While this page is dedicated to answering the common questions people ask, there may be an additional question that you have that is not answered here. Please email me at anka@clearenergybalancing.com so that I can answer your question specifically.

Reiki

What is Reiki energy?
Reiki is, quite simply, the 'universal life force.' It is called by various names in different parts of the world: 'prana' in India, 'qi' or 'chi' in China, 'spirit' in Western traditions. It is what animates us. Humans have a general pattern that is different from the general patterns of other species, though each person's pattern of energy is as unique to them as their fingerprints. These patterns are often described as our personal energetic vibrations.

Since the word Reiki means 'universal life force', strictly speaking it refers to the energy and not the specific techniques taught by Reiki Masters. The techniques are sometimes called the Usui System of Natural Healing after the modern founder of the system, Dr. Mikao Usui. Reiki is the name most commonly used. However, Reiki is much older and has its origins in ancient Egypt, India and Atlantis.

What does Reiki energy feel like?
Descriptions of Reiki energy are subjective and difficult to put into words, just like descriptions of heat, color, or any other form of energy. People feel Reiki in different ways. Most often during a treatment the energy is experienced as warmth. Some feel a mild tingle, as when an arm or leg has 'fallen asleep.' Still others feel a throbbing or pulsing sensation. Some people don't feel any physical sensation but describe mental or emotional changes, such as a sense of calmness or revitalization. Nearly everyone experiences a Reiki treatment as deeply relaxing.

What is a Reiki treatment?
A Reiki treatment is essentially the 'laying on of hands,' an ancient technique common to many spiritual traditions. In a typical Reiki treatment, the client lies down (fully clothed) on a padded treatment table. The energy passes through clothing and bandages. Energy is transferred to the client through the hands of the practitioner in a sequence of standardized positions where the hands are placed. Treatment includes the client's head and the abdomen from just below the ribs to the lower belly. The client turns over, and the practitioner then works gradually from the top of the back to the tailbone. In each position, the hands are simply rested on the client for 3-5 minutes. A full treatment usually takes about an hour.

A Reiki treatment is a spiritual practice because it works directly with energy, or 'spirit.' There is no pressure applied and no manipulation of tissues (as in massage, for example). The technique does not require any special belief system, hypnosis, breathing, postures, or physical exercises.

A Reiki healing is very simply performed since the practitioner only has to place his or her hands upon the person to be healed and the energy begins to flow, bringing healing and love. The energy manages its own flow and draws through the healer exactly that amount of energy that the recipient needs. All this happens without direct conscious intervention by the healer. The healer's job is to get out of the way, to keep the healing channel open, and to watch/listen for signs of what to do next.

How does a Reiki treatment work?
This question is best answered by drawing an analogy. As mentioned before, our natural energy level is affected by our state of health or disease. We can all relate to the feelings of low energy or depletion that occur when we are trying to heal, whether from physical distress (illness or injury) or from mental difficulties (such as grief or anxiety). A Reiki treatment under these circumstances can be compared to jumpstarting a car.

When the car's battery can't quite provide enough energy to start the car, we attach jumper cables from another battery to add more energy. Reiki is a means of adding more energy to our 'life force' battery to help 'jump start' the healing process. This process does not exhaust the practitioner, because the practitioner is trained to channel energy from the Divine source, not from their own personal 'battery.' Practiced in this manner, the energy available is virtually limitless.

The amount of energy transferred depends on the client's ability to make use of it and willingness to receive it. When no more energy can be used, the transfer ceases to occur. A skillful practitioner can usually sense when this happens.

When is a Reiki treatment appropriate?
Reiki stands alone or can be used to complement other healing modalities including orthodox medicine. Many people also use Reiki as a preventive practice. It is important to remember that because Reiki works on an energy level, it can aid healing of all kinds-physical, emotional, mental, and even spiritual. Practitioners learn to do self-treatment before they learn how to treat others.

Reiki is particularly effective when applied as soon as possible after a trauma, whether due to physical injury or mental shock. At these times the body is mobilizing all available energy to stabilize the immediate problem so that long-term healing can occur. The extra energy available dramatically enhances the process. Later, when the healing process slows and energy is shared between healing and other bodily functions and activities, Reiki is still a powerful adjunct.

Does Reiki work for everyone?
Reiki works to the degree that a client is willing and able to use the energy. If a person, for whatever reason, is not willing to receive a treatment, no energy will be transferred. If a person is completely healthy and stable in all aspects of life, the effects of a Reiki treatment will be slight, or perhaps too subtle to be noticed. Most of us, however, feel discomfort somewhere in our lives, and can benefit from receiving Reiki.

It should also be noted that Reiki assists in the highest form of healing possible in a situation. Reiki can only enhance whatever natural healing is taking place; it cannot guarantee outcomes or change fate. Sometimes, the necessary healing may not match our own desired outcomes. This is often where the spiritual aspect of Reiki is most obvious. Sometimes, if a person's time has come, being able to feel at peace with death is the highest form of healing possible, even though we would prefer they have a complete cure. In this context, the word 'healing' has a somewhat different meaning from the widely accepted meaning, which seems to be 'curing of symptoms' (for that is what most medical doctors aim to do in their practice).

The other meaning for 'healing', used in the practice of Reiki and spiritual healing, is the return to 'wholeness'. There is an ideal form - a particular wholeness - for each of us, being the highest and clearest expression of who we are. Pain or disease comes from any deviation from this ideal form and healing is to bring the physical/emotional/mental/spiritual self into closer alignment with one's ideal.

What does 'Reiki Master' mean?
There are three levels of training which can be obtained in order to practice Reiki.

First Degree
This is basic practitioner training. First Degree students learn to do self-treatment and to give hands-on treatment to individuals. First degree training includes an initiation which opens the energy channels and ensures that energy passed through will not be from the person's own resources. This is protection for everyone involved.

Second Degree
Second level training is usually only given after a student has been practicing First Degree skills for around six months, though this can vary somewhat depending on the individual. In Second Degree training, the student learns some special techniques for enhancing the level of energy transferred, and learns how to give 'distance' treatments for individuals, groups, and circumstances.

Third Degree, or Master, Training
Students who complete Third Degree training are qualified to teach Reiki to others. This is intensive training, usually over a considerable period of time, and includes supervised teaching time. Third Degree training is primarily intended for people who have made Reiki their life's work.

Anka is a Reiki Master.

What is a 'distance' treatment?
A distance treatment is an advanced Reiki technique for transferring energy without actually physically touching the persons or objects being treated. As modern physics teaches us, the relationship of energy and matter to time and space is relative. Just as the energy involved in a phone call between people across the world can travel almost instantaneously, so Reiki energy can also travel (though our understanding of exactly how this occurs is less complete than for the telephone example). Distance treatments should only be given by Second or Third Degree practitioners.

I hope this helps to answer your questions, but if it isn't here, please let me know so I can provide you with the clarity you seek. Thank you.

~ Anka