Introduction
Reiki is a healing practice that originated in Japan. Practitioners place their hands lightly on or just above the person receiving treatment, intending to facilitate their healing response. Reiki is part of the United States complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). This blog post provides a general overview of Reiki and suggests sources for additional information.
Key Points
- People use Reiki to promote overall health and well-being. Also, people seeking relief from disease-related symptoms and the side effects of conventional medical treatments use Reiki.
- Historically, Reiki is practiced as a form of self-care. Increasingly, healthcare professionals in various clinical settings provide Reiki.
- People do not need a special background to learn how to perform Reiki. Currently, there are no formally regulated training and certification programs for Reiki.
- Scientific research is underway to learn more about how Reiki may work, its possible effects on health, and diseases and conditions for which it may be helpful.
- Tell your healthcare providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.
History
The word “Reiki” comes from two Japanese symbols, or kanji: rei, or universal, and ki, or life energy. Current Reiki practices are traced to the spiritual teachings of Sensei Mikao Usui in Japan during the early 20th century. Usui’s teachings included meditative techniques and healing practices. One of Usui’s students, Dr. Chujiro Hayashi, further developed the healing practices, placing less emphasis on meditative techniques. An American named Hawayo Takata learned Reiki from Hayashi in Japan and introduced it to Western cultures in the late 1930s.
The branch of Reiki Dr. Hayashi and Ms. Takata taught and practiced is considered Western Style Reiki. Numerous Reiki variations (or schools) have since been developed and are currently practiced. Other branches of Reiki focus more on the Traditional, or Dento, Japanese Style Reiki Methods. And there are some, like Gendai™ Reiki, which combine Western and Dento Reiki Methods.
Practice
Reiki bases itself on the idea that a universal (or source) energy supports the body’s innate healing abilities. Practitioners seek to access this energy, allowing it to flow to the body and facilitate healing.
Although generally practiced as a form of self-care, someone else can receive this technique from a trained Reiki practitioner, and various healthcare settings, including medical offices, hospitals, and clinics, offer it. Combining and integrating Reiki treatments with other CAM or conventional medical treatments is a great way to help clients reduce stress and anxiety.
In a Reiki session, the client lies down or sits comfortably, fully clothed. The practitioner’s hands are placed lightly on or just above the client’s body, palms down, using 12 to 15 different hand positions. Practitioners hold each position for about 2 to 5 minutes or until they feel that the flow of energy—experienced as sensations such as heat or tingling in the hands—has slowed or stopped. The number of sessions depends on the health needs of the client. Typically, the practitioner delivers at least four sessions of 30 to 90 minutes each. Reiki sessions may be shorter in certain healthcare settings (for example, during surgery or cancer treatment, or kidney dialysis).
Practitioners with Level 2 or Okuden training perform Reiki from a distance, that is, on clients who are not physically present in the office or clinic.
Uses
A 2002 national survey by the National Center for Health Statistics and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) on adult Americans’ use of CAM found that 1.1 percent of the more than 31,000 participants had used Reiki for health purposes. Adjusted to nationally representative numbers, this percentage means that at the time of the survey, more than 2.2 million adults in the United States had ever used Reiki.
People use Reiki for relaxation, stress reduction, and symptom relief to improve overall health and well-being. People with anxiety, chronic pain, HIV/AIDS, and other health conditions, as well as by people recovering from surgery or experiencing side effects from cancer treatments, use Reiki. To ease a dying person’s transition, they and their families and caregivers use Reiki to help impart a sense of peace and comfort.
Effects and Safety
Clients may experience a deep state of relaxation during a Reiki session. They might also feel warm, tingly, sleepy, or refreshed.
Reiki is safe, and no serious side effects have been reported.
Training, Licensing, and Certification
No special background or credentials are needed to receive training. However, Reiki must be learned from an experienced teacher or a Master; it cannot be self-taught. The specific techniques taught can vary greatly.
Training in traditional Reiki has three or four degrees (levels), each focusing on a different aspect of practice. Each degree includes one or more initiations (attunements or empowerments). Receiving an initiation activates the ability to access Reiki energy. Training for first- and second-degree practice is typically given in 8 to 12 class hours over about 2 days. In first-degree training, students learn to perform Reiki on themselves and others. In second-degree training, students learn to perform Reiki on others from a distance. Some students seek master-level (third-degree) training. A Reiki Master can teach and initiate students. Becoming a Master can take years. And some students seek Master/Teacher level to share and train others to integrate this beautiful healing art into their everyday lives.
Reiki practitioners’ training and expertise vary. Increasingly, licensed healthcare professionals seek Reiki training to round out their education and improve client care. However, no licensing or professional standards exist for the practice of Reiki.
If You Are Thinking About Using Reiki
- Do not use Reiki as a replacement for proven conventional care or postpone seeing a doctor about a medical problem.
- Find out about the Reiki practitioner’s background, training, and experience treating clients.
- Be aware that Reiki has not been well studied scientifically, but research on whether and how Reiki may work is underway.
- Tell your healthcare providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care. For tips about talking with your healthcare providers about CAM, see the NCCAMs Time To Talk campaign.
NCCAM Funded Research
Some recent NCCAM-supported studies have been investigating:
- How Reiki might work
- Whether Reiki is effective and safe for treating the symptoms of fibromyalgia
- Reiki’s possible impact on the well-being and quality of life in people with advanced AIDS
- The possible effects of Reiki on disease progression and/or anxiety in people with prostate cancer
- Whether Reiki can help reduce nerve pain and cardiovascular risk in people with type 2 diabetes.
Selected References
- Barnes PM, Powell-Griner E, McFann K, Nahin RL. Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults: United States, 2002. CDC Advance Data Report #343. 2004.
- DiNucci EM. Energy healing: a complementary treatment for orthopedic and other conditions. Orthopaedic Nursing. 2005;24(4):259–269.
- Engebretson J, Wardell DW. Experience of a Reiki session. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. 2002;8(2):48–53.
- LaTorre MA. The use of Reiki in psychotherapy. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care. 2005;41(4):184–187.
- Miles P. Reiki for mind, body, and spirit support of cancer patients. Advances in Mind-Body Medicine. 2007;22(2):20–26.
- Miles P, True G. Reiki-review of a biofield therapy history, theory, practice, and research. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. 2003;9(2):62–72.
- Nield-Anderson L, Ameling A. Reiki: a complementary therapy for nursing practice. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services. 2001;39(4):42–49.
- Reiki. Natural Standard Database Web site. Accessed on February 25, 2008.
- Lipinski K, Van De Velde J. Reiki: Defining a Healing Practice for Nursing. Nurs Clin North Am. 2020 Dec;55(4):521-536. doi: 10.1016/j.cnur.2020.06.017. Epub 2020 Oct 13. PMID: 33131629.
- Zucchetti G, Candela F, Bottigelli C, Campione G, Parrinello A, Piu P, Vassallo E, Fagioli F. The Power of Reiki: Feasibility and Efficacy of Reducing Pain in Children With Cancer Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation. J Pediatr Oncol Nurs. 2019 Sep/Oct;36(5):361-368. doi: 10.1177/1043454219845879. Epub 2019 May 3. PMID: 31046557.