Healing” With Reiki
As a Reiki Master certified in both Kundalini and Usui Reiki, I know there is a lot of disbelief in today’s world for something that claims to heal.
Reiki is based on the belief that when our vital energy is out of balance, our bodies are much more likely to feel stressed and become sick. When that energy is in balance, we naturally feel energized and at our best.
Lets stop and think for a minute–healing can mean many different things and can certainly help with more than just physical healing.
There are more than just physical ways that people need “healed”. Help with focus, awareness, feeling much less stressful in our fast-paced world, feelings of peacefulness and balance are possible benefits of Reiki healing.
Once you are feeling more peaceful and balanced, life is much easier to deal with. This, in turn certainly helps with your physical self. Who doesn’t feel better once the feelings of being overwhelmed are “healed”.
When we feel more balanced within ourselves, it pours over into our lives and how we handle things. Feeling more peaceful allows us to make better decisions, therefore life runs smoother.
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What Exactly is Reiki?
Reiki is an Asian healing art used as a way to connect to the universal life force energy that is all around us. The earth has had this energy since its creation.
It is a non-invasive technique used to promote healing. The healing happens by releasing congested energy centers (chakras) that we all have in our bodies. This enables good, unblocked passage of energy flow throughout our bodies.
The technique uses the “laying on of hands” at each of our energy centers or chakras. This helps focus the universal energy and love through the practitioner to the recipient.
This healing technique is good for our everyday, run of the mill ailments that many of us suffer from on a daily basis. Ailments such as neck and shoulder tension, anger, sinuses feel better, so then our “being” feels better. For myself, I feel much more together and vibrant when I use Reiki on myself everyday.
Reiki can also be used on and is good for our pets. How cool is that!
Origins of Reiki
Many cultures have known about this healing energy for ages, but we had forgotten about this energy until the Japanese started using it again. It’s an ancient technique for energy healing that was developed by Mikao Usui, a japanese monk, sometime in the 1920’s.
While at the monastery, he was asked to take a journey up Mt. Kurama to a specific cave. He was to stay in this cave for 21 days to meditate, pray and fast. On his 21st morning, Mikao had an amazing experience that changed his life forever.
When doing his last meditation, he had a spiritual awakening. Usui saw in his mind’s eye, ancient symbols and understood that they held great healing power.
After Mikao Usui came back down the mountain, he started working with the symbols until he totally understood them. Eventually he opened a clinic for healing and teaching in Kyoto.
That is how Reiki is passed on. From a Reiki Master Teacher to a new student.
What Does “Reiki” Mean?
The word “reiki” is made up of two japanese words. “Rei” which means “higher power or intelligence” and “Ki” (or chi or prana in some cultures) means “life force energy”, so altogether, Reiki means “universal life force energy.”
Reiki Master Usui developed Reiki as a way to help and heal people when their life force energy is unbalanced. It is important that this energy flows freely from one chakra to another. Reiki is a safe and natural healing modality that is used to heal the mind, body and soul. It balances our chakras and auric field.
You May Not Realize That Your Are Feeling Energy
The earth is made up of energy, as is everything on it. All living things are made up of energy. Some refer to this energy as their chi, prana or soul. Science has recently been able to “see” this energy using Kirlian Photography to capture visual proof of the energy that is everywhere.
The energy of our bones resonate at a lower frequency while our blood and thoughts resonate at higher frequencies. Both are known as a bio magnetic field or pulse (our chi).
Reiki is just one modality that works with and balances this energy. Qigong, tai chi, meditation, feng shui are just a few ways that are used to balance and enhance the flow of this energy.
Have you ever walked into a room with other people and as soon as you cross the threshold, you can “feel” the tension and animosity? This energy is so thick, you want to immediately leave. You are feeling the energy in the room–you can’t see it, but oh boy, do you feel it.
Healing Technique, Not A Religion
Reiki is often used to reduce stress and help with relaxation for the person receiving it. Many practioners can tell where the energy they pass on needs to go for the client. But regardless of this, Reiki energy automatically goes where it is most needed, thereby healing where needed.
As far as a religion goes, that is NOT what Reiki is. Reiki doesn’t care what religion you are or not. There is no dogma associated with it or that you need to believe in. Its just healing energy that happens to be available to those that are trained in using it to help others.
Four Doctrines of Reiki
- Reiki knows where to go
- Reiki can do no harm
- Reiki doesn’t deplete the practitioner
- Anyone can learn Reiki
*Reiki knows where to go: Since a practioner deals with life force (spiritually Divine) energy, it knows and goes directly where it is needed. Right before I start a session, I simply say the mantra “Go where healing is needed.”
*Reiki can do no harm: This is a Divinely guided life force energy which is basically full of Source love and light, so therefore, would not and could not do any harm.
*Reiki doesn’t deplete or make the practitioner exhausted: A practitioner is just a conduit for the energy. Reiki energy helps both the recipient and the practitioner. It does not use any energy from the practitioner.
*Anyone can learn Reiki: Reiki can be learned by anyone even if they don’t want to practice. Its great for healing oneself, if that is all someone wants to do. The ability to do Reiki is passed on through an “attunement” from teacher to student after each learning session.
Elements of Reiki
There are five parts or “elements” that are used with Reiki and are considered the foundation for practicing this healing modality.
- Precepts (general rule of action)
- Meditation
- Hands on Healing
- Symbols and Mantras
- Attunements and Reiju (ritual)
*Precepts or general rules of action
These are very general rules that a practitioner follows. One practitioner’s “system” of practice may not be the same as the next practitioner’s, but each will still hit or do the same precepts. For instance, I meditate before a session and then have my own way of bringing the energy to me. Each practitioner will do both of these things, but not necessarily in the same order.
