Reiki and Its Power to Heal

Reiki is a relatively new healing modality in the west that is gaining popularity around the world but for most people it is an unknown concept and certainly not a way of healing the body that would be first considered.  Have you ever wondered if Reiki could be something that you could incorporate into your wellbeing schedule?  Maybe you've been interested in trying it out in the past but were unsure what was involved or what it could offer you.  Perhaps you've even dismissed it as being a bit too "out there" for you.

​I can understand that, as when I first came across Reiki it was very mysterious to me and I didn't really understand how it worked.   Reiki is a Japanese healing technique that brings a person back into balance allowing the body, mind and soul to heal.   So how does this happen?  Well if you can imagine that the body is like a river flowing gently down a mountain.  The river represents the energy that we are a part of and what flows through us at all times.   Sometimes a pebble or even a rock, will fall into that river, making the flow of the water a little more difficult.  These pebbles are human worries, fear, anger and anxieties and each pebble builds on top of the other.  Over time these pebbles allow only a trickle of water to flow through the river.  And so it could be said about the human energy field.  Energy flow can be obstructed so much that it can cause physical or emotional pain.  

​Reiki is the energy of everything and is neither a religion nor is it intrusive.  Everything that you see and feel is made up of energy in which there is an unlimited amount.  The energy may appear to some to be invisible or non-existent but as Einstein told us that,

"Everything is energy and that's all there is to it.  Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality.  It can be no other way.  This is not philosophy, this is physics." Albert Einstein

So during a Reiki treatment  the universal or pure energy is realigned with the body, washing down, clearing obstructions and strengthening the flow of energy within a person's being.  This helps us feel physically, emotionally and spiritually better and allows us to feel grounded, deepening your connection to your life's purpose.  Reiki in Japanese means spiritual energy.   So, in essence, Reiki can represent a healing system and is also part of a spiritual path of happiness and wellbeing.

​You don't have to believe in Reiki for it to work.  Think of it as an energy cleansing system like you would have a shower in the morning to clean your physical body.  With the stress and "busyness" of the modern western life, we give little time to ourselves, generally, to restore, rebalance ourselves and relax.

​So what happens in a Reiki treatment?

​Typically a Reiki session involves the recipient either lying on a massage table or sitting in a chair, whilst remaining fully clothed.  Treatments normally last between 60 to 90 minutes during which time the Reiki practitioner will place their hands gently on the recipient's body, or just above the body.  The practitioner will change the positioning of their hands several times as the treatment progresses.  All the recipient has to do is relax.

​A Reiki treatment is different for everyone depending on what is going on for the recipient.  People often report feeling deeply relaxed during treatments, can fall asleep, feel heat or coolness or tingling where the practitioner has placed their hands.  Others feel their body gently moving, as if it were naturally re-adjusting itself.   Everyone is different and every treatment is different but the most important thing is to pay attention to how you feel as those pebbles or rocks will surface and you can easily release them.

​You might realise that you are free from pain for the first time in years or feeling like a huge emotional weight has finally been lifted off your shoulders.  Or it might be something quite simple like getting a great night's sleep.  Such observations are the pebbles and rocks shifting and being released from your energy system, or the river of energy that flows through you, making you a clear channel once again.

​Where is it used, and what are the reported benefits?

​Reiki is used in over 800 hospitals in America, it is used in the home, in the operating room, in palliative care, in the military, in clinics and wellbeing centres and spas around the world.  This is the wonderful thing about Reiki and can be done anywhere, anytime but to gain the most benefit from Reiki is when you receive a treatment from a trained practitioner.   There is a growing number of studies into the efficacy and benefits of Reiki in which you can access through The Centre of Reiki Research (http://www.centerforreikiresearch.org/)​.  William Lee Rand has conducted and facilitated many studies on the benefits of Reiki.  For example, Reiki treatments can reduce pain an anxiety for both cancer and HIV/AIDS patients.  Another study using Reiki treatment for heart attack patients has shown an increase in heart rate variability following the heart attack, an important indicator of healing and increased resilience.

​Once you have experienced Reiki and its benefits through receiving treatments, you may also feel the pull to learn Reiki yourself.  Nikki Staley teaches Reiki Levels I, II and III in a classroom situation or one on one.   You may wish to learn to practise Reiki on yourself for your own wellbeing or open your own Reiki clinic and share with others.  Reiki is a practice that can be a powerful tool for self care and personal transformation.

​For more information about upcoming Reiki classes or receiving treatments simply go to www.staleyhealth.com or you can contact Nikki Staley on 0400 497 024 anytime.   Will Reiki become part of your self care regime?

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