What Is Reiki?
The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power" and Ki which is "life force energy". So Reiki is actually "spiritually guided life force energy."
Reiki practitioners channel energy in a particular pattern to heal and harmonize. Unlike other healing therapies based on the premise of a human energy field, Reiki seeks to restore order to the body whose vital energy has become unbalanced.
Reiki has several basic effects: Besides the healing benefits it brings about deep relaxation, destroys energy blockages, detoxifies the system, provides new vitality in the form of healing universal life energy, and increases the vibrational frequency of the body.
The "laying of hands" is used in Reiki therapy. In Reiki the healer places the hands above the recipient. The recipient then draws the energy as needed. Thus, in this case, the individual being healed takes an active part in the healing process. The individual takes responsibility for his or her healing. The recipient identifies the needs and caters to them by drawing energy as needed.
Although there are a few positions in which the practitioner is in contact with the patient (such as cradling the head), most Reiki treatments do not involve actual touching. The practitioner holds his or her hands a few inches or farther away from the patient's body and manipulates the energy field from there.