“Emotions are energies that show up to guide us. With energy insights, we become explorers of our own possibilities.”
You carry around a heavy energy that you can't quite label or understand. You feel deeply and intensely and have trouble releasing and letting go of things that affect you. You move through the world feeling imbalanced and off centered at times, craving stability and a sense of feeling grounded and connected. So many of us carry wounds and heavy energy around with us daily that we are unaware or unsure of.
We are made of energy (every atom in your body is vibrating with energy right now), so of course, it makes sense that if we can get that energy moving in the right direction, remove blocks and bring the system back into balance, we can heal ourselves, we can feel better, and we can grow.
Reiki (pronounced “RAY-kee”) is a natural energy healing treatment that uses universal life force energy to facilitate energetic balance and physical healing in an individual. This technique was discovered and developed in Japan in the early 1900s. The name “Reiki” comes from the combination of two Japanese words: “rei” which means universal, and “ki” which means vital life force energy - the energy that flows through all living things. Reiki is a name for the gentle energy that naturally moves through all of us and as such it is not governed or constrained by any spiritual, religious, or national beliefs.
Reiki treatment is a holistic practice that works to balance all aspects of the client: Physical, Mental, Emotional, Spiritual. While it is not a substitute for traditional medical treatment, Reiki can be the perfect complement and in fact has been found by many studies to enhance the effectiveness of traditional western treatments.
“Trust the process, you do not need to know how it works, only that it does.”
- Hazel Butterworth.
A Reiki Session
In a Reiki session, the Reiki practitioner acts as the conduit for universal life force energy, focusing and directing that energy to the client. The energy flows through the practitioner’s energy field, moving through their body and out their hands to the client. The energy does not come from the practitioner or the client, instead it is flowing from the universal source through the practitioner to the client.
A typical Reiki session lasts about 50 minutes. The session can be done with the client lying face up and face down on a table, or it can be done with the client seated in a comfortable chair. The Reiki practitioner does not need to use touch. It can be done hands-on or hands-off based on the preference of the client and the practitioner.
The practitioner will first scan the client's energy system by sweeping their hands above the client's body to determine where energy may be blocked or stuck. Then after they have identified the parts of the energy system that require healing, they may gently hold their hands palm toward the client slightly above the client's body (hands-off) or they may gently place their hands on the client’s body in specific energy locations (hands-on).
A Reiki practitioner will use up to 15 different hand positions during a session. The length of time a practitioner leaves their hands in a particular position will vary based on the energy flow in that location.
The experience of a Reiki session is unique to every individual. The client may feel the energy moving during the session in a variety of ways. These may include sensations such as warmth or cold, tingling, vibration, or even muscle twitching where the practitioner has placed their hands. Some clients may experience temporary tightness or spasms as their energy system releases blocks and returns to balance. This is a completely normal process as trauma and stress are released from the body.
The Benefits of Reiki
Over the past two decades, Reiki has gained more and more acceptance in our western culture and the western medical community. Reiki is now provided at many hospitals around the country as a complimentary form of healing. A number of studies have shown that Reiki treatments help support people by reducing stress and anxiety, alleviating depression, improving mood disorders, promoting better sleep and an improved sense of well-being. Studies have also shown that Reiki alleviates the negative side effects of chemotherapy, improves surgical outcomes, and can create a dramatic reduction of physical or emotional pain associated with illness or surgery.
Reiki brings us back into balance, holistically restoring equilibrium to our complete Self (body, mind, emotions, and spirit). As it does so, Reiki naturally calms our sympathetic nervous system also known as the anxious (fight-or-flight) mode and activates our parasympathetic nervous system bringing us into the (rest and digest) mode. Reiki balances our mental and emotional states, enhancing our body’s own self-healing response which assists the body in detoxification.
Additional benefits of receiving Reiki:
Creates a calming and peaceful state of relaxation
Improves sleep quality and assist in the ability to sleep
Releases stress, anxiety, tension, and energy blockages
Relieves chronic pain
Promotes healing after surgery or after an injury
Activates and supports the body’s immune system
Alleviates depression and promotes happiness
Improves self esteem
Reiki evolved out of a spiritual practice, and in some ways you could consider it as a spiritual practice. It is the practice of loving kindness moving from the practitioner to the client, channeling the gentle universal life force energy to where it is needed for healing. Your mother may have done the same for you when you were a child. Her gentle hand on your bruised knee immediately reduced your pain and made you feel better.
Reiki is a holistic treatment that when applied regularly can enhance your ability to respond to stress or unhealthy elements in your environment. It can also complement any medical procedure or counseling you are receiving today. Reiki promotes a return to balanced well-being. By balancing the energetic systems within you, Reiki is the ultimate form of preventative medicine.
“Reiki is Love, Love is wholeness, wholeness is balance, balance is well-being, well-being is freedom from disease.”
― Dr Mikao Usui,
Creator of the Reiki treatment process