Reiki

Historical Overview

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that can also promote healing. It was developed in the early 1920s in Japan by a Buddhist, Mikao Usui, while he was performing a 21 day Buddhist meditation practice. Usui claimed he gained knowledge of a spiritual power to tune into what he calledReiki -- 'rei' in Japanese means divine and 'ki' means energy. Together this word is often described as spiritually or universally guided life force energy. In practice Reiki is tuning into the "unseen life force energy" that flows through a person and involves laying hands lightly on or just above a person in order to facilitate that person's own healing response. Usui later established a school in Tokyo and imparted his knowledge on the subject until he died in 1926. One of his students, Chujiro Hayashi, further developed the practice placing less emphasis on the meditative aspects and more on healing. Then later a second generation Japanese American woman born in Hawaii named Hawayo Takata learned Reiki from Hayashi in Japan and introduced it to the United States and other western cultures in the late 1930s. The type of Reiki practiced and taught by Hayashi and Takata may be considered traditional Reiki. There are several different variations (or schools) of Reiki that have been developed over time and are currently practiced.

Treatment Method

Present day Reiki has two branches of teachings: Traditional Japanese Reiki and Western Reiki. Both forms involve a spiritual connection between the Reiki practitioner and the client. The general concept is that Reiki is unlimited and can be channeled by a practitioner through light placement of the hands on the body or over the body to heal diseases and injury. A Reiki session usually takes place in an office, clinic or hospital where the patient sits or lies down comfortably and fully clothed. Once settled, the practitioner might try a number hand positions held for 2 to 5 minutes each or until the practitioner feels the flow of energy. The number of sessions depends on the health needs of the patient.

Provider’s Training

Reiki practitioners receive a mastery of the healing form by attuning themselves with the help of another Reiki master, resulting in a spiritual transfer of the knowledge of Reiki. There is no set time frame to train, but all masters must progress through the 3 levels of Reiki. The first teaches basic theories and procedures, the second teaches distance healing, and the third, spiritual knowledge helping the student to become a Master/Teacher. Each teacher’s experience of attunement is unique. Once students reach this level of attunement, they are qualified to impart their mastery on other students if they desire.

Credentials and Regulation Bodies

There is no accreditation or regulation body for Reiki. The International Association of Reiki Professionals (IARP) encourages its members to become registered professionals through their organization, which holds them to the highest professional standards of Reiki practice.

Professional Associations

The International Association of Reiki Professionals (IARP) is the largest body of professional practitioners in the healing art of Reiki. This association provides its members with official registration, liability coverage, and a wide network of other professionals.

For more information on Reiki, visit the International Center for Reiki Training at www.reiki.org or the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at www.nccam.nih.gov.

Pricing

Reiki can be received in person or via a distance session and can last from 15 minutes to an hour. The average cost for Reiki treatment is $50-$80 per session. The price depends on the practitioner’s level of expertise and whether it is in person or remote.