Reiki

Reiki is a natural method of spiritual healing that treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit to create beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and well-being. Reiki practitioners channel energy in a particular pattern to heal, harmonize and restore order to the body whose vital energy has become unbalanced. In contrast to treatments such as acupuncture, Reiki does not try to unblock a person's ki, but to channel the ki of the universe so that the person heals. It brings about deep relaxation, destroys energy blockages, detoxifies the system, provides new vitality in the form of universal life energy and increases the vibrational frequency of the body. Many have reported miraculous results, and Reiki has been effective in helping virtually every known illness and malady. It works in conjunction with other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery. Although there are a few positions in which the practitioner is in contact with the patient (such as cradling the head), most Reiki treatments do not involve actual touching. The client lies down or sits comfortably, fully clothed. The practitioner's hands are placed lightly on or just above the client's body, palms down, using a series of 12 to 15 different hand positions. Each position is held for about 2 to 5 minutes.
Rei means universal spirit in Japanese, and ki is the life force, so Reiki literally means universal spirit life force. People use Reiki to promote overall health and well-being and also for relief from disease-related symptoms and the side effects of conventional medical treatments. Although Reiki can be practiced as a form of self-care, its use by health care professionals in a variety of clinical settings has increased greatly. A 2002 national survey by the National Center for Health Statistics and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) found that more than 2.2 million adults in the United States have used Reiki. Scientific research is underway to learn more about how Reiki may work, its possible effects on health, and the diseases and conditions for which it may be helpful.