What is Reiki?

**Please note: interpretations and teachings of Reiki may differ slightly across lineages, professionals and teachers. Below interpretation of what Reiki is, is as taught in Shin's pure, simple and practical way.

Can Reiki healing help me?

Reiki is a health-promoting, non-invasive practice that eases discomfort and helps you to function better without pharmaceuticals. Reiki practice is safe, and cannot interfere with any medical care you are receiving.

Reiki is a spiritual practice that gently encourages your system back to balance; deep healing from within is evoked when your nervous system is balanced. By moving towards balance, Reiki practice can help you in any situation or challenge, even when it isn't the only help or support you need. Reiki practice is unique in that you can learn self-practice as a foundation to taking charge of your own health and state, or you can also receive a Reiki treatment from a practitioner and give a treatment to your loved ones or others after learning the Practice.

Most importantly, Reiki is what we understand as Universal Life Force, energy of the highest vibrations - the fundamental energy that creates and sustains the Universe and runs through all of us.

Many people are confused with the term Reiki, as the explanation and interpretation can vary among practitioners. We understand it from two perspectives here with Shin - Reiki as an energy and Reiki as a system. Reiki as an energy hails from deep ancient roots, but Reiki as a system is fairly modern, spanning about a 100 years of teachings in its lineage.

Traditionally practised as a daily self-care practice, it is excellent for stress relief, anxiety and pain reduction, and most importantly, for regaining balance. The roots of the Reiki healing system (note: not Reiki energy, but the Reiki system) traces back to Dr Mikao Usui, who in his few short years of teaching, taught an estimated 2000 of his fellow countrymen to practise Reiki and trained about 16 Reiki masters. Shin teaches the traditional and pure form of Usui Reiki.

How does a Reiki session work?

When you receive Reiki healing, you lie fully clothed on a treatment table while the Reiki practitioner places hands lightly on or just above your head and positions on your torso.

Balance can mean different things at different times and to different people. Your experience of a Reiki session is unique. If you are exhausted, you will feel revitalised and refreshed, much like recharging your battery. If you are anxious, you may feel serene. If you are distressed, you may feel comforted. If you feel pain, you may feel relieved. And you will likely discover a renewed clarity and purpose after your Reiki session. These subjective changes come with physical changes associated with deep relaxation, such as a slower heart rate and easier and deeper breathing. The first session usually brings improvement, and the benefits grow and/or become more visible with repeated sessions. In emergencies or during intensive care, patients often show benefits within a few minutes.

Although Reiki practice is safe and has no known medical contraindications, there are no international standards for Reiki practice, training or treatment. Hence you may have noticed diversity among Reiki professionals in the way they teach, practice, train and also in terms of their experience, which can be confusing for the layman. Even the simple question of 'What is Reiki?' can differ among professionals of the same lineage.

I encourage you to choose your Reiki teacher or professional carefully. Do your homework and read through the selected practitioner's website carefully and ask him/her questions to understand more. Majority of professional and respectable Reiki practitioners or teachers will appreciate your endeavour to make a careful and suitable choice for your journey, so you don't have to be shy. :) Most importantly, follow your intuition - if you feel a connection to a particular teacher, then he/she probably is the most appropriate guiding post for you at that point in time.

Learning Reiki is not subscribing to any belief systems or religions; there is no spiritual aspect to Reiki that needs to be believed in order for it to work, it is simple energy mechanics – tuning into the right frequency will allow it to flow.

Reiki Talks & Classes:

Reiki is an experience and I offer introductory talks with an initiation (not held at the moment) on a donation-basis to anyone who wants to explore and find out more. Imagine the possibility of rekindling your vitality, your joy and at the same time reducing your stress and building your immune system! Alternatively, we have a Public Reiki Clinic, a community initiative, offered on a minimal donation basis that anyone may attend. It is held once every quarter.

If you would like to learn more about Reiki and establish an easy and practical daily self-care practice, attending a Reiki workshop is ideal and encouraged.

Private Reiki Healing:

Some may simply prefer to receive Reiki healing at the moment on a one-on-one basis, then a private Reiki healing session would be for you.

Commonly reported benefits of Reiki practice (anecdotal) encompass:

Relaxation
Pain management
Reduced anxiety
Reduced depression
Improved sleep
Improved digestion
Enhanced well-being
Stronger self-esteem
Accelerated surgical recovery
Reduced side effects from radiation, chemotherapy and reaction medications
Greater self-awareness
Greater ease and satisfaction in relationship
Heightened intuition amongst many others

There are also available research data showing Reiki treatment can be effective for the above, including measurable benefits such as a slower heart rate and/or improved heart rate variability.

We generally suggest a series of three hourly sessions to kickstart your immune system, whether you self-Reiki or whether you are receiving from a practitioner.

The process of 3 successive treatments is specifically designed to ensure any possible and temporary detox is supported through the Reiki treatments.

Head to the Reiki blog for more articles! ->