PhillyFIT Magazine

PhysicallyFIT
REIKI
HEALING
AND HEALTH
Well-being refers not only
to physical health, but also
emotional, mental and
spiritual health. It has long
been accepted that physical
health is directly influenced
by emotional, mental
and spiritual states. If
there is a sense of turmoil
in those areas, physical
health begins to suffer. Just
as a physician is often
required to heal physical
ailments, a spiritual healer
may be required to restore
spiritual health. Unfortunately, the pragmatic “western” mind
tends to view alternative methods of healing arts as at least
exotic, and often frivolous. But thousands of years of cultural
and medical history suggest some techniques offer effective and
immediate benefits.
There are many different forms of holistic and spiritual healing
including crystals, meditation, chakra and aura balancing and
alignment, chakra and aura cleansing, color therapy, Feng Shui,
herbal therapy, healing touch, Puja, regression therapy, hands on
healing and Clairvoyant healing. Preeminent among those that
blend mind and body conventions is Reiki healing.
Our high-speed, intense lives in a wired world often leave little
room or resources for personal/emotional healing and health.
Reiki healing allows periodic improvement of both emotional
and physical health using centuries-old techniques. Reiki is a
Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also
promotes healing. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is
based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows
through us and 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
high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.
In a typical whole-body Reiki treatment, the Reiki practitioner
instructs the recipient to lie down, usually on a massage table,
and relax. Loose, comfortable clothing is usually worn during
the treatment. The practitioner might take a few moments to
enter a calm or meditative state of mind and mentally prepare
for the treatment, and it is usually carried out without any
unnecessary talking.
The treatment generally progresses with the practitioner placing
the hands on the recipient in various positions. However, practitioners
may use a non-touching technique, where the hands are
held a few centimeters away from the recipient's body for some
or all of the positions. The hands are usually kept in a position
for three to five minutes before moving to the next position.
Overall, the hand positions usually give a general coverage of
the head, the front and back of the torso, the knees, and feet.
Between twelve to twenty positions are used, with the whole
treatment lasting anywhere from forty-five to ninety minutes.
It is reported that the recipient often feels warmth or tingling in
the area being treated, even when a non-touching approach is
being used. A state of deep relaxation, combined with a general
feeling of well-being, is usually the most noticeable immediate
effect of the treatment, although emotional releases can also
occur. As the Reiki treatment is said to stimulate the body's natural
healing processes, instantaneous "cures" of specific health
problems are not normally observed. A series of three or more
treatments, typically at intervals of one to seven days, is usually
recommended if a chronic condition is being addressed, and
regular treatments on an on-going basis can be used with the
aim of maintaining well-being. The interval between such treatments
is typically one to four weeks.
Many practitioners and recipients of Reiki treatment report
improvement in creativity and spiritual well-being as well
reduction in pain symptoms, faster healing of injuries and
decreased disease symptoms and progression. Reiki has no sideeffects
and is completely non-invasive and natural.
Gina John, a specialist in emotional and spiritual healing with offices in the 12th
Street Gym’s Camac Center. YourPsychicAdvisor.net.
November/December I 215-396-0268 I www.phillyfit.com PhillyFIT I 25