What is Distance Reiki?

We've written a few blogs introducing Reiki but we really haven't talked about Distance Reiki. As a quick recap, Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress-relief and relaxation that supports healing.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, people use Reiki for relaxation, stress reduction and symptom relief, in efforts to improve overall health and well-being. A Reiki treatment may do the following:

• Bring about a peaceful, deep state of relaxation

• Dissolve energy blockages and tension

• Detoxify the body

• Support the well-being of a person receiving traditional medical treatment that are debilitating (e.g., chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, kidney dialysis)

• Supply universal life force energy to the body

• Stimulate the body’s immune system

• Help to relieve pain

• Stimulate tissue and bone healing after injury or surgery

• Increase the vibrational frequency on physical, mental emotional and spiritual levels

Reiki, which is used all over the world in places including hospitals and hospices, aids in healing by helping people become energetically balanced physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. (Johns Hopkins)

Reiki is becoming more integrated within Western medical practices in the US. It is practiced in over 800 hospitals and clinics throughout the country including Johns Hopkins Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, and many others.

But what is Distance Reiki?

Reiki Masters learn special techniques to perform Reiki treatments in a way that transcends distance and time. Recipients can experience the very same benefits of in-person Reiki without having to leave the house. This is particularly beneficial at the present moment with quarantines and social distancing. Reiki practitioners learn to project the Reiki energy to specific recipients. The connection is made energetically - no phone, no email, no computer needed. Some clients even sleep through it. The Reiki energy will work regardless.

What do you do during a Distance Reiki session?

As a practice, I suggest that people treat a Distance Reiki session just like an in-person session and commit the time to it in the same way. That being said, there is no "perfect" way to have a Reiki session. You have to do what feels right for you. In general, I recommend the following:

1. Find a quiet, peaceful spot (as much as you are able) and lie down with as few distractions as possible. Turn off your phone. Listen to calming music (anything typically used for meditation is great!)

2. Set your intention for the session. This is key. Create a specific intention for what you would like to focus on during the session. If you have a specific concern, create an intention regarding that. Not sure what to choose? I always suggest giving yourself permission to release any thoughts, emotions, or energies that are no longer serving you. To set your intention, literally tell yourself what you are trying to do. For example, “My intention is to accept the Reiki energy being sent to me and to release any thoughts, emotions, or energies that are no longer serving me.”

3. Focus on your breathing. Take deep, slow breaths. Breathe in through your nose and release it slowly through your mouth. It might help to place your hands on your stomach so you can feel your belly rise with each breath. On each inhale, feel your stomach expand first and follow as it expands up through your chest. Picture a gentle light filling your body with Reiki energy. When you exhale, visualize the blocked energy being released.

4. Thoughts and emotions might come to mind during the session. This is totally normal! Acknowledge them and release them. Reiki creates a safe space. Give yourself permission to let them go. It’s time.

When the session is complete, be gentle with yourself. Some clients feel deeply relaxed like they just had a massage. Some feel intensely grounded. Some feel energized. Some don’t feel much at all. Whatever your experience was, it was the one you needed at that moment. Reiki energy always works towards your highest good. Know that the energy is working within you regardless of how you experienced the session.