What is Reiki?
Reiki is a traditional Japanese healing art founded by Mikao Usui. The practice was introduced to the west (first Hawaii and then beyond) in 1938, used for and made popular by its relaxation, stress and symptom reducing benefits that promote healing and wellbeing.
Reiki is also known to be a mystic art that invites peace and happiness. You do not need to be spiritual or religious to benefit from Reiki. It is not a belief system but rather an experience.
Reiki is compatible with many other healing modalities and is used in hospitals and hospices all over the world. Individuals in good health utilize Reiki as a form of preventative medicine.
R e i
mysterious, ethereal, transcendental or sacred
K i
life force, cosmic or universal energy
REIKI works on all levels of being:
Physical • physical body and pain, illness
Emotional • feelings, what you’re experiencing
Mental • thoughts and attitudes
Spiritual • capacity to love, yourself and others
Reiki has “an intelligence of its own”, flowing exactly where it is needed.
What you can expect in a session...
Reiki is a hands-on method of healing where the practitioner is a channel for this universal energy (they are not the source). The recipient is fully clothed and lies on a massage table or sits in a chair. In a traditional session, the practitioner places their hands lightly on or above the body to help focus the energy to a particular area.
Experiences vary from person to person, but the intention is to relax deeply. It is not uncommon to fall asleep during a Reiki session. This is totally okay! You may also find yourself relaxed and awake. Some people experience heat, tingling or pulsing in the body, and others may not. This does not mean the Reiki isn’t working. Each experience is unique.
I open and close each session with a check in. I may ask questions like, is there anything in particular you would like to focus on in the session? What have you been experiencing and what is your experience in the current moment? What is alive in you? You are always free to share as much or as little as you like.
The Reiki energy will stay with you throughout the day and even the week.
Tune into your body, go gently when needed, and find ways to nourish yourself.
One of the wonderful things about Reiki is that it can be used even when the recipient is not physically present. Email me to try a Distance Reiki Zoom session
I first came upon Reiki in 2009 while living in Arizona. I was fortunate enough to have access to community Reiki and energy work circles where I was able to develop a deep appreciation for this healing modality. It brings me so much joy to have reconnected with Reiki since that time.
I received Reiki I and Reiki II attunements from my teacher Char Pias at McKinnon Body Therapy Center in Oakland, CA in 2019 and 2020.
In March of 2024, I completed Reiki master training with Santa Cruz Reiki Works.
My intention is to continue to share this beloved practice with all whom it may benefit.