Reiki is
a natural healing system that uses variable frequency energy to heal. The
energy is electromagnetic in nature and can work on any level: physical,
emotional and spiritual. In its simplest explanation Reiki incorporates
elements of other alternative healing practices such as spiritual healing,
aromatherapy, auras, crystals, chakra balancing, homeopathy, meditation and
naturopathic. It involves the transfer of energy from practitioner to patient
to improve the body’s natural ability to heal itself through the balancing of energy.
Mikao Usui is quoted saying in the Reiki Ryôhô Hikkei that the mind and body
are one. Recent studies in the world of science are beginning to finally
comprehend that statement. Brainwaves and body pulses and their role in stimulating
healing can all be measured today allowing the concept of Reiki, as spiritual
energy, to be more widely understood by the medical community.
Reiki is
an ancient laying-on of hands healing technique that is used to restore a more
balanced energy flow throughout the body. It was discovered about 100
years ago by Dr. Mikao Usui of Japan and first introduced to
Canada and the United States in the 1960s.Reiki comes from two Japanese words
which translated means "universal life force." This universal life
force is an energy found within all things, people, animals, plants, rocks,
trees… even the earth itself has this life force energy and without it our
physical bodies would cease to live. Someone trained in the use of Reiki,
channels that life force energy to the recipient allowing it to flow to where
it is needed.
According
to Dr. Usui, the body is more than just a collection of functioning parts.
Everything, as well as the body and its organs, generates a frequency. If our
life force energy is low or blocked, we are more likely to get sick which
brings on symptoms of injury, illness and disease. When the life force is high
(balanced energy), we can maintain our health and well-being.
Reiki
helps restore balance and being balanced helps maintain normal functioning. It
provides deep relaxation and offers the body the life force energy where it is
needed and assists the body in breaking up energy blockages therefore,
enhancing healing and eliminating symptoms. If there is no energy block
causing an illness there cannot be any symptoms. Reiki gets to the root of the
blockage (issue), breaks it apart and restores the proper balance. Reiki treats
the whole of the person addressing physical, emotional, mental and spiritual
imbalances during each session. You must have balance in all these areas for
optimal health. The Reiki practitioner serves as an instrument that supplies
healing energies where they are most needed. Reiki's ki-energies flow out of
the practitioner's body through the palms of the hands and into the recipient's
body.
The
principle teachings of Reiki embrace a life of balance and promote spiritual
growth. But, Reiki is not a religion, nor is it based in any particular
religious doctrine. Reiki does not infringe on anyone's beliefs or personal
values. People of many different faiths have discovered the love-energies Reiki
offers.
Mikao Usui - the man who discovered the
natural healing phenomena, which became known as Reiki.
Reiki and its
Benefits
The best
way to understand Reiki is to experience it. As best as we might try to describe
Energy Healing or Reiki in words, no teacher is better than direct experience.
Reiki treatments bring rapid stress reduction and relief from pain and anxiety.
Recipients commonly report improved sleep and digestion and a greater sense of
well-being. Other benefits, such as feeling more motivated, less depressed or
experience relief from side effects of medications, radiation or chemotherapy,
vary from person to person as does the time it takes to reach this state. Each
person is unique. Reiki supports our well-being and strengthens our natural
ability to heal itself by encouraging balance in our energy centers called
Chakras. Some even claim that Reiki is great for aiding in the relief of
headaches, cold symptoms, flu symptoms, strains, sprains and even the side
effects of cancer treatments. Reiki practitioners are also known to assist in
the shrinking of tumors and in bringing diseases into remission.
When a
person is already in good health, it increases vitality and postpones the aging
process. The continued use of Reiki treatments when you are not sick will
manifest itself as self- confidence and self-assurance.
How Often Should I
Have Sessions?
Healing
with Reiki is a process not an event and varies from client to client. In
general acute problems will heal quicker than chronic issues. If your problem
is of long standing or discomfort, it may require treatments over a longer
period of time. The practitioner will give advice on your sessions but you are
ultimately responsible for your own health and well-being, so the frequency of
the sessions is left to the discretion of the client.
