Reiki

Reiki is an ancient and potent medicinal art that originated in Japan. It is based on the idea that an unseen life force energy flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If a person’s life force energy is depleted or out of balance, they are more likely to get sick or injured or feel stress, whereas if it is replenished and balanced, they are more capable of a happy and healthy existence.

The word Reiki is comprised of two Japanese words: Rei which means “the Higher Power" and Ki, which is "life force energy.” Hence, Reiki is "spiritually guided life force energy."

As a Reiki practitioner, my role is not to manipulate your energy, but rather to offer myself and my energy as a vessel through which yours can flow, and vice versa. It is called “offering Reiki” rather than “giving Reiki” or “doing Reiki” for exactly this reason; I simply provide my own frequency and invite your body to attune as it needs to, seeking its own replenishment to remedy weak or stuck channels.

What this means in practice: You’ll lie on a massage table, fully clothed, and I'll place my hands on various places on your body, using the Reiki energy to guide me to the places where the life force energy feels out of balance, weak, or stuck. Your role is simply to relax and allow; many people find themselves drifting into a daydreaming space.

At the end of the session, you may not be able to articulate what you felt. That’s normal and not indicative of the value of the session. It’s similar to how, upon wakening after a good night’s rest, it’s impossible to describe what happened while your eyes were shut, but you know you feel better…Reiki is subtle but powerful. The magic is fullest when you trust that your body received what it needed.

This description is gratefully adapted from Reiki.org and Santa Cruz Reiki Works