Reiki

I learned about Reiki (pronounced ray-key) during a…you guessed it…sound bath. It’s funny how all of these practices are intertwined.

If you believe everything in the universe is energy and vibration, reiki will make sense. If not, it may be hard to digest, continue at your own risk.

What’s Reiki?

According to Wikipedia:

“Reiki is a Japanese form of energy healing, a type of alternative medicine. Reiki practitioners use a technique called palm healing or hands-on healing through which a “universal energy” is said to be transferred through the palms of the practitioner to the patient in order to encourage emotional or physical healing.”

As with all of the practices I’ve tried lately, I went into it with an open mind. It costs roughly 2/3rds the amount of a massage and it’s been practiced for a couple thousand years, so why not?

My Reiki Experience

Think of a massage with your clothes on and no one touching you. So…nothing like a massage, other than the fact you’re laying on your back. In my experience, the reiki practitioner asked if there were any problem areas that I wanted her to focus on. For my first session, I was recovering from an ankle injury and I told her so. She told me she’d spend time on both my ankle and my knee as ankle injuries can affect the knee.

She began by hovering her hands over the go of my head working down to me legs, stopping at certain areas. As she went over my stomach, I started getting a strange warm sensation…same with my knees and ankles.

The session lasted 30 minutes and afterwards she debriefed me.

“Your sacral chakra was blocked.”

The sacral chakra is in the abdomen. Maybe that was the warmth I was feeling.

“I worked on your ankle, so you should feel some relief.”

Shortly after, my ankle felt better. At the time, given my newnesss to the world of woo, I figured it was a coincidence perhaps. However, I did feel great after the session. I don’t know how to explain it, but I felt ready to take on the world.

I tried reiki a couple more times, and my aha moment came after my latest experience.

This time, I was deep into a state of relaxation thinking about a friend I hadn’t talked to in awhile. As she began working my throat, I started choking and coughing, so badly that I asked her to stop and get water. After the session, she says “your throat chakra was blocked.” I was sold.

She didn’t know what I was thinking about at that moment, and it was like the universe’s way of saying “Ashley, talk!” I get goosebumps when I think about it.

Would I do it again?

Absolutely, and I’m due for another session.

Tips?

• Have an open mind. I believe you get what you give when it comes to reiki. As I’ve swam deeper in the waters of finding myself, I’ve found reiki to be much more beneficial.
• Wear comfortable clothes. You don’t want to be concerned with your jeans feeling a little too tight when you’re on the table. This is a treat for yourself, and you’ll want to let your mind wander.
• Research or get a recommendation for a practitioner. Unfortunately, there are some con artists in the spiritual community. Do your research or reach out to a like-minded friend to make sure you find a true practitioner.

Next up…acupuncture!