What is Reiki?

It is believed that ancient Chinese Qigong is the foundation of all energy work --- including Reiki, T'ai Chi, Martial Arts, Feng Shui, and even Yoga. (The Healing Promise of Qi, R. Jahnke) Energy is both internal, within the human body, and also extends beyond it, externally, into our environment and into the universe. Any blockages or disruptions from stress, in the flow of this energy through the twelve physical energy channels called meridians, or in the chakra system, has proven to lead directly to many physical, mental, and emotional disorders.

What is Reiki?
Reiki (pronounced "Ray-key") is a Japanese word which means universal spiritual life force energy. It is a very non-intrusive method of hands-on healing that works with this universal energy to balance an individual's energy system. This natural healing system is based on the teachings of a Japanese man, Mikao Usui, who believed that by tapping into this energy, or "ki", one can heal the physical body. He studied for many years, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Tibetan Sanskrit texts, Buddhist Sutras, teachings of great spiritual Masters, and Japanese Qigong, called "Kiko". He came to the United States for further study into spiritual healing, and subsequently founded the Usui system of healing. Reiki practitioners from all over the world, from religious and non-religious backgrounds, have felt a deepening awareness of their own desire for spirituality, personal transformation and growth. (Interested individuals can become certified in Reiki I, II, and go on to become Reiki Master/Teachers at Level III, and share this compassionate healing practice with others.)

"Reiki is not massage, hypnosis, or even a tool to diagnose any illness. It is a technique that addresses both chronic and acute conditions, gently and powerfully promoting balance among all the body's systems and the normal regenerative processes of the body and mind."

What is a Reiki Relaxation Session like?

	"For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee...saith the Lord..." -Jeremiah 30:17

You come to a session fully clothed in loose, comfortable clothing. Reiki can be given either in a seated position, or lying on a massage table. The Reiki practitioner uses a series of hand placements either on or slightly above your head, shoulders, back, chest, stomach and limbs. The universal, spiritual, life force energy flows through the trained practitioner's hands, and not from the practitioner, directly to you. This allows the natural vibrational energy to bring your body, mind, and spirit back into healthy balance and homeostasis. Some people feel warmth, a deep sense of relaxation and calm, others experience emotional releases, and even personal healing.

Benefits of Reiki/Reiki and Health Care
Medical research has shown Reiki can -
• reduce pain, including cancer pain, following Reiki treatments
• improve immune and nervous system functioning
• increase mobility in patients with multiple schlerosis, fibromyalgia, and generalized joint pain
• improve anxiety, depression, and stress
• increase satisfaction from patients using Reiki treatments pre-and post-surgery
• complement medical treatments, natural therapies, and massage therapy (and, is beginning to be practiced in many hospital environments)

There is currently a two-year $400,000 study funded by NIH's Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, with work conducted by the Center for Urban Health Policy and Research at Albert Einstein Healthcare Network, to study Reiki's impact on people living with advanced AIDS. The hope is that this study will "bridge the gap between conventional bio-medical care and complementary therapies." (Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper, 2003)

(Source for this information: Reiki for Everyone, D. Moore, 2001)