Relax Your Vibe
Soothe body and mind with Reiki, a Japanese energy therapy. Here's how to find a practitioner.
2/2008
Reiki is a healing practice you can learn to do for yourself or receive as a treatment from a friend or a professional practitioner. Often referred to as an energy therapy, Reiki can have a calming, meditative effect—in the hands of an able practitioner. Finding that perfect practitioner is up to you, as this type of bodywork is neither regulated nor standardized. "You don't have to receive Reiki from a professional practitioner to receive its benefits," says Pamela Miles, a Reiki master in New York City and the author of Reiki: A Comprehensive Guide (Tarcher, 2006). "But if someone is charging you a professional fee [$80 to $200], she or he should be a professional."
To evaluate a practitioner, ask about his or her training, keeping in mind that although anyone can learn to practice Reiki, only a Reiki master—someone who has attained the third (and highest) level of Reiki training—can impart the practice to others. Miles also suggests asking the following questions:
Q: How many hours of instruction did you receive, when, and with whom?
Although there are no licensing requirements or education standards for Reiki, there are some long-established training methods. While Internet courses exist, for example, the traditional route is to learn in person. A credible class requires 8 to 12 hours of training for first-degree Reiki, and another 8 to 12 hours for second-degree Reiki. If you want to learn to practice Reiki, look for a master who has had considerable training, such as through one-year apprenticeship-based program. In general, says Miles, "you want someone who has studied over a few years, not someone who has taken two Reiki courses in one weekend." And you should also choose someone who went through lineage-based training. "If practitioners can't remember the name of the person they studied with, it may mean they weren't paying attention to the authenticity of their training." Q: How many professional treatments have you given since your training and to whom?
Look for someone who has given a minimum of 50 treatments to people (both healthy and those facing acute or chronic illnesses) outside of his or her sphere, not just to friends and relatives, says Miles. Q: How do you describe Reiki?
Here's how Miles would answer that question: "Reiki is a spiritual, vibrational, or subtle healing practice that restores balance. It has no medical contraindications and works well in combination with medical treatments." In general, make sure the explanation makes sense to you and doesn't make you feel uncomfortable, says Miles. Q: What can I expect during the session?
When you receive Reiki, you lie on a table or sit in a comfortable chair, if needed. The practitioner then places her hands lightly on your head and torso. The touch should be light, non-manipulative, and appropriate. (The hands should not be intrusive. A Reiki practitioner never touches your breasts, for example.) One thing you should not expect is to disrobe; Reiki treatment is given to clients who are fully clothed unless it's part of a massage or other spa treatment in a spa setting. Q: How long is the session?
A 45- to 90-minute session is typical. Q: Where do you give Reiki treatments?
Reiki can be offered in someone's home, in a studio, or at a spa. The key is to make sure that you feel safe and that your need for privacy is met. Q: Do you practice Reiki on yourself every day?
The person who says yes will have a deeper relationship with Reiki. "For me, this is the deal breaker," says Miles. "It's really through continuing to practice on ourselves everyday that we truly learn Reiki." Use these questions as a guide to get the conversation going, and use your own intuition to judge whether you feel comfortable with a particular Reiki practitioner. To learn more about Reiki, see the March 2008 issue of Natural Health or go to reikiinmedicine.org.
Although there are no licensing requirements or education standards for Reiki, there are some long-established training methods. While Internet courses exist, for example, the traditional route is to learn in person. A credible class requires 8 to 12 hours of training for first-degree Reiki, and another 8 to 12 hours for second-degree Reiki. If you want to learn to practice Reiki, look for a master who has had considerable training, such as through one-year apprenticeship-based program. In general, says Miles, "you want someone who has studied over a few years, not someone who has taken two Reiki courses in one weekend." And you should also choose someone who went through lineage-based training. "If practitioners can't remember the name of the person they studied with, it may mean they weren't paying attention to the authenticity of their training." Q: How many professional treatments have you given since your training and to whom?
Look for someone who has given a minimum of 50 treatments to people (both healthy and those facing acute or chronic illnesses) outside of his or her sphere, not just to friends and relatives, says Miles. Q: How do you describe Reiki?
Here's how Miles would answer that question: "Reiki is a spiritual, vibrational, or subtle healing practice that restores balance. It has no medical contraindications and works well in combination with medical treatments." In general, make sure the explanation makes sense to you and doesn't make you feel uncomfortable, says Miles. Q: What can I expect during the session?
When you receive Reiki, you lie on a table or sit in a comfortable chair, if needed. The practitioner then places her hands lightly on your head and torso. The touch should be light, non-manipulative, and appropriate. (The hands should not be intrusive. A Reiki practitioner never touches your breasts, for example.) One thing you should not expect is to disrobe; Reiki treatment is given to clients who are fully clothed unless it's part of a massage or other spa treatment in a spa setting. Q: How long is the session?
A 45- to 90-minute session is typical. Q: Where do you give Reiki treatments?
Reiki can be offered in someone's home, in a studio, or at a spa. The key is to make sure that you feel safe and that your need for privacy is met. Q: Do you practice Reiki on yourself every day?
The person who says yes will have a deeper relationship with Reiki. "For me, this is the deal breaker," says Miles. "It's really through continuing to practice on ourselves everyday that we truly learn Reiki." Use these questions as a guide to get the conversation going, and use your own intuition to judge whether you feel comfortable with a particular Reiki practitioner. To learn more about Reiki, see the March 2008 issue of Natural Health or go to reikiinmedicine.org.
