Blog Posts - San Diego Reiki 858-333-5988

Who Has Benefited From Learning Reiki?

8/1/2017

Since I am not certain if your question refers to immaterial vs. material benefits, I will attempt to respond to both options.

I have been observing Reiki in action for about a decade during my work at an inpatient hospice unit as a medical doctor. The observational evidence of the positive effects of Reiki and other “alternative” modalities have left a lasting impression on me, to the point that I have learned Reiki myself and have been actively practicing it since 2013, in addition to my medical practice. I do not have a scientific explanation of how Reiki works, but I continue seeing impressive results with Reiki on a daily basis.

So to answer the immaterial side of you question, I can tell you that those people, who have learned Reiki and are practicing it, are benefiting others by helping them on a mind-body level with this impressive healing art.

In addition, learning and practicing Reiki has a profound positive impact not only on the receiver of Reiki, but also on the practitioner himself or herself. For example, since I’ve learned Reiki, I am a better, kinder person. I am more relaxed and able to deal with stress a lot better. I worry less and I’ve become a lot more open-minded. Reiki has allowed me to let go of the ego-fueled directions in life, and has helped me focus on what’s really important instead. Learning Reiki has allowed me to take a path less travelled, but also the path, where I can be more true to who I am and to who I want to be, the best version of myself.

As far as the financial benefits, as with anything in life, I am sure that there are people, who may be using Reiki for financial gain. For example, I’ve seen online Reiki courses that offer Reiki mastership after a few-hours-long training. This can only be viewed as either a misunderstanding on the part of the person who is offering this type of online class (hopefully), or as a money-making operation, since Reiki is a hands-on healing art, and Reiki training includes a process that cannot be performed virtually.

With that said, we don’t have to let a few ‘bad apples’ spoil the whole batch. The vast majority of people who learn Reiki, offer it relatively cheaply and often for free. Reiki is a calling, and although many Reiki practitioners can make a living doing Reiki, overall, the majority are certainly not doing it just to make money, but rather to help others.

How Useful is the Course of Reiki?

7/1/2017

There are several ways to understand this question, and I will provide the answers to all of the following potential meanings:

How useful is the course of reiki (is it worth learning)?
How useful is the course of reiki (do I need to take a formal course, or can I learn on my own, without taking a class)?
How useful is the course of reiki (as in getting a ‘treatment course’ of several Reiki sessions in a row)?

To answer the first version of this question, I’d like to say that learning Reiki can be most definitely useful, whether you wish to pursue a career as a Reiki practitioner, or if you simply wish to learn it for household use. In particular, in my experience (as well as in the experience of other Reiki practitioners), it can be very helpful for minor illnesses (colds, upset stomach, headaches, insomnia), minor injuries (cuts, bruises, minor burns), stress, anger, frustration, anxiety, and more. It can be very helpful for symptoms such as pain, nausea, etc., as well as with emotional and/or spiritual suffering. In addition, not only can it be used in a home environment, but Reiki can also be helpful if you don’t have access to medical care (traveling in remote areas, in case of being in a natural disaster zone, or when assisting someone after an accident while waiting for an ambulance, and so on). To summarize, learning Reiki can be very useful.

As far as how to learn Reiki, I would most definitely recommend taking an in-person course, as Reiki cannot be learned in any other way. You can certainly find a lot of information about the history of Reiki online or by reading Reiki books, which may give you a good starting point; however, because of the nature of this Japanese healing art and because of how it is taught, it is impossible to learn it online or from reading a book. There are several inherent processes to learning Reiki that must be done in person and cannot be skipped. If those essential elements are dropped, you may find that the technique you learn is not very effective, and truthfully, it cannot be called Reiki at that point, as it will no longer be the true authentic Reiki in the way it was originally taught and practiced, but a different healing art (similar to Reiki, but different). So, taking an in-person Reiki course is the best way to learn Reiki.

Finally, if you are inquiring about getting a course of Reiki sessions, then it is definitely a great idea if you have any chronic conditions or serious concerns (as opposed to new, and/or minor symptoms). Your Reiki practitioner will be able to recommend the duration of the Reiki course. Think of it the way you would think of a course of antibiotics or of a course of physical therapy. One pill or one session can help, but it may not be enough. Ideally Reiki should be done daily or nearly daily, until the problem is resolved. In my experience, however, it may often take just one session or only a few sessions to address various wellness concerns, often to my disbelief as a medical doctor (we do not understand how Reiki works from the medical perspective, and in all honesty, the effectiveness of Reiki is often shocking to me, since medically-speaking, it should not work, but it does). Getting a course of Reiki sessions can be very useful, especially when trying to address long-standing, serious concerns.

