This is an abbreviated article by William Lee Rand.  

He is founder and president of The International Center for Reiki Training (ICRT), The Center for Reiki Research and The Reiki Membership Association. He is the publisher and editor in chief of the Reiki News Magazine. He has authored Reiki, The Healing Touch, The Reiki Touch Kit, Reiki for a New Millennium, The Spirit of Reiki.  William has done extensive research on the origin and nature of Reiki and produced a pioneering work titled An Evidence Based History of Reiki.  William is the originator of the Usui/Tibetan system of Reiki. In 1995, with the help of some of his students, he developed the Karuna Reiki® . In 2014 he introduced the Holy Fire® system of Reiki which was upgraded to Holy Fire® III in 2018.

Reiki is a type of energy work that originated in Japan. It’s a simple method of light touch that is based on the Asian concept of ki or life energy. A session feels like a glowing radiance that flows through and around you. The experience is very soothing and results in the client entering a wonderful state of relaxation in which one’s worries and cares seem to melt away.

In a session the client lies fully clothed on a massage table while the practitioner gently places their hands in positions around the head and shoulders, the abdomen and the legs and feet. The hands can also be positioned an inch or so away from the body. 

A recent survey indicates that over a million people in the U.S. have received Reiki sessions. Its value is recognized by over 800 hospitals that offer it as a standard part of patient care. And rigorously designed scientific pilot studies have demonstrated its therapeutic effects.

The concept of ki or life energy has been recognized around the world since ancient times and goes by many names: in China it’s called chi, in Japan, ki, in India, Prana and science calls it biofield energy. This is an unseen energy that flows through all living things and directly affects the quality of health and one’s sense of well-being. 

The main thing that reduces life energy is stress, and yet our lives can contain stressful experiences. As an example, there is often stress at work or at home with one’s spouse or children. There can be stress about money and about illness or unexpected events or plans that simply don’t work out. And in fact, stress is a normal part of life. And because of this, people who live happy, healthy and abundant lives aren’t people who don’t have stress in their lives; they are people who have learned to deal with stress in a healthy way. Reiki is a method of dealing effectively with stress, and its use can lead to living a happier, healthier, more abundant life.

By reducing stress, Reiki will improve your health, making it less likely that you’ll get sick. It can also promote the healing process and works well for simple things like headaches, stomachaches, sprained ankles, bee stings and so forth, but can also work alongside regular medical care for more serious illnesses or conditions such as heart disease, cancer and serious injury. Reiki has been known to reduce the negative effects of medical treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation, thus making it easier to follow through with prescribed medical treatment.

The following is a list of conditions and situations that Reiki has been known to help. However, keep in mind that for serious conditions or injuries, it’s important to seek medical care in addition to using Reiki.

Insomnia Headache Stomachache

Aches and pains Sprains Sports Injuries

Not Feeling Good Confidence Creativity

Serious Illness or Injury End of Life

Being able to offer Reiki is a wonderful skill since as we have seen, Reiki makes life’s difficulties easier to deal with and can also increase the effectiveness of our talents and abilities. The above list is a sample of the many ways Reiki can be used to help yourself and others. One of the wonderful things about Reiki is it provides a way to help people regardless of the situation. There is something very healthy about doing this as it is a way to fulfill an important human need—the need to connect with others in a kind and caring way.

 May you always be blessed by love, joy and peace.