Reiki

Reiki is a form of spiritual practice, used as a complementary therapy, proposed for the treatment of physical, emotional, and mental diseases.

Mikao Usui developed Reiki in early 20th century Japan, where he said he received the ability of 'healing without energy depletion' after three weeks of fasting and meditating on Mount Kurama.

Practitioners use a technique similar to the laying on of hands, which they say will channel "healing energy" (ki).

Practitioners state that energy flows through their palms to bring about healing and that the method can be used for self-treatment as well as treatment of others.
Theory Reiki teachings state that there is a universal 'life force' energy, which can be accessed by practitioners to induce a healing effect. It is claimed by believers that anyone can gain access to this energy by means of an attunement process carried out by a Reiki Master.

The belief is that the energy will flow through the practitioner's hands whenever the hands are placed on, or held near a potential recipient.

Some teachings stress the importance of the practitioner's intention or presence in this process, while others claim that the energy is drawn by the recipient's injury to activate or enhance the natural healing processes.

Going further, the belief is that the 'energy' is 'intelligent', making diagnosis unnecessary. A second level of training, including another initiation, is said to equip the practitioner to perform Reiki treatments from a distance.

This method, it is stated, involves the use of special symbols to form a temporary connection between the practitioner and the recipient, regardless of location, and then to send the Reiki energy.
Techniques are also taught whereby Reiki can be sent to a specific point in time, either in the past or the future. The energy involved in a Reiki treatment is said to be 'from the Universe,' rather than the personal energy of the practitioner, and is therefore inexhaustible. (Some teachings say that the energy enters the practitioner through the crown chakra at the top of the head, before being emitted from the hands.) As a consequence, Reiki practitioners are taught that they can treat themselves with Reiki.

Reiki is also used by practitioners as preventative medicine, as it is claimed that the energy encourages healing before any noticeable symptoms have emerged.
Another consequence of the simplicity of Reiki is that it can be taught to children. Some teachers state that if, on some level, the intended recipient does not wish to be healed, the energy will not flow. Reiki is described by adherents as a holistic therapy which brings about healing on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels.

It is said that healing may occur in any or all of these domains in a single treatment, without any conscious direction needed by either the practitioner or the recipient

Treatments

Whole body Treatment
In a typical whole-body Reiki treatment, the practitioner asks the recipient to lie down, usually on a massage table, and relax. Loose, comfortable clothing is usually worn during the treatment.
The practitioner might take a few moments to enter a calm or meditative state of mind and mentally prepare for the treatment.

The treatment proceeds with the practitioner placing his hands on the recipient in various positions. However, some practitioners use a non-touching technique, where the hands are held a few centimeters away from the recipient's body, for some or all of the positions. The hands are usually kept still for 3 to 5 minutes before moving to the next position.
Overall, the hand positions usually give a general coverage of the head, the front and back of the torso, the knees and feet. Between 12 and 20 positions are used, with the whole treatment lasting 45 to 90 minutes. Duration of whole body treatment. Some practitioners use a fixed set of hand positions. Others use their intuition to guide them as to where treatment is needed,Use of intuition sometimes starting the treatment with a 'scan' of the recipient to find such areas.

The intuitive approach might also lead to individual positions being treated for much shorter or longer periods of time.
It is reported that the recipient often feels warmth or tingling in the area being treated, even when a non-touching approach is being used. A state of deep relaxation, combined with a general feeling of well-being, is usually the most noticeable immediate effect of the treatment, although emotional releases can also occur. Immediate effects of treatment as the Reiki treatment is said to be stimulating natural healing processes, instantaneous 'cures' of specific health problems are not usually observed.

A series of three or more treatments, typically at intervals of 1 to 7 days, is usually recommended if a chronic condition is being addressed. Regular treatments, on an on-going basis, can be used with the aim of maintaining well-being. The interval between such treatments is typically in the range of 1 to 4 weeks, except in the case of self-treatment when a daily practice is common.

Localized Treatment
Localized Reiki treatments involve the practitioner's hands being held on or near a specific part of the body.
Recent injuries are usually treated in this way, treatment of injuries with the site of injury being targeted.
There is great variation in the duration of such treatments, though 20 minutes might be typical.

Links

Reiki Association	UK Reiki Association
Reiki Organization	UK Reiki Organization

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