Reiki originated in Japan in the 20th century as a form of healing energy. Rei translates to “Universal,” and Ki means “life force energy.”

Reiki is a noninvasive healing technique that focuses on working with this unifying energy to restore the physical and energetic body back into balance. It channels and condenses this universal life force energy into the body and energy field, bringing restoration, harmony, and balance to the whole person – body, emotions, mind, and spirit. It is a safe, gentle, and natural form of healing.

To me, Reiki is healing through love. When I work with the Reiki energy I feel an incredible amount of love flowing through me to the recipient. I see the body healing and working through the necessary shifts to allow wholeness. Growing up, I had this belief that only certain people could be healers and energy workers - Those who naturally had warm hands and were born with supernatural gifts. It took me about a year to shift my limiting belief that you couldn’t be a healer if you had cold hands. In retrospect, I see that this commonly held belief stems from a cultural bias.

Energy is at the core of everyone and everything. It is the central unifying element that connects all aspects of the universe. Scientifically, quantum physics has proven that energy is the building block of matter, and it has been proven that there is an energy field that surrounds all things (5). Additionally, it is not just around us, but it is us. Naturally, like an unobstructed river, our energy is constantly moving and flowing. Consequently, like a river, when there’s a buildup or blockage, it slows and obscures the baseline flow of energy moving in and out and affects our ability to perceive and feel from a balanced state. Reiki helps by removing blocks and stagnation or calming the nervous system’s overactive sympathetic ‘Fight-or Flight” responses. The Reiki energy allows your body to heal, cleanse, and clear.

Additionally, Reiki is becoming more widely accepted in the medical community. According to a study conducted at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, Reiki increased patient sleep by 86%, decreased pain by 78%, decreased nausea by 80%, and decreased anxiety during pregnancy by 94% (4)

Hospitals have included Reiki in their list of patient services, frequently employing their doctors, nurses, and support staff who have received Reiki training. As early as the mid-1990s, Reiki was used in hospital operating rooms. (1) Since then, it has become more widely accepted in medicine. It is now acknowledged as a valid method of treatment in a nursing "scope and standards of practice" (2), and according to a 2008 USA Today article, 15% of U.S. hospitals (over 800) provided regular Reiki treatments to patients in 2007 (3).

  *Please note that in some cases, Reiki is a form of complementary therapy, meaning it’s intended to work alongside other medical and therapeutic techniques in chronic or severe medical cases. It should not be used in place of any therapies recommended by your healthcare specialists.