Reiki is a form of energy healing.  A trained Reiki practitioner will use certain hand positions on the client to initiate the movement of energy in and around the body.

Pamela Miles, a Reiki Master and Researcher, who has collaborated with Harvard and Yale to develop Reiki programs within their medical schools, suggests that Reiki can be a spiritual practice, such as meditation is, but it is most often used in therapeutic and secular ways.  It is not a religion and is not associated with any religious practice.

Ann L. Baldwin, PhD, who is a Reiki researcher and Professor of Physiology at the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine, proclaims that it involves a phenomenon known as the “biofield.”  The biofield is an electromagnetic field that permeates and surrounds every living being. In humans, this field extends 15 feet or more from the body. The heart and brain produce electrical impulses which can be measured by procedures such as ECG’s. In fact, every cell in the body produces an electrical charge through positive and negative ions, which then create magnetic fields. Reiki energy can influence the biofield. “It is thought to cause dynamic changes in its vibrational qualities that alter physiological and psychological functions in living beings,” Baldwin says. It’s ability to reset and calm the nervous system, along with other physical changes, is where clients notice the biggest impact.

Reiki treatments can be done anywhere. Reiki practitioners most often conduct sessions in a small, relaxing and peaceful setting. Massage or Reiki tables are used. However, Reiki is now being utilized in over 800 hospitals just throughout the United States. Many of which now have their own Reiki programs and departments. According to PBS, these hospitals are among the nation’s premier medical centers and are at the leading edge of scientific research, which include Yale, Duke, Johns Hopkins, The Cleveland Clinic, Harvard, and Columbia to name a few.

Reiki is a non-invasive treatment. It does no harm and has no negative side effects. Just as you would authenticate any other kind of practitioner, you should do the same when choosing a Reiki practitioner. Choose someone who is qualified and certified and someone who you are comfortable with. You should always ask for credentials if you are ever in doubt.

Reiki is very individualized.  The treatment is always based on individual client needs and can vary from session to session, including what one may experience. Most people will, at the very least, experience deep relaxation during their session. The deep relaxation is similar to a peaceful meditative state and this is what helps to restore, reset and calm the nervous system and allows for healing to happen. Reiki is not a miracle cure and most people will see positive changes over time just as you would with massage, physical therapy or acupuncture. However, clients often report that they experience vivid colors, pain relief, lower stress and anxiety levels, among other things, after just one session.