What is Reiki?

This is a popular question among those, especially in the west, that are new to alternative therapies and treatments. To answer some questions about what reiki is and what you can expect from a reiki treatment, I have put together a summary for those that may be curious but undecided about whether to get a treatment. The following is some useful information I have put together to help you in your journey towards knowledge about energy medicine.

The Five Precepts of Reiki

The Gokai

Just for today (Kyo dake wa):

Don't get angry (Okoru na)

Don't worry (Shinpai su na)

Be grateful (Kansha shite)

Work hard (Gyo wo hage me)

Be kind to others (Hito ni shinsetsu ni)

The Benefits of Reiki

This is just a few of the benefits of reiki treatments.

1. Stress reduction and increased relaxation

2. Assists in emotional clarity, reduces tensions and tension/stress related illnesses

3. Assists in recovering from addictions

3. Reduces side effect of drugs

5. Increases vitality and slows the aging process

6. Pain relief

7. Removes energy blockages

The History of Reiki

Reiki begins with Sensei Mikao Usui who was born in 1865 and lived in Japan until he was 61 years old. He was considered a spiritual seeker who was married and had two children, a son and a daughter. His interests were wide and he was considered an avid reader, seeking education in history, medicine, healing practices and several spiritual practices and philosophies.

The true history of Reiki begins In the Spring of 1922 (approximately) when it is said that Sensei Mikao Usui ventured to the top of Mount Kurama, a sacred meditation site in Japan, for a twenty one day fasting retreat. He carried with him only 21 stones to mark each day. It is during this retreat in which Sensei Mikao Usui discovered subtle vibrations above his head. He came to understand this experience as one that awakened him to be able to heal, and successfully used this ability among family and friends and decided to share this profound newly discovered know,edge with the public. One of twenty one students was ChuJiro Hayashi, another known figure in the history of Reiki.

For more history on Reiki please visit http://nccam.nih.gov/health/reiki/..

The Science of Reiki

I have a personal problem with the question of whether reiki is scientific or whether it is based on a placebo effect. I think we are asking the wrong question. It is more simple. Does reiki work, should be the ultimate question.

Though many skeptics still classify Reiki as unproven in its medical benefits, several people that have undergone reiki treatments may beg to differ. The truth is that science is still an infant when it comes to bio-electrical fields and their manipulations.

Ampere's Law

The truth is we know that the human body is able to conduct electrical currents through our tissues, and in fact discovered this first in the heart. Second we realized that our brain too conducted this electrical impulse and in fact used it communicate and relay signals to the rest of our body. According to Wikipedia, "In classical electromagnetism, Ampère's circuital law, discovered by André-Marie Ampère in 1826, relates the integrated magnetic field around a closed loop to the electric current passing through the loop. Maxwell derived it again hydrodynamically in his 1861 paper On Physical Lines of Force and it is now one of Maxwell's equations, which form the basis of classical electromagnetism." What this states in lamens terms is that anything that conducts a current through it generates an electromagnetic field. As human beings that conduct electricity within our most basic functions, it is safe to say that according to the laws of physics itself, we also produce a magnetic field.

Promising Studies

1. Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine

"Personal Interaction with a Reiki Practitioner Decreases Noise-Induced Microvascular Damage in an Animal Model"

Ann L. Baldwin, Gary E. Schwartz. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. January 1, 2006, 12(1): 15-22. doi:10.1089/acm.2006.12.15.

2. Reiki News Articles

The International Center for Reiki Training

Science Measures the Human Energy Field

3. Reiki News Magazine, Summer 2005

The Science of Reiki, by Nicole Mackay

4. Massage Today

Federally Funded Reiki Study Underway in Washington, By Michael Devitt

5. UK Reiki Federation