Reiki is a spiritual healing practice that uses a technique called palm healing as a means of restoring health. This practice was developed in 1922 by a Japanese Buddhist and has since developed into two main branches: Traditional Japanese Reiki and Western Reiki. It becomes also more and more popular in Sweden.

Traditional Reiki refers to the specific system of teachings by Mikao Usui, Reiki’s founder, and the teachings that have remained in Japan. In this branch, there is a selection of traditions stemming from the original Gakki line to the Hayashi system through Chiyoko Yamaguchi. Founded by Usui and now a society of masters, the Usui Reiki Ryōhō Gakkai is the most secretive of Reiki societies.

Western Reiki is a system developed by Hawayo Takata in Hawaii. There is one primary difference between Western and Traditional Reiki: in Takata’s version, the intuitive placement of the hands is substituted for the use of set hand patterns in treatment.

As a holistic form of therapy, Reiki can be healing on emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual levels. Healing energy is said to flow from the practitioner’s palms to the injury of the recipient. The hand positions are either chosen intuitively or can be based around the body’s seven chakras. Use of the chakras is primarily a Western tradition. Aside from the palms, Reiki practitioners do not use medications or instruments. Instead, Reiki healers will use massage, touching, light tapping, blowing and sometimes looking to transfer energy to a recipient’s ailments.

For a whole body Reiki treatment, the Reiki practitioner can use a set of hand positions or can intuitively alternate coverage for a session of 45 to 90 minutes. Shorter, localized sessions are indicative of Traditional Japanese Reiki. There are many levels of energy available for the practitioner’s hands. Some include warming the hands physically, or mentally picturing Reiki symbols and allowing love and energy to flow from the healer to the receiver. Although some doctors have concerns for Reiki as an unproven alternative medicine, the effectiveness of Reiki in reducing stress and encouraging relaxation is undeniable. Without the distraction of a tense mental or physical state of being, the relaxed body is free to improve its own natural healing abilities. With this non-invasive healing practice, attaining a wholesome body, mind, and spirit can begin with simply making the intent.

Reiki is known to encourage comfortable sleep, relieve pain, and support the immune system. Reiki has also shown improvement in patients with chronic illnesses, patients who are trying to break an addiction, and patients who are recovering from surgery. Reiki healers are attuned to unblocking energy channels to bring the body into balance. The relaxation and unobstructed energy flow a patient can gain from Reiki are key to enhancing the body’s own self-healing processes.