Recently, especially when traveling, I have been asked the question, ‘what is Reiki?’ There seems to be a growing curiosity, encouraged, I’m sure, by public figures such as Dr. Oz (promoting its benefits) and Christina Aguilera (crediting her weight loss to Reiki).
A couple of years ago, dealing with a divorce and career stress, I had no idea what Reiki was, but I was ready to try anything that would help me get my spark back. Going into my first Reiki session, I was completely uneducated about it and trusted a good friend who had recommended it.
Today, I know a lot more. Reiki (pronounced Ray Kee) means ‘universal life-force energy.’ It is a holistic healing method that uses spiritual energy to balance the mind, body and spirit, heal physical ailments, and boost overall well being.
Now that you’ve heard the vanilla definition, let’s bust out the mocha with whip version. All of us have seven energy centers called chakras surrounding our bodies, representing different areas of our lives (money, sex, love, creativity, spirituality, etc.). An intuitive Reiki Master can feel and see what is going on inside of each of our chakras and clear anything that isn’t serving us – one way is through Reiki. For example, fear of love or abundance. Pretty cool stuff.
When I started my Reiki journey, immediately my life-long anxiety was at an all time low, and I began sleeping. Really sleeping. Through the night kind of sleeping, which previously was an unfamiliar concept to me. Today, I use it regularly to clear my own energy body. I also remove etheric cords to the patterns, relationships, experiences and emotions that are holding me back in some way.
Treatments and results are different for each person, but I commonly hear people say they feel more energetic, peaceful, rested, motivated, lighter and less stressed. Those who were feeling stuck or blocked often report breakthroughs of a creative or positive nature.
If it’s something you’ve been considering, the best way to learn about it is simply to experience it. Reading this, you already know more than I did for my first treatment. What I wish I knew then, I share below.
- The actual treatment consists of lying on a massage table. Clothes on. Shoes off.
- The majority of the healing session is non-touch but occasionally the healer will gently place his/her hands near the various energy centers.
- Like a therapist, doctor, hair stylist, go to someone you feel comfortable with. Check out the web site, ask for a reference, or better yet ask for a referral from someone you trust who has done it.
- Like everything in life, unfortunately Reiki has highly trained practitioners and then the others. Working with someone else’s energy is a privilege and should be done only by someone who is qualified and takes it seriously. Ask what their training lineage is and how long it took them to become a Reiki Master. If they can’t discuss their lineage, or their training was under a year, you might want to consider going elsewhere.
- Prior to your session, drink lots of water, relax and enjoy! The more open you are to the experience, the better it will be.
If you have any questions about Reiki that you don’t feel comfortable posting, please feel free to message me.
