REIKI LEVEL 2

The Art of Reiki 

 

There is now considerable support for the use of complimentary/alternative

medicine (CAM) by healthcare professionals in the NHS (Ernst and White 2000).

Despite this doctors and nurses know little about CAM and often feel uncertain

regarding which treatments are best suited for which patients (Long et al 2001).

The lay public are becoming more health conscious and aware of their body’s wellbeing and as the internet grows even bigger more information is now available on medicine and treatment. This wealth of information empowers patients and encourages them to question and even debate with practitioners on the treatment they are receiving. In Britain 64% of those seeking CAM will consult general practice or the hospital settings first (Moore et al 1985). It is also increasingly probable that the general public will want more information and clarification about the treatments that are available and the possible limitations these may have. It is important therefore that practitioners are made more aware of the alternative therapies that are available and are consequently able to make informed choices when advising or referring patients to the appropriate CAM providers. 

         Within the range of complementary therapies that are accessible in the NHS Reiki is becoming more and more popular, and while it has been used for centuries because it is not so well known by health professionals it may be viewed with scepticism for this very reason. The fact is however, that studies have shown that Reiki can enhance an overall sense of well-being, diminish pain, promote relaxation and decrease stress (Wheelan and Wishnia, 2003). As a treatment technique Reiki is not restricted to a unique professional group, however a number of practice nurses are now using Reiki on their patients in a variety of healthcare settings around the country and in particular within general practice itself. 

         Reiki is understood as a Universal energy healing method that brings balance and harmony to the body, mind and soul (Wardell and Engebretson 2003). The word Reiki, which is pronounced ‘Ray-Key’, means Universal (Rei) Life Force (Ki). It originated almost 3000 years ago in the Tibetan Sutras and was rediscovered by Dr Mikao Ursui a Japenses monk educator, in Japan in the early 1900s (Stewart 1995). Dr Usui was a principle at a Christian Seminary in Kyto in Japan, during which time his pupils asked him if he knew what happened to the healing method Jesus used. As he was unable to answer them and because of this, his curiosity led him on a quest to find out more and he decided to travel and investigate further. He went to America to the University of Chicago where he became a Doctor of Theology, unable to find answers in Christian writing and Chinese scripts he then went further a field to North India before finally returning to Japan. He finally found the answers he was looking for through reading ancient Sanskrit text, ancient doctrines of life (the sutras) of Tibetan Buddhists which contained Sanskrit symbols. In the search to understand what he had found, he decided to go to the sacred mountain Kuriyama where he meditated and fasted for 21 days in solitude. He was given the sacred Reiki symbols in his meditation, and he started a Reiki clinic in Japan so he could teach Reiki and give healing.    

         Historically nothing was written about the art of Reiki as it was passed on by oral tradition alone, it was finally spread to the Western World by one Reiki Master, Takata practicing in Hawaii in the late 1930s.  Mrs Hawayo Takata was an American lady who was treated for a serious tumour, and she believed the Reiki cured her, by Dr Churgio Hayashi a Japanese physician and former pupil of Dr Usui, who integrated Reiki within his medical treatments. She was so grateful and amazed that she asked the Reiki Masters at the clinic to teach her Reiki. At first they refused but because she was so insistent and eager Churgio Hayashi agreed to instruct her. Just before the Second World war Mr Takata finished her Reiki training and Dr Churjiro said for her to go to the West and teach it there. Mrs Takata trained another 22 Masters in her lifetime and before she died she passed on her knowledge and taught her granddaughter Phyllis Lei Furumoto.  Today the Usui system of Reiki is used throughout the world (Rivera 1999) of which there are many versions adopted by Reiki Masters (Rand 2000).  

         Little is known about the theoretical mechanisms that underpin Reiki, however some scientific credibility was afforded this practice in 1990 when Kirlian photography was able to show a beam of energy, or temperature changes, radiating from the hand of a practitioner who was initiating the flow of Reiki (Rand 1991). Reiki is thought to be based on the belief that disease or imbalance happens when there is a blockage in an individual’s energy centres and Reiki practitioners as conduits of healing energy are able to channel and redirect this energy. Reiki is therefore a form of energy healing, which removes negative energy and replaces it with positive energy. Negative energy has become a common phenomenon of the world today with all the pressures of modern life and it is the main cause of stress. During periods of stress or anxiety a person will produce negative energy, and this blocks other energy throughout the body. Negative energy can be felt as a thick gooey substance, something of which can be sensed in the heavy atmosphere of a room when there has been an argument. Negativity is a strong energy and can be felt and sensed in areas where there has been a fight or an unpleasant situation has occurred. Healers believe when this energy is in a concentrated form within the human body it can make a person feel sad or depressed. 

