The Power Of Stress Reduction And Healing: What Is Reiki?

Feeling like the family taxi driver, cleaner, housekeeper, guidance counsellor, cook and, on top of all that, their mother…? Not a good amount of pressure to be under, especially if you begin to feel a bit under the weather.

A great number of today’s illnesses come about as a result of the stress and tension we experience as part of our modern lives. After an illness, an injury, stress or disease or bodies are often left in a state of imbalance. This means our vital energy pathways may be blocked and this prevents the body from working effectively.

Very different to medicine, the holistic complementary therapy approach to treating a person considers all aspects of their lives including lifestyle, diet, occupation and emotions, rather than just treating the symptoms of an illness like we're used to.

These types of therapies have been practised by ancient civilisations like the Chinese, the Egyptians, the Japanese and the Native American Indians, as far back as 10,000 BC.

This is where Reiki comes into play…

What is reiki?

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is performed by “laying on hands” or “hands on healing” as a form of complementary medicine and is based on the belief that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us. If your “life force energy” is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress and if it is high, we are able to feel happy and healthy. Sounds good...

What does reiki mean?

The word “Reiki” is made of two Japanese words, “Rei” which means “God’s Wisdom or the Higher Power” and “Ki” which means “life force energy”. So “Reiki” means “spiritually guided life force energy”… you learn something new everyday!

What is it based on?

Reiki is based on three concepts.

The first is that there is a universal life force energy that flows through all of life.

The second is that this Universal Energy can be accessed in a powerful and intentional way for the purpose of healing.

The third is that the body is actually programmed to heal itself.

What happens during the actual treatment?

Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit. The benefits include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing.

It is a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self-improvement that everyone can use. It also works with other medical and therapeutic techniques so you can easily experience the benefits of the treatment whilst still taking your prescribed medicine.

Also, you don’t have to be ill to feel the effects of Reiki, you can try it out in full health and see the benefits too...

During the treatment, the “laying” of hands on or slightly above the body allows the energy to flow through the practitioner as a channel and to another person. It is this energy that allows the body to heal itself.

Clients lie on a massage table, fully-clothed (no naked worries), eyes closed and listen to gentle, soothing music which helps to transfer you to a state of deep relaxation.

As the energy flows, some people feel warmth, heat, tingling and other sensations. Often people fall asleep so don’t fight the tiredness if you feel yourself nodding off!

So it’s spiritual, but not a religion?

Exactly. While Reiki is spiritual in nature, it is definitely not a religion. There is nothing you must believe to be able to use Reiki to your advantage. Many people find that Reiki puts them more in touch with their own religion, rather than just having the intellectual understanding of it.

It sounds great for my wellbeing…

It does, indeed. The Reiki principles are a set of “rules to live by” that the founder of Reiki, Dr Mikao Usui wrote. They are as follows:

Just for today, I will live the attitude of gratitude.

Just for today, I will not worry.

Just for today, I will not anger.

Just for today, I will do my work honestly.

Just for today, I will show love and respect to every living thing

The guidelines are used for Reiki practitioners to use in their spiritual development but everyone can benefit from them. They are a reminder that we should focus on the “now” of our lives. They also tell us that we can start each day with a clean slate, if the day beforehand didn’t go so well. Sounds like he understood what modern life was to bring to the world!

 

Fancy trying out Reiki for yourself? Reiki is only one of a number of complementary therapies covered under GloHealth Complementary Therapy personalised package.