Overview of Reiki
What is Reiki?
Reiki is a safe, gentle, non-invasive form of natural hands-on, energy-based treatment that promotes the body's ability to heal itself. Reiki is used all over the world, including in hospitals and hospices, to complement other forms of health treatments. Reiki practitioners use their hands to channel energy to your body, improving the flow and balance of your energy to support healing. Reiki treatment is passive for the person receiving it and has no known side effects.
The health benefits of Reiki
Reiki promotes relaxation, stress reduction and symptom relief to improve overall health and well-being. It can:
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Bring on a meditative state
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Foster tissue and bone healing after injury or surgery
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Stimulate your body’s immune system
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Promote natural self-healing
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Relieve pain and tension
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Support the well-being of people receiving traditional medical treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and kidney dialysis
Studies show that reiki treatment may create feelings of:
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Peace
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Relaxation
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Security
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Wellness
Can Reiki replace traditional treatments?
No. Reiki treatment should not be used as a substitute for the consultation of a physician or a psychotherapist. If you’re already in good health, though, regular reiki treatments can enhance your ability to respond to stress and serve as a form of preventive medicine.
What conditions does Reiki treat?
Reiki isn’t specific to any particular type of disease or condition but may help people with:
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Acute pain (e.g., tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, etc.)
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Chronic pain, including sciatic nerve pain
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Cancer and effect of chemo therapy
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Digestive problems
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Psychological distress, including depression and anxiety
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Stress-related illnesses
Reiki can also help you prepare for surgery, which may help boost your recovery afterward, and accelerate healing post surgery.
How does Reiki work?
Reiki practitioners act as a conduit between you and the source of the universal life force energy. The energy flows through the practitioner’s hands to you. “The patient determines the energy flow from the practitioner’s hands by taking only what they need, This helps the patient know that we are supporting them only in what they need rather than what we think they need. This makes it the perfect balance to meet the patient’s needs.”
What happens during a Reiki session?
Reiki treatments typically last about 20 - 60 minutes, but can go longer, depending on the patient's needs. During a session, you’ll lie on a massage table fully clothed, as your Reiki practitioner gently places their hands, palms down, on or just above your body in specific energy locations.
What does Reiki feel like?
You may feel heat, tingling, or other sensation. However, you may not perceive any feeling at all. Very often, clients feel so relaxed that they fall asleep during the process.
What is the history of Jikiden Reiki?
Jikiden Reiki is Usui Reiki treatment method to improve body and mind that was discovered in Japan. Mikao Usui discovered Reiki in 1922 while he was meditating and fasting on Mt. Kurama, a beautiful mountain just outside Kyoto, Japan. He went on to develop his treatment method to help many people and from his vast knowledge and through experimenting he developed a way to "clear the pipe" so the energy could flow easily in others.
One of the twenty people that Usui taught was a medical doctor and naval captain named Chujiro Hayashi, who opened a successful Reiki clinic in Tokyo. One of Chujiro Hayashi's student was Chiyoko Yamaguchi. She taught her son Tadao Yamaguchi and together, they created seminars that aimed to emulate the original teachings of Mikao Usui and Chujiro Hayashi that they learned in 1930s. They went on to co-found Jikiden Reiki Institute and called the seminars, Jikiden Reiki, which convey the essence of Reiki treatment that remains unchanged even in changing times, based on extensive experience accumulated over many years.
The initial motivation in creating Jikiden Reiki seminar was when Chiyoko met other Reiki practitioners who learned Reiki from the West (outside of Japan) and realized that some of the original teachings had been changed or omitted in the Western Reiki, while other things had been added.
Sources and for more information:
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Jikiden Reiki Institute: https://www.jikiden-reiki.com/en/
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Cleveland Clinic: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/reiki