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“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in our philosophy.”
~ Shakespeare, Hamlet 1.5:168-169. |
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Reiki (RAY-key) is an ancient art of healing. Reiki is a Japanese word which can be broken down into two parts, rei, “universal” and ki, “life force energy.” The word ki in Japanese is the same concept as chi in Chinese as in Tai Chi or Qi Gong. It is also the same idea as the Hindu word prana which is used in the teaching of yoga. In traditional Eastern philosophy and medicine, our bodies are filled with energy flowing in and out of specific points in the body called chakras. If we become tired, stressed, or injured, the energy does not flow through the body as it should, and we become ill. Reiki is a hands-on healing system that restores the balance of energy to the body and helps the body heal itself.
Reiki is not the same as massage therapy. In a Reiki treatment, the practitioners do not rub the body with their hands; rather, they simply hold their hands at specific points on the body, rest their hands there for a few minutes to let the energy flow into that part of the body, and then move the hands to another position. Reiki, however, is more similar to other methods of healing such as “Healing Touch,” “Qi Gong” and “The Rubenfeld Synergy Method of Talk and Touch.” In some of these other methods, the practitioners’ hands do not touch the body at all, but are instead placed a few inches from the body in specific positions or in waving motions. All, however, have been shown to be effective healing techniques.