It is
important to realize that in working with chronic illness, extreme or repeated
traumas, anxiety disorders and the like, on-going sessions over a period of
time may be necessary for full clearing, since these may be held in more than
one chakra and area of the Energy Field. Work begins with the lowest affected chakra,
as these inform all those above it and progresses up the energy channel
from there. It is important to realize that this is a healing process which involves
the systematic removal of imprints and, therefore, requires a
certain level of commitment. This is also true for those interested in deep
clearing toward ascension. Whether it is to work through only one issue or all
of them to become a totally "clear" being I ask that you commit
to the number of sessions it takes to reach your stated goal. If you bring the
power of Intent to this process, there are no limits to how far you can go with
this work.
What Happens
During a Session?
During
the Reiki healing session the practitioner will place his/her hands lightly on
or slightly above different parts of your body. Some Reiki practitioners will
follow a predetermined sequence of hand placements, allowing their hands to
rest on or slightly above each body placement for about 2 to 5 minutes, before
moving on to the next. Some times more time at each placement is needed and the
practitioner will be guided to stay there for as long as necessary. Empathic
practitioners will freely move their hands in no particular order to the areas
where they "feel" Reiki is most needed. Reiki responds uniquely to
each person and works according to the level of acceptance that person
maintains. This treatment option is most suited for open-minded people who tend
to adopt innovative treatments. Permission is also necessary because Reiki
energy will not override a person's free will.
Reiki
energy is guided by the highest intelligence and always heals what is most
important first. It will help to heal what the client is able to deal with at
that time. It is like peeling back the layers of an onion. You cannot remove
the bottom layer without first peeling back all of the top layers. Reiki
energy, guides the practitioner as to what to do to bring the highest good to
the client. The Reiki practitioner cannot promise the client any
"specific" results since everyone is uniquely different in how they
respond to the Reiki healing energies, but can promise that every person that
experiences a Reiki treatment receives healing benefits.
Reiki, Depression
and Anxiety
Anxiety
and depression often accompany one another. Treating depression and anxiety
with Reiki is becoming a more and more sought after alternative to taking
drugs. Reiki deals with depression and anxiety as a negative energy.
Negative energy manifests as imbalance in the Chakras or energy centers.
Common
symptoms of depression include insomnia or increased need for sleep, fatigue,
loss of interest in hobbies or life in general, sadness, crying, anger,
suicidal thoughts, etc.
Symptoms
of anxiety often include insomnia, irritability, unreasonable fear, heart
palpitations and chest pain.
Antidepressant
drugs were not developed for depression. Researchers used certain drugs to
manipulate the behavior of stressed animals, and then concluded (erroneously)
that the drugs would be “good antidepressants.” But chronic stress does not
cause the same molecular changes that depression does, making the hypothesis
incorrect.
So, antidepressants were actually designed to treat stress, rather than
depression -- which is one reason they are so ineffective.
Treating
depression with Reiki is fast becoming a sought-after alternative to modern
drugs which is safer and more permanent.
Reiki
brings about immediate and dramatic improvement in condition of persons
suffering from depression. It is also evident from countless testimonials that
people who have come out of their depression by using Reiki have not had a
recurrence of the same. Many hospitals around the world are recommending Reiki
as a parallel system of treatment. Treating depression with Reiki is becoming a
recognized practice within hospitals and more so with local doctors. The
efficacy and impact of Reiki is best understood when it is personally
experienced.
Both can
be disabling and are major risk factors for life-threatening diseases. In both
anxiety and depression, a "sense of well-being" is missing. This may
be one answer to how Reiki helps anxiety and depression, by restoring a sense
of well-being.
Reiki and Grieving
Reiki
offers relief during emotional distress and sorrow. It clears the emotions and
offers clarity, stress relief and deep relaxation aiding in restful sleep all
of which help someone going through a traumatic experience or grieving the loss
of a loved one.
