Reiki, a New Age Treatment

The Holistic Energy Healing Benefits of Reiki BY JESSICA GREEN

What Is Reiki?

Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is an ancient Japanese energy healing technique that works within the spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional levels to assist individual persons with holistic health and healing based on their specific needs (e.g., stress reduction, relaxation, healing of pain or trauma). The word Reiki is derived from two Japanese words: Rei which means higher power, and Ki which represents life force energy. Therefore, Reiki translates to mean universal life force energy. Reiki encompasses the understanding that the universe is composed of energy, and that all living things are moving and vibrant beings of energy. Photo Source: This is due to the fact that everything we can http://www.michelledoetsch.massagetherapy.com envision is made up of energy, and according to Reiki healing practitioners, that energy moves in rhythms that make up the seasons, the stages of the life cycle, the developmental phases of growth, the tidal rhythms of breath, the drumbeat of the heart, and the vibratory dance of the smallest particles inside each cell. In turn, Reiki therapy is based upon the premise that energy moves through all living things. Reiki was popularized and re-discovered in 1922 by Dr. Mikao Usui, a Japanese Christian Minister/Monk, as a vibration healing technique that engages the bodys natural physical and energetic healing processes. Reiki therapy can be further described as a combination of the synthesis of modern quantum physics and ancient metaphysics. Additionally, even though Reiki has been practiced for hundreds of years, as Jesus Christ himself has been thought to be a Reiki healer, it is recently becoming widely recognized as a popular form of New Age treatment. Reiki is currently prevailing among many New Age spiritualists, and even used in a number of Western Medicine facilities (e.g., Cleveland Clinic, Childrens Hospital in Boston, Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore). Reiki is a complementary therapy to conventional-traditional Western Medicine. Reiki healing practitioners believe that individuals should Photo Source: http://www.terriardenvisit medical professionals, while using Reiki in lmt.com/services/reiki/ combination with Western Medicine as an additive, not a replacement. Reiki Therapy Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ5eajLCzu0&feature=player_detailpage

Reiki, a physical-touch base system, utilizes a healing practitioner as the channel, a conduit, of energy that transfers and flows divine energy from a higher sourceuniversal life force energythrough the palms of the healing practitioners hands (i.e., laying of hands) to the receivers body. Therefore, the sole source of the energy is derived from the universe, not the healing practitioner. This ancient method of laying of hands, transmits healing energy from one person to another through touch. Reiki uses energy-healing, also known as healing touch, to remove energy blockage, as well as create balance, harmony, and revitalization within the chakra (energy centers), meridians (energy pathways), and aura (light force energy fields) which are inside all of us. The reason this is valuable is that when life energy is blocked, it needs to be freed, in order to heal the problems caused by that blockage (e.g., depression, anxiety, acute and chronic pain, stress). Consequentially, when the energy circulates freely through the body, people are balanced, as well as healthy and happy further forming a connection between the body, mind, and spirit. Reiki enhances the receivers aura and chakra, allowing the body to naturally discover health and balance with both speed and strength through utilization of increased energy frequency. Reiki Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGYw5r0XfwQ&feature=player_detailpage How Is Reiki Performed? Reiki therapy is performed with the receiver laying on a massage table or sitting in a chair. The person receiving Reiki therapy simply lays or sits during the therapy, while the healing practitioner transmits universal life force energy to the receiver. Essential oils (i.e., aromatherapy) or crystals can easily be incorporated into Reiki therapy to strengthen the healing energy. During the Reiki therapy session, the Reiki healing energy is directed to the appropriate areas, including both the physical bodily symptoms (i.e., headache), as well as the deeper-rooted causes (e.g., stress or trauma) that often exist Photo Source: http://www.moonwillowwithin the spiritual, mental, and emotional energyhealing.co.uk/ levels. For example, the physical bodily symptom could be a headache, but the deeper-rooted cause could be stress from work-life balance or trauma from a recent death in the family. As a holistic health and New Age treatment, Reiki would aid in both the releasing of the pain and tension, as well as resolve the stressful or traumatic situation. In addition, some receivers feel Reiki through warmth or heat, while others feel it as energy or movement. This is due to the fact that energy transfer causes the temperature to rise at the molecular level and atoms to increase their vibration, in turn causing whole atoms to move which creates the feeling of both warmth and movement. After receiving Reiki therapy, many individuals will sleep well that evening, as the Reiki healing energy will stay with these individuals throughout the night and continue to heal their bodies, minds, and spirits. Many individuals notice the most change from Reiki therapy, the following morning. Reiki therapy can help adults, children, and even animals. Moreover, since the channel, or healing practitioner, is not working with his/her own energy, they do not undergo energy drainage; but also experience energy movement and balance illustrating that Reiki therapy benefits everyone or everything involved.

