The gentle energy of Reiki (ray-kee), is an ancient spiritual practice which
enhances natural healing processes. Reiki is called by various names in
different parts of the world: “prana” in India, “qi” or “chi” in China,
“spirit” in Western traditions, etc, and simply translates as “life
force”. Reiki is a means of adding more energy to our “life force”
battery to help “jump start” the healing process. 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. Energy is transferred to the
client through the hands of the practitioner in a sequence of
standardized positions where the hands are placed. 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).