I recently completed training in the Second Degree of the Usui System of Reiki Healing. I am not sure yet how I will integrate this simple, magical and beautiful healing modality into my practice, as psychiatrists are not supposed to touch their patients, and Reiki is typically done by placing the hands on the body or near the body of the recipient. A Second Degree Reiki practitioner is trained, however, to also send healing energy without physical contact, so this would be a possibility.
Meanwhile, through regular practice of Reiki on myself for often not more than ten minutes a day, I feel calmer and happier, my life is flowing with greater ease, doors are opening and significant people are coming into my life.
I received my training locally from the gifted and inspired Reiki Master, Robynn Stewart. Some of the following material is adapted from an informational sheet for the lay person that Robynn wrote about Reiki:
What is Reiki?
The word REIKI means “Universal Life Energy”.
REIKI refers to an Eastern healing modality that began in Japan in the early 1900’s. It is a healing method that harnesses the energy of the Universe, where the practitioner acts as a conduit, directing and transferring the universal life force to the recipient. Human beings are energy systems. Reiki is based upon the idea that we are alive because there is a universal life force flowing through us. If our life force is blocked or weakened, we become vulnerable to stress and illness, and if it is flowing and abundant, we feel happy and enjoy radiant health.
Though Reiki is a spiritual practice, it is not religious, and you do not need to believe in it in order to respond to its effects.
What are the benefits of Reiki?
While Reiki is used for stress-reduction, it also helps boost the immune system, and activates the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Reiki is an integrative medical modality and is used in most hospitals, holistic centers and hospice facilities.
Since stress and the environment are considered to be major contributors to disease, the benefits of this healing technique are many and sometimes unexpected. The cells of the recipient are always in charge, so Reiki will go where it is needed and can never be harmful in any instance.
Reiki practitioners are encouraged to live by 5 principles:
To let go of anger
To let go of worries
To cultivate a heart-felt sense of gratitude
To strive and to be and do our very best
To cultivate loving-kindness
Reiki can be used solely for self-care. I have begun to encourage some of my patients to learn Reiki so that they can practice on themselves. It is a very effective method and remarkably easy to learn. Self-Reiki creates a feeling of deep peace, security and well-being.
One of the qualities that I love about self-Reiki is that you can practice it while doing other things. It’s not like meditation, where dedicated time needs to be set aside, and thus sometimes one just does not make time for it. One can set a Reiki intention and place the hand on the heart while driving, or waiting in line, or when you wake up in the morning or before you fall asleep at night. This makes it so portable, convenient and possible to seamlessly integrate it into your life without adding another thing to your to do list.
Many of my readers suffer from psychiatric, digestive and other conditions related to dysregulated immunity. Self-Reiki is a perfect tool to balance and strengthen your health using a spiritual approach, in addition to all of the familiar physical modalities such as proper diet, supplementation, detoxification and life style. Self-Reiki can be a precious gift to yourself. I believe that you will be amazed at the power of this very simple technique.
