What’s all the fuss about Reiki?
What if I told you that your hands have the potential to heal yourself and the people around you? That they could become a vehicle to promote well-being, and that best of all, you already have the innate capacity to access this ability?
If you are reading this, you have probably heard of the term Reiki before. Maybe you have already explored with it. Or, you might still have certain questions surrounding Reiki and would like to know more about how you could incorporate it into your daily life.
This is where I come in. I will demystify this mysterious healing art and surprise you with some creative ideas to fill your everyday life with Reiki.
What is Reiki?
Reiki is a healing art technique from Japan where one’s hands are used to channel life-force energy for healing. It is a simple yet profound technique and is based on ancient healing wisdom which transcends time and culture.
To fully grasp the deep subtleties of Reiki, I will dive in deeper into some of its basic elements, which include:
The origins of Reiki
How does Reiki work
Who can use Reiki and how
What does Reiki feel like
9 ways to integrate Reiki into your daily life
Origins of Reiki
Reiki is a technique that started in Japan, but it is based on a principle that is innate in all of us. Do you remember how as children, when we hurt ourselves, we would place our hands over our injury to feel better?
Or, when someone you know has a headache, have you ever been driven by an unknown impulse to cover their forehead with your hand in an attempt to relieve their pain?
For as long as we have lived, it is probable that we have been using our hands to heal.
Reiki is one of the languages we have to systematize and organize this ability. It also provides a format to pass on this healing art from teacher to student.
Dr. Mikao Usui, a Japanese professor of theology, is credited with founding Reiki and bringing it to our modern world. Though most of his life remains a mystery, Reiki was systematized by Dr. Mikao Usui after a life-long search for healing wisdom.
Hawayo Takata is credited with bringing Reiki to the Western world. Born in Hawaii, she traveled to Japan to receive Reiki treatments at the clinic of Mikao Usui’s successor.
Takata systematized Reiki into 12 hand positions and set strict guidelines as to how Reiki should be practiced and taught.
How does Reiki work: You do not do much, yet a lot happens
Think of it this way: Reiki energy is wise. It sheds light on consciousness that is present inside all of us and focuses on the root cause of conditions, rather than only the symptoms.
In that way, when channeled, the healing energy adjusts to the specific needs of the recipient, promoting the body’s natural ability to heal. The energy is channeled for healing through the body by the practitioner to the recipient with a gentle hands-on technique.
You might be wondering: moving all of this energy must be tiring! The good news is that your own energy is not used when you give Reiki treatments, so it will not be depleted. You are simply the vehicle for life-force energy to pass on to the body you are treating.
Who can use Reiki?
Reiki is for all. We all have the ability to start practicing Reiki today if we desire. It is not attached to any religion or belief system; it is the universal life-force energy that already exists within everyone and everything. People have been practicing energetic medicine all over the world, from Amazonian jungles to ancient Egypt to Asia.
Having energy flow out of your hands that you can use to heal is your birthright. It is part of what makes us human. The ability lies within yourself.
Reiki or reiki?
Reiki with a capital “R” is a specific method that we use to give a context and space for using this natural life force that is within each of us. Within the language of Reiki are specific sounds (mantras), symbols, and traditional hand positions that are used to enable healing on a specific frequency.
How can you use Reiki?
Reiki training provides you with a specific context, tools, techniques, and language to help you deeply tap into this innate ability and learn how to use it. Different degrees (levels) of Reiki guide you through this life-changing journey.
Reiki training begins with a process called the attunement.
Essentially, the attunement transfers the ability to channel universal life force from the teacher to the student. By opening pathways in the student, it allows a clear, strong, flow of the energy through the palms.
Once your attunement is completed, Reiki stays within you for the rest of your life, forever giving you the ability to heal with nothing more but your hands.
Following your first attunement, you can learn the different levels of Reiki through the Reiki courses: Reiki I, Reiki II, Reiki III, and Reiki Master. These Reiki courses, whether in person or online, will teach you everything from learning specific hand positions to passing on attunements to others.
