Reiki

Reiki (pronounced Ray-kee), is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing and is literally translated as ‘Universal life force energy’. It was discovered by Dr Mikao Usui in the early 1900s. Reiki is administered by ‘laying on of hands’ and techniques such as this have been practiced for thousands of years. Reiki is a very simple yet powerful technique that can be easily learned by anyone who is willing to help others. In a Reiki session, the practitioner asks the patient to either lie down or sit down and relax as deeply as possible. This tends to occur quite naturally as the session progresses. The practitioner then is said to act as a channel, theoretically allowing ‘Reiki energy’ to be channeled to wherever the patient is thought to require it, particularly in the case of healing.

Usually the practitioner moves their hands close to or on various parts of the patient's body. Some people report feeling various sensations, varying from heat or cold to tingling or pressure, etc. Some people even experience white or coloured lights in their head as the energy runs through the body, repairing and opening energy channels (meridians), pulling out and dissolving blockages in the person.

Positive effects of Reiki treatment have been well documented. The benefits centre around biological indications of relaxation and increased immunity, reduced heart rate, improved blood pressure, and reduced pain, stress, anxiety and depression.

© Linda Keen, 2010