Reiki and
Breathing
Healthy
breathing is often overlooked, yet it's through breathing that tension and
anxiety are naturally dissipated. Unhealthy breathing patterns can aggravate
conditions such as asthma and chronic bronchitis. During even just the
beginning of a Reiki treatment, there is a rapid response in deeper breathing
in the client.
Reiki and Sleeping
Difficult
sleeping is usually the first recognized symptom of stress, even though
compromised breathing occurs first. If left untreated, sleep disturbances or
deprivation can lead to fatigue, difficulty concentrating, achy muscles (as in
fibromyalgia) and impaired immune functioning. Fatigue often leads to
overeating and reliance on stimulants in a misguided attempt to restore
vitality.
Insufficient,
poor quality sleep can undermine all your other efforts to lead a healthy
lifestyle. Lack of sleep can set the stage for some very serious illnesses,
including:
- Changes
in your brain activity similar to those experienced by people with
psychiatric disorders
- Entering
into a pre-diabetic state
- Weakened
immune system
- Faster
tumor growth
- Hormonal
changes and fertility problems
- Increased
risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity
Clients
receiving Reiki often relax into a deep sleep like meditative state that is
profoundly refreshing to the body and mind. Even people with a history of
insomnia often sleep better the first night after a Reiki treatment.
Reiki and Insomnia
It is
rare to find people who are still experiencing deep restful sleep by their 50th
birthday. Sleep disorders are the number one health related problem. Sleep
disorders such as insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome,
afflict well in excess of 100 million people, yet they remain under diagnosed
and undertreated. Insomnia is a very common symptom of depression and also a
risk factor for becoming depressed.
Insomnia,
whether chronic or occasional, is defined as:
- Difficulty
falling asleep
- Waking
frequently during the night
- Waking
too early in the morning and not being able to get back to sleep
- Waking
feeling un-refreshed
Insomnia
affects your hormone levels, accelerates aging, and increases your risk for
serious disease.
The top
underlying causes of sleep disorders include:
Stress: All types of negative emotions, including
worry, fear, anxiety, etc., can keep you up at night. Stress tops the list when
it comes to pinning down the cause of insomnia and other sleep disturbances.
Overactive adrenals: Increased levels of stress hormones in your
body can lead to a hyper-aroused state that makes it difficult to sleep.
Eye problems: People with damage to the optic nerve
can have problems sleeping, including difficulty falling asleep, waking up at
strange times, sleepiness during the day and insomnia at night.
EMF Disturbances: Using a cell phone before bed could cause
insomnia, headaches and confusion, and may also cut your amount of deep sleep,
interfering with your body‘s ability to refresh itself. Additionally you may
have an improperly wired bedroom with unshielded wires or you might have a
point source of high EMFs such as a refrigerator on the other side of your
bedroom wall. Magnetic fields are not blocked by walls and it will go right
through them.
It is
always better to find non medication remedies for sleep disturbances. All sleep
medications have unwanted side effects, pushing the brain toward
unconsciousness without giving the profound benefits of deep sleep and can
result in dependence. It has been reported that with Reiki treatments, people
experience deeper more refreshing sleep. Reiki's role in creating better rest
then, is important.
Reiki and
Digestion
It is
through the capacity to digest that we are nourished, and it is not simply our
food that is digested; we need to digest our experiences. When we eat well,
sitting down in a calm environment, taking time to chew it properly, the body
is able to use the nutrients efficiently. When we don't attend to our digestive
needs, the food we eat becomes toxic in our systems and the toxins gravitate
towards the area of our constitutional weakness, setting the stage for disease.
Some of these include irritable bowl, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal
cramping and nausea. The stress can aggravate chronic diseases such as
inflammatory bowel diseases (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease). Reiki
with regards to digestion can be quite audible, with the abdominal gurgling frequently
heard soon after the session starts. This is a clear sign that the body is
responding and normalizing. Symptoms of irritable bowel or Crohn's disease may
be calmed by a single session, but repeated treatment will give deeper
balancing and longer lasting benefits.
