Modern medicine is a blessing, there’s no denying that. However, complementary and alternative medicine has stepped up and earned its place right beside it. Things like acupuncture, aromatherapy, yoga, Ayurveda, and reiki. In hospitals and hospice centers across America, reiki is integrating itself as a common modality of healing.

What the hell is it?

So, basically it goes something like this… Reiki is an ancient Japanese therapy that clears and realigns the body’s energy, or Chi. The body has 7 energy epicenters, called chakras. These chakras are located along the spine and are directly related to different organs in the body. Depending on comfort level, the practitioner is hands on, transferring healing energy to where the recipient has a problem. It is very similar to healing touch or therapeutic touch.

Generally the recipient lays comfortably on a massage table or sits in a chair. For some reason, a lot of people ask me if clothes should be worn. This is a great question and I laugh every time because it seems like a lot of you want to be naked, which is great, but reiki sessions are with clothes on (unless… lol). Different practitioners will add their own bit of flare that enhances the overall experience; music plays, heated blankets placed on, incense or essential oils are burning, crystals are held.

Why would anyone do this?

Have you ever been around someone and instantly felt calm or bothered by their presence? Positively charged things (like, people??) carry energy. You’ve heard people talk about the energy they or others give off. A lot of people think it’s bullshit. I think they’re bullshit. When there is a disturbance in our electromagnetic field we enter a state of dis-ease. Reiki is a method to heal the human electromagnetic field. Something similar and possibly a little more tangible is magnet therapy. If you haven’t heard of it, I suggest doing some research.

How does reiki work?

What would an hour of stillness and close-to-no stimulation do for you? Imagine you’ve had a rough day. You get to your reiki session and when you lay on the table you realize it’s the first time you’ve been horizontal since you woke up in the morning. The need to use your brain ceases. As you lay there your body settles in and, dare I say, relaxes. Eyes close as you become aware of your breathing. Suddenly this begins to closely resemble a meditation doesn’t it? A reiki practitioner is merely your guide to healing.

In my experience as a reiki practitioner I usually see a person winding down. Breathing patterns change, muscles twitch out any built up tension and some even fall asleep. I have occasions where people are overcome with waves of emotion and have giggle fits or burst into tears. All of this is normal and part of moving stagnant energy out. At the end of a session, a person is groggy (for a few minutes) yet renewed.

Ultimately reiki offers you time to be internally silent, to shut the fuck up and bear witness to the constant hustle and bustle of your mind and environment. I like to think of it as an energy massage. My hope is that with more education surrounding reiki, more people will show interest in trying something new and effective for their wellness.