What Is Reiki and What Are Its Benefits?
Reiki: spiritually guided life force energy
Reiki is an energy healing treatment that works holistically; on the whole body, mind and spirit. It is not a system of religious beliefs.
It is quite difficult to adequately describe Reiki to anyone who has never experienced healing energy or working with energy. Reiki is a personal experience.; one person’s experience cannot be felt by or experienced by another person.
There are several different Reiki schools worldwide that teach systems with minor variations in theory and practice, however the energy transferred is the same – if the practitioner has received a proper Reiki attunement.
Reiki has its roots in ancient Buddhism and Shintoism. Many consider that Mikao Usui was the creator or Reiki and that the word Reiki applies only to the healing system that he created and developed. However, research found that prior to Mikao Usui developing his style of Reiki, there were at least four other styles of Reiki healing that were being practiced in Japan (William Lee Rand, Reiki: The Healing Touch).
Mikao Usui developed his system of healing in 1922 and called it Usui Reiki Ryoho (Usui Reiki Healing Method). In Japan, the ‘Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai’ founded by Mikao Usui has been teaching his system ever since.
Reiki is practiced by millions of people worldwide and there are over one hundred styles that have evolved from the system developed by Mikao Usui.
With this in mind, we can give some definitions about the subject:
“Everything that exists in the Universe possesses Reiki. Reiki is the Universal energy, the source of all existence, the hado of Love and the pure Light that comes from a higher dimension” – Usui Sensei
“Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words – Rei which means “God’s Wisdom or the Higher Power” and Ki which is “life force energy”. So Reiki is actually “spiritually guided life force energy.” – International Reiki For Reiki Training
“A healing technique based on the principle that the therapist can channel energy into the patient by means of touch, to activate the natural healing processes of the patient’s body and restore physical and emotional well-being.” – UK Reiki Federation
“Reiki” (ray-key) is Japanese for ‘universal life energy’, a term used to describe a natural system to help bring about an improved sense of well-being and a positive feeling of spiritual renewal. This tradition was founded by Dr Mikao Usui in the early 20th century and evolved as a result of his research, experience and dedication. It is a tradition that is open to any belief system and benefits may include deep relaxation and the promotion of a calm peaceful sense of well-being.” – Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council
A healer is somebody who has the ability to access and process very powerful vibrations or frequencies of energy that are available to us from the universe. Channeling energy is the process through which Reiki healers can allow energy vibrations to go through their being and into the body of another person.
Reiki uses the human capacity to consciously direct the flow of energy healing, multidimensional energies, into human body and its associated physical and spiritual energy systems to bring about healing changes.
We all have the ability to do this. Some people are born with it, others have a powerful awakening that enables them to receive energy vibrations. Then there are those who gain the ability to channel Reiki after receiving an attunement.
To become a Reiki I, II or III practitioner requires receiving the attunements from a Reiki Master teacher who has also received the attunements and training.
Benefits Of Reiki Healing Lifestyle
Reiki is a very simple and powerful technique that is practiced by simply placing your hands on someone with the intention of giving a session. It is not necessary to meditate or concentrate or go into an altered state to use Reiki. It can be easily learned by anyone and can also practiced remotely.
There is valuable research available suggesting that Reiki healing produces measurable physiological changes in human, animal, and even plant subjects at statistically significant levels. It seems that something other than the placebo effect is responsible for the healing changes brought about by Reiki healing.
The purpose of a Reiki treatment is to induce relaxation, relieve stress and pain, accelerate natural healing, release emotional blockages, balance subtle bodies energies and support other medical modalities including traditional therapies. In addition, Reiki healing has positive influence on spiritual growth in both healer and receiver.
One study by Wendy Wetzel, published in the Journal of Holistic Nursing, found that Reiki therapy was able to increase hemoglobin levels.
An experiment was carried out by Janet Quinn, Assistant Director of Nursing at University of South Carolina, at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in New York. This experiment involved thirty heart patients treated by a group trained in Therapeutic Touch, a technique similar to Reiki. The results showed that anxiety levels dropped by 17 percent after only five minutes treatment by trained practitioners, but those who were only imitating a treatment created no effect. The design of this experiment tends to rule out the placebo effect.
One of the greatest Reiki healing health benefits is stress reduction and relaxation, which triggers the body’s natural healing abilities (immune system), aids in better sleep and improves and maintains health.
Reiki helps to relieve physical pain from migraine, arthritis, sciatica, asthma, chronic fatigue, menopausal symptoms, and insomnia.
Reiki offers relief during emotional distress and in the grieving process. Reiki cleans and clears the emotions, preventing them from being so draining and often offers perspective.
Reiki helps bring about inner peace and harmony, enhancing learning, memory and mental clarity. Reiki is a way of life and it can be a valuable tool in the quest for spiritual growth.
Reiki can heal mental/emotional wounds by strengthening and healing personal relationships. Because Reiki enhances the capability to love, it can open a person up to people and help relationships grow.
Reiki can support recovery from surgery or long-term illness. As it helps in adjusting to medicine/treatment, it also tends to reduce side-effects. For example, Chemo-therapy patients who received Reiki noticed a marked decrease in side effects from treatment