Reiki and Weight
Management
Excess
weight is more complicated than we think and Reiki can help. Weight gain is not
itself a problem but rather a symptom of deeper, multifaceted dysfunction. Each
person who struggles with excess weight has a unique imbalance and needs an
individualized approach. Some people lose weight after incorporating Reiki into
their lifestyle and I believe this happens for many reasons. One is the
reduction of stress hormones in the bloodstream that incline the body to hold
weight. Other possible reasons include improved overall digestive functions,
gradual detoxification, and more refreshing sleep, enhanced hormonal balance,
becoming more in tune with one's body, gravitating to what it truly needs, less
emotional eating, feeling better overall and feeling better about oneself. The
better we feel, the more likely we will make the choices and the effort that
improve well-being which means that Reiki can be the change that makes it
easier for us to make other needed changes.
Reiki and
Nervous-Systems Disorders and Hormonal Imbalances
Hormonal
imbalances and neurological conditions typically respond quickly to Reiki
treatment. Since the nervous system and hormonal systems regulate functions
throughout the body, maintaining natural rhythms and organizing the complex
levels of self-regulation and repair that maintain health, it seems likely that
the responsiveness of these systems to Reiki is a large part of how Reiki can
benefit people with a wide range of conditions. Reiki can be particularly
helpful addressing the uncertainty that comes with a diagnosis of MS.
Alzheimer's patients are often calmed by Reiki treatment and people with
Parkinson's disease may find relief from tremors, muscle tension and agitation.
Reiki can soothe painful neuropathy caused by disease or medication. Reiki can
also be helpful with epilepsy or undiagnosed seizure disorders.
Reiki and
Inflammatory Conditions
Inflammation
occurs in response to injury or infection as part of the normal healing process,
such as inflammatory diseases like arthritis, where the body's ability to
regulate inflammation has been lost. Balance brought by Reiki treatment can be
valuable in preventing or minimizing flare-ups. People treated often report
lessening of pain and increased mobility.
Reiki and Cancer
Reiki is
used by cancer patients for the relief from the anxiety, pain and fatigue that
can accompany every stage of the illness and treatment and to support recovery
"beyond" the active treatment phase. Reiki is also an invaluable
support after treatment, when patients often feel abandoned once they are sent
home after treatment, left to dwell alone in a land between illness and
wellness.
Reiki and
Pregnancy
Reiki is
safe in pregnancy and childbirth and while breast-feeding infants. It can also
be useful in treating infertility and miscarriages. Woman's menstrual cycles
usually normalize or at least improve with the first cycle. Others have found
Reiki helped with endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and polycystic breasts.
Experiencing Reiki while pregnant will allow you and your baby to evolve and
synchronize on many levels and the blending of energies will help to unite you
both. Babies sense and love Reiki energy and don't be surprised by an increase
in movement during a Reiki session. Reiki energy helps moms to reduce stress
and relax the body, experience a better night’s sleep; it eases anxiety,
fatigue and reduces aches and pains. Reiki can assist you in having a
successful and fulfilling delivery. It removes energy blocks therefore allowing
the birth to flow more freely.
Reiki and
Hospitals
Many
hospitals, offer Reiki to relieve pain, speed healing, reduce stress,
depression, anxiety, and the side effects of chemotherapy. A hospital in
Portsmouth, N.H. showed that patients who received 15 minutes of Reiki pre and
post op used less medication, had shorter lengths of stay and increased patient
satisfaction. Reiki has been clinically proven to reduce stress, aid in pain
management, speed recovery from illness and surgery and mentally support those
coping with traumatic life changes and issues.
It can
be used alone or to enhance the effectiveness of other treatments. It is not
intended to replace diagnosis or treatment by your physician. Reiki combines
well with any conventional or complementary treatment and there are no known
medical contradictions to using Reiki. Reiki flows according to the need of the
client receiving the treatment, so there is no question of wrong dosage. Also
Improvements may allow your physician to reduce medications needed over time.
