Energy Healing
What is Reiki?
Reiki is a form of alternative therapy commonly referred to as energy healing. It emerged in Japan in the late 1800's and is said to involve the transfer of universal energy from the practitioner's palms to their patient. Energy healing has been used for centuries in various forms. Reiki works with the energy fields around the body.
The word "Reiki" means "mysterious atmosphere, miraculous sign." It comes from the Japanese words "rei" (universal) and "ki" (life energy).
How Reiki Works
Energy can stagnate in the body where there has been physical injury or possibly emotional pain. In time, these energy blocks can cause illness either manifesting in physical or emotional distress or disease.
Energy medicine aims to help the flow of energy and remove blocks in a similar way to acupuncture or acupressure. Improving the flow of energy around the body may enable relaxation, reduce pain, speed healing, and reduce other symptoms of illness.
Reiki has been around for thousands of years. Its current form was first developed in 1922 by a Japanese Buddhist called Mikao Usui, who reportedly taught 2,000 people the Reiki method during his lifetime. The practice spread to the U.S. through Hawaii in the 1940s, and then to Europe in the 1980s. It is commonly referred to as palm healing or hands-on healing.
What Happens in a Reiki Session?
Reiki is best held in a peaceful setting, but it can be carried out anywhere. The patient will sit in a comfortable chair or lie on a table, fully clothed. There may or may not be music, depending on the patient's preference.
The practitioner places their hands lightly on or over specific areas of the head, limbs, and torso using different hand shapes, for between 2 and 5 minutes. The hands can be placed over 20 different areas of the body. If there is a particular injury, such as a burn, the hands may be held just above the wound.
While the practitioner holds their hands lightly on or over the body, the transfer of energy takes place. During this time, the practitioner's hands may be warm and tingling. Each hand position is held until the practitioner senses that the energy has stopped flowing.
Some Reiki practitioners will use crystals and chakra healing wands, because they find these may enable healing.
Sessions typically last between 15 and 60 minutes. The number of sessions will vary, depending on what a client wishes to accomplish. Some clients prefer to have one session while others have a series of sessions to work on a particular issue.
Health Benefits
Reiki helps to aid relaxation, assist in the body's natural healing processes, and develop emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.
It is also said to induce deep relaxation, help people cope with difficulties, relieve emotional stress, and improve overall wellbeing.
People who receive Reiki describe it as "intensely relaxing."
Individuals report different experiences. Some say that the practitioner's hands become hot, others report cooling hands and some people feel pulsating waves. The most common reports are of a release of stress and deep relaxation.
Sound Therapy
Sound healing therapy uses aspects of music to improve your physical and emotional health and well-being. The person being treated partakes in the experience with a trained sound healing practitioner.
There are different types of sound therapy, including vibrational sound therapy, which uses special sounds that produce vibrations thought to improve brain waves.
Types of Sound Therapy
Singing bowl therapy dates back to the 12th century and has been used for meditation and rituals in Tibetan culture. Metal bowls produce a deep, penetrating sound that’s used to relax and repair the mind. A 2016 study found that singing bowl meditation reduced stress, anger, depression, and fatigue. All of these things are known to impact physical health and raise the risk for disease, suggesting that singing bowl therapy may be good for your physical, as well as emotional, well-being.
Tuning fork therapy uses calibrated metal tuning forks to apply specific vibrations to different parts of the body. This can help release tension and energy and promote emotional balance. It works similarly to acupuncture, using sound frequencies for point stimulation instead of needles. There is some research suggesting that tuning fork therapy may help relieve muscle and bone pain.
Also known as binaural beats, this method stimulates the brain into a specific state using pulsing sound to encourage your brain waves to align to the frequency of the beat. It’s supposed to help induce enhanced focus, entranced state, relaxation, or sleep. Though more research is needed, there’s some evidence that audible brainwave entrainment reduces anxiety, pain, symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, and improves behavioral problems in children.
Sound Healing Benefits
-
Lowers stress
-
Decreases mood swings
-
Lowers blood pressure
-
Lowers cholesterol levels
-
Teaches pain management
-
Lowers risk for coronary artery disease and stroke
-
Improves sleep
Sound Healing Instruments
Along with voice, the following are some of the different instruments used in sound healing:
-
Singing bowls
-
Drums
-
Tuning forks
-
Crystal bowls
Prices
Reiki Session 45 minutes - $150
Reiki with Biofield Tuning 45 min - $165
Reiki with Sound Healing 45 min - $165