The word Reiki is composed of two Japanese words, Rei, and Ki. However, regular, commonplace definitions of these words will fall short in explaining the true essence of Reiki.
From a spiritual context, ‘Rei’ can be thought of as a form of higher intelligence. It’s a guiding force. It guides and directs the creation and functioning of everything in the universe. It is present in living and non-living things. It is basically omniscient and omnipresent. And ‘Ki‘ is a non-physical form of energy. It resides in all living things. Ki leaves a person’s body when he/she dies. When a person has a high amount of Ki, he/she will feel alive, strong and confident. When Ki is low, one will be more prone to illness and feel weak.
With these interpretations of the Japanese words, Reiki can be defined as an intelligent form of energy; a healing energy, in fact.
This energy is transferred from the palms of the practitioner to the body of the client. And because it is an intelligent form of energy, it is self-directed – it knows where to flow and thereby creates the healing condition necessary for the client.
One thing to keep in mind about Reiki, however, is that it responds to the quality of thoughts that one has. If one has negative thoughts or feelings during Reiki’s healing process, it can hamper its healing effects. Similarly, the presence of positive feelings will bolster the healing powers of Reiki.
The Benefits of a Reiki Session
“Reiki acts as a complementary treatment to conventional medicine”.
The primary benefit of Reiki healing is that it helps in reducing stress and anxiety. It helps us in becoming relaxed and calm, and as an extension of this, it does a number of things. For example, it aids in getting better sleep, in reducing blood pressure, in improving concentration. It also helps us heal better from illness because reducing anxiety supports a better immune system as well. Its benefits can be easily observable when it alleviates any kind of emotional distress.
A Reiki Session Defined
- The Practitioner – The Reiki practitioner should be someone who is qualified enough to practice the healing process and someone you’re comfortable with. It could even be a friend. The practitioner should ideally tell you in advance what you can expect from the session.
- The Place – The session should take place ideally in a quiet surrounding. There may be some soft music playing, if the client is comfortable with that. A professional practitioner may have a dedicated location setup for the session. For house calls, a quiet room should work fine.
- The Duration – The duration of a session can be anywhere between 15 – 90 minutes.
- The Actual Session – A fully clothed client will either be seated comfortably on a chair, or will be lying down. The practitioner will then place his/her palms on different locations on the clients head, torso, and if needed, even the limbs. Take note that this contact initiated by the practitioner should always be light and non-intrusive. In some cases, the practitioner may choose to place his/her palm just slightly above the body; for example, when treating an open wound.
Reiki is a wonderful energy focused healing technique that can guide one into stress relief, relaxation and even better awareness of themselves. Your energy prior to a session is part of the overall experience. Take time to breathe and center yourself and your energy prior to entering a session.