An Intro To The Healing Benefits Of Reiki
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The Healing Benefits Of Reiki
Reiki is an energy healing modality originating from Japan that has been gaining more and more popularity over the past years because of its potential efficacy and wide-ranging applicability. It is predominantly used as a stress and anxiety management tool but is also used for healing a myriad of other ailments.
While ample medically reviewed research still needs to be done into the extent of efficacy, apart from the multitude of anecdotal evidence, preliminary studies point to its wide variety of benefits and is often accepted as a complementary healing therapy to medical treatments in many hospitals and clinics around the world (60 in the United States alone). Some of its healing benefits include, but are not limited to:
Lowering stress and anxiety
Lowering inflammation and risk of associated diseases
Reducing depression
Improving quality of life and general wellbeing
Helping with insomnia
Increasing immunity and speed of recovery
Lowering heart rate and blood pressure
Dealing with emotional trauma
Many people have also reported other miraculous results. As every body is unique, your experience of what you feel will be a bit different to everyone else’s and may change from time to time depending on your starting state. During a session, you will generally feel a deep sense of peace and wellbeing possibly paired with warming or cooling sensations, tingling, lightness or heaviness and energy or calmness, based on what your personal constitution is like. Read on for a bit of history into Reiki and how it works:
What Is Reiki?
Reiki was “discovered” in 1922 by Japanese Buddhist Dr. Mikao Usui. During his time meditating and fasting in the mountains for 21 days, he received a vision of this healing power coupled with symbols and immediately started applying them to himself and others with great success.
Although forms of Reiki had been in use for many years prior, Dr. Usui was the first to standardise the teaching method and help export it to the world. 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.
Reiki is a form of energy healing that can either be done hands-on or hands-off and is practiced by channelling the Universal life force Reiki energy through the practitioner’s hands to wherever it is needed.
The theory stands that the healer simply acts as a vessel through which to channel the healing energy that is naturally present all around us and the body takes what it needs intuitively from it. This is often different from other healing modalities in that it’s not actually the practitioner that’s healing you but the Universal energy and your own body working in tandem to heal yourself.
It’s a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self-improvement that everyone can use, including children and pets- it can even be used to infuse your food and space with higher vibrations! The feeling that remains after a session is generally one of intense relaxation and a glowing radiance.
Being a holistic healing method, it also works on a mind, body, emotional and spiritual level.
How Does Reiki Work?
Energy healing targets the energy fields in and around the body. According to practitioners, and many other ancient practices such as with Indian prana or Chinese Qi, energy can stagnate in the body where there has been physical injury or emotional pain. In time, these energy blocks can cause illness.
Energy medicine aims to help the flow of energy and remove blockages, in a similar way to chakra balancing or acupuncture. Improving the flow of energy around your body can enable relaxation, reduce pain, speed healing, and reduce other symptoms of malaise.
Although it’s not a religion and anyone can practice or use it, during a meditation several years after first developing Reiki, Dr. Usui introduced 5 ideals or “precepts” into the practice to deepen the spiritual aspect. You can say these every day as a morning affirmation or whenever you need a little boost, or simply before/after a session, if you like. They are roughly translated as follows:
Just for today, I will not worry
Just for today, I will not anger
Just for today, I will humbly do my best
Just for today, I will be kind to myself and others
Just for today, I will be grateful
Their purpose is to help people realise that healing the spirit by consciously deciding to improve oneself is a necessary part of the healing experience. In order for the Reiki healing energies to have lasting results, the person must accept responsibility for their healing and take an active part in it.
It’s also recommended to meditate daily to help facilitate the flow of energy, bring balance and the ability to tap into the subtleties of your intuition. Although this is not mandatory, the health benefits of meditation are also widely known of course!
In addition, Reiki can also be practiced with the use of sacred symbols that are said to increase the potency of a session. There are 4 traditional Usui symbols, as depicted below- “Sei Hei Ki” which helps bring emotional and mental harmony, “Cho Ku Rei” which is a power (Qi) activating symbol, and “Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen” which is a distance symbol working through the past, present and future.
There is also “Dai Ko Myo” which is the master symbol that is generally only used during student attuning sessions, and several other variations that have been developed over the years. Based on these principles, you can also get a Reiki treatment for your past and future self.
An amazingly simple technique to learn, the ability to use Reiki is transferred to the student from an experienced Reiki practitioner, who has previously been attuned, during a class. This ability is passed on in an "attunement" session and allows the student to tap into the unlimited supply of life force energy to improve the health and enhance the quality of life of others without depleting their own energy.
Although it takes years of Reiki training to become an experienced practitioner, anyone can be “attuned” to become a Reiki practitioner because we all have the potential within us to tap into the Universal energy around us.
There are three levels of mastery. Those who reach “Master” (although this form of language is falling out of use for its questionable connotations) level can teach others and are able to heal from a distance, like a form of prayer. Distance Reiki treatment, and attunements, can be performed effectively because energy is not confined by time or space. I had experience with this myself.
Unfortunately, due to a change in flight schedule, my distance Reiki attunement ended up occurring at 2AM so I was asleep for it. Normally before a flight I pretty much don’t sleep, and neither on the first day before my period, both of which were simultaneously occurring that night- and I slept like an absolute ROCK the whole night through! It was amazing, and I only remembered why when Sam reminded me of it the morning after.
Even though you don’t need to be awake for a Reiki session or attunement because, again, the energy will naturally go to wherever it is needed and is activated automatically by the Reiki practitioner, I still wanted to be present for mine so booked myself in for another session anyway.
Many people also report falling asleep during their treatments- some say this is for the conscious mind to get out of the way of the subconscious mind which is naturally more perceptive to altered states.
A Reiki practice will generally last for 60-90mins fully clothed on a massage table in a soothing environment, possibly with accompanying music/sound baths, candles and/or aromatherapy. Reiki practitioners may also pair their sessions with healing crystals for greater efficacy. Read our post on The Best Crystals For Beginners for more information!
One of the great things about Reiki is its complete uniqueness to each person- your body will take what it needs in that moment and what you feel will be exactly what you’re supposed to feel at that time. Even if you don’t fully believe in the healing power of Reiki, the health benefits of relaxation techniques to lower your cortisol levels and the healing power of touch are very well-documented!
So that’s an intro to the healing benefits of Reiki, how it works and what it can be used for. It truly is a wonderful complementary practice to add to any other healing modalities you use and feels incredibly gentle and nourishing for the soul.
If you’re interested in other emotional healing techniques, check out our posts on How To Write A Gratitude Journal and How To Use Tarot Cards For Stress Management.
Have you ever had a reiki session or taken a course? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments section below!
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