Reiki Definition
Reiki is a form of therapy that uses simple hands-on, no-touch, and visualization techniques, with the goal of improving the flow of life energy in a person. Reiki (pronounced ray-key) means "universal life energy" in Japanese, and Reiki practitioners are trained to detect and alleviate problems of energy flow on the physical, emotional, and spiritual level.
Benefits
Reiki provides many of the same benefits as traditional massage therapy, such as reducing stress, stimulating the immune system, increasing energy, and relieving the pain and symptoms of health conditions. Practitioners have reported success in helping patients with acute and chronic illnesses, from asthma and arthritis to trauma and recovery from surgery. Reiki is a gentle and safe technique.
Description
The Basic Philosophy of Reiki is that the body has an energy field that is central to its health and proper functioning, and this energy travels in certain pathways that can become blocked or weakened. This idea of energy flow in the body is also a central concept in Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, including acupuncture. Reiki practitioners believe that everyone has the potential to access the universal life energy, but that over time most people's systems become blocked and the energy becomes weakened in them. A reiki practitioner is trained to be able to detect these blockages, and they attempt to improve the energy flow in a patient. According to the original principles of Reiki, patients must also have a proper attitude for reiki to work most effectively. Patients must take responsibility for their own health, and must want to be healed.
A reiki session
During a Reiki session, the receiver lies clothed on his or her back on an Osteopathic table. A session generally lasts
from an hour to an hour and a half. Reiki is a simple procedure, consisting of calm and concentrated touching, with the
practitioner focusing on healing and giving energy to specific areas on the receiver's body. Practitioners place their hands
over positions on the body where the organs and endocrine glands reside, and the areas that correspond to the chakra centers.
Practitioners also use mental visualization to send healing energy to areas of the receiver's body that need it. In special
cases or with injuries, a no-touch technique is used, in which the practitioner's hands are sometimes held just above the
body without touching it. Advanced practitioners rely on intuition and experience to determine which areas of a body need
the most energy healing.
There can be over 20 positions on both sides of the body where the hands are placed. The positions begin at the head and
move towards the feet. The receiver usually turns over once during the session. The practitioner's hands are held in each
position for usually five minutes, to allow the transfer of energy and the healing process to take place. In each position,
the hands are kept stationary, unlike typical massage where the hands move, and both the giver and receiver attempt to
maintain an attitude of awareness, openness, and caring.
Reiki practitioners recommend that those receiving reiki for the first time go through a series of three to four initial
treatments over the course of about a week, to allow for cleansing and the initial readjustment of energy.
If you have concerns about physical symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor.