Reiki: A Holistic Healing Modality For Self And Others.

I love the HBO show, White Lotus. In season one, we're introduced to Jennifer Coolidge's wealthy older widow character, Tanya.

I'll never forget the following dialogue. Tanya and the other guests arrive on a Hawaiian Island for their blissful resort vacation at the White Lotus. Armond is the manager of the resort, Belinda is a practitioner/healer on the resort and Tanya is seeking a massage.

Armond: Would you have any openings for her this afternoon?

Belinda: Um… unfortunately, we are all booked.

Tanya: Oh, no. I just… Really?

Are you sure? I would really appreciate it.

I’m not picky. You know, if…

I don’t have to have deep tissue or anything.

I’d take anything at this point. Anything.

Anything but reiki, of course.

Armond: Um, you know what? I’ll see what we can do.

ANYTHING but REIKI.

What Reiki is

Reiki is a Japanese healing technique that focuses on the transfer of universal life energy to promote physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. The word "Reiki" can be broken down into two parts: "Rei" meaning universal or higher power, and "Ki" meaning life force energy. Together, Reiki can be understood as the "universal life energy."

How I found Reiki and began practicing it

In 2019 I was instructing Kundalini Yoga, a practice that emphasizes booming aware of your thoughts and body through movement, breathing techniques, meditation and sound. I enjoyed the community that would show up to classes.

I was instructing this form of yoga at a reiki studio, and I enjoyed being a leader within this reiki studio space.

The reiki they shared there felt loving; it felt like a way to share love and nurturing with other people who wanted to learn more about themselves, or needed some help clearing their mind so that their higher wisdom could speak.

At the time, I was learning about my own intuitive abilities, and was seeking to learn all I could that resonated with me.

So I learned reiki, and I honed my reiki skills at this studio during reiki shares, working one on one with clients, and by practicing it on myself and in the community when I felt called to offer it to people: Friends, family, strangers.

It's one of the ways I get to be of service to something greater in this lifetime, and one of the methods I use to tune in to my scene partners in life, on film and on stage.

History of Reiki

Reiki was developed by Mikao Usui, a Japanese Buddhist monk, in the early 20th century. According to the traditional account, Usui embarked on a spiritual quest to discover a healing method similar to what was attributed to ancient healers and spiritual masters, including the Buddha and Jesus. After a period of fasting, meditation, and self-reflection on Mount Kurama, he experienced a profound spiritual awakening and received the Reiki healing energy.

Usui then shared his knowledge and teachings, establishing the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, an organization dedicated to the practice and preservation of Reiki. The practice of Reiki spread throughout Japan and eventually reached the Western world in the mid-1900s through various Reiki Masters and practitioners.

How Reiki helps the receiver

Reiki works on multiple levels to help individuals shift their focus from the mind to the body, promoting a state of relaxation, balance, and connection. Here's how Reiki facilitates this process:

1. Energetic Balancing: Reiki practitioners channel universal life energy through their hands and direct it to the recipient's body. This energy helps balance the energy centers (chakras) and energy pathways (meridians) within the body. By removing energetic blockages and promoting flow, Reiki helps release tension and stagnant energy that may be held in the body, allowing for a deeper sense of embodiment.

2. Relaxation and Stress Reduction: Reiki induces a deep state of relaxation, activating the parasympathetic nervous system and promoting a sense of calm and peace. This relaxation response helps reduce stress, anxiety, and mental chatter, allowing individuals to shift their focus away from the mind and into the present moment.

3. Mind-Body Connection: Reiki brings awareness to the body and facilitates a stronger mind-body connection. As the recipient experiences the gentle touch and energy flow during a Reiki session, they become more attuned to bodily sensations, helping them shift their attention away from racing thoughts and into the physical sensations of the present moment.

4. Emotional Release and Healing: Reiki has the potential to release stored emotions and promote emotional healing. By working on an energetic level, Reiki can help release emotional blockages and promote the flow of emotions, allowing individuals to process and release stored emotions that may be keeping them trapped in their thoughts.

5. Spiritual Connection: Reiki has a spiritual component that helps individuals tap into their inner wisdom and higher consciousness. By connecting with the universal life energy, individuals may experience a sense of expanded awareness, a deeper understanding of themselves, and a connection to something greater than themselves. This spiritual connection can help individuals transcend the confines of the mind and access a more profound sense of being.

What I encountered through my own experience.

Reiki found me. I didn't go searching for reiki. I was skeptical, so I understand the skeptics.

The results speak for themselves - Reiki gives people a space to be held, a space to be seen and listened to.

The part that I enjoy the most: The debrief, when the both of us discuss what came up for us, and how it felt.

It can spark a dialogue similar to something one might desire to encounter in therapy.

Who I've worked with: Athletes, artists, business people, ill people, spiritual people, skeptical people, my dad, my mom, my godmother, my brother, twin infants.

Where I prefer to practice: Outside, because we have access to wildlife, wind, sunlight, and plantlife.

About my first paid one on one client: He was a young man who had experimented with DMT, LSD, and other hallucinogenic drugs. He believed he had done "too much, too soon"; he had treated these experimental consciousness exploration tools as party drugs. It seemed like it was overwhelming him and his being, and he needed relief from the pressure of what the experiences showed him.

What this brings to mind today: Reiki can be a tool that helps people relax enough to integrate what they've learned on trips - whether psychedelic or physical traveling.

In summary,

Reiki is a gentle and holistic healing practice that helps individuals get out of their heads and into their bodies by promoting energetic balance, relaxation, mind-body connection, emotional release, and spiritual connection. Through the healing energy of Reiki, individuals can experience a profound shift towards a more embodied and present state of being.

If you are on your journey "being" and you'd like to book an online session with me, please send me an email at YesAndJamie@gmail.com.