What is Reiki?
Reiki, pronounced ray-key, is the Japanese word meaning "universal life force". This life force is an energy which is found in all living things, from people to plants and animals, connecting us all as one. Reiki helps restore balance of energy where it is needed in the mind and the body. Since energy is electromagnetic in nature, placing the hands over the chakra energy locations activates a frequency which transfers from the Reiki practitioner to the client to improve the body's natural ability to heal. The frequency is unique to each person and the level of acceptance that the person allows. Healing through Reiki is a natural, gentle, non-invasive approach which reduces stress and increases vitality.
What are chakras?
If Reiki restores the energy in chakras, then you might be wondering: what is a chakra? Pronounced chaa-kruh, it is the Sanskrit word meaning "wheel" or "wheels", representing wheels of energy or wheels of light. These wheels are the centers in the body responsible for our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being. There are 7 main chakras that run along the spine, front and back. The chakras regulate the flow of subtle energy in the body and can be scanned by the Reiki practitioner to determine if they are balanced or imbalanced. The 7 main chakras are:
1st chakra: Root Chakra
Location: at the base of the pelvic floor between the coccyx, pubic bone and sitting bones
Energy: projects downward
Color: this chakra is associated with red, meaning eating foods that are red, wearing the color red or envisioning red during a meditation can all be used to balance the chakra, if and when needed. These tools can also be applied to each of the following chakras and their associated colors.
2nd chakra: Sacral Chakra
Location: the sacrum
Energy: front and back
Color: orange
3rd chakra: Solar Plexus Chakra
Location: just above the navel at the level diaphragm
Energy: front to back
Color: yellow
4th chakra (or wheel): Heart Chakra
Location: at the center of the chest embodying the heart
Energy: front and back
Color: green (sometimes pink)
5th chakra: Throat Chakra
Location: the throat
Energy: front and back
Color: blue
6th chakra: Third Eye Chakra
Location: at the brow, between the eyes
Energy: front and back
Color: indigo or dark purple
7th chakra: Crown Chakra
Location: at the top of the head
Energy: projecting up
Color: light violet
What happens during a Reiki session?
A Reiki session begins with an open dialogue between the client and the practitioner, as it would with your massage therapist, osteopath or naturopath. During this time, physical symptoms, pain, emotional events and everyday stressors are described. Each trauma, injury or negative emotion being expressed helps the practitioner to know which of the chakras are involved and which ones need balancing.
The Reiki session then begins with the client lying face up and fully clothed on a massage table. The practitioner then proceeds to scan the 7 main chakras and will stop at the level that needs attention. The same scan and attention is then performed on the back-side when the person turns over to lie down on their stomach.
There are certain energies you may feel during a session, either felt by both parties or just person or the other. Sensations such as warmth, cold, tingling or sweating may be felt as the practitioner stops to balance a certain chakra. Gurgling sounds from your stomach may be heard. Pain and inflammation can be felt leaving the body. Some people may even have spiritual visualizations of colors, numbers, angels or past experiences during Reiki. These are all perfectly normal and necessary as a part of the healing process.
Reiki healing health benefits:
A main belief in Reiki is that you must address the issue at hand if you truly want to heal. The benefits of acknowledging and embracing the problem is the best approach to cleanse it. The major health benefits from Reiki include:
Reduces blood pressure
Releases stress in the mind and tension in the body
Accelerates the body's self-healing abilities
Cleanses the body from toxins
Supports the immune system
Increases vitality and energy levels
Balances the organs and their functions
Promotes better sleep
Treats the root cause of illness
Emotional clearing
Raises the vibration frequency of the body
Helps spiritual growth
If you believe that Reiki is the right therapy for you, I encourage you to make an appointment with my professional associate Pina Vizzi, certified Reiki Master, Teacher and founder of Reiki-Balance in Montreal. She is attentive, caring and always extremely accurate in defining which chakras need to be re-balanced. For all bookings please visit https://www.reikibalance.ca/
For more information about Reiki & the chakras, check out The Body Blog's Energy Healing board on Pinterest.