Reiki at a Spa. Real Energy Medicine or Bunk?
by Susie Ellis
Reiki. I have always found it mysterious. What is it exactly? Every explanation I have heard seems to be different. I have tried it a few times, however when faced with a choice between a wonderfully relaxing deep-tissue massage or a Reiki session, I have always opted for the massage. In Reiki there isn’t a lot of actual touch – and no massaging of muscles. In fact I have been suspicious of the possibility that a therapist likes to do Reiki because it isn’t as much work – a way for them to “rest” during a treatment.
Well, I stand corrected. I couldn’t have been more wrong about Reiki (or perhaps I should say about Reiki with a Reiki Master.) During my visit to the Trisara Resort & Spa they had arranged for me to have a session with this famous Reiki healer in Phuket.
Here is what I remember: The Reiki practitioner had a gentle and positive spirit. He explained ahead of time that we would begin with me on the massage table face up, and then later face down. I wouldn’t necessarily feel anything, however many people have found that they feel an energy release afterward. For some it is more immediate, for others within the next day or two. Some people get emotional, others just have a greater sense of the body/mind/spirit being in balance.
So we began. After washing his hands and some mental preparation, he cupped his hands and began “hovering” over various parts of my body. I could feel an intense heat from his hands which he kept close to – but not directly on – my body. He seemed to be channeling energy from his body to mine. This kind of energy transmission happened continually as he went from one part of the body to another. Always, there was heat from his hands. The entire session was about 75 minutes and the longer it went on, the more pleasurable the feeling of energy transfer was.
That was it. The only “ah ha” moment during this time was a very bright flashlight-like strobe which I saw while my eyes were closed which startled me. I really don’t know if I had fallen asleep and was dreaming or if some other phenomenon had occured.
Anyway, the practitioner bid me farewell after which I went right from the massage table to change and then head to the Phuket airport for my trip back to New York. As I began what would end up being a 24 hour journey home, I was aware of feeling a bit more relaxed than usual, a bit less anxious – in fact not anxious at all. And then it happened. A flood of tears during my layover at the Bangkok airport. The weeping lasted about two hours. Now I suppose it might have had something to do with the fact that my flight out of Phuket was delayed five hours and I missed my connection to New York and had to rearrange everything through Tokyo, etc. However, I am a seasoned traveler and have faced these sort of travel irritations many times and never have they resulted in an uncontrollable flood of tears. Something had truly shifted.
It seems time for me to learn more about Reiki and energy medicine. Please share with me whatever experience you may have had. You have my attention.
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Sounds like you had a wonderful experience for your introduction to Reiki. I myself felt a similar heat during my first Reiki treatment.Now that I am a Reiki Master/Teacher its wonderful to feel that energy leaving my body and entering into someone else and watch as they feel that kind of thing for the first time.There a few wonderful books on Reiki, Essential Reiki: A Complete Guide to an Ancient Healing Art by Stein is a great book on the topic.The Reiki Magic Guide to Self-attunement by Bevell is a great book. Though I may be a bit biased since its by my own Master.For a quick overview of Reiki itself please feel free to check out my blog I just wrote a quick post about it myself.
Your story brought tears to my eyes! As a Reiki healer, I am aware of the mystery surrounding this method of healing and relaxation, as well as its subtleness in effect…at least at first. As you experienced, it can be quite profound depending upon the person and what they’re going through.
Briefly here, the philosophy behind Reiki is physical ailments and weaknesses are a symptoms of something errant in the spirit, emotions, and mind more often than an ailment directly related to the body. Such body-direct ailment examples are trauma, poor nutrition, overworking the body, etc. If your spirit has lost energy; if your emotions are in turmoil or if you keep them in; if you’re thinking too much and putting too much mental stress on yourself – all of these will eventually manifest themselves into physical ailments. The result of Reiki is not just healing to the body. The “God conscious” or “Universal” power is “smart enough” to know where to go and what to heal either physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually. It repairs your aura and chakras and re-energizes you.
What you may have experienced was a healing of your mind or emotions, possibly unblocking what had been holding back those tears, and finally allowing you to release a lot of pent-up frustrations and sorrow. The healing of your spirit manifested in the pleasant relaxed state you felt during your travel and the lack of axiousness. The flashes of light were most likely your body reacting to that energy moving through you. There are other things that may have happened with your healing and I hope since this posting, you’ve had the chance to experience other Reiki healing sessions.
Agreeably, Reiki may not always have that “immediate gratification” massage thereapy provides, but as you’ve experienced, it has its own purpose that can be just as beneficial as a massage, or a good wholesome meal, or a guided meditation.
Brightest blessings to you and your wellness!
Gina Candido
MaeDawn Wellness Center
The fascinating thing about Reiki is that every healing with every person is a unique experience. We can generalize and say that it relaxes people, but for every person that receives Reiki, there is a unique story to be shared.
I was glad you made the distinction from someone well trained in reiki and just “anyone” claiming to be trained in Reiki. It is crucial that a person trained in Reiki receives the proper energetic attunements with their training’s and that they actually do their own work with their own processes to be able to offer this space of Reiki first for themselves before they can have a positive effect for others without getting in the way of it.
Though honestly I did not think that blog even touched on the reality of reiki (but yes, I understand it was just a short blog) – it more was about a persons lack of comprehension of what reiki is. And thus it just speaks volumes as to the huge gap of lack of comprehension of what reiki truly is and peoples willingness to work thru their own processes of being.
Many people are lost and stuck in the western health modality that someone else fixes you as opposed to Reiki which ACTUALLY is about someone giving back your empowerment and helping to hold space and light for you to heal with your own free will within that space of reiki – it’s not about the reiki practitioner when you can clearly discern – though it does take a reiki practitioner able to move out of the way and hold that space effectively.
If a person is not actually willing with their own free will to work with the process then they will not benefit since Reiki is pure and respects free will.
I am thankful for blogs and posts like these due to the fact it is opening people up more to healthier ways of BEING.
I would suggest anyone to seriously find the right trained reiki practitioner for themselves (everyone’s needs are different) and work thru their processes to raise their consciousness levels of their being to be healthier and aligned. Doing this is truly the only way a person can comprehend what reiki actually is.
It needs to be understood though, it is a process -
As a person who works to attempt to facilitate the teaching of Reiki I find people at times that will tell me they do not believe in Reiki – yet they can not explain why, or what it is they do not believe and they have never actually had a reiki session. (so understandably how could they believe in it)
Reiki is one of those things (as in all things in the sensory realm) that we need to raise our consciousness to comprehend.
I hope as you discover Reiki you will write more about your experiences with the process about what Reiki is
THANK YOU for your blog!
Namaste
In Reiki Light & Love -
Keith
Well said, Keith!! We are all energy and these natural modalities of healing do indeed allow the body to do its job, as you state, versus Western medicine trying to treat the symptoms. We must go to the source AND our body is the one that does the healing, not the medicine. Alternative medicines/therapies support the body in its function.
Bright blessings,
Gina
Well said Gina , smiles
liked your comment.
among other things….. i tell people that the local hospitals are offering reiki to the patients. nurses can earn nursing credits for their continuing education, for taking reiki classes.
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