What is Reiki?
Are you hearing the word ‘Reiki’ pop-up in conversations? Maybe you’re curious about the realm of spirituality and energy healing. Or perhaps you’re searching for a modality to support your healing journey.
When I first stumbled upon Reiki a few years ago, it seemed to keep appearing everywhere. Whether it was in conversations or on shop fronts, to the books I was reading.
Sometimes it can feel like Reiki finds you. Maybe this is something you’re experiencing too?
So, what exactly is Reiki?
Reiki is a Japanese energy healing technique renowned for promoting stress reduction, relaxation and the body’s natural healing abilities. The term Reiki is comprised of two Japanese words, “Rei” and “Ki”. In Japanese, “Rei” refers to a “higher power”, and “Ki” means “life force energy”.
Together, Reiki is “spiritually guided life force energy”. Reiki is based on the principle that Ki (or energy) is the underlying energy of everything that exists, the universal life force energy that brings humans, plants and animals to life.
When the flow of ‘Ki’ is blocked or stagnant, it can lead to feelings of being unwell, becoming sick, feeling stressed or self-destructive tendencies, resulting in an imbalance in our energy. When ‘Ki’ is flowing freely, our body can heal, and experience a sense of ease.
Reiki healing involves channelling Reiki (pure, clean life-force energy) from an attuned Reiki practitioner to a client. When channelled appropriately, none of the practitioner’s energy is transferred to the client and vice versa, only Reiki.
Reiki is a complementary healing therapy, as it works in a non-invasive and deeply relaxing way.
Without delving too deeply into the complexities, it’s worth noting that there are various lineages and styles of Reiki. The style I practice is Usui Reiki, a direct lineage from Mikao Usui, the founder of Reiki.
The benefits of Reiki
Some of the benefits you could receive from Reiki include:
Feel grounded and relaxed
Soothe stress, tension, overwhelm and anxiety
Foster peace and overall wellbeing
Clear stagnant energy and dissolve energy blocks
Restore energetic balance
Awaken or reconnect to your intuition
Provide guidance, clarity or inspiration
Promotes better sleep
Eases pain and promotes healing
A clearer and more focused mind or feeling inspired
What’s it like to experience Reiki? How does it feel?
Everyone has their own unique experience of what Reiki feels or is like for them. Some may not feel much during a session, while others may drift into a deep sleep or get lost in their thoughts - these are all very common and normal. You may also be wondering if Reiki still works if this happens - it does!
I’ve personally found that every session, whether it be sessions I’ve experienced as a client or sessions I’ve facilitated as a Reiki practitioner, is so different.
These are some of the things my clients and I have felt and experienced when receiving Reiki:
Hot and cold sensations
Tingling (like pins and needles)
Seeing images, colour or flashes of light
A general knowing or hearing of certain messages
Memories
Sensations of many people/guides in the room supporting or sharing Reiki
Feeling density or tension releasing or moving
Deep relaxation or a feeling of warmth
Body twitches
Body movement
Falling asleep or going deep into the ‘void’
Ultimately, Reiki is an experiential practice - something to be tried firsthand to fully grasp its essence.
If you’re interested in experiencing Reiki yourself or know someone eager to try, I offer sessions both in-person in Brisbane, Australia and online (yep - there’s no limit on distance/time for Reiki energy to work, but that’s a story for another time!).