The Healing Art of Reiki

The healing art of Reiki is used all over the world to heal the body, mind, and spirit using a meditational technique that brings a higher vibration of energy into the client. The technique is used in hospitals to help in the reduction of, or recovery from, pain and illness. I have used it to reduce cancer cells and the negative effects of radiation therapy. I have used it to restructure the nervous system while reducing functional scoliosis, hyperintensity, and other neuro imbalances. I have used it to treat migraine headaches, depression, anxiety, and to help my clients through difficult life transitions like a death in the family, relationship issues, and divorce. Sometimes the mind needs a break and m y clients report that Reiki gave them the sense of calm and insight they needed to take their next step forward. It is truly an amazing healing tool and I believe it complements all other forms of therapy. 

Reiki 101: (taken from my Reiki 1 certification workbook)

REIKI (pronounced Ray-Key) is a tool used by energy workers to connect to a high vibration of energy for healing and renewal. Reiki combines meditational techniques with intention, hand placements, and symbols to help us connect to the energy so we can direct it into our bodies and out through our hands. By increasing the flow of energy through our bodies, we incite and accelerate physical, mental, and spiritual healing for ourselves and all that we direct the energy toward. Energy workers have practiced some form of this art in cultures all across the world.

The theories on where this energy comes from differ greatly, but they are all describing the same energy… so it can be used by, and given to, anyone. The energy we use for healing has been described as “the source of life itself and far older in concept and fact than any religious philosophy,” and it goes by many names:

China: Chi
Hindu: Prana
English: Breath or Ectoplasm
Russia: Bioplasmic
Hippocrates: “Nature’s life force”
Kahunas: Mana
Christians: Holy Spirit
Egyptians: Ka
Greeks: Pneuma S
ioux: Wakan or Wakouda

Our bodies, and the universe they inhabit, are formed by vibrating particles of energy held together by intention. The existence of this energy has been validated through scientific research, and western doctors are finally considering its role in the functioning of the immune system and the healing process. Plus I have seen it work on my clients, my friends, my grandmother, my plants, and myself.
How does it work?

My theory on how Reiki works is based on extensive reading and experience and goes like this: as practitioners, we work to open and clear our body’s energy channels of obstruction. This allows us to channel energy from its source, into our body, through our hands, and into the person we are treating. Since negative energy vibrates at a lower frequency, it cannot exist when the body is vibrating at a higher level. By charging the body with positive energy, the negative energy must dissipate or transform. Of course, this does not necessarily happen over night, we have been holding onto our negative energy for years and it may take some time to be able to let go of it on all levels. As our life force begins to flow in a healthy and natural way, old negative thoughts, patterns, and events that are unconsciously affecting our life often float to the surface to be released. Since everything is connected, once this negativity is released, we transform as we create a balance between our mind, body, and spirit.

My experience with Reiki:

Until four and a half years ago, the closest I ever came to any form of eastern healing modality was rubbing the belly of the plastic Buddha sitting at the door of my favourite Chinese restaurant. Then I received my first chakra alignment and a whole new world opened up to me. During the alignment I felt this change in my overall mood and energy level and I decided to research it further. Having no idea what a chakra was, I was eventually lead to a Reiki Master here in Dallas named Kay Windham who suggested I try a Reiki attunement and see if it may be something I would be interested in. I made an appointment for the following week.

Going into my first Reiki session, I was both skeptical and very curious. I really did not know what to expect or what I was getting myself into. I was met at the door by a very kind and loving woman who brought me into the back room of her home where she spent about twenty minutes describing what a Reiki session was and what I should expect. Honestly, when she started talking about etheric bodies, energy transferals, and other metaphysical terms, I started to think I was about to waist a lot of money on something as reputable as the psychic friends network. She sensed my doubt and told me that I did not need to believe in Reiki to receive it. Which was a good thing because it was a lot for me to ingest at one time. Pushing my doubts aside, I decided to enter the session with an open mind.

What followed afterward was nothing short of amazing. The hour-long session left me feeling almost detached from my body and so light headed I had to wait about twenty minutes before I could leave. I felt revitalized and so filled with joy and hope that I knew this was not only something I wanted to learn how to perform on myself, but give to others as well.

I have now studied and practiced Reiki since 2002 and received my Reiki mastership shortly before my master died of cancer. During my training, she showed me how the Reiki healing system could be used to increase my vibrational frequency and create a greater flow of energy. As my vibration level changed all the negative thoughts and emotions I had carried around with me since my childhood started coming to the surface so I could deal with them. To say that the Reiki system, along with Yoga and meditation, changed my life would be an understatement. I am who I am today because of what I have chosen to learn and how I have chosen to apply it. This is how we create ourselves. The Reiki system gave me the foundation I needed to begin building the man I wanted to be.

Crystal/Stone Therapy and Sound Bowls:

I began implementing crystals and stones into my practice to increase the level of healing during a session. Crystals and stones are created with different energy vibrations. These vibrations affect our mind, body, and spirit in different ways depending on how they were formed. When the vibration of a stone is amplified with Reiki it can have a considerable effect on the person being treated. I have spent several years collecting stones and crystals and have seen great results with their use. I also use sound bowls to help break up energy blockages. The sound/vibration from the bowls goes deep into the body and helps me deal with areas that prove to be more problematic.

Examples of Stones I Use

In Memory of Kay Windham:

I felt a great loss when I learned that my Reiki Master lost her battle with cancer. She would have died years before, but her use of Reiki and other holistic healing modalities kept her alive and in good spirits through her ending days. I owe a great deal of who I am to Kay and wish her love and happiness on her next journey. Her love and warmth will live on and I only hope I can one day do the same for someone else that she did for me.