A Deeper Dive

REIKI HEALING

More and more people these days have heard of Reiki. But very few actually know what it is.

This straightforward healing modality was never meant to be confusing or “mystical,” but over time—as it’s more commercialized—it is often misrepresented and misunderstood.

Let's demystify Reiki.

Quick Overview & History

Reiki is an anglicized pronunciation of the Japanese term 霊気 (RAY-kee in the West, though closer to lay-key or rlay-key in Japanese). It consists of two kanji symbols: 霊 (Rei), meaning spirit, sacred, or miraculous; and 気 (Ki), meaning energy, atmosphere, or life force. Taken together they translate to, "spiritual energy" or "spiritually guided life-force energy."

It is often referred to as "palm healing" or "hands-on healing," or more recently as "biofield medicine" by the scientific community studying its benefits. It is a safe and gentle form of energy medicine with a growing body of evidence to support its effectiveness.

Practitioners channel universal life-force energy—which is present everywhere, at all times—to the client to balance chakras (energy centers) and free the flow of stagnant or blocked energy—aiding the body's natural ability to self-regulate and heal.

Reiki was developed in the early 1900's by Mikao Usui, a Japanese spiritual leader, as an alternative therapy for the treatment of physical, emotional, and mental diseases.

Though Usui is recognized as the father of Reiki, historical research suggests that similar modalities pre-date and co-existed with his approach.* Many believe this form of healing is thousands of years old, with roots in ancient Egypt.

Usui taught Reiki to over 2,000 individuals in his lifetime, eleven of whom achieved Shinpiden or Master level. Practitioners still trace their learning lineage as a way of identifying the practice of Reiki that honors these master teachers. (E.g., I am a Reiki Master trained in the Takata Usui Shiki Ryoho lineage.)

According to the International Center for Reiki Training, there are an estimated one million Reiki practitioners worldwide, with over four million people having studied the technique.

*See this comprehensive history of Reiki—it's the most thoroughly researched version I've found.

Reiki as Modern Medicine

The popularity of Reiki continues to rise, with many practitioners and clients exploring it as an effective, non-invasive therapy and a type of CAM (Complementary Alternative Medicine).

Modern science has only recently begun to study Reiki's effectiveness in rigorous, reliable ways, but emerging data is very promising. Groundbreaking new research shows that Reiki reduces pain by 30%, surpassing placebo and opioid effects—reshaping energy healing science.*

While more large studies are needed to demonstrate how Reiki can support allopathic medicine, the benefits are well-established and widely embraced. Reiki is currently used in 800+ American hospitals and cancer recovery programs, such as Johns Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic, to help patients with healing and pain management.

Reiki is a highly effective standalone treatment, but not meant to replace qualified medical or traditional care. It complements and may compound the benefits of any other type of treatments and therapies—Western, Eastern, natural or science-based, and everything in between.

Some people are surprised to learn that Reiki can be used at a distance—that it's not necessary for the practitioner and recipient to be in the same physical space, and that distance healing works just as well. In fact, all Reiki at Creative Rebel Wellness is fully remote.

Distance healing may challenge some beliefs, but rest assured that there are absolutely no boundaries to energy. Just as we tap into Wi-Fi to connect our technology from anywhere, a qualified Reiki practitioner connects to the universal energy network to facilitate Reiki just as effectively from a distance.

*Reiki's Clinically Demonstrated Impact on Pain Care | ConnectIONS Live

Your own experience counts the most

The best way to find out if Reiki works is to try it for yourself! Check out testimonials from my work. And reach out with any questions—I'm always happy to hop on the phone.