What is Reiki?

Reiki is a form of complementary therapy relating to energy healing. Reiki works with the energy fields around the body and involves the transfer of universal energy from the practitioner’s hands to the client.

The word “Reiki” means “universal life energy”.  The word Reiki comes from the Japanese words rei, meaning “universal”, and ki, meaning “life force energy”. Reiki is based on the idea that there is a universal energy that flows through all living things, and that improving the flow and balance of this energy can support healing. Practitioners believe that physical or emotional trauma can create energy blockages in the body. These blockages can lead to disease over time. Energy medicine works by improving the energy flow and clearing the obstructions, like acupuncture or acupressure. By enhancing the circulation of energy throughout the body, Reiki practitioners claim that they can promote calmness, ease discomfort, accelerate recovery, and alleviate various health problems. Mikao Usui developed Usui Reiki Ryoho, the most current form of Reiki, in 1922. However, people have practiced Reiki for about 2,500 years. People also refer to Reiki as palm healing or hands-on healing.

What happens in a Reiki session?

During a reiki session, you will lie down on a table or sit on a chair, fully clothed, while a reiki practitioner places their hands lightly on or above different parts of your body. The practitioner will channel universal life force energy through their hands to you, with the intention of promoting relaxation, stress relief, and well-being. You may feel sensations such as warmth, tingling, or vibration, or you may feel nothing at all. A reiki session typically lasts about 50 minutes, but it can vary depending on your needs and preferences.

Some Reiki techniques

The techniques that Reiki involves have names such as:

• centering

• clearing

• beaming

• extracting harmful energies

• infusing

• smoothing and raking the aura

Some Reiki practitioners will use crystals and chakra healing wands to enable healing or protect a home from negative energy.

“Reiki relies on no other instruments beyond the practitioner. We do not use crystals, powders, or wands as a general rule. However, one of the benefits of Reiki healing is distance healing, where Reiki is sent over several miles. Then, many practitioners will use crystals to assist with the energy vibrations.”
-Annie Harrington

Sessions can last 30–90 minutes. The number of sessions will vary, depending on what a client wishes to accomplish. Some clients prefer to have one session, while others have a series of sessions to work on a particular issue.

Health benefits

Reiki taps into the universal energy called ki, which sounds like “chee.” This is the same energy that tai chi practitioners use. This energy is said to fill the body. Reiki experts say that even though this energy cannot be detected by modern science, many who sense it can experience it. Reiki is supposed to help with relaxation, support the body’s natural healing abilities, and foster emotional, mental, and spiritual health. Some stories indicate that it may create a state of deep calm, help people deal with challenges, ease emotional tension, and enhance overall well-being.

Conditions that people have used Reiki to help treat include:

• cancer

• heart disease

• anxiety

• depression

• chronic pain

• infertility

• neurodegenerative disorders

• autism

• Crohn’s disease

• fatigue

It is important to note that Reiki should never take the place of medical treatments. The gentle nature of Reiki therapy may have a soothing effect on patients who find that they become overwhelmed with invasive therapy, fear, and stress. Individuals report different experiences. Some say that the practitioner’s hands become hot, others report cooling hands, and some feel pulsating waves. The most common reports are of a release of stress and deep relaxation.