Repair & Rebalance
Reiki, Massage and Yoga in Woking, Surrey

Reiki: The Secret Method of Inviting Happiness

Benefits of Reiki
What to expect in a Reiki treatment
Learning Reiki

Reiki is a Japanese energy-balancing and de-stressing technique that also stimulates the body’s natural self-healing ability. It was developed in the late 1800s/early 1900s by a man called Dr Mikao Usui (pictured below), although many people believe that its origins are very much older because it draws on various Oriental traditions that were prevalent in Japan at the time, including traditional Japanese Hand Healing, energy cultivation techniques, martial arts, Shintoism, and mystical Buddhism. In its original Japanese form, Reiki was seen as a path to enlightenment, part of which was to do energy work on yourself and others. The energy that we work with when we use this technique is also called Reiki.

The word Reiki (pronounced ‘ray-key’) comes from the Japanese and is made up of two characters: Rei and Ki. Rei means 'universal' or ‘spiritual’; ki means ‘vital energy’ or 'life force' and has an equivalent in nearly every ancient language (‘chi’ in Chinese, ‘prana’ in Sanskrit, ‘ruach’ in Hebrew, ‘ka’ in Egyptian, ‘pneuma’ in Greek). On the left, you can see how the word Reiki is written in Japanese.

Reiki, life force energy, is primal energy, the fundamental energy of which the universe is made up, the subtle energy that flows through all living things. Its existence has been recognised in Eastern medicine and philosophy for thousands of years. It is the reason we are alive. When it is abundant and flowing freely, we are less likely to become unwell. If it is low or its flow becomes restricted, we are more vulnerable to illness. When we do Reiki, we are tapping directly into an unlimited external supply of universal life force energy, replenishing our personal reserves of it as well as stimulating self-healing of the physical body. The result can be a greater sense of well-being at all levels – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

Mikao Usui was a famous healer in his day, and Reiki is one of the simplest and yet most powerful ways of focussing healing energy.

Benefits of Reiki

Reiki is gentle, yet powerful. It works on all levels – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, according to the needs of the recipient.

Some of the many benefits of Reiki include:

Relief of a wide range of symptoms (such as insomnia, stress, anxiety)

Alleviation of pain

Deep relaxation

Strengthening of the body’s natural healing powers

Increased calmness

Greater ability to cope with the stresses and challenges of daily life

Regaining of clarity and perspective

Greater awareness of personal potential

Blossoming of hidden talents and creativity

Only good can come from Reiki.

What to expect in a Reiki treatment

During a Reiki treatment, the recipient lies relaxing (fully clothed) on my comfortable couch, while I place my hands on or just above their body (at their choice; this will be discussed beforehand) in a series of non-invasive positions, each one held for a number of minutes while the Reiki flows through me and into the recipient from my hands.

The Reiki flows to wherever the recipient most needs it at the time, helping to restore balance. Most people feel Reiki energy as heat, some people also see beautiful colours, and almost everyone experiences a profound sense of relaxation and peace. Reiki really is unique.

Treatments cost £35 and last for about an hour, and the beneficial effects are often felt for several days afterwards.

Reiki has few, if any, contraindications.

Learning Reiki

Reiki is very easy to learn. Anyone can do it, without prior knowledge or experience of energy work or other complementary therapies.

This is because Reiki is not taught in the conventional sense. You cannot, for example, learn Reiki from a book. The ability to channel Reiki is simply passed on from the teacher to the student - in ceremonies (known as empowerments or attunements) carried out at each of the three Reiki levels. This is one of the reasons why people sometimes describe Reiki as a "gift".

At the first level, the connection between the student and the Reiki source is established, awakening the student's ability to receive and transmit Reiki. Once awakened, this ability remains with you for life, enabling you to draw on Reiki, for your own and other people's benefit, wherever and whenever you choose.

At the second and third levels, the connection is progressively reinforced and enhanced, allowing more Reiki to be channelled and enabling it to be focussed more effectively for specific intentions.

Reiki is so much more than a complementary therapy; it's a way of life.

For many people, the decision to learn Reiki is a life-changing one.

Click here to go straight to the Reiki Training page to find out more about how learning Reiki for yourself can benefit you and make a positive difference to those around you