Reiki is Universal Healing Energy

Reiki is a form of energy healing that originated in Japan in the 1920s. “Rei” means universal and “ki” means energy. Often ‘reiki’ is translated as ‘universal healing energy’.

Reiki promotes healing by activating the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest system). Energy flows from the practitioner to the recipient by direct touch or at a distance. One of the most beautiful things about reiki is that it is the recipient themselves who does the healing, the practitioner simply acts as a channel for the energy and holds the space for the recipient to do their own healing. 

The Reiki Principles

There are five principles of reiki that help to form the foundation of the practice:

• Just for today, I will not worry. 

• Just for today, I will not anger. 

• Just for today, I will do my work honestly and with integrity. 

• Just for today, I will be kind to myself and others. 

• Just for today, I will be grateful. 

The principles are not to be taken as commandments, but as invitations to consider our reactions to life. Many practitioners will rephrase the principles to fit their own lives. For example, if “just for today” feels too long, they might say “just for this morning” or “just for this hour” or even “just for this breath.” 

The idea that we can change the directions of our thoughts just for a single breath resonated so loudly with me that I named my business Just For This Breath Reiki!

What does reiki feel like?

Energy work is subtle and may be felt in a variety of ways. Some people feel warmth or tingling in the area where reiki is directed; some people feel relaxation and a feeling of well-being; some people notice physical shifts like yawns, tummy gurgles, or the desire to move; some people feel emotional responses such as happiness, joy, connection, or love; some people don’t feel much of anything at all. 

You can’t seriously believe this is real?!?

Firstly, what is “real” anyway? Haven’t you laughed at a TV show, or been on the edge of your seat while reading a book, or had the hair on the back of your neck rise when someone told a creepy story around a campfire in the dark woods? Did it make you less sad to remember that Thomas J was a made up character and that Veda wasn’t actually torn up when, at his funeral,  she cried “where is his glasses? He can’t see without his glasses” in My Girl? I sure wasn’t.

So, let’s leave aside the question of whether reiki is “real” and instead ask

Is reiki effective?

The answer is a resounding yes! 

I can give you so much anecdotal evidence of the efficacy of reiki. People use it to help with anxiety, depression, pain, stress, lack of self esteem, fatigue, PTSD, chronic illness, sport visualization and recovery, and as many other things as you can imagine. However, anecdotal evidence is easy to dismiss and I’m guessing you’re looking for something more rigorous. 

In this study, researchers found that Osteoarthritis patients who received reiki in addition to standard treatment had statistically significantly lower pain scores than the control group. The reiki group also had improved holistic well-being scores.

This study aimed to determine the effects of Reiki on pain and biochemical parameters in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation. The researchers determined that reiki is effective for pain control and enhancing the immune system response.

Researchers in this study asked whether reiki had an effect on the symptoms of menopause in women. They showed that there was a statistically significant decrease in symptoms as reported by patients after receiving reiki. (If you’re old enough to remember crying at My Girl, you’re probably old enough that this study interests you!)

One of the criticisms of reiki studies is that they are just using the placebo effect (I have thoughts on that too, but we’ll save that for another post!). This study aimed to debunk that idea by using rats. The rats were exposed to noise that was known to increase their heart rates. When the rats received reiki before and during the noise, there was a significant reduction in heart rate as compared to not having reiki, or having sham reiki (untrained actors mimicking the hand positions). 

It is important to note that most of these (and other) studies done on reiki are small, and most have not been repeated. I think that they are still useful in helping us believe that reiki is effective. The brain is a potent healing tool and if we believe that a treatment will help us, it usually will. 

What’s a reiki session like?

A session starts with a conversation about your needs. This can occur over email for an asynchronous distance session or over video chat for a synchronous distance session. Once I understand what you’re looking for, you get to sit back and relax while I channel reiki for you. 

If we are on video chat, I’ll lead you into a gentle meditation to help your mind and body settle into the experience. This meditation is particularly helpful for folks who feel like their brain won’t settle down. 

During the session, you are welcome to be quiet and you are welcome to talk or ask questions. One of the beautiful things about reiki is that I don’t need to understand your challenges in a detailed way for reiki to help you. You’ll never be asked to disclose personal or private information that you don’t want to share. 

At the end of the session, I’ll give you a bit of time to come back to your body and awareness. Sometimes people (including me!) fall asleep in a session and that’s great - it means you needed a nap!

Afterwards we can chat about any experiences you have and I can tell you if I sensed anything in particular in your energy field. Then, you go about your day feeling great!

Ready to try it out? Click here to see my Offerings.

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