Before starting on this journey, I had never experienced Reiki before. The name Reiki came up once or twice, but I never questioned what it was or what it was used for. Then a friend mentioned she did a Reiki course and how she started treating her husband who had a very stressful job. This didn’t really sink in until a few months later when my 9 year old daughter started showing signs of anxiety and stress.

At the time I was also looking to learn a skill, that I could take with me wherever I went. Having moved from country to country in the last 25 years for my husband’s job, I always needed to re-invent myself professionally and thus learning a skill that I could practice anywhere was a tempting thought.

In my research I came across Omegapoint Singapore offering a free Reiki course preview and I thought, this might be a good idea in order to find out more about this “Reiki thing” and if it could be of interest.

At the event while the teacher gave some insightful information about the history of Reiki, there were also volunteers present, who offered the participants to feel the Reiki energy by placing their hands on their shoulders. I sat in front of this 20-something guy who had just completed his training a few months before and thought to myself “no harm in this, I will just sit and see what happens” while listening to the speaker.

The moment he placed his hands on my shoulders, a feeling of electric buzz started to spread through every nerve in my body. It felt so incredibly warm and safe, I was totally in awe. I can’t tell you how long I sat there, I didn’t see or hear anything anymore.

After the guy released his hands from my shoulders, I sat there for a good 10 minutes, unable to move, I was in a complete state of relaxation and calm.

I didn’t question the “why” and “how”, I just knew I wanted to learn more about Reiki and the rest is history as they say.

Ever since completing my Reiki trainings, my hands have been on people mostly, but also animals and plants. It truly is amazing to see what the energy does every time.

Dr Mikao Usui was born to a wealthy Budhist family in 1865. As a child, Dr Usui studied in a Buddhist monastery where he was taught martial arts, swordsmanship, and a Japanese form of Chi Kung, known as Kiko.

Throughout his education, Dr Usui had an interest in medicine, psychology and theology. It was this interest that prompted him to seek a way to heal himself and others using the laying of hands. It was his desire to find a method of healing that was unattached to any specific religion and religious belief, so that his system would be accessible to everyone.

Dr Usui traveled a great deal during his lifetime studying all types of healing systems and eventually became a Buddhist priest/monk and lived in a monastery.

Sometime during his years of training in the monastery, Dr Usui attended his own training rediscovery course in a cave on Mount Kurama. For 21 days, Dr Usui fasted, meditated and prayed. On the morning of the 21st day, Dr Usui experienced an event that would change his life forever. He saw ancient Sanskrit symbols that helped him develop the system of healing he had been struggling to invent. Usui Reiki was born.

After his spiritual awakening on Mount Kurama, Dr Usui established a clinic for healing and teaching in Kyoto. As the practice of Usui Reiki was spreading, Dr Usui became known for his healing practice.

Dr Usui founded his first Reiki clinic and school in Tokyo in 1922. Before he died, Dr Usui taught several Reiki masters to ensure that his system would not be forgotten. Among them was Dr Chujiro Hayashi, a former naval officer who set up a Reiki clinic in Tokyo. Dr Hayashi further developed the Usui system of Reiki by adding hand positions to more thoroughly cover the body. Using his system, Dr Hayashi trained several more Reiki Masters, including a woman named Hawayo Takata, who brought Reiki home to the USA.

Today, people who practice Reiki use the methods developed by Dr Usui.

Whether it’s the comforting touch of a friend’s hand resting on your shoulder or the warm embrace of a loved one, it’s clear that the power of touch is profound. In this edition of Wellness Wednesday, we delve deeper into Reiki – the century-old art of ancient touch healing said to be great in complementing Western medicine – with Singapore-based practitioner Stephanie Schueller. 

What is Reiki?

Established over 100 years ago by Dr. Mikao Usui, a distinguished Japanese scholar that studied Buddhism, martial arts, and Kiko (a Japanese form of qi gong), Reiki is a Japanese phrase made up of the words meaning “universal life force” and “energy”.

Dr. Usui desired a method of healing that was unattached to any specific religion and religious belief – so that his system would be accessible to everyone. It was this desire that led to this art of hands-on energy healing that targets stagnant energy in and around the body where there has been physical injury or emotional pain. Since then, his teachings have been taught and passed down through the International Usui Reiki Network. 

How It Works

Known to improve the flow of energy throughout the body, Reiki is also said to enable relaxation, reduce pain, speed up healing and reduce symptoms of various illnesses. During a session, the practitioner will place his or her hands on certain areas of the client’s body using specific positions, covering main organs or essential body systems. 

Once the practitioner’s hands are in contact with the body, energy begins to flow to the areas according to the client’s needs. What’s most interesting about Reiki is that your body’s own inner wisdom will decide where the energy is most needed. 

Benefits

Reiki is a gentle and completely safe form of healing, making it suitable for adults, children and babies alike. Pet or plant parents will be pleased to know that Reiki has also proven to be beneficial for animals and all sorts of flora too!  As wide-ranging the benefits of Reiki are, you don’t necessarily need to show up with a problem. Even those who are well will enjoy its relaxing and meditative effects. 

Some of the advantages of Reiki include chronic pain relief, speeding up the body’s self-healing ability, detoxification and support of the immune system, promoting a natural balance between the body, mind and spirit, improving focus, and better sleep.

What To Expect 

The initial consultation with your practitioner only takes a few minutes and is part of the first session. The practitioner will ask you what your objective for the session is, be it a specific illness, pain or emotional issue you’d like to work on. 

Throughout the session, you will be fully dressed in comfortable clothing and lying on a treatment table. People claim that afterwards, they feel refreshed and extremely relaxed – something in-between a waking and sleep state. Some even feel as though they achieve greater mental clarity. 

The way you experience the energy passed on through Reiki may be different from that of another person’s. It could be experienced as a warm, cold, or tingling, or elicit no sensation at all; the difference in sensation occurs due to the amount of energy flow varying from individual to individual. For example, more energy will flow for someone with an illness or pain than someone who is healthy, but however the flow of energy feels for you, you’ll almost always feel a relief or release after your session. 

After The Initial Appointment

Relaxation sets in pretty much immediately after your session. While Stephanie has seen clients leave her practice pain free after one session, like all therapy, the number of sessions required to fully address a specific problem will depend on its severity. 

How regularly one might want to attend follow up sessions will also differ. To give a rough idea, stress-related issues may require regular weekly sessions for one month, while chronic pain or more series illnesses may need treatment over a longer period of time. 

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