Reiki: A Japanese Modality for Stress Reduction and Healing
What is Reiki?
Simply put, Reiki is a Japanese biofield/energy healing technique that promotes stress reduction, deep relaxation, and healing by channeling universal life energy and supporting good health. The energy channeled by a practitioner to a client is then used by the client for self-healing. How does the client do this? By simply being receptive so that the energy can flow to where it is most needed, realigning energy imbalances caused by injuries and/or trauma.
For a deeper appreciation of the technology, it is helpful to understand the source of the word Reiki. Reiki Master, William Lee Rand, shares that “the kanji for Rei is composed of three sections. The upper section portrays clouds and their meaning has to do with higher levels of consciousness. The lower section of Rei represents the earth. The middle section of the figure represents the healer, who is located between heaven and earth and acts like a bridge to bring the wisdom, guidance, and healing of the spiritual realms to the people and living things of the earth.” I am honored to be one of these intermediaries.
Although Reiki technology has existed for thousands of years, the modern version of Reiki that is practiced today traces its roots back to Mikao Usui, aka Usui Sensei. In 1922 he established the Reiki Institute in Tokyo. He developed a system that also included the training of new Reiki practitioners. Another important figure in the history of Reiki is Mrs. Takata, aka Takata Sensei. She is credited with simplifying the administration of Reiki and by living in Hawaii, brought the technology to the west.
Reiki is administered by laying the hands of the Reiki practitioner onto the client during a treatment session. The practitioner is a channel of this energy, which s/he transfers through her/his hands. The energy can be transferred by direct touch, hovering over the client’s body. Since Reiki is about transferring energy, it can even be channeled remotely in what is called distance Reiki treatment.
Understanding Where Reiki Energy Comes From
Chi/ki is all around us and flows through everything. An article in the American Counseling Association, well explains biofield or subtle energy. The subtle energy system is made up of three components: meridians, chakras, and the biofield or aura. Meridians are lines of energy that run throughout the body and they are the part of the energy system that acupuncture and Emotional Freedom Techniques work with. Chakras are spinning wheels of energy located along the center of the body from the bottom to the top. The biofield is a large field of energy that surrounds and extends out from the body about 8 feet. No part of the energy system is visible to the human eye but the biofield can be felt with the hands, often through either pressure or temperature changes.
It’s true that we can’t see subtle energy but it has become mainstream for example in the use of electrocardiograms and electroencephalograms. In an interesting article, Pharmaceutical Drugs and the Human Energy System (Biofield), thoughts, i.e. the electrical activity of cognitive function, affects the central and autonomic nervous systems, contributing to an individual’s unique electromagnetic field, or aura, that radiates outward, carrying with it information about physiological, mental, and emotional status.
How Many Reiki Levels Are There?
A Reiki practitioner goes through several levels of training before being able to treat clients. Each degree of training involves what is called an attunement process, whereby the ability to channel Reiki energy is initiated by the Reiki teacher, a Reiki Master, to the student. It is a sacred experience. For me, it was one of the most profound experiences I have ever had. Each level expands the energy field that the student can access.
I also want to take a moment to discuss the term used for those who offer Reiki. Personally, I am not comfortable with the term Reiki healer; we are Reiki practitioners. I am the intermediary who channels energy to the client. It is the willing and receptive client who is self-healing. I also do not use the term healer for the other modalities that I offer.
Level 1: The First Degree (Shoden)
The Level 1 training includes learning the history of Reiki and attunement focuses on opening up the student’s physical pathways to chi/universal life force energy. Students are usually able to apply self-Reiki after completing this training. However, it is often offered in extended training followed by Level 2 training.
Level 2: The Second Degree (Okuden)
Level 2 attunement is required in order to practice Reiki on others and therefore be considered a Reiki practitioner. During this phase of training, students receive sacred symbols that further expand their ability to channel chi.
Level 3: The Third Degree (Shinpiden) & Reiki Master
A Reiki Master is given an additional sacred symbol to apply to clients. A Reiki Master is also eligible to teach and initiate students to Levels 1 and 2.
What Can You Expect in a Reiki Session?
When you schedule a Reiki session with me, you can expect the following:
I always begin by checking in with the client and asking what brought her/him in for treatment. This establishes a connection and trust for what can be an intimate experience.
I invite the client to lie on my massage table on the back. Sitting in a chair is also an option. You remain fully clothed. I offer various bolsters and a blanket to support deeper relaxation.
Using essential oils, if you prefer, I guide you through a few deep breaths to deepen a sense of relaxation and receptivity.
I then conduct an initial scan of the body by hovering my hands over the body, starting at the head and working my way down to the feet.
You may feel tingling or slight tension in parts of your body as the energy flows where it is needed. You may also enter a dreamlike state. Each experience is unique.
I then begin applying a series of hand positions to transfer the chi. This can either be done with my hands placed gently on the body or simply by hovering my hands over the client’s body. The approach I use is based on the client’s wishes.
After approximately 50 minutes, I invite the client to take a few deep breaths, wiggle fingers, and toes, and slowly come back to the present moment.
After slowly coming into a seated position, I check in with my client and share the information I received in the session. This information is not meant as a substitute for medical treatment but it can be very useful information for one’s physical and spiritual well-being.
Client Review:
“I recently had a Reiki session with Monique. She has a very serene and beautifully appointed therapy room. Soft neutral colors and a comfortable massage-style table. There were several gongs hanging as well. I was very relaxed and impressed with her very skilled hands. I could feel myself becoming more & more relaxed as she guided me through breathwork. Immediately after my treatment, I remained relaxed yet could feel my “chi” surging through my body. She was very thorough and explained where she was able to detect any chi blockages. I am very much looking forward to returning!”
How Does Reiki Help with Stress?
