What is Reiki?

I feel like most people have at least heard of Reiki, but may not necessarily know what it is, how it works, and how I use it with my clients. Recently, I re-visited a book I’ve had on my shelf for years titled simply Reiki, A Comprehensive Guide by Pamela Miles. If you want an in-depth explanation of the history, science, positive effects, and the how and why of becoming trained yourself, I highly recommend beginning with this book. Even having read it many years ago, the calling to re-read it has reminded me why I was first interested in the workings of Reiki and begin my training in this very unique practice.

I had first experienced Reiki in my 20’s when a friend of the family had recently completed her training and she offered to give me a short mini-treatment on the couch, surrounded by my boisterous Italian-Irish family who carried on with their conversations and cocktails as if magic wasn’t even happening in the same room. As soon as she placed her hands on my back, I felt a warmth and calming sensation, and after a few more minutes I could feel an awareness of a mix of subtle vibration, electricity, and pulsing being emitted from the palms of her hands. I was instantly intrigued and after a series of questions for her, I knew I would eventually receive my training and certification to become a Level One Reiki practitioner. Thirty years later (I just counted that out and had an age-realization mini heart attack) she is still practicing and tolerating our expanded and still vociferous family :)

So what were those sensations I experienced and now extend to my clients? How does it work? Where does it come from? What are the benefits? These are questions I get asked, so let’s delve in a bit.

Author Pamela Miles offers a wonderful explanation of what Reiki is and does, so allow me to quote from her book. “Reiki is a spiritual practice that can help return us to balanced functioning on every level; physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, even social-regardless of our age or state of health. Although balance can mean different things in different circumstances, Reiki treatment, which is usually facilitated by light touch, typically brings rapid stress reduction and relief from pain and anxiety. Recipients commonly report improved sleep and digestion, and a greater sense of well-being. Other benefits, such as feeling more motivated, less depressed, or experiencing relief from side effects of medications, radiation, or chemotherapy, vary from person to person. Unlike conventional medicine, Reiki does not attack disease. Rather, Reiki supports our well-being and strengthens our natural ability to heal by encouraging balance.” I could not have said it better myself, but I will expand on the subject in my own words and how I have personally experienced Reiki.

The word Reiki literally means “universal life-force energy”. Now if you cringe like me at New Age jargon, I hear you, but stick with me, I’ll do my best to explain in down-to-earth terms. Reiki was discovered by a Japanese man named Mikao Usui and not that long ago, in 1922 after partaking in a fasting and meditation retreat. If I fasted for days upon end, I don’t think I’d come away with a spiritual practice, rather the opposite actually, but that’s where Usui and I differ. During one of his meditations, he began to sense subtle vibrations above his head and understood this experience as an awakening to heal and empower others to heal as well, which he named Reiki. Sounds a little, ummmmm… hokey, right? Please don’t shoot the messenger.

Usui began teaching students, along with the initiations into the three levels of Reiki mastery and in 1925 collaborated with a Japanese doctor named Chujiro Hayashi to publish a Reiki handbook in which hand placements and the treatments of various conditions are described. Usui died unexpectedly in 1926 leaving Hayashi to teach and train. During this time, a woman by the name of Hawayo Takata had received Reiki treatments in Hayashi’s clinic and was amazed by the rapid and significant health gains she had made after a diagnosis of an abdominal tumor, asthma, and gallstones. Hayashi agreed to accept Takata as a student and invited her to live in his home while studying, working in the Reiki clinic, and providing house calls. When Hyashi died in 1940, Takata took her practice to Hawaii and Reiki was first introduced to the West. As the teaching and passing down of Usui’s healing energy, Reiki has expanded to every area of the world and the lineages that trace back to him are vast. I am humbled to have a distinct connection to the original founder of this beautiful spiritual practice.

The energy and ability to give Reiki to friends, family, clients and loved ones is passed from teacher to student after you receive your training in the history and varied uses, intuition expanding exercises, hand placements for self-treatment and how to treat clients. At the end of each level class (classes may be one or two days typically, depending on the teacher), you receive what is called an attunement or initiation in which your Reiki master teacher transmits the original Reiki energy into your palms. I can only describe the experience as “Wheeeeee!!” as it falls into such a mystical encounter. Pamela Miles explains that “the initiation process opens and strengthens what’s already there, what is already ours: the access to primordial consciousness that is our birthright. The initiation creates an effortless and reliable link to the source of the pulsating consciousness we call Reiki.” Yeah, what she said :)

Although you can complete all three levels of Reiki training quickly, I personally believe taking time in between to practice, enhance your intuition, and let the energy really seep into your consciousness is incredibly valuable. It took me 3 years to become a Master and I am still learning and honing into what benefits Reiki can provide.

