Reiki & Healing

Reiki is a complementary healing method based on energy, or chi, a universal life force that surrounds and permeates all living things. According to practitioners of reiki, in a typical treatment session, the practitioner draws on a divine healing energy that she directs through her hands and into the area around your body. Many people report feeling better after a reiki treatment, but note that healing continues long after the treatment is over. Reiki is not a replacement for conventional medical therapies.

Features

Reiki practitioners undergo a series of energy adjustments called "attunements" in order to perform reiki on themselves and others. According to Shri M. K. Gupta, yoga and reiki practitioner and author of "Healing Through Reiki," attunement opens the practitioner's system so that she can readily channel reiki healing energy. A reiki teacher, usually called a master, adjusts the practitioner's energy field during an attunement. Attunement usually takes place in a workshop or class. Most masters offer instruction in how to use reiki energy alongside the attunement.

Methods

The majority of reiki treatments take place in person. The practitioner typically places his hands over or on key areas of your body while you lie comfortably on a massage table. Distance healing through reiki is also possible. If you are unable to leave your home, a practitioner might offer to do a distance treatment on you. Paula Horan, reiki master and author of "Empowerment Through Reiki," notes that in addition to standard treatment protocols, reiki practitioners might remove energy blocks by performing a scooping motion with their hands. Horan adds that color, sound and crystals are other tools a reiki practitioner might use to enhance your healing experience.

What to Expect

Most people find reiki treatments relaxing and enjoyable. You might feel sensations of heat and tingling coming from the practitioner's hands. Some people experience pulsing or pressure sensations in areas other than the one the practitioner is working on. This is completely normal--reiki energy flows wherever it needs to. Walter Lubeck and Frank Arjava Petter, reiki masters and authors of "Reiki Best Practices," warn that some people experience strong emotions during a treatment. It's best to let these out. Lubeck and Petter also advise letting your practitioner know about any issues you might be facing before you receive treatment.

Client Benefits

Many clients report enhanced well-being after a reiki treatment, but reiki may have an impact on specific conditions as well. Recent interest in reiki's effects has generated some promising preliminary studies. According to a 2005 article published in the journal "Orthopaedic Nursing" by Ellen DiNucci, reiki master and curriculum developer at Stanford University School of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health began funding studies on energy healing practices including reiki around that time. DiNucci notes that energy healing showed positive effects on wound healing, pain and anxiety, and advanced AIDS. Reiki is safe to use with most conventional medical treatments.

Practitioner Benefits

One of the best ways to experience the healing effects of reiki is to become a practitioner. Amy Z. Rowland, Usui reiki master and author of "Intuitive Reiki for Our Times" notes that the energy that flows through the practitioner during a treatment always brings some healing with it. Working on clients also expands the practitioner's sense of compassion, which can lead to powerful emotional healing. If you are suffering from serious illness, it's best to focus on your own healing before you decide to become a practitioner.