Reiki, a specialized form of spiritual healing has its roots in Japan that involves touch therapy provided by the giver (or the practitioner) to the client or health care seeker. The term Rei means “Universal Life” and Ki means “Energy”. The term clearly implies that the energy is channelized through the body of the taker through special touches which may be a direct body contact or the hands of the giver may be placed at a particular position maintaining a certain distance from the body of the client.
Reiki is not a form of massage, but a spiritual guidance leading the life energy Ki through right channels in the body.
Reiki has been popularized by the Buddhist Mikao Usui who used this special technique of palm healing for treatments. Reiki practitioners believe that touching by palms they are able to direct the life force or energy in such a manner creating favorable grounds for quick healing. As per inscriptions, Usui taught this Reiki practice to more than 2000 people before he died in 1926.
Reiki is considered as ‘pseudoscience’, and due to lack of empirical evidence about the existence of life force or ‘Qi’, this practice is not supported by globally renowned medical authorities and neither is it considered as a replacement to conventional treatments. However, some physicians do assert that Reiki greatly promotes the general wellbeing of a human being.
Dr Usui’s Reiki treatment is based on basic five principles. He believed that a Reiki practitioner must be in the best form of wellbeing both physically and mentally to enable effective transfer of life force through the body of the sufferer. He developed five strategies based on basic human virtues and guided his students towards this spiritual treatment form. A Reiki treatment giver should reach a certain level of spiritual enlightenment to provide an effective treatment to one who needs it.
Dr Usui’s 5 principles were:
Just For Today, Do not be angry
Just For Today, Do not worry
Just For Today, Be grateful
Just For Today, Work hard
Just For Today, be kind to others
The above principles are clear indications that human beings strictly practicing this dictum would be altogether a different type of personality almost nearing to godliness. A person achieving such a high level of spiritualism well realizes other’s disorders and turmoil and can provide Reiki treatment in the most effective manner. Mental wellness is the basis of general well being. An unhealthy and disturbed mind affects the free flow of vital energy giving rise to serious ailments.
Dr Usui believed that anger causes a huge damage in our life energy or vitality and that should be conquered. Worry, on a similar note, reduces the positive effect of life’s vital energy which in due course of time manifests through a lot of ailments.
Being grateful, showering kindness and hard work drives in positive energy which helps the giver in providing the best Reiki treatment.
A typical Reiki session lasts for 60-90 minutes. A Reiki practitioner will have a discussion with the treatment seeker or client about his/her problems and will explain the treatment procedure. The client should normally wear loose fitting clothes and should be in a relaxed condition.
At the start of the session, the treatment seeker will lie on a massage table in a relaxed position without any shoes. The treatment can also be provided with the client sitting on a chair. The session can be hands-on or touch therapy where the practitioner will apply touches with the palms on specific points of the client’s body. Reiki can be hands-off as well where there is no need to touch. The practitioner will place his/her palms at a certain level above the client’s body. The client can express his/her preference to opt for hands-on or hands-off therapy.
The Reiki practitioner then moves his/her palms starting either from the client’s head or feet. The client may experience a warm or tingling sensation or ultimate relaxation. This state of achieving the ultimate mental relaxation is the objective of Reiki.
The primary benefit of Reiki is to achieve the highest point of mental relaxation removing all worries, miseries and tensions from the client’s mind. Reiki cannot treat symptoms of illness but definitely provides favorable conditions for fast healing ultimately leading to the cure of the disease.