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If you are into alternative healing techniques, you must have heard of Reiki – a form of alternative or complementary medicine related to energy healing. This interesting phenomenon involves working with the energy fields around the human body, in which the hands of the Reiki master erase all the woes of patients.
The technique is increasingly popular, and the majority of people who go through Reiki therapy say that it has changed their lives completely. In this article, we will be addressing all your questions and doubts related to this phenomenon, such as Reiki origin, benefits, whether it actually works or not, and some life-changing principles that we swear by.
What Is Reiki?
The word “Reiki” is a blend of two Japanese words, where “rei” translates into “mysterious atmosphere” or “miraculous sign,” and “ki” means life energy.
Practitioners say that there is stagnant energy in the body if someone has suffered from any sort of physical or emotional wound. With time, these energy blocks can become the cause of many illnesses. Thus, Reiki is a kind of energy healing that aims to aid the energy flow and eradicate these blocks of energy, just like acupressure or acupuncture. It also helps with chakra healing immensely. This is done by the Reiki master, who uses hand movements to guide the energy flow throughout the body.
This form of energy medicine not only aims to help the flow of energy, but it also helps to relieve pain, increase the rate of healing, get rid of symptoms of various ailments, and promote relaxation.
How Did Reiki Originate?
Developed by a Buddhist priest known as Mikao Usui in the 1920s, Reiki is still an increasingly popular practice today.
Legends say that Usui experienced Reiki’s vitality and a burst of healing energy when he was almost starving to death during his three-week meditation and fasting ritual at the sacred Mount Kurama in Japan. Soon after this energizing experience, he opened a clinic of his own in Tokyo to practice this technique for healing. Usui’s work was carried on by Hawayo in Hawaii during the 1930s, which then spread further in the United States in the 1970s.
In the mid-1990s, physicians, nurses, and medical staff began to learn this practice and started using it on patients as a complementary therapy to cure cancer, AIDS, and other ailments. Reiki continues to expand in popularity as more people gain awareness about it.
5 Reiki Principles to Follow For a Better Life
Like other spiritual practices, Reiki also offers a set of precepts or principles that help guide us throughout the path of life. According to Mikao Usui, these rules are the key to happiness and serve as medicine for the mind, body, and soul. These principles help you recognize and release angry feelings, let go of worry, practice gratitude and kindness and know your own consciousness.
Focusing on the here and now, these principles are basically intentions or affirmations to embody the Reiki energy at all times. Read below to learn what these principles are and how they help to revitalize one’s life.
1. Just for Today, I will not Worry.
Overthinking can land us in a tangled mental space, which can cause a sudden pang of anxiety. To prevent the feeling of being overwhelmed, this statement tells us to slow down and focus on the present rather than an imaginary future. Taking deep breaths and shifting consciousness relieves stress and changes the way we look at things in a positive manner.
2. Just for Today, I will not be Angry.
Anger is not an unhealthy emotion. In fact, it shows that something or someone has crossed a certain boundary. However, the way we deal with this emotion drastically impacts our lives. Thus, this statement says that we should get to the root of something that causes hysteric anger and sit and think about it for a while instead of taking an impulsive action.
Instead of shaming or suppressing anger, we should let it come to the surface and dissipate over its own course of time.
3. Just for Today, I will be Grateful.
Humans have a terrible habit of always asking for more instead of paying attention to the things that we already have. Thus, this principle focuses on being grateful for what we have, no matter how minimal it might be – like a roof over our heads, health, and unconditional love and support from friends and family. Also, shedding light on the law of attraction, this perception implies that when we are grateful, we attract good things.
4. Just for Today, I will be Honest.
No matter how much people tell us to be our authentic selves, it is a challenging task, but the goal is to always channel our inner selves and let our unique characteristics shine. This perception shows that we will never be truly fulfilled unless we are comfortable in our own skin.
5. Just for today, I will be Compassionate towards others and Myself.
Compassion is the healing power to put aside judgment and anger. This Reiki ideology prompts us to cut others and ourselves some slack when it comes to daily dealings. Not only will this help us understand others better, but it will also pave the way for closer and more fulfilling interpersonal relationships. Additionally, this precept also promotes self-love.
What Should I Expect at a Reiki Session?
Reiki sessions are usually between 60 and 90 minutes long. The session starts with the client lying flat on a table similar to a massage table or an inclined chair. It is recommended to wear loose and layered clothing for maximum comfort during these sessions. Anyone can easily learn and practice Reiki, regardless of their age or state of health.
The Reiki healer places their hand near or lightly on the client’s body in various hand positions around the head, stomach, shoulders, legs, and other positions in accordance with the client’s requirements. Each position is held for around three to ten minutes, depending on which area needs more focus.
Some practitioners tend to talk during the sessions, while others take a more silent approach. You can communicate beforehand and let the facility know which one you prefer. This 60-to-90-minute session is a pathway to deep relaxation, and many clients even drift into a light slumber, sending them into a meditative state that aids in restoring the nervous system. As Reiki is a spiritual practice, you can practice it as often as you would like but experts advise trying out at least four sessions to weigh the potential benefits of the practice.
What are the Benefits of Reiki?
Advocates of Reiki narrate that it is a practice that completely revolutionizes the matters of body, mind, and soul. Not only does it help curb stress and anxiety, but it has also been proven to have benefits for one’s emotional well-being and uplift the mood. By promoting relaxation, it aids with illnesses related to sleep, such as insomnia and sleep apnea. Moreover, patients undergoing surgery say that Reiki helps them with anxiety, decreases their pain rate, and lowers blood pressure.
Those suffering from cancer can undergo Reiki along with their regular treatment as it gives way to a relaxed state and improves pain management. The general nature of this therapy is food for the soul as it promotes mental well-being.
Every client reports a range of sensations, including pulsating waves and heating or cooling of the practitioner’s hand as the energy flow is shifted. The most commonly reported experiences are stress relief and a sense of floating on a cloud because of deep relaxation.
Does Reiki Work: The Evidence
Now we come to the most crucial question: what does science say about Reiki and its benefits?
Recent studies show that Reiki has proven much more effective than a placebo when it comes to reducing stress, pain, and fear in people suffering from chronic conditions and is a superb complementary treatment.
Moreover, the effectiveness of Reiki has also been proven in research in which patients undergoing knee-replacement surgery were divided into groups, in which one of the groups received Reiki therapy. Patients in the Reiki group reported significant reductions in breathing rate, pain, blood pressure, and anxiety before and after the surgery.
Another trial conducted on 21 burnt-out healthcare professionals suggests that Reiki helps individuals regain a sense of relaxation by controlling stress hormones and moderating the nervous system.
The Bottom Line
The main objective of Reiki energy work is to assist in replenishing and rebalancing the energetic system of the body, thus stimulating the healing process and promoting an elevated state of being.
Although science has not yet been able to explain why Reiki is so effective, there is no doubt that thousands around the globe benefit from this phenomenon, which helps control their stress hormones and relieve them from the painful symptoms of illnesses that have made their lives miserable.
Are you going to search ‘Reiki near me or Reiki classes near me’ on the internet?
So, what have you thought about the next time you are exhausted from the stresses of daily life or simply need a pick-me-up? If it is Reiki, book your next healing session with an expert like Johnny Sage for a life-changing experience. You can also book a session for a Reiki sound bath and can also get a Reiki certification and spiritual coaching sessions.
