What is Reiki?

Rei·ki  (pronounced rākē/) is an ancient Japanese energy technique that activates the body's own natural healing, providing balance for one's mind, body and spirit. It was discovered by Dr. Mikao Usui in in 19th Century Japan while on the holy mountain called Mount Kurama - where he sat in meditation for twenty-one days after a long quest to discover how one could perform healing with their hands. (Read more about our lineage here.)

Reiki is a gentle, non-invasive, hands-on method of energy transfer. When a practitioner lays their hands on a client for a treatment, energy flows through the hands of the practitioner into the body of the person being treated. Reiki harmonizes and optimizes body and mind processes.

What does The Word Reiki Mean?

The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means God's wisdom or the Higher Power and Ki which means "life force energy." So Reiki can be translated to us as "spiritually guided life force energy."

How does Reiki work?

Reiki is a practice that is passed from the hands of the teacher to the hands of the student. The practitioner is attuned to this life force energy and acts as a conduit to help the client’s body replenish itself. Reiki increases the “life force energy” that flows through us and around us and causes us to be alive. This life force energy is responsive to our thoughts or feelings, and can become disrupted and diminished by negative thoughts or feelings, especially about ourselves. If this energy is diminished, we are at a greater risk of becoming sick or stressed. If our life force energy is high, then we are much more likely to be happy and healthy.

Reiki provides a positive boost of “ki,” or life force energy, which raises the energy field’s vibratory level in and around the negatively afflicted areas of the body. Therefore, Reiki causes negative energy to dissipate and fall away. Reiki restores the healthy, natural flow of the life force.

What Happens in a Reiki session?

Clients are fully clothed during their session and lie on a massage table after allowing time for intake with the practitioner. Reiki itself is then administered by the practitioner with a series of hand positions (in our tradition there are 22 hand positions) that cover the muscles, organs and major energy centers, known to many as Chakras.

what can Reiki Do for you?

Here are a just few ways Reiki can help you:

• Decreasing symptoms of illnesses like anxiety, depression, stress-related illnesses, auto-immune disease, chronic health illnesses and reproductive issues

• Pain reduction and post-surgery support

• Increasing your ability to relax and relieve stress

• Improve sleep and assist with disrupted sleep

• Creating more self-awareness and peace of mind

• Increasing your vitality and immunity  

Why do we recommend 4 sessions to start?

For those completely new to Reiki and in need of support for various conditions, we recommend that clients receive four sessions within a month. This will more quickly encourage your body to start its self-healing process.

Our conditions and problems that we develop in our lives have manifested - and generally worsen - over a period of time. There is no magical way to remove them, and as with anything, change takes time. We must work together as practitioner and client over several sessions until the body and mind start responding positively to Reiki.

In the first session the body does not know what to expect, and may not respond to the energy of Reiki immediately. During the second treatment, the body begins to relax more deeply - and starts to receive the flow of Reiki more willingly. The third and fourth treatments are usually much stronger and begin to provoke the healing reaction we want for each client.

After the first four sessions are completed, we ask clients to come once every week or two (if necessary) until they have achieved the results they desire and change has occurred in their condition, pain, emotional state, etc.

Do you see children as Clients?

Yes! We offer a separate 45 minute session for children under 12 years old. Reiki can be an incredibly supportive and complimentary healing practice to such conditions in children as ADD, ADHD, OCD, anxiety and depression. Younger children generally respond much more quickly to Reiki, but please read more under Our Treatments for more information on sessions for children under (and including) 12. For children over 12, we request a regular one hour or 90 minute session. As always, please contact us for more information if you should have questions.

Does Reiki Replace Conventional Medical Care?

Reiki works in conjunction with conventional medical care and can support treatment for emotional, psychological or physical issues. Clients who require medical support should continue to see their primary doctor/medical team while receiving Reiki treatments.

How Will I feel after a Reiki Session?

Everyone’s experience after a Reiki session is unique, but most people say they have a feeling of profound relaxation and peace of mind. The more frequently you receive Reiki, the more changes you will notice in your physical body and emotional well-being.

Is Reiki a ReLIgion?

Reiki is not a religion. It is a practice and philosophy of care that teaches practitioners to relate to a person’s core (or essence) rather than their personality. In our tradition, we, as practitioners, are taught to listen to the client without judging or “diagnosing” the condition or issue. We, as Reiki practioners, do not to view a someone’s response to a Reiki treatment as a personal accomplishment. Rather, the practitioner provides a conduit for the universal life-force energy but does not control the process itself.