What IS Reiki???

A lot of us have heard of Reiki….. but what IS it actually?

Reiki is a form of energy healing in which an attuned practitioner channels universal energy to a being with the goal of helping improve the balance and flow of their personal energy.

Before I go into a deeper explanation, let’s get into an open mind space together.  Sit somewhere you feel safe and comfortable without distraction.  (Normally we would close our eyes, but that would make it a bit tough to keep reading!)  Take in a slow deep breath through your nose.  Now gradually exhale that air out through your mouth.  Do this a few times until you have reached a point of calmness where you can be completely present in this moment. 

We are all multi-layered beings.  We consist of a physical body, a mind (thoughts and emotions), and a spirit (or soul).  We also contain energy – both inside that physical body as well as in a field surrounding it.  When the energy within us becomes unbalanced or blocked, it can show as symptoms on any of those levels.  Each level can then impact the others, in a positive and/or negative direction.  These imbalances/blocks can then form the base of dis-ease within our being, on any or all of those levels.

A practitioner who has been attuned to Reiki (for which there are multiple levels) will use meditation on a focused intention, as well as visualization of the aura, chakras, and meridians,  to channel this universal life force energy to their client.  

The aura is the energy field that surrounds each being.  The chakras are seven points along the center line of a being’s body that each serve as a center for certain aspects of their physical, emotional, and spiritual energy. The meridians are twelve paths that bring that energy from the central line out to the body’s organs.

The Reiki practitioner may also use other sensory “keys” to help them achieve the best meditative state for the channeling of this healing  energy.  These keys are often tied into our senses.  For example:   Incorporating the sense of hearing using music.  Incorporating the sense of smell using essential oils or incense.  Incorporating the senses of sight and touch using crystals or gemstones. These are just a few ways both the channel and the energy itself can be amplified.  

When in person, the laying on of hands can be used,  with the Reiki practitioner’s hands hovering just off their client’s body, however this is not necessary. Healing sessions can be carried out every bit as successfully from a distance.  With this in mind, it should empower every pet owner to realize that their animal can benefit from Reiki energy healing sessions no matter where they live and what their schedule is like.

So what can Reiki do? 

Other cultures have long acknowledged the existence of an etheric life force energy within us all.  In Japan, they call it “Ki”  (as in rei-ki).  In China, they call it “Chi”  (as in tai-chi),  In India, it is called  â€œPrana”. 

In recent years, the United States has begun acknowledging the benefits of Reiki, with new studies showing the “positive biological response” of decreased respiratory rate, heart rate, and blood pressure, as well as decreased stress, anxiety, depression, and pain.  

Many hospitals have started to offer Reiki to their patients, including the Integrative Medicine Program at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital who’s very own Dr. Mehmet Oz has been quoted as saying “Reiki has become a sought-after healing art among patients and mainstream medical professionals.” The American Medical Association (AMA) has even added “Complementary and Alternative Medical Treatments” to it’s list of billable therapies. 

What it all comes down to is that We Are All Energy. 

We are all made of molecules, and all molecules contain energy.  Energy can not be created out of nothing, nor can it be destroyed – it can only change forms.  (Which is also why it is possible to send Reiki to loved beings who have departed – since their energy lives on.)

What Reiki does is tap into that energy.  To help the flow of that energy.  To help improve the body-mind-spirit of the being that energy inhabits.  It’s that simple…. and that complex, all at the same time. 

It’s not instantaneous.  No block created over time can be instantly remedied.  But with patience, and an openness to the parts of this world we can’t see  (We know germs are real even though we can’t see them!) and don’t always easily understand,   it is there to offer us healing. 

All we have to do is focus our positive intentions and open ourselves to the energy all around us.

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