As an experienced Reiki Practitioner and Shihan (Teacher/Master), over the many years pf practicing Reiki both as a self-healing a spiritual path of my own and facilitating the healing of others, I have watched Reiki work its magic to reduce sadness, grief, spiritual disconnection, anxiety and depression and a whole host of other things. Reiki is an incredibly gentle yet powerful practice designed to promote happiness, health and absolute inner piece. And for those who are new to Reiki, or who perhaps don't know all that much how what Reiki is and how it works, they are interested to dive into the depth of Reiki's offering, wondering, how is it that Reiki reduces sufferings. Let's take a deep dive in! t
WHAT IS REIKI?
Reiki is an energy healing therapy that utilises universal, vital life-force energy ('Reiki'), to heal and restore balance within the body, mind, and spirit.
This energy, which flows through all living things, can become stagnant or depleted due to physical or emotional distress, leading to discomfort and dis-ease.
Through the gentle placement of hands on the clothed body of the recipient, the Reiki practitioners connects the recipient to the Reiki, allowing it heal on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level.
For Practitioners of Reiki, Reiki is a group of practices including mindset techniques, visualisation and breathing techniques to generate energy, cleanse and connect spiritually as well as the most commonly known technique of hands-on healing. This system of techniques is know as Reiki Ryoho (or the Reiki method) and were intended, by founder of Reiki, Mikao Usui, to be practiced daily. He called this system, the miraculous mystic art to invite happiness and the miraculous medicine to heal all disease. The purpose of the practice was to heal the mind and body and obtain spiritual enlightenment (or a less lofty way to put it, absolute inner peace).
This gives us an idea then, how the hands-on healing part of Reiki works to reduce our suffering as Reiki, as an energy, is pure, unconditional loving energy. It is the energy that is in and around us. When utilising that energy in hands on healing, for example its goal it to restore our energy to it's original state, removing anything unlike itself. Over time, Reiki gentle restores us to mental, physical and spiritual perfection. In this way, it is clear to see how Reiki works to reduce our suffering, in every way possible.
HOW REIKI REDUCES PEOPLE'S SUFFERING - FOR THE RECIPIENT
One of the most profound ways in which Reiki reduces suffering is through its ability to induce deep relaxation and stress relief. In our fast-paced world, chronic stress has become a pervasive affliction, contributing to a host of physical and mental health issues. Reiki sessions offer a sanctuary of tranquility, allowing recipients to unwind, let go of tension, and enter a state of profound relaxation. In addition to the incredibly powerful, nurturing and healing effects of the energy itself, this relaxed state not only promotes physical healing but also facilitates emotional release and mental clarity, providing a much-needed reprieve from the burdens of daily life.
Moreover, by addressing energetic imbalances at their root, Reiki can help alleviate the underlying causes of physical ailments, promoting natural healing processes within the body. Reiki has been shown to alleviate physical pain and discomfort, offering relief to those suffering from chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia, arthritis, migraines, side effects from chemotherapy, back pain, constipation, insomnia and more. All of these benefits have been supported in clinical and research studies and have been documented in the mainstream clinical setting around the world. You can read more about the evidence around the efficacy of Reiki to reduce people's suffering here.
When you consider that Reiki works to remove anything unlike itself and to restore us to the same original state as Reiki, pure, unconditional, loving energy, any form of dis-ease within the human experience and how it may be carried in the energy body is available for healing.
Beyond its physical and emotional benefits, Reiki also holds profound spiritual significance for practitioners and recipients. By connecting individuals to the universal life force energy, Reiki allows a sense of interconnectedness and spiritual well-being, providing comfort and support on a soul level. This can have a profound impact on our experience in life.
Some of the more mysterious aspects of this, for example, is when clients come in with an issue with another person or some sort of dispute and in their minds they have a very dualistic and even combative response to the situation. Time and time again I observe these clients arrive in that state of mind and then immediately following the session, they will arrive at a different perspective that is much more compassionate, understanding and connected. Or other times when they may have a life issue they aren't clear what to do about and immediately following the session, they gain clarity.
