Reiki by Marti

Reiki has existed for quite some time, as its roots can be traced back to before Buddha and Jesus. This energetic healing modality was passed down through word of mouth and was eventually lost. But in 1865, a Buddhist monk born in Japan, Mikao Usui, re-channeled the Reiki technique for healing, stress reduction, and relaxation.

Reiki is based on the idea that an unseen life-force energy flows through all of us, and if one's life-force energy is low, then that person is more likely to get sick or feel stress. If that energy is high, he/she/they are more capable of being happy and healthy. Reiki came to the United States through Mrs. Takata, a Hawaiian native, who was healed through Reiki at a Japanese hospital in the 1930s and consequently learned the practice for herself and began sharing it with others.

Reiki is a touch therapy, meaning the practitioner’s hands make contact with the recipient’s body. The touch is very light and sometimes will be fully off the body, with the practitioner's hands held over a series of locations on the body. You’ll rest on a massage table, fully clothed. You may lie on your back or stomach, or any other position needed to be comfortable. Expect dim lights and soothing music. Scented oils or sound therapies may be used to enhance the session.

Sometimes the experience of Reiki is dramatic, while for other people, the session may be uneventful, although they feel better afterward. People often feel heat in the practitioner's hands or cascading waves of energy through the body. The most common experience is an almost immediate release of stress and a feeling of deep relaxation.