Reiki, which translates to “spiritually guided life force energy,” is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine healing that has several benefits
Key takeaways:
Reiki is a form of energy healing.
Reiki masters push energy along the body with specific movements, symbols, and mantras.
Advocates believe it can treat many challenging conditions and emotional states.
Reiki, a word that derives from the Japanese words "rei" (universal) and "ki" (life energy), has been practiced for thousands of years. Its current form dates back to the early 1920s when the first reiki school and clinic began in Tokyo, Japan. There were already four other forms or "elements" of reiki practiced in Japan as early as the 1800s, ultimately equaling five types of reiki.
Reiki is also practiced in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Its focus is on qi, aka energy, the basic substance of which the world and our bodies are composed. Qi is in a state of continuous flux and can sometimes stagnate in our bodies, causing blockages. Reiki, as an energy healing art, reinvigorates the qi in TCM and relieves pain, aches, and stress.
This form of alternative medicine involves the transfer of universal energy from the practitioner's palms to their patient. While it is hard to prove its efficacy scientifically, over 1.2 million American adults have tried it and over 60 hospitals in the United States offer reiki services to their patients alongside traditional Western medicine treatments.
Reiki isn't completely mystifying, although its benefits can seem like magic. There are scientific facts behind it. A study from Hartford Hospital, for instance, showed reiki patients experienced reduced fatigue and had improvements in their sleep.
We will walk through what reiki entails, including the five elements, how they are used, and their benefits.
Reiki precepts
Precepts are a code of practice. They are mantras that reiki practitioners live by and teach to their patients as part of their journey. They encourage individuals to be mindful and reinforce the connection between mind and body.
Patients and students are encouraged to repeat these mantras aloud to start and then silently throughout the session for maximum benefits. In essence, these precepts are the entire system of reiki boiled down to five simple concepts.
The five reiki precepts are:
Do not anger
Do not worry
Be grateful
Work diligently
Be kind to others
Reiki meditations and techniques
Reiki meditation encourages practitioners, students, and patients to be aware of and responsible for the healing happening before them. It differs from other forms of meditation which focus on clearing the mind. With reiki meditation, instead of removing the consciousness of everything, you focus on the energy field around and within you. Techniques used in reiki meditation are:
Zen
Cleansing
Center Finger
Chakra focus
This type of meditation sometimes involves drawing reiki symbols to make you more present in the moment.
A hands-on or off healing modality
Reiki is performed by placing the hands or palms lightly on the body or hovering above it to move energy along the seven chakras of the body. Masters use specific hand movements, reiki symbols, and mantras to direct the energy and break through blockages in the flow.
Reiki symbols
Reiki symbols were once held in secrecy and only revealed to students by a master teacher during initiation. There are five symbols in the Reiki Healing system. Using these symbols activates a patient's energy field and builds it up significantly. Symbols are activated by tracing them onto the body, such as on the third eye and along the chakras.
The five reiki symbols are:
Cho ku rei – Power
Sei hei ki – Mental/emotional harmony
Hon sha ze sho nen – Distance connection
Dai ko myo – Master enlightenment
Raku - Completion
Reiju and attunements
The practitioner performs the reiju ritual while the patient or student sits in a chair. The practitioner will cleanse the energy around the person using a hands-off approach. It provides a space for the student to draw qi through the body.
Reiju is for attuning the student with their new sight with the intent of reminding them of their connection to the earth. A reiju is completed after each level of reiki. It does not include symbols or mantras. The only thing that changes is the student as they grow spiritually with each session.
Benefits of reiki
The primary benefit of reiki is the feeling of balance that occurs after a session. Numerous studies have documented the relief of pain and anxiety. The entire process focuses on breaking through blockages in your personal energy that are causing illnesses and trauma. This balancing of energy brings about benefits such as:
Accelerates self-healing abilities
Instills deep relaxation
Helps relieve pain
Compliments Western medicine practices
Improves focus
Lowers heart rate
Reiki healer and master status
To identify as a reiki healer, one should go through two levels of training. There is additional training to become a reiki master. It is vital to know your practitioners' level of training to reap the maximum benefits.
Reiki is one of many forms of TCM that is effective in pain management and treating emotional disorders such as depression and PTSD. This noninvasive therapy successfully manipulates the body’s energy force alone, with other TCM therapies, or in conjunction with a Western approach.
Help is here when you need us
Reiki and its many benefits are a simple yet intricate concept. We can help you understand how it works and if it’s right for you.
Eacuwell is a health, well-being, and longevity center that takes a holistic, functional approach to your physical and physiological state using a deliberate combination of Eastern and Western medicinal practices. Your holistic approach is designed to identify, address, and alleviate the underlying causes of symptoms, ailments, and disease to ultimately return your patients to a state of ideal health and well-being.
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