How does it feel to experience Reiki?
It feels like relaxation. It feels like tuning in, softening, connecting to our inner world, connecting to our breath, and just being.
After an experience with Reiki, you might notice in yourself better health, unconditional love, compassion, understanding, balance, vitality, and aliveness.
Why practice Reiki?
In a world where we seem to get busier by the second, today more than ever, our planet is in need of healing. Reiki promotes deep relaxation and spiritual development. It restores and balances the body, promoting health, well-being, and aliveness. It can bring balance to your physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and psychic bodies.
There are so many different ways Reiki can be integrated into your life. It is a safe, natural, and accessible healing art that everyone can use.
Now that we’ve gone through the basic elements of Reiki, let’s talk about what you can actually do with this newfound healing power of yours. Here are 9 ways you can use Reiki on the daily. I hope you find inspiration to create a ritual or practice with Reiki and feel the difference it makes when you weave this healing art into your day.
9 Ways to Blast Reiki Daily
1. Calming Children I use Reiki on my daughter to help her calm down, to go to sleep, or to help her in the middle of the night (on her bug bites, growing pains, etc.). Reiki is extremely helpful for injuries. Every time my daughter gets a bump or scrape or unexpected ouchie, we use Reiki for a blast of healing energy right then and there. It is a fantastic way to bring her into mindfulness and her inner world. 2. Daily Global Peace Prayer The world is hungry for healing. Taking a moment to pray for the peace of all sentient beings and our planet, and using Reiki to back up the prayer with universal healing energy, is one of the highest uses of this powerful tool. You can create a place on your altar to feed the prayer of light and healing for the planet.
3. Setting Intentions/Activating Water It is life changing to begin the day with prayer. Charge your daily intentions, or Sankalpa, with Reiki to focus your day the way you like it. Try charging your morning water with Reiki.
4. To Pray for Life, Health, and Healing I use Reiki to pray for my life, my body, and my own healing. As a healer and mother, it is vital to make the time to nourish and renew myself with prayers and intention. Some examples:
Reiki please help me enjoy my life more.
Reiki please help me love more deeply.
Reiki please help my mind slow down enough that I can reside centered in my heart.
Pro tip: Ask for what you want rather than what you don't want. Rather than asking for less anxiety, ask for more peace. 5. Before Eating, Beam Reiki to Your Food Having a quiet moment of reflection before eating is a tradition across cultures. I Reiki my food before I eat it. Silence or words are fine for your gratitude prayer, but you can embody this with your hands. You can also Reiki the food from under the table if you are with company who may find it too weird.
6. In the Bath Sometimes I combine my self-Reiki sessions with a warm bath. This helps me relax after a long day of caring for other people. Ritual, prayer, and intention are what make activities sacred.
7. Before Your Meditation Practice You can program your meditation practice with Reiki. For example, I use the Reiki symbols with the intention that I will have quiet in my mind for the time I am meditating to allow for a deeper level of peace and respite.
8. For Falling Asleep Place one hand on your heart and one on your belly as a perfect position to drift off into a dreamy and deeply restful sleep. This also works when helping my daughter wind down from the day. You can also help a partner who may be experiencing insomnia or sleeping difficulties. Reiki one another (if someone doesn't fall asleep first!).
9. Combine Reiki With Yoga I like to integrate my yoga and Reiki practices together. Combining these two beautiful healing arts allow for their positive benefits to shine even more. Read my post on Reiki & Yoga to find out more!
I hope this article has given you the urge to tap into this innate power we all have, and to try Reiki for yourself.
Reiki is a natural, non-intrusive practice that is accessible and safe. Use it on others, for self-care, or to charge areas of your life with positive energy… the possibilities are endless!
Now tell me about you! Do you already use Reiki? What are some ways you use Reiki on the daily? Please share your experiences in the comments below.
