Reiki- Natural Life Force Energy for Healing

Reiki recognizes we all have a palpable life force energy which is infinite, limitless, and pure. It’s invisible and inaudible, but it fills us with peace. This life force energy is the essence that gives vitality to form. Ancient civilizations understood the life force; the Chinese called in Chi, the Indians called it Prana and the Japanese called it Ki. The western world does not have a word that actually describes this energy. The ancient civilizations understood that this life force needs to be in perfect balance.

Reiki is a precise method for connecting this universal energy with the body’s innate powers of healing. Reiki was rediscovered in the mid 1980’s by Dr. Mikao Usui, a Japanese monk educator. Reiki’s origins are found in Tibetan sutras, ancient records of cosmology and philosophy. This is a hands-on healing art, quite different from any western medicine. Reiki is said to promote the highest healing good for all living things. While Reiki is spiritual in nature it is not a religion. It has no dogma that you must believe in order to learn the techniques. Dr. Usui states that it is important to act in a way that promotes harmony with others.

Many institutions and hospitals have put training programs in place, such as The Harvard Community Health Plan, Columbia/Presbyterian Hospital, the Medical Center of Central Massachusetts, Concord Regional VNA-Hospice House just to name a few.

Reiki is not taught in the usual sense but it is transferred to the student during the class. This ability is passed on during an “attunment” given by the Reiki master who allows the student to tap into the life force energy to improve health and enhance the quality of life. Reiki is a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self improvement that everyone can use. It has been used to treat virtually every illness or malady. It works in conjunction with all medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery. Reiki is a modality that cannot be fully explained, however, it has been demonstrated time and again to be an important complement to allopathic procedures.

Students are encouraged to be patient with themselves as they try to integrate their experiences of Reiki. Messages from the patient’s body may be overlooked by the practitioner if their brain is busy over analyzing the problems or methods. The instructors teach the trainees to observe their bodily-felt experiences, recognizing that much value can be obtained from noticing rather than analyzing. In other wards, don’t over analyze, just do Reiki!

To understand the hand positions that are used you must understand the Chakras which is a Sanskrit word meaning wheel. There 7 centers of energy in the Chakras. Reiki affect a person’s aura with the attunement procedure. The practitioner is supposed to intuitively see what needs to be changed in order to achieve maximum health is increased. There are also 12 primary meridians in the body which are two systems of channels that pass through the main organs. As with the Chinese beliefs, the Chi contains two polar forces, the yin and the yang. When the yin and yang are balanced, the living system exhibits physical health; when they are unbalanced, a diseased state results. It all sounds a bit complicated but the trainee are taught these basic principal so they know where to place their hands to change the flow of energy as necessary,

Reiki is a hands-on interaction between the practitioner and the patient. This can be done in a very brief time or typically for a full hour. Reiki touch nurtures the giver, as well as, the receiver. It increase physical stamina, gives energy and it increases metal clarity. Many nurses are using Reiki techniques along with their usual care. Reiki is also known to help resolve mental or emotional concerns by accelerating the process of psychotherapy by eliciting additional insights regarding the patient’s situation, as well as, allowing the emotional residue to gently release from the body’s cells. The result is a sense of well-being and empowerment. You can also learn to do a Reiki treatment on yourself.

I know Reiki seems quite foreign to many people; however, it is growing in popularity. The interaction of one person's life force energy to another is the way Reiki works. Several years ago I did have a Reiki treatment just to try it out. I didn’t feel that it helped me but I only tried it once, however, I know of several people who swear by its therapeutic properties.

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