New to Reiki?

Benefits of Reiki, and How it Works

Benefits of Reiki

• Reiki works to deeply relax the body and relieve deep seated stress, often producing pronounced mitigation of symptoms and spontaneous healing.
• Reiki works on the physical, emotional and mental levels to improve mood, decrease recovery time, and improve health.
• Reiki is a very cost effective technique. Once learned at a one time class, it requires no special supplements, no special equipment, and no additional training to be amazingly effective on oneself and others.
• Reiki is a very time effective technique. While a full session is typically one to two hours, many practitioners self treat for just twenty minutes a day. Reiki does not require great concentration, so if your life does not allow time for privacy, peace and quiet, Reiki can be done if needed in cars, classrooms, or while watching TV.
• Reiki can be learned by anyone, and used on anyone. It does not require intellect, meditation, belief in Reiki (or anything else), great psychic ability or even years of practice to become proficient. It is safe, gentle, and effective. Reiki also dramatically increases the ability level of more experienced holistic practitioners.
• Reiki is gentle. Most people who receive it perceive it as a gentle warmth, or coolness, it tends to be soothing rather than overpowering.

What is Reiki

• Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing.
• Originally 'discovered' in Japan around 1914 by Mikao Usui who called it "The Secret Art of Inviting Happiness" Reiki has spread worldwide. It is used in hospitals, homes and businesses.
• Reiki is performed like laying on hands, with the practitioner placing their hands on or above the person. It is similar to healing techniques that have been used for thousands of years. It is typically felt as heat, often as if the practitioner's hands are very warm. Sometimes other phenomena are felt, such as cold, vibration, or muscle movement.
• While many people find Reiki to be very spiritual, it is not religious. It does not require any particular belief system, or even belief in Reiki or spiritual healing. This trait results in classes that have a great deal of religious diversity. Some teachers use an exclusively Christian viewpoint, talking about God and Jesus and perhaps guardian angels. Other teachers approach Reiki from a more secular viewpoint, and discuss only that healing occurs. Others use a more eclectic, combination viewpoint (as I do) and in addition to the above, may also mention spirit guides, Buddha. Kwan Yin or other divine beings. If you have any concerns about the language a teacher uses to talk about divine source, and can't just translate inside your own head, then discreetly mention this to the teacher.

There are many theories for how Reiki works:

• Life force energy or ki (chi is the chinese word) runs through all living things. Illness, trauma, and stress create blockages in the energy flow of a human being. Reiki works to energize, break up and release these blocks.
• The body has within it a perfect blueprint (DNA?) of what it is like to be a perfectly healthy, completely relaxed human being. Reiki works by reminding the body and easing the body back into this blueprint.

As a senior level teacher for the International Center For Reiki Training, Jessica recommends also exploring the center's official web site, www.reiki.org, the most complete general purpose Reiki site on the web. They have done such a good job with the basics, that I am free to focus this site on more sophisticated matters.