Reiki

What does a Reiki treatment involve?

Treatments usually begin with a short discussion about the client’s reason for seeking healing. that they wish to address.

The treatment itself usually takes place with the recipient lying down, wearing comfortable clothing, in a quiet and peaceful environment. It is also possible for the person to sit if they are not able to lie down. Sometime gentle music may be played to help with the relaxation process if the client wishes.

The practitioner uses the gentle touch of their hands to channel universal energy towards the main organs and chakras (energy centres) of the client’s body in order to help re-balance their energy field. The energy naturally flows towards any areas of imbalance, deficiency or blockage in the body, helping to restore balance on whatever levels are needed.

During a treatment, you may experience a number of things. People often feel relaxed, calm and peaceful as they experience the healing effects of the energy. As part of the healing process, old emotions, memories or injuries may also temporarily surface to be expressed, released and resolved.

After the session, it is recommended that you take time to rest and relax as your system adjusts to the healing changes. Some people can feel quite tired immediately afterwards as their system re-balances; others will feel energised, as if they have had their batteries recharged. There’s no right or wrong. Each system is different and your own body will set the priorities.

The benefits of Reiki:

• Induces deep relaxation;
• Alleviates tension and stress;
• Facilitates greater mental and emotional balance;
• Boosts energy levels and vitality;
• Stimulates the body’s natural self-healing ability;
• Improves overall sense of well being, peace and wholeness;
• Allows unresolved experiences and emotions to safely surface and release;
• Facilitates a deeper spiritual connection / understanding of yourself as a spiritual being.

Being so gentle and non-invasive, Reiki is suitable for people of all ages, including those in severe pain or with terminal illness, for whom Reiki can be experienced as very comforting.

The history of Reiki:

Reiki has been in use and known for centuries, however it was brought back into wider awareness again in the early twentieth century by Japanese minister, Dr Mikao Usui.

Spurred on by the questioning of one of his students after a discussion about the healing miracles performed by Jesus: “How does hands-on healing actually work and do you really believe it works?”, Dr Usui spent years searching for the answers in countless spiritual texts in both US and Japan, consumed with determination to find the answer to this question. After many years, he finally came across a description of Reiki healing in some ancient Buddhist texts along with some sacred healing symbols, however he still couldn’t work out how to actually put these into practise.

As a last resort, Dr Usui went into a deep, twenty one day meditation and ‘asked’ a higher power for guidance. On the twenty-first day, he had a life-changing spiritual experience, where he was struck by lightning and passed out. He woke up and discovered that he had the ability to channel Reiki energy to help himself and others.

Dr Usui then spent many years working in the slums of Japan using Reiki to heal others of physical, mental and emotional complaints. However, he noticed that the same beggars came back over and over again, falling into the same old patterns, without any attempts to improve their life circumstances. He realised that this was because they didn’t have any real sense of purpose or moral code to follow. As a result, Dr Usui established the Five Reiki Principles as guidelines for human health and happiness:

Just for today, don’t worry.

Just for today, don’t anger.

Just for today, be grateful.

Just for today, do an honest day’s work.

Just for today, be kind to all living things.

These principles became an integral part of the Reiki path. Reiki remained a closed system for many years, with its secrets passed down to only one person (referred to as the Reiki ‘Master’) at a time, until it finally spread to the West and became more widely taught and practised.