What is Reiki? What is Reflexology?
 

WHAT IS REIKI?

Reiki is an ancient and natural hands-on healing modality that originates from Japan. The word ‘reiki’ when translated into English is ‘rei’ meaning universal life force and ‘ki’ means energy. The concept of ‘ki’ or life force energy is found in many cultures. Ayurvedic medicine in India refers to it as ‘prana’, whilst the Taoists in China refer to it as ‘chi’. This energy exists within you and everything that surrounds you. Science now agrees that all matter is made up of energy whether it’s a hard object like a rock or a softer being like the human body. 

This knowledge is so important when it comes to our health as our physical body can no longer be seen purely as static matter. Rather we are fluid, alive and constantly interacting with everything around us.

The energy of the universe is unlimited and as young children we are able to replace our energy reserves easily. But as we age it becomes more difficult to do this, since we hold on to unprocessed stress or emotions in the body. When our energy blocked in some way we may begin to experience physical, emotional, mental or spiritual discomfort.

During a reiki session energy is drawn from the universe and transmitted through the palms of the hands to rebalance and restore your energy.

 
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The physical benefits of reiki can include:

  • Reduction of pain

  • Increased immune function

  • Stress release and deep relaxation

  • Increased focus

  • Reduction in depression and anxiety

  • Improvement in sleep

  • Increased energy

  • Improved digestion

The emotional benefits of reiki can include:

  • Promotes positivity

  • A calmer mind & a sense of peacefulness

  • Encourages gratitude 

  • Soothes heavy emotions such as anger, grief and worry

  • Strengthens self-esteem and self-awareness

 

Why is reiki so popular?

Reiki is gaining in popularity because people are searching for natural ways to restore their health and vitality. I have had many clients that have reported experiencing positive and life changing results after only a few reiki sessions! But… don’t take my word for it, there are several small studies that have demonstrated the positive effects of reiki.

Reiki in research

 

Although more research is needed, results have shown that reiki can help to reduce pain, anxiety and fatigue.

In 2015 a study was conducted in Turkey to investigate the effects of reiki on pain, anxiety and hemodynamic parameters (heart rate & blood pressure) during the first two days after a caesarean section. Ninety patients participated in the study – half received reiki and the other half didn’t. Results showed that reiki reduced the intensity of pain, levels of anxiety, the breathing rate, as well as the need for pain medications. Although this study was small it demonstrates the positive impact reiki has on both the physical and emotional aspects of a person. 

Another study conducted in 2010 tested reiki on a group of older adults who were experiencing pain, depression and/or anxiety. The participants were randomised to either the experimental group or a waiting list control group. Significant differences were observed between the experimental and control groups on measures of pain, depression, and anxiety. On average, the experimental group reported greater feelings of relaxation, increased curiosity and enhanced levels of self-care. 

In Australia, reiki is one of the more popular complementary modalities used to manage health conditions.  There is little data available on how many Australians use reiki but information from public sources show that it is being widely used with good outcomes in hospitals, cancer support centres, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centres and in palliative care. 

 

Reiki + stress

 

In the last 30 years the world has changed quickly in ways that have had a detrimental impact on our health. Pesticides were introduced into our food, processed food has become the norm and caffeine intake has increased rapidly. Then there is the introduction of cell phones and social media which has influenced the way we communicate, making it more difficult to switch off and disconnect. As a consequence our perceptions of pressure and urgency are at an all-time high.

Our bodies used to only create adrenalin and cortisol when there was a real threat of danger in our environment. Now we are living in such a fast paced society that the body doesn’t know the difference between a real-life threat and the 300 unread emails in your inbox! Stress plays such a huge role in many of the health issues people are experiencing.

According to the US Centre of Disease Control, it is now recognised that up to 85% of all illnesses are caused by stress.

I think it’s also important to acknowledge here that stress isn’t just caused by the hundreds of things on our to-do list. Stress can also be caused by blocked and supressed emotions that we hold onto, when we don’t have the awareness or tools to process them.

The effects of unreleased stress and emotion range from minor aches to major health concerns, such as heart disease, cancer, digestive disorders, respiratory and skin problems. 

And of course fatigue and lack of energy are now commonplace for so many people. This is an area that I am most passionate about, as I have personally experienced intense fatigue and burnt out and know that the recovery can feel like a long and difficult journey. If this resonates with you, remember that you are not alone and that you can fully recover from this condition. Every year over 1.5 million Australians go to see their doctor about fatigue. Fortunately this can be reversed with the right treatment and lifestyle changes.

Reiki can play a big part in your recovery as it works to switch off your sympathetic nervous system (which is your fight or flight response) and turns on your sympathetic nervous system which is your body’s rest and repair mode.

Reiki is also helpful for processing old emotions that are stored inside your body. It’s important to note that after a reiki session, some emotions may come up that need to be cleared from your system. It’s important to be gentle to yourself during this time and allow whatever you’re feeling to come up to the surface so it can be released. This will allow you to feel lighter and more at peace with yourself. 