The practice of Reiki, based on Mikao's Usui's title for the method (The mystic art to invite happiness, the miraculous medicine to heal all diseases), mindset is very much the first cab off the rank. In this human experience we are having, our minds and egos are the basis of the illusion of separation not only from others, but from or true nature, our spiritual selves. Th energy of Reiki, has a way of bringing us back into alignment with our true nature. This is a much bigger and deeper matter than can be dealt with in this article, but it gives us an idea of how it is that Reiki works to reduce suffering.
HOW REIKI REDUCES SUFFERING - FOR THE PRACTITIONER
In addition to its profound healing effects on those receiving Reiki via a Reiki Practitioner, Reiki encompasses a holistic approach to well-being that extends beyond the treatment room. As mentioned above, learning Reiki and engaging in self-healing practices are designed with three primary purposes: to cultivate happiness, to heal and to attain enlightenment—absolute inner peace. The daily practice of the Practitioner offer the most extensive possibilities when it comes to utilising Reiki and its potential to reduce human suffering.
Komyo ReikiDo, a Japanese system deeply rooted in the teachings of Mikao Usui, the founder of Reiki, incorporates all known traditional Reiki practices. It is a keep it simple system of practices that is both a healing and spiritual practice. Along with all the benefits detailed above for people receiving Reiki through a Practitioner (which are enjoyed by the Practitioner through their own self-healing hands-on practice), Practitioners also enjoy the added benefit of utilising additional practices within the system of Reiki which are meticulously crafted to facilitate healing, promote happiness and well-being, and ultimately guide practitioners towards absolute inner peace, or enlightenment. In each of these ways, each element is designed to reduce the suffering of the Practitioner on a mental, psychological, physical and spiritual level.
Through daily committed practice, individuals can significantly reduce their suffering by embracing the transformative power of these Reiki practices. Beyond hands-on healing and additional energy practices, the foundation of Reiki lies in its five principles to living a happy life, which serve as guides to ultimate happiness and spiritual awakening. The principals specifically work on the mind and mindset, guiding us towards a mindset that eliminates suffering. Practitioners are encouraged to meditate on these principles every morning and every night, encouraging them to remain present in their minds and deeply integrated into their daily lives, perceptions, and responses to life's challenges. Eventually, they become a way of being. These principles hold immense power to alleviate suffering and pave the way for profound personal growth and transformation.
CONCLUSION
So, how does Reiki reduce suffering? Reiki offers a multi-level approach by addressing the interconnected aspects of our being—physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. The energy, on its own, as unconditional, loving, life giving and sustaining energy, restores clients, session by session, back to their original state of being, on all over those levels and in this way offers not only a holistic approach to healing but works effectively to reduce suffering.
Whilst helping to reduce and alleviate physical ailments and discomforts, it also has profound spiritual significance, fostering a sense of interconnectedness and spiritual well-being that transcends the individual self. Through Reiki, practitioners and recipients alike can experience shifts in perspective, increased clarity, and a deeper understanding of their place in the universe.
For practitioners, daily engagement with Reiki practices, including energy generating and self-healing techniques as well as meditation on mindset principles, offers a path to personal growth and transformation, guiding them towards absolute inner peace and enlightenment. By embracing the transformative power of Reiki, individuals can alleviate suffering, cultivate happiness, and embark on a journey of holistic well-being and spiritual awakening.
In essence, Reiki serves as a gentle yet powerful tool for reducing suffering, promoting healing, and facilitating profound personal and spiritual growth. Its universal principles and practices offer hope and light in the journey towards wholeness and inner peace. This has been my experience personally, in my own journey with Reiki and it has also been my experience with my clients over the many years of practice.
If you have any questions, or want to chat to more about Reiki please contact me and we can arrange a time to chat. If you would like to book a Reiki session in Melbourne (or distance Reiki worldwide), you can book an appointment here or if you would like to learn Reiki yourself, sign up for Melbourne Reiki courses here. I look forward to connecting with you for Reiki!
Warmest,
Fiona x
Fiona Phillips
Certified Reiki Shihan (Teacher) and Practitioner
Komyo ReikiDo in Melbourne
Within The Space
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