Healing Hands

The History of Reiki:

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. This technique is administered by a Reiki practitioner laying hands on the patient and is based on the idea that an unseen life force energy flows through us, and is what causes us to be stress-free, happy and healthy. If life force energy is low, then sickness is more likely to occur, as well as stress, and unhappiness. However, when having a high life force energy than more positive outcomes occur.

Reiki for Beginners by Jessica Joly defines the meaning behind the word Reiki. The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means God's Wisdom or the Higher Power and Ki which is life force energy. So, Reiki is spiritually guided life force energy, and it is a simple, natural and safe spiritual healing and self-improvement that everyone can use.

This healing technique was founded by Mikao Usui, born in Kioki, Japan in 1860. As Jolly explains Usui was a seeker who wanted to learn more, and as he went on with life, he became adamant about finding the secret teachings and healing methods of other individuals. He did this by finding enlightenment for himself by meditating and fasting for three weeks in the mountains. With this clarification, Usui opened a Reiki clinic and began teaching his community and healing those who needed it. Before he died in March of 1926 Usui taught this technique to over 2,000 people.

Reiki Today:

Reiki has been around for almost 160 years and in today's modern world, most people is starting to see the benefits in Reiki healing. “I think as a society we are finally arriving at a place where science and spirituality converge and work together more cohesively than once thought possible. One is moving towards trying to disprove the other less and less” explains Elyssa Williams, a Reiki practitioner in York, Pennsylvania. We have become a more open society to different forms of treatment.

According to an article written by Larraine M. Bossi entitled Reiki as a Clinical Intervention in Oncology Nursing Practice, summarizes the effects Reiki has in the medical field. In the first year that Reiki treatments were offered, more than 100 Reiki sessions were provided. Women used this service more than men. At least 80% of the referrals were for symptom management, for pain, anxiety, nausea, and sleep disturbance. No negative side effects were reported from any of the Reiki treatments; however, many statements offered by patients described positive benefits from the Reiki treatments.

Many people who suffer from chronic illness do Reiki treatments to help with pain, stress, and anxiety management. Reiki treatments are among the many options for Cancer patients to help with symptoms. Reiki today is being acknowledged as a helpful and safe treatment within the medical field. Many doctors will invite a Reiki practitioner in the surgery room to keep an eye on the patient and provide good energy throughout the room.

“Our bodies can do miraculous things; we must put them in a place where healing can take place, less stress, less worry, less fear, less insecurity,” mentions Helene Williams, another Reiki practitioner, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Many chronic illness patients who get Reiki treatments say the experience is real. Patients experience the ability to relax more, less stress, and less anxiety that leads to more clear decision making.

Becoming a Reiki Practitioner:

The journey to becoming a Reiki Practitioner such as different classes for Reiki as well as healing takes time. Elyssa Williams shared insight into her journey to becoming a Reiki practitioner and how she was told she had healing hands. “I was introduced to Reiki by booking a session with a friend. It was very relaxing and enjoyable. I was surprised to experience noticeable shifts in one chakra/ part of my body. Later during a Vision Quest, I was told I had healing hands and was guided to channel energy in my hands and place them on my injured shoulder to find complete relief almost immediately.” Mikao Usui fasting for three weeks and meditating , is exactly what Elyssa Williams went through that brought her a clear vision.

“A vision quest is a self-reflective journey where you spend a period of three days and three nights alone in the mountains/with the land, with no food, water or contact with anyone or anything other than the elements as you create and hold sacred space meditating and offering up prayers for divine healing and transformation.” After returning home from her vision quest, that’s when she decided she would pursue Reiki and learn Mikao Usui Method.

Helene Williams got her start in Reiki different from the experience Elyssa Williams had. “I first learned about Reiki when I began working at Lancaster General Health in 2007. My manager had just taken a Reiki class and she was so touched by the practice that she arranged for a Reiki Master/Teacher to come into the hospital to train those of us who were interested. From there, I took many classes all over the country and explored classes from different Reiki lineages, which run from traditional to very Westernized.” Everyone will share a different experience when they have their first Reiki session and continuing to introduce Reiki in the medical field can make a difference with patients, nurses, and doctors.

What to expect during a Reiki session:

“A Reiki session typically consists of 30 to 90-minute sessions, depending on the client or patient preference and what they are there for. The patient can be laying down or sitting up, typically you would lie down on your back on a table. Some people fall asleep as it is extremely relaxing. The practitioner will perform Byosen, using their hands to scan and feel imbalance and disease in the physical body. Based on what they learned from the Byosen, they will move to the parts of the body that needed cleansing or balancing first," explains Elyssa Williams. After the session is complete, it's encouraged to take time coming back to your physical awareness and taking your time sitting up. It's important to drink lots of water after the session and there may be a discussion after the session or sometimes just before, depending on the individual scenario mentioned Elyssa Williams.

Depending on why a patient is getting Reiki and what part of the body needs the healing, a Reiki practitioner can perform different Reiki treatments. “There are over 35 different ways to practice Reiki. More Westernized versions include things like crystals, shamanic practices, and psychic readings. Traditional practices are more focused on healing the practitioner so that when they share Reiki with others it is done from a much grounded place.” As Helene Williams stated Reiki is done from a grounded place. When on the journey to becoming a Reiki Practitioner, the student must heal and be at a place of peace to receive the energy used to heal others. The job of the Reiki practitioner is to remove negative energy to heal the patient of stress, sickness, and anxiety in the body. “We have to be at peace with ourselves to share peace with others. One other important piece for Reiki Practitioners to remember is that they are not the ones doing the healing – they are just holding the space of loving energy for the client/patient to work on their healing process,” explains Helene Williams. Reiki can do amazing things in an individual life, but it’s all about believing that we can bring forth the peace and energy to heal ourselves from the inside.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Reiki is something extraordinary to many people and has been beneficial to many lives. If reading this article doesn’t remove the skepticism a person has surrounding Reiki, remember, keeping an open mind is one of the many steps to self-healing. Elyssa Williams stated, "Don’t knock it until you try it." I’ve had some of the biggest skeptics of all receive a session with me and even they could not deny what they were feeling or experiencing. The benefits are endless, anything and everything from improved sleep patterns, better communication skills, healthier relationships, resiliency, improving organ function, the endocrine system, circulatory system, and on and on." If reading this article grasped your attention and you want to embark on the Reiki Journey, it is encouraged to do so. Helene Williams said, “I suggest that anyone who wants to begin their Reiki Practitioner journey read some books about the practice and experience a session. It’s a beautiful place to learn about the practice.” Reiki has touched many lives since 1860, and it can especially touch your life if you give it a try.