Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by “laying on hands” and is based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one’s life force energy is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.
How it Works
There are several types of Reiki techniques and all pair wonderfully into a holistic program or as stand-alone treatments for healing. Reiki is so wonderful and intuitive, because it activates the natural healing processes of the patient’s body to restore physical and emotional well-being. As a vital, high-vibrancy healing energy, Reiki is safe, effective & gentle to use on people of all ages, and with all medical conditions. In general, the way I like to describe Reiki is as a powerful energy healing modality, much like acupuncture, without the needles.
The word Reiki literally means Universal Energy. It is this energy we tap into that is used to heal and it’s administered via a hands-on approach or through distance healing. They are both equally as effective. Reiki is an intelligent energy that purifies and cleanses the chakras & energetic aura working on the body in areas where it is needed most.
When looking at the human condition which leads to illness, disease lines start in the energy field and move inwards. The physical body usually has problems because the life force energy has stopped flowing properly. Whether we are stressed, ill, grieving or holding onto something, we all have a natural tendency to stick this feeling or stressor into our bodies and we store them in all sorts of spots. By stimulating your own body (life force) energy to flow properly, the natural ability of the body to heal itself functions again.
In short, Reiki works on different levels of the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual enhancing everything in life. It is not only one of the oldest healing systems in use; it is also one of the most versatile.
What Can I expect?
The Universal Energy works on your body within your own energy field and isn’t bound to any religion or dogma. It simply requires those receiving the treatment to be open and accepting of the loving, gentle energy. While you lay fully clothed & relaxed on a massage table my hands are placed at different points of the body. Many people say they can feel the effects within 5-15 minutes of starting the treatment session and the effects can last up to a few days. For deeper or more intense energy blockages within your personal system more sessions are beneficial (at least 2 or 3 within a few weeks time period). You should drink plenty of water after any Reiki session, much like a massage, the energy moving through your system is purifying toxins and therefore you will need to flush them out & hydrate yourself for optimal results.
Benefits
- Restore physical and emotional well-being by establishing balance of mind & body
- Stress & inflammation reduction
- Induce relaxation & clear emotional blockages
- Mental clarity, inner peace & harmony (which aids in spiritual growth)
- Speeds up recovery from surgery or long-term illness
- Helps alleviate mood swings, fear, frustration, depression and anger
- Aids in adjusting to medicine/treatment, also tends to reduce side-effects. For example, Chemo-therapy patients who received Reiki noticed a marked decrease in side effects from treatment. Reiki can be an effective way to treat immediate problems, such as physical or mental illness (recovery from surgery), but regular treatments can also improve overall health. By helping to maintain a state of physical and emotional balance, Reiki can not only treat problems, but perhaps even prevent them from ever developing.
- Strengthens and heals personal relationships. Because Reiki enhances your capability to love, it can open you up to the people around you and help your relationships grow. By improving your capacity for empathy, Reiki allows you to connect with people on a deeper level.
Reiki vs. Western Medicine
After decades of often disputed validity, the effectiveness of Reiki as a holistic energy treatment is gaining new respect within the medical community. Not only are highly reputable medical facilities throughout the U.S. offering patients alternative healing programs such as Reiki, those facilities are analyzing the benefits of their programs and are submitting them for review and compilation. The results of these Reiki research studies are nothing short of remarkable.
Did you know Reiki is now being adopted by hospitals all over the country? UCLA now has an entire program dedicated to Reiki. With validation and legitimacy on the rise it seems like Reiki is here to stay which is very exciting news for our generation and for generations to come. As Reiki continues to become “a huge asset” for the hospital setting, analytical reporting such as The Touchstone Process (a way of measuring demonstrationable outcomes of the Reiki process) continues to add to the much needed pool of evidence that Reiki is indeed a worthy, effective method for facilitating the healing process; one that can contribute to the betterment of patients everywhere and to the betterment of our health care systems on the whole.