Maybe you haven’t heard about Reiki before and are wondering what it is, or maybe you have a vague idea. In any case I want to provide a better understanding of what Reiki is and about its benefits.
I really like the definition from the International Center for Reiki Training (ICRT), describing Reiki as a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It may seem like a simple description and at the beginning I kind of had a problem with it because I thought “It is too simple, Reiki is more than that!”. Even though it is true that Reiki transcends the physical benefits, it is also true that after a Reiki session you will feel more relaxed and less stressed. All of my clients so far, after having experienced Reiki have told me “I feel so relaxed”, “I feel very calm”, or “I definitely feel lighter”.
So, how does it work? It is based on the fact that an energy called “life force energy” flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. The energy flows within the physical body through pathways called chakras, meridians and nadis and can also pass directly through the organs and tissues of the body and around us in a field of energy called the aura. If your “life force energy” is low or disrupted, then you are more likely to get sick or feel stressed, and if it is high and flowing freely, you are more capable of feeling happy and healthy.
Reiki is a two syllable Japanese word meaning universal life force. Rei means universal, omnipresent: the spiritual wisdom or consciousness.
Ki is the nonphysical energy that gives life to all things. It is also known as Chi by the Chinese, Prana by many Asian cultures and Holy Spirit in the western world. Ki can be influenced by how you feel and the stress you may experience. Therefore, your Ki energy will be high when you feel happy, healthy and enthusiastic, and will be low when feeling the opposite: sad, pessimistic, tired and have a bad attitude towards things. Reiki works on body, mind and spirit and it stimulates a person’s own capacity to heal. The practitioner is just a vessel that channels Universe’s Divine energy.
