I recognized my mental health was suffering and wondered what else I could add to my action plan to feel better fast. Since out-of-the-box thinking aligns with me, I typed into the Google search box “complementary and alternative therapies for mental health.” As I scrolled through the suggestions my focus landed on energy healing. Consequently, I went down the rabbit hole of discovering more about energy healing which led me more specifically to Reiki (pronounced “ray-key”).
I was intrigued.
I searched, “Reiki near me” and was surprised to find a Groupon deal for a place very close by. As soon as I saw the deal was 2 sessions for $26, I bought the Groupon thinking to myself, “Well, I’ll try anything once!” I had no idea, at that time, how much of a role Reiki would play in my personal healing.
What is Reiki?
Reiki is a combination of two Japanese words. Firstly, the word Rei, means “universal” or “Devine.” Secondly the word, Ki meaning “energy.” Likewise, Ki is synonymous with the word Chi in Chinese and Prana in Indian. In brief, Reiki means universal life force energy.
A trained practitioner helps to guide the flow of universal life force energy through a person’s body. Interestingly, the energy does not come from the practitioner, rather it is guided by a higher power or Devine universal source of love. As a result, the flow of energy enhances the body’s innate power to heal.
Reiki for holistic healing
Did I lose you?
I don’t intend to confuse or make you uncomfortable with this description. Yet, I know it may occur. I was skeptical with a certain level of confusion at first, too! I am a very open-minded person, yet I also have an inner critic and skeptic that wants proof and evidence-based science. Certainly, I did not learn energy healing in nursing school, at least not in this way. (Although, I do wish I would have).
I was drawn to Reiki when I was ready to initiate my healing journey. Kind of like the saying when the student is ready, the teacher appears. Healing, in contrast to curing, requires trust in the process and a willingness to be open to a different way. That is to say, it’s still hard to describe Reiki to people who are adamantly resistant to this concept. Above all, I love the way I feel during and after a session and that keeps it high on my list of favorite healing tools.
While it is a little more difficult to research energy healing compared to tangible healing modalities, there ARE studies that show the benefits of Reiki. One such study was conducted at Harvard University and published in 2022 in the Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine. You can find it here.
How is Reiki done?
A Reiki practitioner uses gentle touch on or above the body with specific hand positions. The practitioner activates the Reiki energy at the beginning of the session and uses his or her hands to guide the flow of energy. During the session, the Reiki energy flows through the healer and at the same time to the person who receives it.
A traditional session is offered in a quiet setting with the recipient sitting or lying down. The session typically lasts 30-60 minutes and is noninvasive. Contrary to a massage, you remain fully clothed during the session.
Where did Reiki come from?
Dr. Mikao Usui, born in Japan, developed Reiki training in the early 1900s. Practitioners from Japan brought Reiki to the United States in the 1930s. In America, Reiki has use in many settings including independent practices and health care settings. Reiki is gaining traction as a holistic healing modality and has made its way into hospitals, hospice, mental health, nursing homes and home health as a relaxation tool that brings balance, healing and stress relief into a person’s life.
What are the benefits of Reiki?
Reiki is a tool to help improve the health and wellbeing of anyone who is open to the experience. It is important to note that Reiki is not intended to take the place of medical treatment. Without reservation, using this energy healing modality in conjunction with traditional medical treatments for any symptom or diagnosis can compliment the healing process. Reiki is a healing modality for anyone to enjoy. With this in mind, here are some of the benefits Reiki provides:
- Brings about a state of deep relaxation
- Relieves or releases physical and emotional pain
- Calms the mind and body
- Helps get rid of toxins
- Dissolves energy blockages in the body
- Releases tension and negative stress
- Rebalances the body’s energy
- Improves health and well-being
- Lowers blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate during sessions
My first session
During my first Reiki session, I could feel sensations of tingling racing through my body. Concurrently, I felt warmth in some areas and coolness in others. I especially remember the emotion of sadness that swept in when the practitioner cradled the back of my head in her hands. In that moment, I remembered a loss I had experienced a few years prior that I had not fully allowed myself to grieve. I felt the sadness release as she moved to the next area of my body. Markedly, I felt different emotions as she touched different areas of my body. In fact, these were emotions that I didn’t realize I was holding. My right arm held gratitude for my friendships, the mid back expressed fear related to my life situation. Additionally, my legs gave insight on being grounded, or in my case at that time, lack thereof.
I had no idea that my body could “talk” to me in this way.
Although I was laying completely still, I could feel all of this emotional energy coming up and out during the session. As a matter of fact, I was in awe of the whole process! After the 30-minute session the practitioner talked about how she could sense porous boundaries and gave some helpful recommendations. Indeed, my first Reiki session blew my mind. The accuracy of her words and the clarity I felt was impressive. Even more, I experienced relaxation and also started to notice my body in a different way after that first healing session.
My Reiki Journey
As time went on, I continued to experience Reiki from several other practitioners. Never have I ever had a “bad” Reiki session. Instead, each session seemed to be exactly what I needed at that moment, even if I didn’t know what I needed going into it. With that being said, I continue to experience reiki right alongside talk therapy, journaling, reading, and self-reflection and I have no doubt there is a synergistic effect. Those porous boundaries I once had are now replaced with healthy personal, professional and energetic boundaries. In fact, the profound awareness, relaxation and healing I received from this form of energy healing inspired me to become a Reiki practitioner myself. I am very grateful to be able to share universal lifeforce energy with myself, my friends and more recently, my patients in the integrative medicine office where I work.
What do my patients say?
Undeniably, the most common response I hear after a session is, “Wow, I feel so calm and relaxed.” Several people report seeing swirling colors or visual images during the healing session. Additionally, people describe physical body sensations such as tingling, a whooshing, or a sense of lightness or release. Sometimes tears flow. Tears of joy can occur as one remembers a happy memory. In another way, the tears may release because the person realized how much they have been holding it (emotions) all in and now feel safe to let it go.
After a few weeks of once per week sessions, one patient realized that, “Reiki helps me slow down-I literally lay down for 30 minutes and pay attention to what my body knows and is trying to tell me.” Another woman said, “I felt flutters of joy and happiness around my heart.” At other times, people snore through the sessions due to the deep relaxation they feel.
Will you try the energy healing experience?
In conclusion, I hope you learned something here about Reiki. Above all, holistic healing incorporates mind, body, and spirit as one instead of separating each individually. Reiki is one of my favorite holistic healing tools as it provides a solid foundation for healing from a place of universal love and compassion. Additionally, I have experienced profound insights during and after Reiki sessions and I am so grateful to be able to share this type of healing with others.
Does energy healing intrigue you? Will you give Reiki a try for yourself?
Have you experienced Reiki? What was your experience like?