| Even as a little girl growing up in San Francisco, I had | | | | usually felt as heat or tingling sensations. There could |
| wanted to make it big in life. I wanted to be rich and | | | | be a number of sessions which purely depend on the |
| famous! Well, who wouldn't want to? Despite having | | | | client's health requirements. |
| chosen a career path that was considered a sure-fire | | | | There are three degrees or levels of training in Reiki. |
| recipe to success, I wasn't getting what I wanted | | | | An initiation or attunement from the Reiki Master |
| out of life! Strangely I felt that 'a wall of hindrance' | | | | qualifies you to gain access to the universal energy |
| was standing between me and the life of my | | | | and take up the next degree or level. During the first |
| dreams! And my real problem was that I was clueless | | | | level the students are taught to perform Reiki on |
| about this 'invisible barrier' and the means to eliminate | | | | themselves and on others. In the next level the |
| it until the day I bumped into William with whom I | | | | students are taught to perform Reiki on others from |
| shared a room while I was in Australia to attend a | | | | a distance. You will need many years of experience |
| linguistic program. | | | | to become a Reiki Master, the third level in which you |
| William is a writer, teacher and more importantly a | | | | can initiate others in Reiki healing process. |
| Reiki Master. He has mastered the ancient Japanese | | | | Uses of Reiki |
| technique of Reiki to reduce stress, provide | | | | Reiki practitioners claim that the healing method can |
| relaxation and heal people. There was something | | | | provide relaxation, relieve stress and anxiety, and |
| divine about William and I felt he radiated spiritual | | | | promote overall health at all levels. People use Reiki to |
| warmth which he obviously attributed to Reiki. During | | | | get relief from pain, and even to mitigate the side |
| my stay with William, I saw many people approaching | | | | effects of cancer treatment. Reiki is also practiced |
| him for Reiki sessions to overcome their problems at | | | | on terminally ill patients and their families to induce a |
| different levels. | | | | sense of peace. |
| And invariably at the end of these Reiki sessions, I | | | | What does science say? |
| saw the happy faces of people who thanked William | | | | According to National Center for Complementary and |
| for his expert help. Yet, I remained skeptical about | | | | Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), |
| the efficacy of Reiki until one day I decided to take | | | | Reiki sessions appear to be safe with no cases of |
| the plunge! It was not that I really bought into | | | | serious side effects. However there is no scientific |
| William's ideology. It was largely because I was | | | | conclusion on the benefits of Reiki as yet and |
| desperate to find the 'invisible barrier to success' in | | | | research on this is still underway. |
| my life and eliminate it once for all! But before that, I | | | | The 2007 National Health Interview Survey reported |
| needed to find out the history of Reiki and its | | | | that 1.2 million American adults had used energy |
| practice and reassure myself that it is safe to give it | | | | healing therapies like Reiki. |
| a try. | | | | My experience |
| Origin of Reiki | | | | Even though I was not fully convinced that Reiki is |
| Reiki is a Japanese word where 'rei' means universal | | | | safe, I took the plunge. My first Reiki session with |
| and 'ki' means life energy. Hailed as the gentlest | | | | William lasted a few minutes and was followed by 5 |
| healing technique in the world, there are different | | | | more sessions. As the sessions progressed I strongly |
| types of Reiki practiced today. However, the | | | | felt the universal life force entering the seven |
| traditional Reiki methods are based on the healing and | | | | chakras or energy centers in my body, cleansing me |
| meditative techniques of Mikao Usui who popularized | | | | at all levels, physical, mental and emotional. And when |
| it in Japan during the 20th century. Later Usui's | | | | the energy pushed through the heart chakra, I vividly |
| student Chujiro Hayashi reintroduced it, giving more | | | | experienced the breaking of the 'invisible barrier,' and |
| emphasis on the healing part of it. The Reiki | | | | witnessed the little chunks being blown out! |
| movement was introduced to the West thanks to | | | | My spiritual heart was now 'open' and devoid of any |
| the efforts of Hawayo Takata, an American student | | | | hindrance and full of positive energy! I felt reborn! I |
| of Hayashi. | | | | have since used this new found spirit to change |
| The practice of Reiki | | | | every aspect of my life, notably the tremendous |
| Reiki believes that there is a universal energy field | | | | wealth, relationship success and happiness I have |
| present that could help in restoring the balance of | | | | achieved since. |
| body-mind-soul. This is considered important as any | | | | How you can tap it's power |
| discrepancies in the energy levels could result in | | | | Reiki is spiritual and not religious. Whether you believe |
| illnesses and hindrances in life. And practitioners claim | | | | in God or not, it doesn't matter for Reiki to work out |
| that through Reiki, one can gain access to the | | | | its magic on you! So open up your mind and take the |
| universal energy field and increase its flow in the | | | | plunge and live the life of your dreams. |
| affected areas and help cure illnesses at the physical, | | | | Since my first experiences with Reiki, I've attended |
| mental and emotional planes present in the human | | | | several Reiki workshops and courses. A year ago, I |
| body. | | | | came across a low-cost and superb course that I |
| In a typical session of Reiki, a trained Reiki | | | | would highly recommend to both beginners and |
| practitioner places his/her hands, palms down, lightly | | | | advanced Reiki students. This course can be |
| on or above the affected body parts of the client | | | | accessed by going to |
| for a few minutes. This is repeated using 12 to 15 | | | | Best of luck with your personal journey of |
| different hand poses or till the time the client feels | | | | self-discovery and success! |
| the flow of energy in his/her body parts which is | | | | |