| Friends, colleagues and clients often ask me about | | | | - Sense of well-being and/or spirituality. |
| Reiki (pronounced "ray-kee"), as it is gaining such | | | | - Enhancing the sense of peace in people who are |
| popularity as an alternative medicine. According to | | | | dying. |
| NCCAM, (National Center for Complementary and | | | | There tends to be a relaxed sensation after a Reiki |
| Alternative Medicine), Reiki is an energy medicine | | | | session. That alone may be beneficial in combating |
| practice that originated in Japan. In Reiki, the practitioner | | | | certain health issues, such as pain, stress, and fatigue. |
| places his hands on or near the person receiving | | | | Clients may also feel a warmth, tingling, sleepiness as |
| treatment, with the intent to transmit ki, believed to be | | | | well. Reiki appears to be safe with no serious side |
| a life-force energy. Practitioners also believe that they | | | | effects being reported. |
| can treat themselves with Reiki and send ki across | | | | Occasionally a person can experience symptoms of |
| short or long distances. In the United States, Reiki is | | | | weakness, tiredness, headache or stomach ache, |
| part of complementary and alternative medicine | | | | after a session. Practitioners believe these are effects |
| (CAM). | | | | of the releasing of toxins from the body, and advise |
| This article is to highlight the important points in this an | | | | rest and drink plenty of water as a way to deal with |
| from the National Center for Complementary and | | | | these symptoms. |
| Alternative Medicine website, available at, | | | | Consider these points about using Reiki therapy: |
| The word Reiki is made up of two Japanese words: | | | | - Do not use Reiki as a replacement for conventional |
| Rei, or universal spirit (sometimes thought of as a | | | | care or to delay the time it takes you to see a doctor |
| supreme being), and ki. Thus, the word Reiki means | | | | about a medical problem. |
| "universal life energy." In CAM, Reiki belongs to a | | | | - Discuss any CAM therapies you are considering or |
| domain (area of knowledge) called energy medicine. In | | | | using with your health care provider. |
| this domain, therapies are based on the belief that | | | | - Ask the Reiki practitioner about his training and |
| disturbances in energy cause illness. Energy medicine | | | | experience (see also the NCCAM publication |
| practitioners seek to improve the flow and balance of | | | | "Selecting a CAM Practitioner"). |
| energy in a beneficial way. | | | | - Reiki has not been well studied scientifically, but you |
| As always, I encourage anyone who intends to utilize | | | | can find and read research studies published on its use |
| an alternative therapy, including Reiki, to talk to your | | | | for various health conditions (see "for more |
| health care provider before starting. It is still not proven | | | | information" below). |
| how Reiki improves health or how it improves healing. | | | | One does not need a special background to receive |
| The National Center for Complementary and | | | | Reiki training, though many who seek training are health |
| Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is sponsoring studies to | | | | care professionals. Reiki can not be self-taught, and |
| find out more about Reiki's effects, how it works, and | | | | must be learned from an experienced teacher or |
| diseases and conditions for which it may be most | | | | Master. There are several schools of Reiki and there |
| helpful. | | | | are usually three or four levels of expertise, depending |
| Reiki practitioners perform the therapy with their hands, | | | | upon the school. Laws regulating the practice of Reiki |
| in the hopes to reduce negative energy and to | | | | vary from state to state. In Florida, for example, one |
| increase the ki in the client. The client is usually fully | | | | must be a certified massage therapist in order to |
| clothed and sitting or lying comfortably. The practitioner | | | | become a Reiki practitioner. |
| places his hands on the client's body using several | | | | Areas of controversy in Reiki: |
| different hand positions. The positions are held as long | | | | - Since little is known scientifically about Reiki, accepting |
| as the practitioner feels the energy is continuing, usually | | | | its teachings about its healing properties and about ki is |
| two to five minutes. | | | | a matter of faith. |
| Reiki is performed in offices, hospitals, clinics and | | | | - Some people believe that effects attributed to Reiki |
| private homes. The number of sessions is determined | | | | occur for psychological reasons (such as the placebo |
| by both the practitioner and the client and generally at | | | | effect or suggestibility), or that there are no true |
| least four sessions are scheduled, at 30 to 90 minutes | | | | effects. |
| each. | | | | - Some people feel Reiki is incompatible with their |
| Why people seek Reiki | | | | religious or spiritual beliefs. |
| People seek Reiki treatment for several health-related | | | | - Government licensing and regulation of Reiki practice |
| reasons. According to NCCAM, some of these | | | | is a controversial area. |
| reasons include: | | | | Reiki can be a great tool to help people in pain or who |
| - Effects of stress. | | | | prefer a more spiritual form of relaxation. Reiki is just |
| - Chronic pain. | | | | one of the many ways to accomplish this, and |
| - Recovery from surgery and anesthesia. | | | | because many people may have heard about it, still |
| - Side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy | | | | many don't know what it is. This article should help fill in |
| for cancer. | | | | any blanks you may have had. I would suggest you |
| - Lowering heart rate. | | | | find a practitioner in your area and give it a try if it |
| - Improving immunity. | | | | sounds interesting to you. |
| - Mental clarity. | | | | |