For today only:
I shall not worry
home-page I shall not get angry
I shall work honestly
I shall respect all life
I shall count my blessings
How does Reiki work?
I was talking about this with my friend Jules,(a mechanical engineer, logical mind,or so it's rumoured,) a couple of months ago, after I'd done a ten-minute Reiki session on her. She was in pain and anxious after a paper cut to her eye, but the pain subsided and she felt serene after the session. Her comment was that it was very different from Pilates, which has scientific basis; in fact it was so far over the Rainbow of New Age therapies, it was positively whacky.
And yet she agreed, thankfully, that it worked.
Well I can't pull out any empirical evidence for Reiki and healing : all I can talk about is my subjective experience. With gentle touch alone, I have helped heal sprained ankles, back muscle strain, sore necks and shoulders. I've prevented two migraines. I've released tight hamstrings, and relieved a stiff and aching 65 year ankle. I have weekly sessions with an 84 year old arthritic hip, whose owner wants to avoid a hip replacement. Once a fortnight I treat a client with a spinal trauma which has affected her in many ways: the healing is helping with too many visits to the loo at night! I've been the reason for a lock-in in a pub in County Mayo which went on till 3 in the morning (four bad backs, one arthritic hand, one fatigued kidney complaint sufferer - all thankful and buying me brandies!). A friend, dying with liver cancer had frequent sessions, which she found helpful : they gave her some peaceful space.
For me it feels as if my hands are tingling, and warm: if I shut my eyes I sometimes see colours, and sometimes they do too. My clients comment that their body warms up under my hands - "like a hot water bottle". I can't say it always works- there have been a couple of people who have felt nothing during the treatment and whose symptoms did not improve - but most have, including my sceptical, scientist husband (two bad backs and a migraine). It doesn't drain me in any way - I get Reiki at the same time as I give it.
So that tells you what it feels like and that it works, but doesn't tell you how...........
Anyway, it has a fairly recent history, and also an ancient one.
Dr Mikao Usui, a Japanese Doctor b1865, went on a quest to discover healing powers: he knew that Christ and Buddha had been healers, and that many others had had this ability, but no-one he knew of, or had heard of in recent history could heal through touch alone.
In brief, he consulted religious leaders, and spent many years learing to read scriptures of different religions in many languages: he found the key in Himalayan Buddhist teachings from Tibet. This gave him the key to the ancient healing skills. Through meditiation he felt compelled to go to a holy mountain near Kyoto: Kurayama. Here he fasted for 21 days, at the end of which he was able to heal. This he passed down to others: anyone practicing Reiki has been "attuned" by someone who has been attuned by someone etc etc until you get back to Dr. Usui. The attunement is in the form of Chinese symbols - for me it was a very stange experience of a spiritual nature. This is from a dyed-in-the-wool-atheist. I found it very difficult to accept - I was not expecting the experience and was almost entirely ignorant of what I was taking on. At the time I was desperate to help my son in any way I could after he had been in a bad car crash. Despite this spiritual aspect, Reiki is not a religion - you don't have to believe in it for it to work, and yes, I know how annoying that is!
I have found Reiki to be a great complement to my practice. For clients with injuries or physical problems, Reiki will work harmoniously along-side the benefits of Pilates.
So how does it work? - I'm sorry, I really don't know. But here's what some other people have to say.
Reiki is the channelling of Universal Life (REI) Energy (Ki or Chi)through the practitioner to the patient - enhancing the patient's natural healing powers for their own body.
Reiki practitioners channel energy in a particular pattern to heal and harmonize.
Reiki energy has several basic effects. It brings about deep relaxation, destroys energy blockages, detoxifies the system, and provides new vitality.
The Reiki practitioner is a conduit for energy and the person receiving the treatment allows the energy to enter their body.
The benefits
People who have regular Reiki sessions often find they are more lively and energetic � almost as if their batteries are fully charged! They have greater vitality, leading to relaxation as well as a stimulation of the body.
With regular sessions, organs such as the skin and protective systems such as the immune system are improved.
Reiki is useful if you are recovering from an illness, as it will provide the additional energy required for recovery. It will also reinforce the effect of any other method of natural healing.
Reiki can be helpful for anyone taking a course of drugs. It can help to reduce some of the side effects and at the same time, it can increase their effectiveness. Reiki helps the body to recover after drug therapy and surgery.
It is useful for treating all kinds of illnesses, disorders and injures such as sports injuries, cuts and burns, as well as emotional disorders and stress-related illnesses.
Reiki treatments
I have Reiki level III and offer treatments in my studio, situated in my peaceful garden in Surbiton, Surrey � a perfect environment for relaxation.
I charge �40 for a one hour session.
To find out more, give me a ring or email me 07939453951 [email protected]
home-page