Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. Stress is the root cause of an estimated 85% of all disease.  When the body is under stress it is in the "fight or flight" mode and diverts vital healing resources to dealing with the stress.  What good is healing if you are about to be eaten by a tiger?  True, most of us do not have to face down tigers but the body reacts the same way to all stress.  Our modern day tigers are traffic, illness, worries, pollutants, pesticides, GMOs, WiFi and cell phone transmissions, job and family stress, and any of a thousand daily irritants.  Our "fight or flight" response is worse now than it used to be because we constantly go from one stress to another.  The "fight or flight" response was designed to work just long enough to get you out of harm's way.  Today we see the response active more and more and longer and longer.  Relaxing and reducing stress allows the body to use its natural healing abilities to maintain and repair itself.  In other words when you are stressed your body is concerned with immediate survival and is not concerned with making repairs and healing for long term health.

The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power" and Ki which is "life force energy". So Reiki is actually "spiritually guided life force energy."

Reiki is a form of complimentary energy medicine and does not replace conventional treatments.  It can be administered by "laying on hands", without touch, or even remotely from anywhere in the world.  It is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one's "life force energy" is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.  Reiki is also effective on animals.  Animals respond very well to Reiki and seem to be able to sense and even see the energy more easily than humans.

Hospitals have begun to acknowledge the benefits of Reiki and many offer Reiki to bring compassion and humanity back into the patient's experience.  Reiki offers a sense of empowerment to the patients as they can actively participate in their healing process.  The main benefits to patients include a reduction of stress and anxiety, promoting a sense of control and well being, promoting trust between the patient and caregiver, a reduction in side effects and toxicity of medication, and faster recovery times.  Staff and caregivers also receive Reiki and benefit from a reduction in stress and a sense of competence.  Hospitals, clinics and hospice benefit from a reduction in the length of stay in hospitals, fewer complications, reduction in staff turnover, reduction in the need for invasive procedures, and better community relations possibly making them a better choice for elective procedures.  A research study at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, found that Reiki improved patient sleep by 86%, reduced pain by 78%, reduced nausea by 80%, and reduced anxiety during pregnancy by 94%.

"According to hospital based research and interviews with physicians and nurses Reiki reduces pain, stress, anxiety, and nausea, improves sleep, reduces unwanted effects from medicine amd other medical procedures and accelerates recovery from surgery." - William Lee Rand, President, The International Center from Reiki Training.

Hospitals currently using Reiki include: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Duke University Hospital, Columia University Medical Center, Yale New Haven Children's Hospital, University Medical Center in Arizona and the list goes on and on.  

A treatment is administered to a client either sitting or lying down.  The client remains fully clothed and does not have to move in any way.  In fact, many clients become so relaxed they quickly fall asleep during the session.  That's ok and even beneficial.  The session feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you. Many people report a sense of warmth or tingling.  Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing. Many have reported miraculous results.  Almost everyone reports a deep sense of relaxation.

Reiki is a simple, natural and safe method of relaxation, spiritual healing and self-improvement that everyone can use. It has been effective in helping virtually every known illness and malady and always creates a beneficial effect. It also works in conjunction with all other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery and has no contraindications. There has been limited clinical research (studies in people) on Reiki. Available research has examined the use of Reiki for conditions such as fibromyalgia, pain, cancer, and depression, and for overall well-being. Although some studies suggest that Reiki may help with symptoms related to these conditions, others have not found any clinical benefits. There is a lack of high quality research to definitively evaluate Reiki’s effectiveness for any therapeutic purpose.