Some Health Benefits Using Reiki
Physical
- Promotes and accelerates the body’s own
natural ability to heal
- Aids in deep, restful, peaceful sleep. 1hr of
Reiki is equal to 3hrs of deep sleep on the healing and repair level
- Balances the energy centers (Chakras) in the
body
- Strengthens the immune system allowing it to
better deal with daily stress and viruses
- Relieves pain i.e.: headaches, backaches,
relaxing the muscles
- Helps to free from addictions
- Clears toxins from the body (something of
great concern these days)
- Relaxes and reduces stress
- Treats the root cause of illnesses
- Balances the organs and glands and their
bodily functions
- Use in tandem with conventional health
practices and medicine
- Used in hospitals to lesson pain and side
effects of drugs as well as shorten recovery time
Mental
- Releases blocked and suppressed feelings and
emotions
- Improves mental well-being and promotes
greater ability to deal with everyday challenges
- Calms and relaxes the mind and relieves
stress
- Improves the ability to concentrate
- Facilitates decision making abilities
- Enhances personal awareness
- Promotes creativity and improves memory
- Aids in meditation and positive thinking
- Promotes courage in making positive changes
in one’s life
Emotional
- Deeper self love and self worth
- Improves confidence
- Calms and balances the emotions
- Promotes feelings of contentment, love and
peace
- Enhances relationships
Spiritual
- Increases intuition and other multisensory
abilities
- Helps in the progression of spiritual growth
- Deepens the connection with the Higher Self
Some Things You
May Experience During a Session
Keep in
mind that not everyone feels or sees different things during treatments and
that this is not an indication that the treatment is working or not. Reiki
healing ALWAYS occurs and you may or may not feel what is happening. And it is
said that sometimes when all is calm and quiet that this is when the most
profound healing is occurring.
- Some
fall asleep
- Some
warmth, cold or a tingling sensation from the Reiki energy
- Gurgling
and sounds from your stomach
- Most
experience a reduction in pain or sometimes an elimination of the pain in
first session
- Some
more sensitive people may even have spiritual or visual experience
This is just a short list of what someone may experience
during a session. Everyone is different and deals with healing differently.
What May Happen
After a Session?
Reiki
energy heals on all levels. When this healing is taking place, there are
blockages removed, energy flowing that have not flowed smoothly for a period of
time, and releases of emotional/mental blockages that have been held onto.
Please
keep in mind that we are all unique expressions of God (Source, Spirit, Buddha,
etc) and that our healing will take on different symptoms to different levels
of healing to each person. So what might be true for one's experience may not
be the norm for someone else and some may not even experience healing symptoms
and this is in no way an indication that something is being healed or not. Some
are just more sensitive to the shifts in energy than others and it will also
depend greatly on what energy distortions are being healed. So do not compare
your experiences to another’s. Only be concerned with your own healing. Your
Healing Journey is as unique as you are!
We
cannot put a new foundation in the body without first cleansing the body, a process
not always comfortable. Cleanup reactions are adjustments by the body to keep
itself whole and functioning. If there is a pile-up of waste matter
accumulating, the immune system may decide it’s time to clean up.
After a
healing, a great deal of toxins may be pulled out of body tissues and put back
into the circulation in order to be eliminated. During this process, some
uncomfortable symptoms may occur, such as:
- Pains
and aches, such as headaches, low back pain, joint pain, etc.
- Unusual
sweating and body odors
- Frequent
urination, diarrhea or constipation
- Fever,
or feeling of coldness
These
effects may last from a few hours to a few days. The healthier our general
condition, the fewer symptoms there will be. The more the body has to clean up,
the stronger and/or the longer will be the discharge reactions.
These
effects may not always occur, but if you experience any of these effects rest
assured that they are only temporary and a normal part of the process.
A Side Note about Reiki Treatment
This
type of treatment is in no way meant to substitute the use of other medical
treatment. Reiki is not a cure all, but
it can help to aid the body’s natural defense systems by aligning the body’s
energy centers. If you suspect you have
a serious illness please seek medical attention from your physician. Reiki is a natural supplement to other
medical treatments does not replace them in more serious cases.