What to Do If You Are Not Sure About Performing Reiki Correctly

6/1/2017

There could be a couple of reasons why you feel that you might not be able to do Reiki correctly:

You may simply need more supervised Reiki practice. If this is the case, do your best to attend the Reiki practice meetings (sometimes referred to as Reiki shares) hosted by your Reiki teacher. Repeating the training is also a great idea. (I personally, take a refresher course at least once a year, and in spite of the fact that I am already a Reiki teacher, I derive tremendous benefit from it.)
You may have learned Reiki in a style that has been modified from the original to the point of being purhaps less effective*, especially if you’ve learned Reiki online or through a quick course without enough hands-on practice. In that case, I would encourage you to find another Reiki class.
You may be overthinking it. Giving Reiki is a very simple and natural process, and sometimes all we have to do is let go of the idea that we are ‘healing’ someone, and allow Reiki to work on its own, so to speak. When we come from a deeper place, and let go of our regular ‘conscious, ego-based mind’ approach, Reiki often works much better. So sometimes all we have to do is ‘let it happen’. (When you experience it, you will know exactly what I mean.)

* Reiki was originally developed in Japan, and spread in the West by Mrs. Takata. For a long time it was believed that there was no one left in Japan who knew and practiced Reiki, and most of the Reiki classes today come from Mrs. Takata’s lineage. Unfortunately, since there was no communication between the Japanese Reiki practitioners and their Western counterparts, some of the newer Reiki styles have been progressively modified to fit the Western mindset, and a lot of information and important aspects of Reiki teaching and practice have been either skipped, lost in translation, mixed with other healing modalities, or diluted, in some cases to a significant degree. Reiki is Reiki, so it doesn’t mean that if you learn a Westernized version of Reiki that it is not going to work, but if you are noticing that you are not feeling 100% about your Reiki ability, then going to the source and learning traditional Reiki the way it was originally taught and practiced, may be the answer. As it turns out, Reiki was actually preserved in Japan in its original tradition all along, with the authentic Japanese style Reiki currently taught by the Jikiden Reiki Institute. I did an extensive research in different Reiki styles, and based on that extensive research, it appears that Jikiden Reiki is the closest to the original tradition out of all the Reiki styles that are available for us to learn today. I would highly recommend Jikiden Reiki (it is incredible that it is now so easily accessible to us!) if you are looking for an effective Reiki technique in its original form for your own wellness as well as to help others.

How Do You Start A Reiki Business?

5/1/2017

Personally, I prefer to call it a Reiki Practice, rather than a Reiki ‘business’, and if you love Reiki and are giving Reiki on a regular basis, you already have a Reiki Practice, so there is nothing else that you need to do, you already have what you are looking for :)

Most Reiki practitioners don’t get rich by practicing Reiki, so if you are hoping to make a lot of money in Reiki, it is probably not the the best field. With that said, here are several essential steps that may help you start a Reiki practice:

First, I would suggest looking into the local laws regulating Reiki. You’d be surprised at how many countries, states, and towns have legal limitations to offering Reiki services. You need to know the laws before starting your practice.
Secondly, you may also want to learn about the demand for Reiki in your community. Some areas are very open to holistic healing arts, but others may have the majority of the population that would be put off by them. You have to have an idea of how many people would actually come to your practice before you start looking for a place where you will offer Reiki.
Thirdly, you may want to talk to other Reiki practitioners in your area. Ask them what their challenges have been and what has worked for them. Most people in the Reiki world are very open and kind and are not worried about competition, and will likely share lots of helpful insights with you.
Armed with the knowledge above (local laws, demand for Reiki, and what has worked for other practitioners) you will have an idea of whether or not it is feasible to create a successful Reiki practice in your area, and if it is, you can begin thinking about the practice structure. Will you work alone or with a partner? Will you hire other practitioners? Will you offer Reiki at your location or at clients’ homes? Will it be a non-profit or donation-based practice, and if so, where can you find resources to cover your expenses? How much will you charge per session? Will you offer any other services or products? Will you need any additional training (in Reiki, business, or to gain other skills or knowledge) that may help your practice? Will you offer Reiki classes (if you are a certified teacher)? There are many other questions you may need to answer (at least preliminarily) so that you can create a plan of how your practice will operate and function.
You can then choose the name for your practice (you may need to check with your local business name recorder to make sure it is not taken), pick a domain name (if you are planning to have a website), get a phone number, find a location, and open social media accounts (if you need to/want to).
You can then apply for a business license (or equivalent) and file all the other necessary paperwork as required by your local authorities.
Depending on where you live, it may be a good idea to get business insurance and Reiki malpractice insurance, which may protect you in the event of theft, injuries on your premises, someone claiming that you ‘hurt’ them with Reiki, etc.
Finishing touches will include decorating the space, printing brochures and business cards, creating your website, and spreading the word by either literally word of mouth and/or by paid advertisement (local print ads, online or social media ads, etc.)

Most importantly, regardless of how perfect your business plan is or how beautiful your Reiki space may be, your work (Reiki in this case) has to come from your heart. Everything else will follow.

