Reiki healing: an overview

Reiki healing: an overview

Reiki (pronounced ray-kee) is a form of 'hands on' energy healing from Japan. Literally translated it means universal energy.

A reiki practitioner channels energy and directs it into the recipient's energy field and body. This is similar to other healing systems that control and manipulate energy including qi gong, tai chi, chunsoo and yoga. Unlike these systems, a reiki practitioner does not use their own energy for healing: they channel directly from the source (universe).

Reiki practitioners tend to believe that energy is everything: we are energy, we are consciousness, the Earth is consciousness and the universe is consciousness. To practise reiki you don’t need to believe that (but I’d say it definitely helps to at least be open to the possibility). Reiki does not require a specific belief system or worldview and it belongs to no religion.

It is a complementary healing system that helps revitalise the physical body and remove energy blockages that can cause illness. It does not replace professional medical care.

Reiki works on many levels such as:

• Physical self
• Mental self
• Emotional self
• Spiritual self

When you become a reiki practitioner you can heal yourself and other people. By healing yourself I also mean heal situations in your life you want to change. For example, within a month of my first reiki treatment I had resigned from a job that was making me feel unhappy. Slowly I returned to balance. Without reiki the process would have been more disruptive. Reiki was a tool that gave me a new clarity of purpose and meaning.

A typical reiki treatment

Traditionally a healing session lasts about an hour. The practitioner places their hands in certain positions over the recipient's body. Reiki is completely non-invasive and the client remains fully clothed. Often they feel warmth or a pleasant tingling sensation from the practitioner’s hands.

Because it is so relaxing, the recipient may fall asleep during a treatment. If nothing else, it is a great way to release built-up stress. More subtle effects normally manifest long after the session is complete.

Becoming a reiki healer

The 'buzz' about reiki is due to the simplicity of the system: it is easy to learn and you receive immediate benefits. Traditionally there are different levels a reiki practitioner can achieve. These are granted by a reiki master/teacher who, through a process known as an attunement, opens the reiki practitioner's energy channels and creates a special link with the reiki source.

Everyone has the ability to heal themselves and others. Reiki is unique in that it uses attunements to instantly transform the individual's healing ability into a very powerful force. The attunement process can also be carried out distantly. This is helping to spread the benefits of reiki across the world in a very short time.

Living 'in' reiki

There are five basic principles of reiki. These are:

• Just for today do not anger
• Just for today do not worry
• Earn your living honestly
• Honour your parents, elders and teachers
• Give gratitude to every living thing and every situation

After becoming a reiki practitioner the challenge is to start living by these principles: to BE reiki and DO reiki, to have trust in yourself and the universe.

Using these tools I have achieved more than I ever thought possible. Reiki has improved my physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. What could it do for you?