Reiki is an energy healing practice with benefits ranging from pain relief to reduced anxiety and improved sleep. As a complementary and alternative practice, Reiki makes a good addition to regular medical and therapeutic treatment. If you plan to try it, find a trained and experienced practitioner.

About Reiki Healing

Originally developed by Dr. Mikao Usui in the early 1900s, reiki originated as a healing practice in Japan. The term reiki comes from the Japanese words for universal and energy. This is the energy that many believe flows through all living things.

A Reiki practitioner uses their hands to transmit energy to the recipient. Unlike massage and touch therapies, there is no real pressure involved. The practitioner may touch the body or move their hands over it. The idea is that patients receive as much energy as they need for healing.

Benefits of Reiki

Several modern studies have found that Reiki has some benefits, but the amount of research is limited. There are, however, no risks to trying Reiki, so you might want to find a practitioner to get some of the reported benefits:

• Reiki canreduce anxiety and pain, including in cancer patients, undergoing physical therapy, or following labor and delivery.
• It can also help patients manage depression as part of ongoing treatment. Reiki seems to lift the mood, increase relaxation, and improve overall well-being.
• People with specific symptoms find some relief from Reiki. These include headaches, insomnia, and nausea.
• Many people report feeling more relaxed, secure, and peaceful during and after a Reiki session.

What to Expect During a Reiki Session

During a session, the practitioner will have you lie on a massage table, fully clothed. They might put on some reiki healing music, or not as you prefer. They will place their hands on you or just over you in specific energy centers.

There are about 15 different positions used in Reiki practice. How long the practitioner remains in one spot depends on your needs and how they feel the energy flowing to you. You might feel some tingling or heat where they place their hands, but some people report feeling nothing. The session will last 30 to 60 minutes.

Using Reiki

Reiki is a complementary therapy. It complements therapy and medical treatment for physical conditions and mental health symptoms. You can use it to relieve symptoms and overall wellness.

To get the benefits of Reiki, you need a trained practitioner. However, you can use the concepts on your own to improve wellness and mood. A Reiki meditation, for instance, with Reiki music that matches the energy you hope to harness, can be beneficial. Use your own hands on your body to stimulate the healing you want.