitioner will channel the distance healing symbol, and will often use a combination of tools to direct healing energy to the client. Some common tools incorporated are deep meditation, essential oils, crystals, and singing bowls to emit this distance healing.

5. What happens when the session is over?

  • drink plenty of water over the next few days to help your body flush out any remaining toxins

  • get plenty of rest - honor what your body feels so it can complete the healing process

  • be mindful of emotional shifts or continued physical releases of blocked energy; this is normal and will pass in time

6. Are there any side effects?

Most clients experience: increased physical energy, vitality, awareness, alertness, and mental clarity; relaxation and less sense of stress & anxiety; an increased sense of balance: physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Some clients experience: mood swings or increased emotional responses; shifts in physical sensations such as feeling hot, cold, tingling, or aches where the body holds tension; fatigue or headaches.

To ease side effects: drink more water - especially right after a session and for a few days afterward; eat lighter more nutritious foods to fuel the healing process; take more time to rest and go with the flow, listen to your body and honor its needs

7. Where did the Reiki healing practice originate?

The system of reiki originated in 1922 when Dr Mikao Usui, a physician and Buddhist monk, was climbing Mt. Kurama and practicing a 21 day fast. On the last day, he experienced Reiki energy and felt intense healing, a boost of vitality, clarity, and awareness. He passed the practice on to Dr. Chujiro Hayashi who opened the first Reiki clinic in Tokyo. One of the clinic’s most prominent clients was Hawayo Takata, who suffered from a severe illness that doctors thought could only be cured by surgery, but after 4 months of Reiki treatments, she was cured. She is responsible for spreading Reiki to the US, Canada, and Europe in the 1970s. By the mid-1990s, physicians, nurses, and other medical staff who had learned Reiki began using the technique in hospitals around the United States, and Reiki continues to expand as more and more people experience benefits from it.

8. Where does Reiki energy come from?

Reiki energy is a subtle form of energy that is channeled by the practitioner. When activated, energy flows outward from their hands, and although energy cannot be seen, the practitioner and client often feel soft vibrations, warmth, or cooling sensations as energetic flow is restored throughout the body.

9. Can Reiki replace medical or psychological care?

No. Reiki works in conjunction with regular medical or psychological treatment. If one has a medical or psychological condition, it is recommended that one see a licensed health care professional in addition to receiving Reiki treatments. Reiki energy works in harmony with all other forms of healing, including pharmaceuticals, surgery, psychological care or any other method of alternative care and will improve the results.

10. Is there any scientific proof that Reiki works?

Over the past two decades, a number of studies have shown that Reiki treatments help diminish the negative side effects of chemotherapy, improve surgical outcomes, regulate the autonomic nervous system, and dramatically alter people’s experience of physical and emotional pain associated with illness.

References

  • The Reiki Traveler LLC

  • Reiki.org

  • Everydayhealth.com

  • The Atlantic Magazine