According to a medically reviewed article in Everyday Health, past research shows that a single Reiki treatment may help your autonomic nervous system, the primitive part of your nervous system that you don’t fully, consciously control (it's responsible for things like heartbeat and breathing), move from a sympathetic-dominant, or “fight-or-flight” state, to a parasympathetic-dominant, or “rest-and-digest” state. When you experience stressors, your sympathetic nervous system reacts, releasing hormones like epinephrine, among others, and increasing heart rate and blood pressure (the fight-or-flight response that gets the body ready to deal with potential dangers). But when your body is constantly under stress (or is activated by prior more severe stressful experiences, such as trauma and resultant PTSD), this response can shift into overdrive, which can lead to problems like a greater risk of heart disease. The parasympathetic-dominant state is the state we are meant to live in and Reiki helps to support one’s autonomic nervous system toward that state of safety, rest, recovery, and ease. So a single Reiki session can provide deep relaxation to the client and support good health.
Understanding the Main Similarities & Differences between Reiki and Acupuncture
Both Reiki and acupuncture treatments focus on the movement and realignment of life force energy/chi to treat a myriad of health conditions. Both focus on root causes of imbalance in the body, i.e. the blockage of energy in the channels, or meridians of the body. The 2 modalities can also be complementary in achieving greater well-being.
Acupuncture, as some people dislike, however, uses needles to address the imbalances. Acupuncture applies a roadmap of specific points on the body that relate to physical and emotional conditions. Reiki is non-invasive and more subtle and therefore less, if any, discomfort than acupuncture. Energy is transferred through the hands of the practitioner. Unlike acupuncture, Reiki can be done remotely.
What are the Health Benefits of Reiki?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, since the early 1990s, Reiki therapy has been used with greater regularity in healthcare settings. Over 900 U.S. hospitals and healthcare systems use Reiki as a complementary therapy as it supports the body’s natural healing abilities.
Forbes Health well summarizes the major research to date on the benefits of Reiki:
Promotes relaxation
Dr. Rachel Lampert, M.D., a professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine, and her colleagues studied 37 patients who had a heart attack. The researchers measured the activity of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which regulates heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, and digestion. Lampert’s team zoomed in on heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of the pattern of heartbeats that are controlled by the ANS. The higher the HRV after a heart attack, the better the outlook for the patient, explains Lampert. In the Yale study, patients who received Reiki had a higher HRV and improved emotional state. All of these supports are conditions associated with deep relaxation.
According to a study published by the National Institute of Health, a study aimed to evaluate the effect of Reiki on the stress levels of individuals caring for patients with cancer. It found that Reiki reduced the stress levels of caregivers, is effective in regulating blood pressure and pulse rate and provides relief to caregivers.
Reduces Anxiety and Depression, and Improves Sleep
Researchers at Harvard Medical School followed 99 patients at multiple sites to determine the effects of a single reiki session. The study—a single-arm effectiveness study published in 2019 in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine—found statistically significant improvements in anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as pain and nausea.
Additional research suggests reiki helps with depression and insomnia. A 2012 study in the Indian Journal of Positive Psychology looked at 40 women who suffered from depression and anxiety. The women who received reiki saw significant improvements in both their depression symptoms and sleep quality.
According to Frontiers in Psychology, “The evidence to date suggests that Reiki consistently demonstrates a greater therapeutic effect over placebo for some symptoms of mental health. The GRADE level of evidence is high for clinically relevant levels of stress and depression, and moderate to high for clinically relevant levels of anxiety.”
Offers Pain Relief and an Overall Sense of Well-Being
Reiki is widely offered in hospitals, particularly in supporting cancer patients. According to an article by the Oncology Nursing Society, of 118 patients undergoing chemotherapy, the 22 patients who received four Reiki sessions had significant reductions in anxiety and pain. As well, results of a mixed methods study of pre-/post-surveys evaluating first-time Reiki sessions in 213 patients with cancer indicated that self-reported distress, anxiety, depression, pain, and fatigue each decreased by more than 50%.
According to research published by the National Institute of Health, a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Reiki applications on pain, fatigue, and quality of life in adolescents with dysmenorrhea, and severe menstrual cramps. There were 38 patients in the Reiki group and 37 in the placebo-controlled group. Reiki was found to be effective on pain and fatigue in adolescents with dysmenorrhea.
In another study published by the National Institute of Health, a total of 1411 Reiki sessions were conducted and included in the analysis. Statistically, significant improvements were observed for all outcome measures, including positive affect, negative affect, pain, drowsiness, tiredness, nausea, appetite, shortness of breath, anxiety, depression, and overall well-being. Its conclusion suggests that a single session of Reiki improves multiple variables related to physical and psychological health.
Reiki for Animals
All living things have chi running through them. So it should be no surprise that animals, four-legged, winged, and others, can benefit from Reiki sessions. According to the American Kennel Club, Reiki has been shown to support animals in the following ways:
Stress relief and reduction of anxiety;
Coping with illness and surgery recovery;
End-of-life care.
Schedule a Session for Yourself or Your Pet with Monique today!
Contact Sound Wellness to learn more about how you can heal yourself or your pet through the powers of Reiki healing.
About SoundWellness
Monique Derfuss is the founder and President of SoundWellness offering gong sound therapy, Reiki, Kundalini Yoga, and meditation. Her wellness business is based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and has helped thousands of people over the past 6+ years move beyond only taking care of their physical bodies to taking a more holistic approach to their health by integrating support of their energetic, or subtle, bodies. Subscribe on YouTube to SoundWellness or the company newsletter for helpful wellness videos and information to support your vibrant well-being. Check out what others have said about her services. For general inquiries, please call 202-355-8136 or contact Monique by email.