Reiki is a Japanese word meaning universal life force energy, spiritual consciousness, Source energy, or higher knowledge. This life-force energy is the same as Chi in Chinese or Prana in Sanskrit.
A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed that 20 minutes of Reiki given to patients for three days after heart attacks improved mood and heart-rate variability. The result was comparable with beta blockers. HRV is a strong predictor heart attack deaths, so lowering this rate is key to survival. Perhaps if viewed from a western medical perspective, Reiki may be able to help you achieve a deep level of relaxation which lowers stress hormones in the body. The art of Healing Touch, which is used in western medical settings, is somewhat similar.
The symbol for Reiki is growing with aromatic leaves.
From an energetic perspective your Reiki session may shift energy patterns within the body, and may help bring harmony and balance to whatever situation you are facing. It is a non-invasive system of healing that may bring comfort and peace to the body and the mind. Many people use Reiki as a complimentary modality (along with their regular medical treatment) when faced with a health issue. During a long-distance Reiki sessions I may use chromotherapy and sound healing.
This Japanese healing modality was developed in 1922 by a Japanese Buddhist named Mikao Usui. It is not a religion and does not require any particular belief system to enjoy its benefits.
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REIKI Q and A … some of the questions I’ve been asked!
Vulnerable Warriors. © R. Mitchell-Guthrie.
Q: What can I expect to feel during a Reiki session?
A: Reiki has been described to me by my clients as a tingling sensation, waves, or water flowing along limbs or the entire body. It can feel warm or cool. Some people have told me that they felt someone was holding their hands, that they feel themselves floating or that negativity was lifting. Some people describe colors that they see with their mind’s eye. Sometimes there is an emotional release in the form of tears or laughter, and that is ok too. There is nothing you “should” feel, only an invitation to let go of expectations. During the session I can share the psychic, intuitive information I receive from from my Guides. If the client prefers quietness, I can share this information after the session.
Clients are also able to ask me specific questions for psychic guidance and information while we are talking or afterwards. Sometimes past lives come up if it relates to a specific situation or physical manifestation someone is dealing with. I can get timelines, numbers, for my clients, too.
You Know Your Way Through the Birches. © R. Mitchell-Guthrie.
Q: How often should I get Reiki?
A: It is not possible to get too much Reiki since it is a gentle healing tool. It will greatly depend on your situation. We can discuss that together and come up with a schedule that is right for you. Most of my clients know what they need to do intuitively, so they are the ones who tell me how much they want Reiki or psychic information.
Q: What led you to practice Reiki as a profession?
A: I was drawn to this profession because of the healing work in my own personal health journey, and because I became aware of psychic abilities, medical intuitive abilities, empathic abilities, and abilities as a medium. These come in the form of physical and emotional empathic abilities (this is the gift of mirror-touch synesthesia), clairaudience (clear hearing), clairsentience (clear feeling), clairvoyant (clear seeing), and claircognitive (clear knowing) abilities. These are innate, natural psychic abilities. I was born with this gift.
During my health journey, I found that sometimes my concerns were invalidated by professionals and other important people in my life. This is one of the many reasons that validation and true listening are important to me. I believe that we cannot know to what degree genetics and karma have upon our health. Therefore, it is very important to me to bring a compassionate, non-judgmental attitude to my work. Everyone is doing the best they can already, and we need to honor ourselves as much as possible for this very reason.
Q: Should/Could I send my Mother, Partner, Husband, etc. to you for treatment?
A: In general, I have found that the relatives of my clients are not as open to energy work. The resistance of the family members they want to send in here makes it an uncomfortable session for me and for the person that has been sent in. People need to come to healing practices in their lives by their own will and choice. I prefer to treat only one half of a couple, so that that person has his/her own source of support through me. If the other half wants a Reiki treatment, I can refer him/her to another practitioner. I have noticed that my clients who come willingly to me for Reiki tend to be ahead of the curve, and many are often very psychically intuitive themselves.
Q: What conditions or situations do you not work with?
A: I will not work with anyone who practices spiritually unethical methods such as black magic, voodoo or practices like these. This negative energy boomerangs on the person practicing it, and makes them sick. This type of energy is dense, difficult to clear, and I will not work with people who use it. I do not offer “curse removal” for clients because this is not a part of my belief system. However, I do work with people who have experienced spiritual abuse.
Q: Is Reiki meditation?
A: A Reiki session is meditative, but not meditation. Most clients go into a very relaxed state during the session. When I do Reiki with a client, I am in a meditative state also. Depending on what the client prefers, I can channel and talk with you about what I’m seeing, hearing, and sensing. This can lead to very deep insights and breakthroughs. Reiki is also a chance to be still and go within, so it will depend on what someone wants to do when they are with me in their appointment. I have encouraged many clients to try meditation, and many go on to do that for themselves with Reiki as a starting point.
No one can practice the Five Mindfulness Trainings perfectly, not even the Buddha. The goal is not to be perfect but simply to be mindful of ourselves, even when we make mistakes. If you are lost in a forest at night, you can follow the North Star to find your way out. You follow the North Star, but your goal is to get back home; it’s not to arrive at the North Star. — Thich Nhat Hahn, The Art of Power
The information presented on this site is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of professional medical care. The information contained therein is neither intended to dictate what constitutes reasonable, appropriate, or best care for any given health issue, nor is it intended to be used as a substitute for the independent judgment of a physician for any given health issue. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through my web site is for general information purposes only.
Image water droplet: copyright public domain
Image night sky: photo by B. Woolbright / CC-BY-SA-3.0