Reiki Principles
Just for today, do not stay angry.
Just for today, do not worry.
Just for today, be grateful for everything in your life.
Just for today, be honest in your work and business dealings.
Just for today, be kind to yourself in word and thought.
Just for today, be kind to everyone you meet, in word and thought.
If you would like a laminated pocket card of the Reiki principles, you can receive one free with your Reiki training, or add a nominal cost to your healing sessions package.
Reiki is a relatively recent healing art, approximately a century old. The founder was a Japanese medical doctor who wanted additional resources to heal his seriously-ill patients. Reiki is also very valuable for people who are not clinically ill, just in need of stress reduction and relaxation. Of course, stress reduction promotes healing as well. The word reiki comes from two Japanese words – rei (spiritual guidance or wisdom) and ki (in Chinese, chi; life force energy). So reiki means Wisdom Life Force Energy. Purely secular users as well as more spiritually-oriented people recognize that the universe is filled with the energy of trillions of life forms and visualize this vibrant life force flowing into them and strengthening them.
Many people report feeling filled with relaxation and deep peace following a reiki session. In many cases, it has a positive impact on health problems. Some hospitals offer reiki options for post-surgical and medical patients for the reduction of side effects and to promote faster recovery. This is all part of the exploding new science of psychoneuroimmunology or how the mind, nervous system and immune system influence each other, to promote or retard our health.
Those who discovered reiki started experimenting with hands-on healing because they started with the theory that life force energy flows through all living beings. Logically, if our life force energy levels are low, we are more apt to become ill, so replenishing this energy is a priority for maintaining and improving mental and physical health. They also posited that reiki dissolves blockages in the body’s energy channels, allowing the energy to move freely for optimal health.
How does it work?
Clinical studies suggest that it stimulates the immune system. Natural killer (NK) cell levels are higher; these are the immune system cells that kill cancer and other tumors at a very early stage. The cancers that cause us problems are the ones that for some reason got past the body’s natural defenses; most cancers are gobbled up before they can do any harm. Clinical studies also show similar increases in the numbers and activity of other immune system elements that go after bacterial and viral invaders. Since reiki masters frequently look much younger than their ages, it’s likely that reiki also boosts anti-oxidant activity.
I have a graduate degree in biology and teach Amatomy & Physiology at a local college, so I stay abreast of a lot of the developments in medicine. No one can keep track of all of it – the daily digests are many pages long – but I do my best. It’s an exciting time. I have a list of some recent clinical studies of Reiki for anyone who would like it.
Reiki is administered by a trained practitioner. The practitioner may or may not touch the client during the administration, as the client prefers, but no disrobing ever occurs. Reiki is NOT massage and does not resemble massage except inasmuch as they are both healing arts.
I’m sorry, but that just doesn’t make sense, especially since I know that reiki masters claim to send energy over a distance? I just can’t believe in that.
I routinely tell people, “I don’t believe in anything. It is either demonstrably true or it isn’t. Belief has nothing to do with it.” That is the Buddhist approach to truth. It also is the scientist’s approach to truth. I have two graduate degrees in two different sciences. I don’t approach ANYthing from an a-priori stance; that is, I don’t accept any point of view without examining it, free of prejudice. To uncritically accept something (blind faith) seems foolish. Including, by the way, blinding rejecting things because they don’t fit your existing worldview. Some scientists fall into this trap. They don’t approach questions with a truly open mind. Some conclusions just can’t be true, because they clash with an established habit of mind.
There is a trap that your question highlights: we reject clear evidence because we don’t yet know the “how.” If you study the history of science, you will notice that we frequently discover phenomena decades and centuries before we have the “how” figured out. Copernicus proposed a heliocentric system because it made sense to him. He didn’t have Brahe and Kepler’s full observational data and even if he’d had, he still didn’t have the theory of gravity to really explain how the planets stayed in their orbits. The how was further refined by Einstein and quantum mechanics. Knowing what’s going on, even when you don’t have the exact mechanism of how nailed down, is still extremely valuable. In medicine, we don’t know the exact how/causation of many of the diseases that we deal with every day. We think it’s a combination of this, that and another thing, but we don’t really know. We DO know how to manage or cure it and that, after all, is all the sick person and their loved ones really care about. We can be dedicated and effective healers even of the diseases whose exact causation is unknown or murky.
What is a session like?
The first time you have a reiki session, I will ask you questions about your general health and lead you in calm breathing exercise. You can lie on a reiki table or sit comfortably in a chair, as you prefer. You will not disrobe. Reiki is not massage, or similar to massage. In my practice, you will not be touched in any part of your body except your head and feet, and then only if this is acceptable to you. My hands hover over various energy centers of your body, bringing life force energy (ki/chi) into your body, and opening up the channels that allow energy to move. After a session, you may feel very relaxed or you may feel very cheerful and energized. You may also find that emotional issues have come up to the surface to be experienced. Your body knows what you need and will give it to you. You should drink plenty of water for the rest of the day.
I have a health problem and I don’t want surgery. Should I consider reiki?
Sounds like you have a serious health problem, so not taking advantage of the best medical advice you can get, absolutely NO! You should only consider reiki in addition to, never instead of, the best medical or psychological advice you can get from a licensed health professional. If you have a serious health problem, research your health problem at reputable medical websites; research local experts in your problem; find a professional who respects your wishes and whom you can trust, and you can use reiki to help you in your healing and in keeping you calm and centered as you work your way to resolution. Reiki is a recognized part of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and most doctors today understand the need for CAM for the best possible outcome.
What about health issues that aren’t so serious – or are chronic rather than immediate?
Nearly every recognized and admired medical center has specialists who focus on the chronic care of specific illnesses. So the smartest thing to do is to take advantage of everything that your health insurance offers you in terms of traditional medical care, and also take charge of your health by getting as much reiki and other CAM as you can.
Will my health insurance pay for reiki?
Insurance companies frequently have programs that allow subscribers to quality for discounts. Some insurance plans reimburse outright. If you have a Medical Savings Account through your employer, reiki from a Master (Level III) practitioner qualifies as a medical expense according to the IRS rules if it is used for the management of a specific medical condition. For stress relief, probably only if stress has been identified as a medical problem for you by your MD – check with your plan administrator.
Can I try it out and see whether it works for me?
I routinely do free samples at various medical facilities and at my office. Call and get a schedule!
