What is Reiki?

Reiki, the Japanese word for “universal life force energy,” is an ancient energy-channeling technique that releases Qi that is blocked in the body. Many of today’s day spas, medical spas and resort spas offer Reiki to patrons who want to improve physical and emotional health and reduce stress.

With Reiki, the practitioner places her/his hands on or near the client’s body in a series of hand positions. Each position, whether on the hands, feet, shoulders, or other, is held for three to ten minutes depending on how much Reiki the client needs. The entire treatment usually lasts between 40 to 90 minutes. This subtle form of healing may be done through clothing and without any physical contact between the practitioner and client.

Reiki is a spiritual healing practice that helps bring you back to balance. Reiki balances the whole system, so people have different experiences, but most find it relaxing and effortlessly meditative (accent on effortlessly). Like meditation, Reiki is not tied to any belief system and can be used by anyone.

Reiki practice can support your health and well-being regardless your state of health. When you are healthy, Reiki practice helps you stay that way. If you are facing a medical condition, Reiki practice supports your conventional medical treatment by optimizing your body’s own self-healing mechanisms. Reiki practice often helps relieve symptoms and side effects of medical treatments.

Since Reiki practice is balancing and doesn‘t involve manipulative touch or ingesting any substance, there are no known medical contraindications. As long as you receive the medical care you and your physician deem necessary, Reiki practice is safe regardless your age or state of health.

The foundation of Reiki practice is self-care. You can easily learn to practice Reiki at the First degree level, which is all that is needed for self-care. Then you can practice on yourself every day, as often as you want or need. If you like, you can offer Reiki treatment informally to your family and friends. Since practicing Reiki supports both you and those in your care, learning to practice is especially useful for parents and caregivers. 

You can also receive treatment from someone else, a friend or a professional. Reiki practitioners vary widely in their approaches, but you can expect to lie fully-clothed on a treatment table or sit comfortably supported in a chair while the practitioner rests hands lightly on or just above a series of non-invasive placements on your head and torso. 

Because Reiki started as a folk practice for home care, there are no standards for Reiki practice or training. You will find a wide range of options in this buyer-beware market. If you do a little research, and use your common sense to choose carefully, Reiki practice can be an accessible, low-cost, non-invasive support to your health and wellness for the rest of your life. 

Reiki practice dates to Mikao Usui in Japan in the mid-1920s. Chujiro Hayashi, one of Usui’s direct students, and Hayashi’s student Hawayo Takata brought Reiki to Hawaii in 1937. The practice has spread around the world, albeit often with changes since Takata's death.

 

 

 

Reiki is a hands-on healing discipline believed to balance body, mind, heart, and spirit through gentle touch. The Reiki healer's hands are placed on or above the patient. The healer uses standard hand positions associated with all the vital organs of the body. This is believed to generate the flow of energy, which instinctively travels where it is needed within the body so that healing may occur.

Reiki is a practice that originated in Japan and involves the “ laying on of hands “ to improve energy flow in the body. Reiki translated means spiritually guided life force energy.  Mikao Usui developed the practice in 1922 during a Buddhist training session.   He intuitively placed his hands on different areas of the patient’s body and delivered healing energy through his palms.

Reiki has been used worldwide. In the west there are set patterns of hand placement.  However, reiki can actually be done without direct contact with the patient.  The hands can be held just above the body or done at a distance. There are three levels of training.  Those who achieve level one are able to heal themselves and others.  Level two trainees are able to heal people from a distance and those at level three can train others.

There have been no adverse effects reported as a result of reiki however thus far clinical trials have not determined it to be effective for treating a variety of medical conditions.  The main concern for medical professionals is that patients will use reiki alone and delay conventional medical treatments.   

Reiki is an ancient healing practice that is approximately 2,500 years old. The name "Reiki" is derived from two Japanese words: rei meaning universal spirit and ki meaning life energy. Mention of Reiki can be found in the Tibetan sutras and in ancient records of cosmology and philosophy.

Reiki practitioners conduct sessions with the intention to heal specific maladies or to improve overall well-being. Treatments involve the systematic placing of hands in 12 to 15 varying positions. Hand positions are held for approximately 2-5 minutes each. Hands may be placed directly on a clothed patient or held one to two inches above the skin. The practitioner's hands are positioned palm-side down with the fingers and thumb extended. The standard positions may be modified if deemed necessary by the practitioner. The timing of the hand positions may be cut short if the practitioner believes that he or she senses energy flow. All of the body systems can be covered with the hand positions within 30 to 90 minutes. The number of sessions varies from patient to patient based on the judgment of the practitioner. Acute issues may be treated faster than chronic conditions.

Patients have reported feeling different sensations during Reiki sessions such as warmth, tingling, sleepiness, relaxation, or invigoration. Practitioners have reported tingling in their fingers, heat, cold, or pulsing while administering Reiki.

Reiki practitioners believe that human energy flows through meridians (or pathways) in the body that can be sensed by trained individuals. A disturbance in the flow of this energy may be caused by physical illnesses or negative emotions. Reiki practitioners aim to channel life energy to problem areas where the patient's energy flow is sensed as being disrupted.

It has been proposed that Reiki can lower heart rate and blood pressure, boost the immune system and endocrine (hormonal) systems, stimulate endorphins, or affect skin temperature and blood hemoglobin levels. However, these properties have not been well-studied or clearly demonstrated in scientific studies.

You should read product labels, and discuss all therapies with a qualified healthcare provider. Natural Standard information does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.