 

         The body’s etheric energy field is made up of energy lines or meridians, the point of which intersect as spinning energy centres or charkas which distribute the universal energy throughout the body and Reiki can balance energy through these key focal points. Each chakra spins independently and is in perfect balance with the flowing energy of the body, they vibrate at different speeds and densities and are represented with individual colours. Reiki therapy is used to unblock damaged areas and rebalance the person’s energy and one of the main areas which are more commonly blocked is the solar plexus, the chakra just above the belly button. Healers believe this is the area where people hold old emotions and mental trauma and it is also believed that medical problems are caused when this chakra is blocked, for example bad backs and irritable bowel syndrome.  All chakras are thought to have significance to the person and their medical well-being. Not only is there energy within the body, but also surrounding it in layers known as the aura.       

         Reiki is different from other healing systems because the initiations are an ancient process of tuning the healer’s body, both physical and etheric, to a higher vibration, therefore allowing a clear channel for the energy to flow. Once this channel is open it remains open for the rest of the healer’s life. 

         The person who is having healing is fully clothed and usually lies on a therapy couch or they can be sitting, and the practitioner will then channel Reiki energy, which is then released through the hands into the person or animal. Healing takes place whether the recipient is aware of it or not it, no technology is involved, and it is completely unobtrusive, there is no body manipulations or engagement in conversation. The therapist will start by placing energy in the client’s head and work their way to their feet, all the time removing negative energy and replacing it with positive energy. Those who have experienced Reiki have reported a wide range of experiences which vary from feelings of blissfulness and warmth, an improved sense of wellbeing, having increased perceptions of sounds or colours and a reduced feeling of emotional, physical and psychological pain (Neid-Anderson and Ameling 2000). Reiki is safe, unobtrusive and natural, which does not replace or compete with the medical profession but is more usually utilised as an adjunctive treatment to medical protocols (Rowland 1998).   All conditions are helped with Reiki treatments, because Reiki works on all levels, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual but it is especially beneficial in people who are anxious or stressed.    

         There are different energies that are used in Reiki healing, and these can be physically felt in different ways. For example, angelic Reiki is felt in cool and a floating sensation in the hands; some people say it feels like cotton wool or feathers. Another energy is Quan Yin Reiki energy, this has the sensation of tingly, like pins & needles, Kuthumi Reiki feels warm and Violet flame has a sensation that can be felt as warm and cool waves. 

 

To see if you are able to channel healing you can do the following:  

1. Hold your hands approximately 20 cms apart, as if you are about to clap. Feel the air in between them by gently bouncing the air as if you were holding a ball, this is so you can have a comparison a before and after. 

1. Ask mentally for healing energy to be placed in the palm of your hands. Do not worry who you are asking or in what you believe, it is pure loving energy.  

1. Wait a few seconds, then gently bounce the air in between your palms. You should feel a ball of air. This is healing energy.  

 

If you find you have the ability to channel healing, most people can, do not immediately feel you can go and help someone. You must be taught how to channel the healing and where to place your hands on the chakras and more importantly about protecting your good energy from negative energy. Reiki is a reputable therapy because the Reiki practitioner has to be fully trained by a Reiki Master Teacher and have a recognised certificate and insurance. To become a Reiki practitioner you have to go on an accredited course where you are taught to channel Reiki energy and then awarded a certificate on completion of the course, this is particularly important given the vulnerability of the patients who can seek treatment.  A Reiki practitioner must be insured, have the client’s consent, follow strict guidelines and procedures. Some of this will relate to the data protection act, to child protection and to client confidentiality protocols.  

         The Master training process for Reiki includes a series of 3 levels of initiations, or attunements, which last approximately 1 year. Each levels has a unique attunement to the specific level being undertaken and involves several stages ranging from the basics of Reiki history to learning distant or absentee healing, to becoming a master teacher.        There are 5 spiritual principles and guidelines of Reiki laid down by Der Usui. A.  Just for today do not worry (When we worry we create negative thoughts and this can lead to anger). ; B. Just for today do not anger (when we are angry we are unhappy and this can lead to stress); C. Honour your parents, teachers and elders (when we show respect to other people they usually mirror this and show respect to us); D. Earn your living honestly (by doing this we feel safe and secure in that our reputation is good); E. Give gratitude to every living thing (live by kindness and show compassion to others, this will make us feel good and positive). 