So, what benefits DOES Reiki provide? As a massage therapist, I am very adept at using pressure and palpitation to assess tight muscles, knots, and tension in the body. “Working shit out” by a sharp elbow in your shoulder blades is definitely one of my specialties and I love being able to provide that physical relief for my clients. But Reiki is very different. Reiki is gentle, light touch or completely hands off and you can be fully clothed! It feels differently to each client, but there are many similarities in experience. Feeling an expanded sense of calm, a slight vibration or electric feeling, warmth in the area being treated, and knowing where my hands are even with closed eyes are some of the expressed experiences during Reiki. In my re-visit with the book I am being reminded that Reiki is not an energy that is directed by the practitioner, rather I am the conduit of the universal energy that goes into the client where needed in order to provide the unique balance they need. Our bodies are constantly seeking homeostasis and when we are out of alignment by either physical or mental distress (or both, ugh) and Reiki can connect, fortify and strengthen our healing pathways. Do I believe that Reiki is the cure for cancer or any other uncurable disease? Absolutely not. I do however believe that Reiki is a powerful tool in easing pain, illness and mental struggles, and can be an incredibly valuable part of healing and a wonderful compliment to the western medicine most of are so lucky to have access to.

Another reminder from my book is that Reiki is simple. It needn’t be coaxed, directed, or outcome specific. I had forgotten this as I morphed my practice into revolving strictly around the chakras and focusing the energy into the chakras that my clients expressed need the most “work”. I haven’t been just letting Reiki do its thing. I realize I am attached to the outcome and although I express to my clients that they may not feel anything but rest assured you’re still receiving Reiki, I’ve found myself wondering “Can they feel that?” and worrying that if they don’t feel anything they are not getting their “money’s worth”. I’ve complicated a very simple and beautiful thing. Not the first time in my life and won’t be the last, but to recognize the faulty thinking is progress, I hope.

The last take away for me is that Reiki is a wonderful compliment to massage and my Chakra Massage is a very nice balance of energetic and physical healing for my clients, but I would also like to offer Reiki sessions on their own soon. I have a dear friend who offers Reiki sessions in her practice for 60 minutes and I thought she was crazy! How could she stay focused for that long? Wasn’t she bored? Did it mentally exhaust her afterwards? Silly me. Reiki is incredibly intuitive and a session should last as long as you and the client agree on beforehand with time being adjusted to how much Reiki their body needs to find balance. Boredom can only happen if you aren’t present with your client. Remembering to stay in the moment and appreciating the gift I have to give will be key in my Reiki sessions, just as is in my massage practice. I’ve given a lot of thought, especially in re-reading my book, on the mental fatigue I’ve heard of after longer or full Reiki sessions and I was validated by reading that contrary to popular belief, Reiki is not a “reading”. By reading, I mean a Reiki practitioner need not receive visions of the past or future, see colors, invite guides, diagnose illness, suggest or offer direction, or heal emotional trauma. This is HUGE to me. When I first started practicing, I would have clients ask me if I got any signs or premonitions during a session and I have witnessed other Reiki practitioners who do receive feelings, symbols, messages or animal spirits during their sessions, and I realized this put a lot of self-imposed pressure on myself to provide basically a reading after a Reiki treatment. So instead of being present and allowing the Reiki to flow naturally through me to the client, I found myself preoccupied with trying to notice any colors, visions, or spirit animals to offer as insight after the session. Pamela Miles warns to think carefully before sharing our experiences or observations with our clients as it may cause them to feel violated, vulnerable, and/or exposed. Clients come to you for a treatment, not a reading and “Trust that Reiki alone will do what is needed and keep your experiences to yourself”. This does not mean that communication between my client and I is shut down, to me it just means allow my clients the space to be as private or vulnerable as they want and respect their boundaries.

So, in closing, I have an expanded and new outlook on my Reiki practice and have been striving to maintain daily self-practice. I will continue to offer Reiki in my Chakra Massages (although my hand placements will change a bit) and have the passion to provide Reiki only sessions in the near future. Thank you for reading and I hope I answered some of your questions regarding Reiki and of course, if you would like to chat or ask any other questions, please feel free to reach out!

Oh, and listen to those books on your shelf calling you back. Peace.