Shedding Some Light On Reiki Healing

4/1/2017

Reiki (靈氣)is a Japanese word for “universal life force energy”. The literal translation of the word “Rei” is “soul”/“spirit”. “Ki” means life force energy, which is a very common concept in many Asian cultures.

The original Reiki healing method was developed by Mikao Usui sensei in the 1920s in Japan, and he called it “Shin Shin Kaizen Usui Reiki Ryoho”, which means “Usui Reiki treatment method for body and mind”. Mikao Usui unknowingly connected with the Reiki energy as he was searching for enlightenment. He discovered that laying hands on a problem area of one’s body had a healing effect, and he started helping others using his newfound ability. Eventually, he also developed a way to teach Reiki to others, by helping them tap into the Reiki healing ability. Mikao Usui passed away in 1926, but through Dr. Hayashi, who was one of Usui sensei’s students, Reiki came to America (Hawaii), and eventually spread to the world. Since then, many new Reiki styles have been created, but most, if not all, have the same underlying concept of tapping into the universal life force energy and laying on hands to allow the natural internal self-healing process.

I’d like to clarify, that Reiki “energy” is not a scientific concept. Also from a scientific and medical perspective laying on hands should not have any beneficial effect beyond a placebo, or feeling comforted perhaps. However, I have to tell you that from my own decade-long scientific observation of Reiki helping patients in hospice, and later on through personally utilizing the Reiki method that I have learned from the Jikiden Reiki Institute in Japan, I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that Reiki can have a profound positive effect on a person’s physical, emotional and spiritual state, all of which go far beyond the potential placebo effect.

Is Reiki Master Also a Healer?

3/1/2017

Reiki is a Japanese healing art. A Reiki “Master” is a translation from the Japanese word Reiki “Shihan”. Shihan means a respected expert teacher, “master instructor” (of either a martial art or a healing art, such as Reiki).

Just as in other Japanese healing traditions, it took a long time to become a teacher, and one had to practice the healing art as a Reiki practitioner/healer first. Once someone became a Reiki Shihan, that person could not only give Reiki treatments, but also teach Reiki. So to answer your question, a Reiki Master (in the traditional meaning of this word) is a Reiki healer, who is also a Reiki teacher.

In the West, the translation “Master” has shifted from the concept of Shihan “master instructor” as a “teacher” to that of “master” as an “expert”. Many Reiki practitioners today refer to themselves as Reiki “masters”, whether or not they teach Reiki, which is technically incorrect. Also some Reiki teachers only teach Reiki and do not give any Reiki treatments. Both have become commonplace, shifting away from the original tradition.

Regardless of the semantics, all Reiki Masters can offer Reiki sessions, and therefore can be referred to as Reiki healers.

How Effective is Reiki?

2/1/2017

Reiki is a Japanese holistic healing method for body and mind, and it can be very effective on a physical, emotional and spiritual levels.

There is a fairly large number of scientific publications on Reiki effectiveness; however, due to limitations of currently published studies, Reiki has not yet been scientifically proven to be effective. That does not mean that it is not effective, it simply means that there is not enough scientific evidence available today to demonstrate its effectiveness.

As a hospice doctor, I have observed Reiki in action at an inpatient hospice unit for over a decade, and was so impressed with how helpful it was to my patients (way beyond what one would expect from a placebo effect), that I have learned Reiki myself and now personally utilizing it.

One day, I am sure, scientific research will catch up, and the effectiveness of Reiki will not only be clear in practice, but also from a scientific point of view.

Does Reiki Heal?

1/1/2017

I’d like like to answer your question from a medical/scientific point of view and from the Reiki experience perspective.

Reiki is a natural Japanese wellness method for body and mind that involves a light touch. As a medical doctor, I can tell you that from a medical perspective, there should be no healing effects (other than relaxation, perhaps) from any method that involves hands-on healing; however, I have observed Reiki in action for well over a decade now, and I have no doubt in my mind about its positive effects on healing.

Technically and legally speaking, we should probably refrain from using the word “healing”, since it implies scientific/medical evidence of effectiveness of a licensed clinical treatment modality, which Reiki is not. It is neither scientifically proven, nor it is a licensed healing profession. I would like to add however, that although currently, there is no scientific proof that Reiki heals anything, I am certain that it is only a matter of time before we will learn otherwise.

From my observation of Reiki as a medical scientist, I can tell you that people receiving Reiki report improvements in physical symptoms, reduction in emotional suffering, and they also often share that they gain clarity or have a healing spiritual experience, not to mention feeling more relaxed and better overall with Reiki. I would say that probably about 50% of people receiving Reiki say that it felt “amazing”. I personally see Reiki as a mind-body-and-soul healing art, and in my experience, not only it can be very helpful for healing on multiple levels, but it appears to be beneficial significantly beyond the placebo effect.