Reiki is a Japanese practice for relaxation and wellbeing on mental, emotional, physical and spiritual levels that also promotes healing. Reiki was rediscovered in the mid 1800’s by a Japanese born Buddhist monk, Dr. Mikao Usui.

For thousands of years, many ancient cultures including Japanese, Chinese and Indian believed that an unseen "universal life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive, affecting our physical, mental and emotional states. If one's "life force energy" is low, we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy. This energy is referred to as “Ki” in Japan, "Prana" in India and "Chi" in China.

The word Reiki is made of two Japanese characters – “Rei” which means "Divine or Higher Power" and “Ki” which is "life force energy". So, Reiki translates as "spiritually guided life force energy." Although Reiki is spiritual in nature, it is not a religion, nor does it require any form of worship, prayer or changes in one’s religious beliefs. However, in order for the Reiki healing energies to have lasting results, the client must accept responsibility for her or his healing and take an active part in it.

While most energy therapies use techniques to assess the recipient's biofield and make specific corrections, Reiki practitioners do not diagnose and do not deliberately reorganize the biofield. Additionally, the practitioners do not in any way control Reiki energy, but only become an open channel for the energy to flow through them.

Reiki treatment is usually facilitated by light, gentle, non-manipulative touch to a clothed recipient, who is either lying on the massage table or sitting in a chair. The Reiki practitioner's hands are still for most part of the treatment, moving only to change hand placements. Reiki energy in the practitioner's hands arises spontaneously in response to the individual recipient's need for balance at that particular time. In this way, each Reiki treatment is automatically customized to the immediate need of that particular recipient, even though the practitioner may use the same sequence of hand placements for each treatment. 

Reiki is optimally given in a full treatment format but can also be administered in abbreviated treatments to a specific area or areas of the body. Often a treatment feels like a gentle nurturing energy flowing through your body, creating relaxation, feelings of safety, peace, and wellbeing.

The session is usually an hour long. During the initial session the practitioner will explain the nature of Reiki, describe what a session looks like and give the client an opportunity to discuss any particular issues they are experiencing.

Frequently reported benefits of Reiki include:

• Reduce stress
• Relieve pain
• Promote restfulness and improved sleep
• Relieve anxiety and depression
• Decrease post-surgical pain
• Lower the heart rate and blood pressure 

• Increase a sense of well-being

Reiki is utilized to support general health and wellbeing. Reiki can be used as a complementary therapy to medical treatment. Reiki always complements and enhances virtually any health care a patient receives in the hospital or from other health care providers.