Reiki is an ancient, energetic healing technique, discipline; a modality that remerged in the late 19th century. Its origins are said to hail back to India and Tibet from a time much further away. As it is now, Reiki found its reemergence in Japan and so the name Rei, meaning Universal Life and Ki meaning energy are what we know it as today. Reiki is not a religion. If anything, reiki can be considered a spiritual experience and, in the time to come, will be known as more than a subtle science.

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When a practitioner runs or channels reiki, Universal Life Energy, or divine energy, works with the body through energy centers called chakras. The transference of energy clears, balances and harmonizes energy. Chakra is translated to mean "wheel", "circle" or "point". These energy centers are as common and part of us as any receptors found within us cellularly and molecularly. The main chakras are located around major glands, organs and systems of our bodies. Each chakra represents a different attribute of the human and when balanced allows the human to thrive optimally.

 

During a session, the practitioner channels Universal Life (rei) Energy (ki) to help balance and clear the energy centers of the body and works with the receiver's intention to heal and promotes an internal homeostasis that contributes to the process. I often call this the "faith" aspect of reiki. The receiver must be in that state of mind, ready to accept healing on all levels and surrender to the process regardless of what the outcome may be. It is important to note that the source of this energy is universal and seeded in love and therefore can do no harm, nor can the energy be directed for selfish intent. It is an intelligent energy and goes where it is needed. It is an energy that balances and harmonizes. It brings in life and love, and allows the individual to find relief, release and raise their internal vibration or frequency.

 

Humans are energetic beings, electric and ethereal; with the energies cleared of the human body through these chakra points, the receiver is given an opportunity to balance emotions and mental occupations. There is a true connection, correlation if you will, between the emotional and mental aspects of our body existence and the physical aspect of our body experience. Being our existence is energetic first, and that we are here having a physical experience, balancing the mind and emotions, harmonizing the root aspect of deeper seeded experience, allows our physical body to then utilize fresh or reenergized energies, to help with a more optimal functionality; relief, allows our bodies to focus on using its innate knowledge for healing.

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From a physical standpoint, the session is noninvasive and can be done sitting, lying down, with or without placing the hands on the body and even from a distance. Distance sessions provide the same benefit as in person session, so the experience of session is really dependent on the receiver's preference. The overall experience of session depends on the practitioner and how they received their training, along with what their guidance suggests. In a session with me, there may be moments when I guide the receiver through visual, sound or breathing techniques, relaxation techniques. Sounds and breath maybe used as well as charged metals, crystals or sound tools. As a practitioner who works through the Raku Kei Usi Shiki Ryoho discipline of study, guidance is done intuitively and therefore the hand system, is at times not used, hand placement, when consented by the receiver, may occur. Along with this a moment before and after session to discuss expectation and experience.

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Overall, an important thing to remember is that because every living being has these energy centers, every living being has the ability to channel reiki. I like to give the relatable example of a mother who may place her hands on or kiss a wound of her child; its instinctual, innate and an automatic intention for a mother to want to heal her child. The primary thing that sets a studied disciplined, practitioner apart is the process of receiving the attunements. The best way I have described what these attunements provide is to liken the channel of energy with that of a pin hole. This is not to say that an unattuned individual literally has a channel that size but to illustrate; an attuned individual receives an amplification or greater opening, allowing for a focused, higher level of energy to run through the channel. These attunements can only be passed on from a teacher to a student, a very sacred and traditional aspect of becoming a practitioner. This is why one can study and research as much as desired, independently, however, to garner the full benefit of the practice, studying with a master/teacher practitioner is always beneficial, especially if seeking that level of understanding and ability; there is much wisdom through experience that can be shared this way.

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There is a transactional nature or element to a session. The transaction exemplifies and honors the receiver's intentions, devotion, or desire to undergo the process of session; to demonstrate the readiness to release stagnant, old energies from whatever aspect of their body is ready for that release: emotional, mental or physical. The reason why the transactional demonstration is important is quite simple and it comes in the form of a question: does one truly appreciate what they have not worked for, invested in or have plainly just not placed a personal stake in? To illustrate we have the story of Mikao Usi's experience upon bringing reiki to a village once he rediscovered reiki all those years ago. He, being a man of good faith and character, started healing those around him willingly. He worked with the homeless and ailed and observed many great outcomes in doing so until he discovered that some of those who had healed ended up in the same conditions or worse within a given amount of time. These were those who had no stake in their healing, it was taken for granted and there was no gratitude for the gift. He realized that a transaction was required not only to show the intention of the seeker but to symbolize their desire to heal before God, the Divine and the Universe. This transactional aspect is different for every practitioner but usually comes in the form of a simple payment for the session.

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Through past experience, I have been told that a reiki session is beneficial for the mind and emotions more so than for the physical body. The relief, for most, has been great and beneficial. I often share that truly, most ailments, dis-eases in the physical body have a genesis, a birthplace, in emotions and mental occupations. It's not to say that the physical aspect of healing isn't present or doesn't occur; nor is it to say that something like a miraculous remission hasn't or won't take place. Often, I regard the physical aspect of healing as the great "side effect" of being mentally and emotionally balanced. Both of those aspects of the human existence, the emotions and the mind, intertwine so intricately with the physical experience that most do not recognize physical ailments have great potential to begin there. Once the body has relief from the mental and emotional, whatever ails the physical body then benefits, this can happen knowingly or unknowingly.