Reiki

“Just for today, do not anger.

Just for today, do not worry.

Just for today, be grateful.

Just for today, work with integrity.

Just for today, honour all things in the circle of life.”

-Mikao Usui, the founder of Reiki

Q: What is Reiki?

A: Reiki originated in 19th-century Japan and translates as ‘Universal Energy’. It can be best described as ‘hands-on meditation’ and offers a unique and wonderful way to understand the connection between our bodies, minds, emotions, and spirit/consciousness.

Q: What are the benefits of Reiki?

A: Reiki is for relaxation: Everyone has stresses in their life, so we all need ways to destress, which is where Reiki can help! A practitioner of Reiki holds a space of meditation with the client with the intention that the clients’ highest form of well-being be served through the session. Most clients experience a deep sense of calm, but on occasion, as with massage or meditation, temporary discomforts such as the resurfacing of memories or emotions) can be sometime felt. As Reiki is a complementary therapy, it is best used alongside medical treatment of diagnosed or acute conditions and should never be used as a replacement for consulting a medical doctor.

Q: What will happen at a Reiki session?

Reiki is a quiet, non-invasive practice of ‘hands on’ meditation so a Reiki practitioner (me!) will place hands on/over chakra points* of the body with the intention of bringing peace of mind, well-being, and balance into all aspects of your life. You do not need to fully understand about the chakras and can even have doubts of their existence to benefit from Reiki. Approach a Reiki session with an open mind of possibility.

Q: What are chakras?

A: The idea of chakras or ‘energy centres’ of the body have roots in various asian traditions that all acknowledge a connections between the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of the human experience. In this context, ‘energy’ refers to our life force – ‘ki’ in Japanese, ‘chi’ in Chinese, or ‘prana’ in Sanskrit. In Reiki, the seven chakras (there are more or fewer in other traditions) locate different mental/emotional aspects of ourselves within our physical bodies and connect our life force energy with the greater energy that connects all things.

For instance our heart chakra, located in the middle of the chest, is associated with our centre for unconditional love. A good way to think about an experience of a healthy heart chakra is when you feel buoyant or warm inside upon seeing a loved one or beloved pet. An example of an experience of a blocked or unbalanced heart chakra is the deflated, sunken shoulder feeling of being let down or getting bad news. Reiki helps us identify how our physical/mental/emotional experiences are connected to our chakras and then how to work with our chakras to support us in our daily lives.