What is Reiki?
Just for Today:
- Do Not Anger
- Do Not Worry
- Be Filled With Gratitude
- Devote Yourself to Your Work
- Be kind to All
Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means "Universal Force" and Ki which is "Energy" the unseen, non physical, life-supporting energy that is found in and around everything. Reiki is actually "Universal Life-Force".
Reiki has been widely used in Japan since the late 1800s to treat a variety of health conditions. Dr. Mikao Usui, the founder of Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, recommended that one practice certain simple ethical ideals, or “principles” to promote peace and harmony, which are nearly universal across all cultures. The principles, the “Gokai”, are to be affirmed in the morning and at night, prior to meditation and a Reiki treatment, and kept in one’s thoughts during the day. These ideals, listed above, are called the five "Reiki Principles".
Dr Mikao Usui taught student Chujiro Hayashi, who then taught Hawayo Takata who went on to introduce Reiki to the United States in the 1940s where it has since gained increasing popularity and acceptance.
Reiki is taught in four levels with the fourth level being the Master/Teacher level. It can take years to achieve this. Some Masters demand certain requirements be fulfilled over time before a student proceeds to the next level; often, daily self-treatment, receiving treatment and treating others are part of the requirements. One of the main ingredients in Reiki is mastering the Reiki Symbols. This is a two-step process of learning how to write the symbol, spell and pronounce the name and learn its applications. Then, with guided practice, the essence of the energy behind the symbol comes to be known.
Practitioners believe disease occurs whenever the flow of life-force energy becomes disrupted. Hands are laid onto a person and the Reiki flows, the energy channels become attuned and aligned, improving health and enhancing the quality of life. A Reiki treatment allows one to tap into the unlimited Universal Life-Force Energy to heal energy channels. Reiki can be applied to adults, children, animals and plants. It always works for the good, therefore can do no harm. It must be said that the power of Reiki can also be received without actually making contact with the patient. In fact, there have been many documented cases where the patient received the healing power of Reiki from a distance, without even being in the room.
Reiki in the Medical Field
These days, hospitals are undergoing major changes. They are experiencing a need to reduce costs and at the same time improve patient care. Under the old medical model based on expensive medication and technology this posed an unsolvable dilemma. Not so with Reiki and other complementary modalities. Reiki requires no technology at all and many of its practitioners offer their services for free. Reiki is therefore a very good way to improve care while cutting costs. It is now taught in several medical schools, and is being used in hospitals across the country.
Reiki is being accepted as a meaningful and cost-effective way to improve Patient Care. Many Hospitals are incorporating it into their roster of patient services - often with their own Reiki-trained Physicians, Nurses and Support Staff.
The International Association of Reiki Professionals (IARP) has conducted a survey of “America’s Best Hospitals to determine the extent that Reiki is used at the world’s finest and most progressive hospitals and what kinds of programs if any, formal or informal, are in place.
The hospitals included in the study are among the most highly regarded, recognized and progressive in the U.S. The IARP wanted to find out if Reiki is used at these hospitals, what kind of programs are offered, perceptions of and experience with Reiki at these hospitals, who paid for Reiki services if they were offered, and any other pertinent information or comments regarding the use of Reiki.
They encouraged all hospitals to participate even if they did not have any Reiki programs at all in place at their hospital so they could get an accurate picture of the overall use of Reiki in hospitals. What they found: 60% of the respondents have Reiki programs, formal or informal, in place. Showing that Reiki is becoming more accepted.
Proof in action
Since the benefits of Reiki and other touch modalities are difficult to prove in the standard clinical sense, the only way to find out if it works is to try it! Many people are skeptical at first. We're not used to talking about things like life forces and energy systems. But when we touch each other with a genuine interest in helping, the results speak for themselves.
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