what is reiki

Esoteric forms of healing are no doubt becoming more commonly accepted in modern society, with reiki being one of the more well known forms of energy medicine. Reiki is now being implemented in the most highly respected hospitals in the world, including Cedars-Sinai and John Hopkins. Yet, even though this ancient practice is considered useful by most facets of the wellness community, and is being normalized by popular culture, it is greatly misunderstood by many.

Reiki means: life force energy--(REI: Life force + KI: Energy). This modality guides the mind, body, and spirit into peace and balance. Reiki can be deeply healing. As with all methods of traditional, western, and ancient medicine, reiki's effect is as unique as the person it is being applied to. This method taps into the subtle body rather than just the physical anatomy alone. The subtle body is comprised of the energetic centers and layers of a being that are not tactile- including the mental, emotional, spiritual, and energetic bodies. Reiki alters, charges, and purifies the human biofield. The human biofield is an electromagnetic energy that emanates and interpenetrates our bodies. Science has proven the existence of this biofield, with many studies centered around the aura, or frequency, that can be found radiating from our body and organs. Reiki supports our natural ability to heal ourselves by grounding and balancing the energy system. Oftentimes, when we are experiencing illness or discomfort, the root cause is found energetically or emotionally, which is why reiki is such an important treatment to integrate into our wellness programs.

Reiki is offered through either hands on healing, or hands that hover over the body. Reiki can also be applied over a long distance, or virtually. Generally, in a one-on-one setting, a practitioner will guide a client to lie down on a massage table, close their eyes, play soothing music, and create a space that is conducive for relaxation. A reiki session can look completely different depending on the type of education or training the practitioner has been through. Some reiki masters are sensitive to auras, others receive intuitive messages to share with a client, and others may use tools, like crystals, in the session. However, reiki is very simply the act of a practitioner acting as a conduit for Universal Life Force energy to come through. Each reiki session will look a little different than the next, if the person offering reiki is truly being guided by their intuition. The practice of reiki is an act of surrendering to what is most essential, and it is meant to awaken a client's own abilities to self heal, and find self awareness. Today, reiki is being offered in private businesses, hospitals, doctors offices, yoga studios, pet therapy centers, cancer treatment facilities, hospices, festivals-- and the list goes on. Reiki does not have to be offered in a specific setting to be powerful, but a supportive environment can assist the practitioner and client into being more receptive.

This is a loaded question that many will answer differently. Here is what we know:

"Reiki" as we know it was introduced by a man named Dr. Usui Mikao who was born in Japan in 1865. We know that Dr. Usui was brought up in a Buddhist monastery, where he learned martial arts, and it is assumed that he was trained in Qigong and other energy transfer techniques. Dr. Usui was a seeker, and studied many different healing systems from a multitude of cultures. It is said that he had a spiritual enlightenment at Mount Kurama in Japan, where he was inspired to create reiki as a means to teach others how to tap into what is most pure in all of us. Reiki is a technique that has no specific ties to religion or dogma, and is universally for all to learn and enjoy. Reiki is uncomplicated because it is simply the transferring of LOVE from one to another.

There are theories that what Dr. Usui downloaded at Mount Karuma was a re-birth of an ancient knowledge that was practiced by shamans and healers throughout the history of mankind . Reiki is a modern day energy medicine gift that is meant to empower all on Earth, but it is essentially something that has been practiced in one form or another for thousands of years by many sages, mystics, shamans, and healers. Reiki is Source Energy, and therefore has been working through us since the beginning of time.

Reiki is widely accepted as a relaxation and de-stressing technique. Many scientific journals have published that reiki does indeed lower blood pressure, calm emotional stress, and improve outlook in patients that suffer from anything from life threatening diseases to dementia. However, there is much to explore and be proven in this field. There are many miraculous and remarkable healings that have been reported, but this is not always the case. It is important that reiki practitioners communicate to their clients that reiki is a very personal experience, and whatever comes through or happens is what best serves the person receiving. Other notable *possible* benefits of reiki: improved sleeping patterns, reduction in anxiety and depression, increased vitality, clarity in life purpose, boost in creative energy, and overall feelings of love for oneself and the world.

Anyone can learn reiki, and everyone is a healer. Reiki is taught and passed on by a reiki master teacher, and there are typically 3-4 levels if education is desired to reach master teacher level. A reiki attunement is where a master teacher trains a person to tap into, feel, and be a conduit for life force energy. A reiki master teacher should also empower an individual to live in alignment with loving intention and their highest life path. Oftentimes meditation and mindfulness practices are involved in a reiki attunement in order to guide the student onto a path of wholeness. Reiki attunements are not required for a person to become a healer, but it does provide invaluable knowledge, direction, and support for an individual on the path of energy medicine.