         Like many alternative or complementary therapies there is a lack of scientific research that is able to demonstrate the clinical outcomes of Reiki. A major problem with conventional research is that it mostly relies on random controlled trials and it is difficult to mask the healing method of Reiki. It is not possible therefore to perform double-blind studies that have a random assignment of subjects to standardised treatment protocols. The difficulty in designing placebo substitutes means that single blind studies are also hard to carry out. While it has not been widely studied there are a number of studies that highlight the effectiveness of Reki, such as pain reduction in cancer patients (Olson and Hanson 1997), helping preoperative patients reduce their stress levels and produce a calming effect which helps to decrease the amount of pain medication required (Alandydy and Alandydy (1999), improving quality of life, improved sleeping and eating habits in survivors of child sexual abuse (MacDermott and Epstein 2001) and the reduction of depression and stress (Shore 2004).  

         Reiki has been shown to be a benefit to patients and in turn to the NHS, by helping and aiding the wellbeing of the patient. Patients are more aware of their general health and need to treat their bodies as a whole, not just the physical body but also their state of mind. Reiki should be viewed as an ally to health professionals and not seen in any way to obstruct or block conventional medicine, but to compliment it. Many practice nurses are enrolling on courses in the complimentary field and one of the most popular of these is Reiki. The aim of today’s healthcare is to provide more holistic ways of working and considering patients, lets hope this will be achieved in the future by working together to treat the patient’s mental and physical state and this will inevitably mean combining complimentary accredited therapies such as Reiki, with that of conventional medicine. 

         

         

Page BreakReferences 

Alandydy, P., Alandydy, K. (1999) Performance brief: using Reiki to support surgical patients. Journal Nursing Care and Quality 13 (4) p 89-91 

 

Ernst, E., White, A. (2000) The BBC survey of complementary medicine use in the UK. Complementary Therapies in Medicine .8 p 32-36 

 

MacDermott, W., Epstein, M. (2001) Reiki is effective in addressing major consequencies of child sexual abuse. Online document at:www.tamarashouse.sk.ca/reiki.pdf. Accessed October 16th 2008 

 

Olson, K., Hanson, J. (1997) Using Reiki to manage pain:a preliminary report. Prevention and Control in Cancer Oncology 4(2) p108-112 

 

Rand, W.(1991) Reiki- the healing touch. Bemington, VT: Vision Publications 

 

Rand, W. (2000) Reiki training. What is Reiki who can learn it? The Reiki News. Spring/Summer 26 

 

Rivera, C. (1999) Reiki therapy a tool for wellness. NSNA/Imprint February/March. 56 p31-33 

 

Rowland, A. (1998) Traditional Reiki for our times: Practical methods for personal and planetary healing. Rocester, VT: Healing Arts Press 

 

Shore, A. (2004)  Long-term effects of energetic healing on symptoms of psychological depression and self-perceived stress. Alternative Therapies  10 p 42-48 

 

Long, L., Huntley, A., Ernst, E. (2001) Which complementary and alternative therapies benefit which conditions? A survey of the opinions of 223 professional organisations.  

Complementary Therapies in Medicine.9 p178-185 

 

Moore, J., Phipps, K., Marcer, D. (1985) Why do people seek treatment by alternative medicine? British Medical Journal 290 p28-29 

 

Nield-Anderson., Ameling, A. (2000) The empowering nature of Reiki as a complementary therapy. Holistic Nursing Practice. 14(3) p 21-29 

 

Wheelan, K., Wishnia, S. (2003) Reiki Therapy; The benefits to a Nurse/ Reiki practitioner Holistic Nursing Practice 17 (4) p 209-217 

 

Key Points 

 

• The lay public are becoming more health conscious and aware of their body’s well being. 

• Studies have shown that Reiki can enhance an overall sense of well-being, diminish pain, promote relaxation and decrease stress. 

• Reiki is a form of energy healing, which removes negative energy and replaces it with positive energy. 

• Reiki is safe, unobtrusive and natural, which does not replace or compete with the medical profession.