*Meditation
Self explanatory. For more information, see my post on Meditation for Beginners.
*Hands on Healing
This is another precept that might be different between practitioners. I don’t usually “lay my hands” on my client, but rather above them, right about where I’m directing the energy.
*Symbols and Mantras
When Usui Reiki is practiced, healing symbols are also used by the practitioner. Most practitioners have mantras or “intentions” that they use before seeing a client, during and possibly afterwards.
*Attunements and Reiju (ritual)
Attunements are used by a Reiki Master Teacher when teaching Reiki to another and passing on the energy to another. This is usually done in some type of ritual when the student has gotten through 1 of the 3 parts of their Reiki education.
What Does Reiki Feel Like In A Session?
During a Reiki session, the recipient may lay down on a table like you find at the chiropractors or sit in a chair. Before the session starts, the practitioner may ask the recipient to do a short meditation together and may also recite a mantra or two.
When the session starts, the practitioner may place their hands gently on the recipient or hold them right above the body. Positioning of the hands may change several times throughout the session.
When a practitioner is giving a “healing” session, they direct the energy towards their palms. This creates a larger bio magnetic pulse. Once transferred to the recipient, their body uses this additional energy to “heal” whatever needs healing.
What does this energy feel like, both giving and receiving? It’s different for everyone. When I’m being given Reiki, I feel nothing, but I know it’s working because within days, I feel better.
When I’m giving Reiki, my palms tingle and many of those I’m working on feel the tingles. The recipient may feel some tingling, warmth or coolness, but absolutely no pain. And a feeling of relaxation may take over the recipient’s body.
Skeptical, At First
I can’t tell you how skeptical I was at first, but I’m not a quitter. I kept on learning and practicing. Sometime after my first attunement from my instructor, I got brave enough to do a session for someone. As I had learned to do, I called up the energy. Within minutes, I felt my palms tingling. When I put my hands on the recipient, she could feel the energy move from her shoulders, where I was touching her, down her spine and back up through her head.
She was tense and stressed out before I performed Reiki on her. Afterwards she felt much calmer and her day went better after that. She has asked me for many more sessions since then.
Reiki doesn’t have to be felt for it to work and support the recipient. Like the tension in that room you walked into, you don’t know what happened, but you felt the resulting energy. That’s Reiki, you certainly cant’ see it and you may not even feel it, but it does create a shift that you will eventually feel.
Another good informational source about Reiki is Reiki Rays.
In-Person Session
There are different ways an in-person session can be done and can last any length of time between 10 to 90 minutes. It depends on what the practitioner feels is necessary.
Recipients lay on a table. Some practitioners hold their hands above the recipient, others put their hands directly on the recipient. Still others do as I do; I have the recipient sit on a chair and put my hands on their shoulders. This is another way of doing a session when a table is not available.
I don’t “tell” the Reiki energy where to go or consciously think about it. I simply direct my hands where my intuition tells me they should go and then let Reiki take it from there. I’ve just practiced long enough to know and believe the healing energy will go where it is needed. I believe Divine intelligence takes care of the healing.
Distance Sessions
Since time and space don’t come into play with universal energy, Reiki energy can be sent to someone at any distance. Instead of channeling the energy through their hands, the practitioner would send their focus of the energy towards the person wanting or needing the energy. And because time and space don’t affect this energy, the results of both types of sessions are the same. Both send and/or receive the energy.
Once received, the energy will go where it is needed to benefit the recipient. As stated earlier, this is energy from the earth and universe, that is shared with the recipient from the practitioner. The practitioner does not use their own energy. I’ve never felt wiped out after giving Reiki.
Benefits of Reiki
*feeling of relaxation; improves sleep
*can accelerate natural healing
*increased energy
*helps awaken your intuition and self-awareness
*feeling less stressful and frustrated
*potential to detoxify the body, dissolve energy blockages, and release emotional baggage
*decreased fear and anxiety
*more focused
*helps clear energy blockages and suppressed emotions
Incorporate Reiki Into Your Day
Reiki can be infused into your day from the minute you wake up until you lay back down to sleep at night. Here are just a few suggestions on how you can do so.
1. When you wake up in the morning
Morning is a good time to sprinkle Reiki into your prayers in the morning and your intentions for the day. This will help get your day off to a good start.
2. Self Reiki
Doing self-Reiki on yourself helps set yourself up for a good day. You are better able to handle whatever comes your way.
3. Send Reiki to your food throughout your day
As you say a blessing over your food before eating, you can also send Reiki healing energy into your food for your family and yourself.
4. Send Reiki into a room.
Before you enter a room, send Reiki so that the room will have good vibes before you enter. This doesn’t have to take long. As you are walking toward a room, send the Reiki ahead of you by simply stating for the Reiki energy to go into the room and cleanse it.
5. Meditation
If you practice meditation, this is a good time to do your self Reiki or certainly infuse your Reiki into your meditation. Ask the energy to flow through all parts of yourself and do a cleansing while you are meditating.
6. Send Reiki to your family
Do this at the beginning of the day before your family goes out into the world for the day or send to your kids before they go out to play. Simply ask Reiki energy to go to them and engulf them in it healing energy.
These are just suggestions to show you how Reiki can be incorporated into your day to help your day be a good one.
Final Thoughts
If you have never received a Reiki session, you might want to add it to your “to do” list. Schedule a session with a practitioner that you feel drawn to. You have to experience Reiki in order to understand it. Meditation is a good accompaniment to Reiki.
If you are drawn my way, send me a comment. I’ll get you set-up with an appointment and see what we can do for you.
Take Care,
Cher
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