What is it about Reiki?

Reiki is no big secret these days, and with its relatively newfound notoriety has come a certain level of acceptance of its ability to benefit the human body and mind, although the majority of people who have not been trained in it are unable to understand how it works. What is commonly known is that Reiki is a form of healing and that it works using the person’s energy field. These energy fields are not widely acknowledged, which is why it has taken Reiki a relatively long time to become familiar in the west. Termed ‘biofields’, these subtle energies can be manipulated through the intentions and actions of a competent healer and such therapies are thought to create harmony and balance within our energy fields.

Translated as ‘universal life energy’, Reiki was the creation of Japanese born Mikao Usui in the early 1920s. Mikao Usui was known to be very interested in spiritual matters and his healing practice existed within Japanese culture alongside other still-popular practices such as Taoism, Buddhism and Shinto.

These days, Reiki is growing more and more popular with newly certified practitioners popping up all over the globe; this of course serves to lend even more credibility to its efficacy, and Reiki patients are flocking to find out what it’s all about and get a piece of this sought-after healing. This Japanese wellness practice is famed for both relaxing and energizing the patient, as well as leaving them with a sense of renewed clarity. These are three of the common benefits attributed to Reiki healing, but there are many more.

It shouldn’t be underestimated

Patients report that in their first session they usually feel a strong sense of relaxation, with subsequent sessions often creating much stronger physical effects. It is for this reason that Reiki has benefited victims of accidents, resulting in a need for intensive care treatment. It’s not only emergencies that Reiki can assist with; people with chronic health disorders have regularly seen a marked improvement after having regular Reiki sessions, consequently reducing their intake of medicine.

One commonly noted thing by both the practitioner and the patient is that an unusually large amount of heat is generated in the practitioners hands during the treatment; this is one of the more immediate and tangible effects of Reiki healing, and the practitioner – often in a trance-like, meditative state themselves – can feel intuitively drawn to place this heat over areas of the body that need it.

As science has not made any attempts to prove that our energy fields (which also can not be measured) can be cleansed by holistic treatments, the evidence of its benefits is largely anecdotal. Patients have reported such effects as reduction of chronic pain and/or anxiety, improvement in depression and a profound sense of well-being. It has also been known to ease issues experienced by those with terminal illnesses, making their passing a much smoother transition.

Why it stands out from the crowd

What makes Reiki different to other holistic therapies such as massage is that it requires no physical manipulation, so it is only the energy field that is worked on by the practitioner. There is often a minimal amount of touch involved, but it is not necessary and can be performed without any physical contact if preferred. Patients remain fully-clothed and any touch is very light and only on top of the clothing. One of the great things about Reiki is that you can perform it on yourself, so practitioners don’t need to rely on anyone else to do it on them. It can be done on anyone at all – children and animals benefit greatly from it, although they seem to require a lot less than us jaded and weathered adults!

Because of the non-physical, passive element to Reiki, it has been likened to a form of meditation for the client, and does frequently induce deep meditative states even when the client wasn’t anticipating it. The Reiki practitioner's hands are still for most of the treatment, moving only to change hand placements. The Reiki practitioner acts as a conduit and doesn’t try to exert any influence over the outcome for the patient; they simply place hands lightly on (or above) the various areas of the body recommended in the training.

Your environment and equipment is important

Comfort is paramount for clients if they are to achieve the desired state of relaxation, but it also important that the practitioner is comfortable too as they need to ‘tune in’ to the client’s energy field and focus on the healing intentions. This means that it isn’t great to carry out treatments next to a noisy main road, or anywhere where they may be loud noises or interruptions, as this can ruin the flow. It is also wise to ensure that you have the right equipment for the job.

At Massage Warehouse we have a range of tables with Reiki end panels so that Reiki practitioners can be comfortably seated with their legs under the table while they carry out the treatment. Our professional grade range comes with comfortable 6.5cm high-density foam and soft PU leather, so clients will be at their most relaxed throughout your treatment. If you’re looking for a new table for your Reiki therapies but not sure which would be the right choice, feel free to get in touch with us for some advice.