Reiki Healing & Meditation

Reiki is a popular energy healing technique. Derived from traditional Japanese healing, Reiki has become an increasingly accepted part of complementary and alternative medicine by nurses and hospice workers. Besides the claims of stress reduction and healing, the tradition of Reiki also teaches self-help meditations to help patients speed their own healing processes. Many of these claims have not been supported by clinical research, so always discuss Reiki with your medical provider.

History

Reiki developed from the teaching of Japanese healer Mikao Usui in the early 20th century. Originally developed as a meditative system, Reiki was adapted by Usui's student Chujiro Hayashi in the 1930s to focus more on healing than mindfulness. In turn, Hayashi's student, Hawayo Takata, introduced the Reiki system to the West.

Philosophy

Reiki is derived from two Japanese words meaning "universal life energy." Similar to the Taoist concept of Chi, this life force can be directed or channeled to assist in the body's own healing process. According to the International Center for Reiki Training, the flow of energy moves from the Reiki practitioner to the patient as the master meditates, although patients can learn how to harness this energy themselves.

Practices

The central practice in Reiki is the laying of hands on a client by the Reiki practitioner. The hands may lightly touch the body, but sometimes no direct touch is involved. According to a 2001 article published in the Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, the locations of the Reiki channels correspond to major organs as well as the endocrine and lymphatic systems. Hand positions are held for two to five minutes in an average session that lasts 30 to 90 minutes. Some Reiki practitioners perform healing from a distance as well.

Research

The scientific research supporting the effectiveness of Reiki is sparse. A 2008 review of the medical literature concluded that scientists do not have enough evidence to suggest that Reiki is an effective healing treatment, as published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice. However, many nurses and health workers stand behind the observation that Reiki treatments are empowering for patients, and that Reiki treatments improve anxiety levels for those who are in pain or nearing death.

Controversy

Reiki was banned as a nursing practice by the Catholic Church in 2009, adding a new chapter to the complexity of its acceptance in Western medical care. On September 22, 2009, the "Boston Globe" reported that Catholic bishops consider Reiki to be "neither faith nor medicine" and banned the practice from Catholic hospitals. This stance is controversial not only because of the limitations placed on nurses in Catholic hospitals, but also because Reiki may actually have been influenced by the Christian notion of laying on hands, according to Yale University researchers in a 2000 article published in the journal Holistic Nurse Practitioner.