The largest organ in the human body is the skin. It contains millions of receptors that send messages through nerve fibers to the brain. Science has proven without a doubt that a simple, caring touch can help to reduce a person’s heart rate, lower blood pressure, and reduce stress levels. Studies have shown the difference that touch makes on premature babies. Those who are touched gently, regularly, thrive. Those who do not, founder.
The roots for both Reiki and Healing Touch go far back into history. It is now believed that Jesus did what we call 'energy healing' today (Reiki, Healing Touch, etc) through the laying on of hands sessions he performed.
Healing Touch as we know it today was founded in 1989 by nurse Janet Mentgen as a way to assist the body’s natural healing process by redirecting and rebalancing its energy fields. During a session, practitioners gently place their hands on or above the person’s fully clothed body. Today a large number of nurses use HT techniques in medical settings to reduce tension and anxiety, enhance wound healing, reduce post-surgical pain and use of pain medication, and trigger a sense of relaxation in patients. (The related techniques of Reiki and Therapeutic Touch have many similarities to Healing Touch, but feature different training programs and philosophies.) It is estimated that world wide over 50,000 people have taken HT classes.
The roots of Reiki go back at least 2500 years, being used by Buddhist monks long before Mikao Usui formalized the system from which we get our teachings today in the latter part of the 18th century. In Japan in the early 1920's Dr. Chujiro Hayashi opened a Reiki clinic in Tokyo where trained Reiki practioners worked with and treated all manor of physical ailments with positive results. So it was certainly used for more than just relaxation.
We in the West are more skeptical of healings accomplished through energy work and so appear to need more scientific proof to make it more acceptable and 'real'. In his book, 'The Enegy Healing Experiments' Dr Gary E. Schwartz, a scientist and former skeptic, brings to light many scientifically-based experiments that help explain our natural powers to heal. For those who find they, too, need more scientific 'proof' for the validity of what the human body is capable of Dr Schwartz's book is an eye-opening read.
In my search for a more visual explanation to how Reiki works, I found this brilliant analogy by Robert Fueston at
www.robertfueston.com/reiki
"To express my understanding of how Reiki works let me use an analogy. Picture this, you have a glass of dirty water and a magical pitcher that is full of pure water. The pitcher is magical because no matter how much water you pour out of it, it always remains full. In this analogy, you are the dirty glass of water and the Reiki energy is the pure water in the magical pitcher. By using Reiki you are slowly pouring the pure water into yourself (the dirty glass of water) and as you continue to do this, you become more and more clear as the dirt inside the glass of water is carried out and over the top of the glass; eventually leaving the water in the glass as pure as the water in the pitcher. When this is accomplished, we have perfect health. We all have "dirt" in ourselves, be it bad habits, illnesses, addictions, impatience, laziness, etc. Reiki helps clear this dirt out of us and leaves us feeling truely remarkable. Anyone who has received a Reiki treatment will probably attest to this statement. And for those who have not experienced a Reiki treatment, I encourage you to find out for yourself what a Reiki session feels like. The uses of and benefits from using Reiki are limitless."
So, to discover for yourself what a Reiki or Healing Touch session feels like please contact me for your appointment.