Reiki is a simple hands-on technique, which was discovered by Dr. Mikao Usui in Japan in the early 1900s. He called it an energy medicine, which is believed to balance the biofields and strengthen the body’s ability to heal itself.
In quantum physics, it is believed that the universe is composed of energy. Our physical universe is made up of densely vibrating energy particles that vibrate at different speeds and this speed holds the arrangement of their physical form. Physicists see these particles as not isolated but as interconnections in an inseparable cosmic web. Similarly, our own bodies are made up of energy and energy patterns.
In addition to being composed of energy, we also have energy running through us. These energies are said to sustain life. The universal life force energy passes through channels or grids called meridians. These are also called the chakras. When energy flow is powerful through the body, we are healthy, but when we are stressed or unwell, the energy reduces. Reiki is a simple and effective way of restoring this flow of energy, thus leading us to mindfulness, intuition, health, inner calmness, balance, joy, and harmony.
The Principles of Reiki
We need to realize that our thoughts are more primary than our genes. This is because the environment, which is influenced by our thoughts, controls the genes. We have to change our environment, which includes harmful beliefs and attitudes so that our energy can stay high. Dr. Usui realized that Reiki would be more powerful when the practitioner also had the right way of thinking. You can only change a person’s life by changing his attitude towards it. He devised five principles of Reiki, which form an important part of the healing process. The principles are:
Just for today:
Do not worry
Do not be angry
Express gratitude for all your blessings
Apply yourself diligently
Manifest compassion to all beings
How Reiki Works
There are many reasons why illness is caused. In addition to the regular causes, emotions and thoughts affect the body. Positive thoughts keep the body healthy and supple while negative thoughts and energy cause the body to stiffen up and cause other illnesses. When we have a strong emotional reaction to something, our thoughts and feelings about it are stored in the cellular structure of our body. When issues relating to fear, anger, and grief are not dealt with or released, a person’s life force energy gets blocked.
Reiki is an effective and simple method to heal emotional blocks and restore balance in the body. When you consistently practice Reiki, a person’s awareness is raised due to the increased energy flow. This process helps to identify unhelpful thought patterns, thus clearing the way for their release. The emotional blockages dissolve, relieving physical symptoms and enabling healing to occur. In the book ‘Heal Your Body, Louise Hay lists the patterns behind many physical illnesses, that she has learned from her years of experience with her clients. While metaphysical causes are not definitive and cannot be proved, it is worth considering whether they have contributed to the disease.
The applications of Reiki are extensive and limited only by the imagination. Reiki can be used to calm a person down or energize someone who is flagging. It can boost confidence and revitalize. Reiki can be used to heal relationships, both past, and present. As the awareness quotient increases through the practice of Reiki, we become aware of the self-limiting patterns in our life. It heals at the cellular level, and its constant practice helps bring up hidden patterns and memories from across space and time that need healing. Reiki can even be sent to someone far away. This is called distance Reiki and it works because energy is not limited to a set spatial distance.
Reiki In Hospitals
Reiki is increasingly being used today, to work along with conventional medicine, even though methodical studies on the efficacy of Reiki are very limited. There is very little scientific proof on how Reiki works. In 1990, a Kirilian photograph showed a beam of light coming from a Reiki practitioner’s hand while he was channeling Reiki. Independent research has revealed that during the practice of Reiki, the practitioner and the receiver become synchronized in a state of deep meditation and relaxation and the bio-magnetic field around the practitioner’s hand is at least 1000 times greater than normal.
Reiki works well as it is a non-invasive therapy that does not affect or manipulate body tissues. It helps the patients relax, while also lowering stress and heart rate. It can be readily integrated with other therapies and there are no known contraindications.
The anecdotal evidence of the efficacy of Reiki in healing cancer and various other terminal disorders across the world by Reiki practitioners indicates a need for a comprehensive study of Reiki as complementary medicine. Institutes like the NCCAM in America have accepted biofield therapies like Reiki as low-risk interventions, which can be used as a preventive measure and for post-operative healing.
The New York-Presbyterian Hospital of Columbia University Campus conducted one of the first studies ever performed to determine the effectiveness of Reiki treatments on the autonomic nervous system. It was also one of the first hospitals to offer Reiki as part of their Integrative Medicine Program. There have been other controlled studies submitted to peer journals and to The Touchstone Process for review. The Touchstone Process is actually a peer review method for analyzing the current state of scientific studies done on Reiki programs in hospitals, clinics, and hospice facilities throughout the United States. The disorders that tested favorably to Reiki treatment were post-operative pain after tooth extraction, pain in chronically ill patients, depression, stress, and cognition in elderly persons relating to dementia.
The Touchstone Process had evaluated 25 test studies by 2009, that appeared in peer-review journals evaluating the merits of Reiki Treatments. Taking into consideration only the most rigorously controlled studies, the team reported that 83% showed moderate to strong evidence in support of Reiki as a viable,
therapeutic healing modality.
Reiki most definitely opens hearts and minds to infinite possibilities. This healing energy is like unconditional love, which rises above all barriers to heal and transform even the most difficult situations. It can be considered a spiritual practice that is incredibly versatile. It aligns you with your highest energetic frequency so that you can receive guidance from your own inner wisdom. Those who have practiced Reiki have had the honour of witnessing many transformations and miraculous healing.
Further Reading:
https://rehab.ucla.edu/workfiles/Urban%20Zen/Research%20Articles/Reiki_Really_Works-A_Groundbreaking_Scientific_Study.pdf
https://advancesjournal.com/pdfarticles/miles1.pdf
https://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/act.2008.14108?journalCode=act