 
 
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What to expect during your first reiki session

Your first reiki session will take about an hour, sometimes a little longer if you prefer.We will talk about the things that are currently presenting in your life that you need support with, whether it’s physical and/or emotional. I will ask you to fill out a consultation form so I can have a clear picture of your health –  both past and present – and I will use this information to create a personalised treatment to ensure the best results.

During the treatment you will lie fully clothed on a massage table with a warm blanket. I will use music to create a calming atmosphere. I will gently place my hands on certain parts of your body. I usually hold one position for approximately 5 minutes before I move onto another area. You can choose whether you would like to be lying face up or face down during the session (or working on both sides of the body can be a nice experience too). 

Many clients fall asleep during their treatment or they experience a deep level of relaxation. If you have an extremely busy mind it may take a little longer for the body to relax, but after about half an hour your nervous system will start to calm down and you will no longer be in ‘fight or flight’ mode. 

 

What to expect after your reiki session

During a reiki session the energy will flow to all the parts of your body that require rebalancing. This healing process can affect you either physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually.

Although the reiki session lasts only an hour, this energy should continue to work on you for days after the treatment so it’s important to have lots of rest, eat nutritious food and be present with any emotions or sensations that are arising from within you. Some people experience gentle changes and others experience profound shifts – reiki will gift you with whatever you need at that time. It’s important to note that no two reiki sessions will be the same, just trust in the process!

 
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The effects that you may feel after a session include:

You may feel very thirsty after a session so drink plenty of water as this is part of your body’s detoxing process.

You may feel extremely tired or very energised. If you do feel tired listen to your body and have a nap or go to sleep earlier than usual.

You may experience a headache or cold like symptoms, this is also part of the detoxing process.

You might notice that your body feels either hot or cold after a session, these symptoms should ease not long after the session.

Many people feel peaceful and calm after a reiki session. Meditation or qi gong are great ways to maintain this grounded state.

You may experience some insights or find that you see situations in your life differently than before, this is reiki working its magic!

 
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How many reiki treatments will I need?

This depends on many factors including the type of condition and your financial situation.

If the condition is chronic then starting with weekly or fortnightly treatments works best before spreading them out to monthly once you start to feel an improvement.

With a chronic condition it may take a few weeks before you see noticeable changes as the condition has been present for a longer period of time.

For an acute condition, you may find relief after only a couple of sessions and you won’t necessarily require regular or ongoing treatments.

For general health and well-being one session per month is recommended to keep your ‘Chi’ in balance. 

The history of reiki

 

The origins of reiki are complex and there is not a great deal known about the specific origins of the system. But the following summarises some of the facts that are known. Reiki can be viewed as both a modern and ancient modality. It is modern because it was only developed in the last hundred years or so, and ancient because its origins stem from Buddhism whose religious teachings are over 2,500 years old. 

Reiki was developed in Japan by a man called Mikao Usui (1865-1926). Usui was born to a samurai family descended from the Chiba clan. There is not a lot known about Usui’s life, but he was spoken of as a gentle man with a spiritual nature. 

Usui was born in an era of great change for Japan. Japanwas emerging from over 200 years of isolation from the rest of the world, since foreigners and missionaries had been banned from entering the country.

After the ban was lifted Japan started trading with America and Japanese society began to change rapidly. The Japanese began to move away from their traditional way of life, and many felt fearful of this change. Many Japanese people turned to religion in some form in order to cope with these changes, and some suggest this inspired Usui to devise a system of spiritual development that would be accessible to all people since it was not tied to religion. 

Usui brought together a number of elements from his understanding of the world to create the system of reiki. Around 1922 Usui started to teach reiki in Tokyo and eventually centres were set up around the rest of the country. In 1926 Usui died of a stroke in Fukuyama. The Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai claim that there were at least 11 students studying the master level of reiki at the time he died. Toshihiro Eguchi (1873-1946) and Kaiji Tomita, both students of Mikao Usui, became well known as practitioners and were authors of books on healing. Eguchi is said to have taught some 500,000 students.

Around 1936 an American born Japanese women called Hawayo Takata became a reiki master. She took the system of reiki back to Hawaii, USA to set up the first non-Japanese reiki clinic.

Takata did not teach the system of the chakras but focused on the hara method. Before her death in 1980, Takata had trained 22 students to teach the system of reiki. These students began to set up practices and create reiki groups and associations. There was some debate over whether this was the true system of reiki and a group called The Reiki Alliance standardised the western system and taught what they called Usui Shiki Ryoho.

In modern times reiki can take many forms, however the Usui system of reiki is still the form most widely practiced. Practitioners and Master teachers are trained through an initiation process where masters pass on their knowledge and expertise to their students. 

 
 

The lineage

I completed my traditional Reiki Level 2 training in 2019. My reiki lineage is:

Mikao Usui

Chujiro Hayashi

Hawayo Takata

Barbara Weber Ray

Maureen O’Toole

Paula Horan

Ishwarananda Vedalankar

Yugesh Namedev

Sarah Najjar

Anita Rudelj

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Are you ready for reiki to change your life?

We are currently living in a very stressful society and so many people feel the effects of this on their physical and emotional wellbeing. When we are not living from a place of alignment the body will start to send you very clear messages that something in your life needs to change. Use this wisdom and take action as your health is your greatest asset.