Ciao ragazzi <3
I have another 411 post today for you, and this one is on all the basics of the Japanese healing technique- Reiki. For those of you who have followed my blog for a bit, you may have gathered that I love alternative healing methods, and Reiki was actually my first introduction to them when I was a child, so it is extra special to me. 🙂
The practice has been gaining some traction in recent years, so many of you may have heard about it, had a Reiki session, or even practice Reiki yourself. For those that aren’t too familiar with where it comes from, how it works, and even what it is, I’ve put together some main points. If you’re curious about Reiki, keep on reading 😉
Like I mentioned in my post about reflexology, any alternative health practice should be used as a supplement to other medical care, and not as a replacement for it. Sending light and positive energy to your body is always a beautiful thing, but it should not be a stand-alone method for curing a serious illness.
a little background
Reiki was developed in 1922 by a Japanese Buddhist by the name of Mikao Usui. The word “Reiki” is made up of two parts: “rei” which means “God’s wisdom or the higher power” and “ki” meaning “life force energy.” So what Reiki is then, is life force energy guided by a higher power.
The Reiki practitioner taps into this life force energy and transfers it to another (it can also be done to oneself) through their hands for the purpose of alleviating stress, promoting relaxation, and healing.
Reiki is life force energy, guided by a higher power.
what is “ki”?
Understanding what “ki” really is is crucial for understanding the beauty and value of Reiki. The concept of ki is also represented is different cultures by different names: qi (“chi”) in China, and prana in India. Ki is a non-physical energy that flows in all living things- humans, plants, and animals.
“When a person’s Ki is high, they will feel strong, confident, and ready to enjoy life and take on it’s challenges. When it is low, they will feel weak and are more likely to get sick. We receive Ki from the air we breath, from food, sunshine, and from sleep. It is also possible to increase our Ki by using breathing exercises and meditation. When a person dies, their Ki leaves the physical body.” (source: http://www.reiki.org/reikinews/whatislg.html)
Drawing in this ki, as guided by a higher intelligence to go where it is needed in the body, is how we can benefit from Reiki- be it a relief from stress, or even a larger effect such as a healing of some kind.
A session experience
All that is involved in a session is the practitioner setting their hands on or slightly above the body of the person receiving the Reiki energy for as long as they want. Usually formal sessions are 30 minutes to one hour long, but when I do Reiki on myself, for example, while watching TV I will sit as long as I feel I need to.
The hands don’t need to be placed necessarily where the “problem area” is (if there is a problem area, of course). This is because, as stated above, the energy is guided to where it needs to go in the body in order to help dissolve problem areas where ki may not be flowing well. I always like, on myself and on others, spending at least a few minutes with my hands on the heart, because it is a powerful place to send positive energy.
Most people can feel some heat from the hands of the practitioner, and report feeling relaxed and peaceful overall.
How do you become a practitioner?
To become a Reiki practioner you go through what’s called an “attunement” by a Reiki Master which allows you to tap in to the life force energy. The attunement process opens the chakras to create a special connection with the Reiki source.
The seven chakras
Personally, I have done two out of three levels of attunements, but I’m not always convinced this is necessary in order to access this special energy. I think it is a capability we all have, as humans, to draw from this source. The attunement is valuable though, as a kind of ceremony to initiate you into your practice.
I had my first attunement when I was about six or seven years old, when my mother discovered Reiki and she, my sister, and I all received our first attunement.
There are three attunements to become a Reiki master, but with just the first, you can practice and access the ki.
I probably most frequently use Reiki for when I get headaches, and I do experience relief when I just rest for a minute and put my hands on my head. It is a really cool tool to have in your toolbox, and I hope I did a good job explaining the basics of it in this post. 🙂
Please let me know your questions and comments below, and I will see you all very soon. <3
Love,
Amanda
Sources:
http://www.reiki.org/reikinews/whatislg.html
http://www.reiki.org/faq/whatisreiki.html
What an enlightening post! 🙂 It’s really cool that you are writing about this because I think still, to this day, people still don’t know how to relieve themselves from daily stresses. Or even to do the simple thing – to just breathe.
Whilst I don’t practice Reiki or anything similar, the idea of Qi is…I guess you can say, common culture in my family.
Author
Aw thank you 🙂 Yeah I think a little reminder of these simple ideas never hurts 🙂 Sometimes I need a reminder myself too. I’m so glad you enjoyed the read <3
I am just beginning my Reiki journey, and my first attunement coming up this month. Thanks for a wonderful post!
Author
Oh wow that’s great, I’m happy for you! 😊 Thank you for the support ❤️
lovely post……
Author
Thank you 😊
😃😃😃
Ciao Amanda e grazie per questo blog.. Per la prima volta ho finalmente capito questo Reiki per che lei lo ha insegnato con tanta pacienzia e dolcezza. Un gosso baccione. Ciao!
Author
Ciao! Grazie, sono contenta di sapere che l’ho spiegato chiaramente. 🙂 Grazie del feedback, ciao!
I just had my first reiki reading done a few months ago! It blew my mind! I loved it! Thanks to u, I understand it a bit better😊🙏🏻
Author
Oh that’s so great! And thank you, I’m so happy to hear my post helped 😊
Amazing! My friend recently started getting in depth with Reiki. I want to try a season soon. This article was very informative. I’m going to refer her to your blog 🙂
Author
Aw thank you, so happy you got something out of it! Let me know if either of you have any more questions too! Happy to help 🙂
I’m curious about attunement. What are some good “starter” books or articles?
Author
I actually found this site to be quite helpful when I was trying to find the right way to put things for my post. There are articles on just about any question you could have about Reiki 🙂 http://www.reiki.org/reikinews/reikinews.html
Wonderful!!!! Thank you.
Great article 😄I’m a reiki master in the Usui method
Author
Very cool, thank you! ❤️
Great article. I do holy fire Reiki. Your correct, the 1st attunement is essential, however you can then access the ki from then onwards. The more people believe in the energy we all have access to, the higher we will vibrate. Meditation is a great tool also. Thank you
Author
Very true! Thank you for the read 🙂
I experienced Reiki for the first time this weekend, not at all knowing what it was/is. I enjoyed the session and your overview is very helpful! I only wonder if all Reiki Healers have good energy? Can they put a negative spell on someone else and does it matter what religion they are?
Author
Thank you! Reiki is all about light and using light and positive energy to help and heal. 🙂 Negativity only hinders the ability to heal and spread light. And religion is not a factor. Also transferring energy is not even possible if the other person is not open to receive it, so if they are either not involved or not willing to take it in, nothing can happen.
Thanks so much for answering my questions 🙂
Author
Of course! 🙂