Reiki ~ A Natural Healing Alternative

Reiki (pronounced Ray-Key) is an ancient Japanese technique for stress reduction

and relaxation that also promotes healing.  The word is made of two Japanese words

-- Rei which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power" and Ki which is "life force

energy".  The translation therefore means "spiritually guided life force energy".

Reiki is not massage, a religion or a cult.

Seven years ago, I experienced my first Reiki session.  It lasted ten minutes.

During that short time, a warm current filled my body; I felt as light as air.  The

practitioner did not move her hands from the bottoms of my feet, not even once.

Afterwards, I felt uplifted with a greater inner awareness.  I decided to learn this

healing art at once.

A typical Reiki session takes anywhere from sixty to ninety minutes.  A recipient

either sits up or reclines, and remains fully clothed.  Manipulation of soft muscular

tissue is not required in Reiki (as in massage).  A practitioner's hands are placed in a

series of positions on the body and held still for five minutes or longer.  Soft music

typically accompanies a Reiki session.  As such, it's not unusual for the recipient to

fall asleep within the first five minutes!

Through this "laying on hands" method, more people and medical professionals are

finding that Reiki is a profound complementary healing practice.  Reiki is simple, safe

and natural with benefits that include deep relaxation, feelings of peace, security,

emotional balance and well-being.

Reiki works in harmony with all other forms of conventional medical therapy.  It is

effective in helping virtually every known illness, with beneficial effects, especially

in pain relief and reducing unpleasant side effects (chemo), the discomforts of

pregnancy and accelerates recovery from surgery.

Hospitals and wellness institutions are noting that Reiki is shifting the general

acceptance of those who would otherwise only seek conservative treatment for

"dis-ease."  Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, Marin General Hospital, Tuscon

Medical Clinic, Portsmouth Regional Hospital, and the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

are a few of many hospitals that offer Reiki in the United States.

Reiki may be learned by anyone, even children.  Reiki teaches us that our own human

energy field can heal us.  Reiki is taught in three levels which usually take a few

months to a year to complete.  Students who are "attuned" by their Reiki teachers

(the attunement process turns on your healing energy) may begin healing themselves

and others after their first level of instruction.

People come to receive Reiki for many different problems and leave with joy,

harmony and a feeling of new hope.  Most importantly, Reiki needs to be experienced

to fully understand its powerful healing effects to help us create better life

choices for ourselves, our health, and our happiness.