Reiki (pronounced "ray-kee") is a therapeutic technique in which healing energy is channelled, or conducted, through a practitioner's hands into the person receiving the treatment. It is believed that Reiki brings the body into emotional and spiritual balance, supporting the body's natural ability to heal itself. Reiki has been found to be beneficial for helping to treat a wide variety of diseases including chronic conditions such as:
- Arthritis
- Multiple sclerosis
- Pain
- Burns
- Surgical recovery
- Stress
- Cancer
- AIDS
The name Reiki comes from the Japanese rei, meaning "universal," and ki, meaning "energy." Those who practice Reiki assume the existence of this invisible energy, which is believed to radiate through all life forms. Reiki is founded on the belief that when one's ki is blocked, sickness can develop. By gently laying hands on a person, a Reiki practitioner helps to break up blockages, allowing healing energy to again flow freely through the person's body.
While evidence of Reiki's health benefits is mainly anecdotal, some researchers feel that the deep state of relaxation a Reiki session induces may trigger the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers. Those who have undergone Reiki treatments report that it clears the mind and creates a heightened sense of awareness. By helping some people to release pent-up emotions, the therapy may also serve to relieve stress, often an underlying cause of illness.
Free Reiki Tutorials
If you are interested in some of the steps it takes to become a Reiki instructor, Margaret Jang was kind enough to post her Reiki intructor training manuals for free. We have tutorials for Reiki Level 1, Reiki Level 2 and for Master/Teacher Training. These are fairly incomplete without personal instruction, but are invaluable as a reference guide.
Popularity Trends
Let's have a look the popularity of Reiki in the recent years. According to Google Trends since 2004 till today the popularity of Reiki has been steadily decreasing as you can see from the following chart:
From the following chart we can see that Reiki is popular mostly in Portugal, Argentina and Chile.
If you'd like to explore more you can do so at Google Trends.