Furthermore, Reiki is practiced in various forms, and by unique and different individual healing practitioners. However, to be a true Reiki practitioner one must have received an attunement, as one has to learn which Reiki symbols (e.g., Cho Ku Rei, Sei He Ki, Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen) to use, when to call up the universal life force energy, and how to heal a spiritual, mental, physical, and/or emotional ailment. There are three levels of attunement: Reiki Level 1Teaches the basic understandings of Reiki to perform with others or for oneself; Reiki Level 2Teaches the three Reiki symbols and their uses; Reiki Master/Teacher (Level 3)Teaches the final symbols, how to perform classes and attunement for others/students, and how to start your own Reiki practice. Reiki Attunement Video: http://www.youtube.com/watchv=TqUaUgyzmOg&feature=player_detailpage

Photo Source: http://www.reikihealinginstitute.org/book.html Why Reiki? I have to admit after reading about Reiki I quickly started to analyze what healing energy felt like, and if it could in fact help my spiritual, mental, physical, or emotional ailments. To further frame my inquiry, I asked friends and family members what they thought about Reiki as a New Age treatment, only to be met with more questions. I realized that I was not alone in my exploration, and that queries about Reiki have even been discussed on mainstream television shows including The Dr. Oz Show. Dr. Oz discusses New Age treatments such as Reiki, holistic diets, acupuncture, and the 5 Tibetan Rites in which balance your chakra, meridians, and aura, as well as revitalize your energy and heal ailments. So, before letting skepticism get the best of me, I sought to truly understand Reiki by experiencing it firsthand. I attended the Victory of Light Expo in Cincinnati, Ohio, in which I participated in an universal life force energy seminar and met various Masters/Teachers of Reiki. This is where I obtained the information that many Reiki healing practitioners believe that the universe is full of energy, which currently cannot be detected by any scientific instruments, but can be felt by individual receivers and administered by healing practitioners. I also personally experienced Reiki therapy including the use of essential oils (i.e., aromatherapy) and crystals to clear blockages, in order to rebalance my chakra, meridians, and aura, as well as heal spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional ailments. I went into this venture with a critical and even skeptical mindset, but was extremely
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shocked at how the Reiki healing practitioner knew the exact places on my body that I was experiencing stress and pain (since as a true skeptic I said nothing about pain or stress prior to laying down on the massage table), and how surprised I was that I could feel the healing energy in both warmth and movement. I was not the only individual inquiring about Reiki therapy or experiencing the healing energy, as there were many others at the Victory of Light Expo receiving Reiki therapy. After these aforementioned emprise, it was apparent that living in pain, whether that be emotional stress or physical pain, is not at all easy and can make individuals extremely unhappy, as they are unable to enjoy life or live life to the fullest. Reiki therapy can assist in stress reduction, relaxation, healing of pain or trauma for ailments such as depression, anxiety, acute and chronic pain, and stress. There are various testimonials that describe how Reiki aided in individuals medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS) and medically unexplained symptoms (MUS). Examples of MUPS and MUS include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), unexplained headaches, unexplained back pain, anxiety, depression, and acute and chronic pain. We should realize that there are no side effects (i.e., headaches), risk (i.e., death), or restrictions (i.e., age) for receiving Reiki like there are in the medications we take, the surgeries we receive, or the procedures we have performed in Western Medicine in the attempt to feel better and be healthy. Also demonstrating that there is little to lose and a great deal to gain (e.g., happiness, a healthy life, more energy, and balance) through the experience of Reiki. This does not mean that we discontinue visiting medical professionals. It simply means that if there is a way to be a more balanced, happy, and healthy individual we should embrace the method that supplies us this opportunity. Those who are in pain, stressed, unhappy, or ill should seek out a Reiki healing practitioner to receive Reiki therapy. For those of you who are skeptics, I was one of you until I was a receiver of Reiki therapy. So before letting skepticism get the best of you, try Reiki as this experience will pivot your perspective of both Eastern Alternative Medicine, as well as provide a more balanced and healthy outlook on life. After all what do you have to lose? To Schedule A Reiki Therapy Appointment Visit: http://www.goodjourneys.net/SERVICES.html or http://my.clevelandclinic.org/departments/integrativemedicine/reiki_therapy.aspx Also, if you are in Cincinnati, listen to the Waves of the New Age, Tuesdays from 3-5pm on WAIF 88.3FM.

Photo Source: http://www.vetguru.com/portfolio/reiki-for-pets/

Photo Source: http://gladysreiki.blogspot.com/2009/10/losninos-y-el-reiki.html

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