During a Reiki treatment you will lie or sit comfortably and the Reiki practitioner will place their hands on or near the body, allowing the Reiki energy to flow.
You do not need to remove any clothing except for coat and shoes.
Q. Are some styles of Reiki in the Usui tradition better than others?
A. Each style or system of Usui Reiki offers its own gift. It is important for you to find the one that suits you best.
Q. How many treatments am I likely to need?
A. This depends on what you are hoping for from Reiki.
As a natural healing method it is good to allow plenty of time for Reiki to have an effect, so a series of treatments is going to be more benefical than a single treatment in most cases. How many you personally need should be discussed with your practitioner at your first session and reviewed as you go through treatments.
Q. Can Reiki be used in conjunction with allopathic or conventional medicine?
A. Yes, Reiki can be used safely in conjunction with allopathic or conventional medicine.
It may help to speed up recovery times and reduce some uncomfortable symptoms, such as after surgery.
Q. Is Reiki safe while I am on medication?
A. Yes, However it is good medical practice to review medications levels on a regular basis. Sometimes over a period of time, medication may need to be adjusted in consultation with the prescriber.
Q. Can Reiki be combined with other forms of complementary medicine?
A. Reiki can complement many different forms of treatment and can help smooth the healing process. For example after a chiropractic treatment people can sometimes feel stiff, a Reiki treatment will help a lot in releasing this discomfort.
It also reported to work extremely well in conjunction with homepathy, acupuncture and counselling and can help support any healing process.
Q. Is Reiki suitable for children?
A. Yes, with parental consent, Reiki is suitable for children under 16 as it is gentle and can be adapted to a child's need for a shorter treatment.
Q. Is Reiki treatment suitable during pregnancy?
A. Many women report that they have benefited from receiving Reiki during pregnancy and even birth, either from a practitioner or by giving Reiki to themselves or from their partner who may have learnt it specially to support the expectant mother.
The unborn child will also bebefit from any Reiki treatment given to the mother.
Q. Are there any contra-indications to receiving Reiki treatments?
A. No, There are no known contra-indications to Reiki in the Usui traditon although there may be some conditions that require some extra caution for purely practical reasons which your practitioner would discuss with you when you go for your first treatment.
Q. What benefits does Reik offer?
A. Reiki is a healing process that anyone can benefit from in the normal course of their life that aims at restoring a greater sense of balance and harmony. Research using animals and even bacteria suggests it has the ability to reverse stress-induced conditions.
It should not, however, be a regarded as a cure for conditions. As a natural form of healing Reiki can support and enchance other forms of treatment. It has no contr-inducations and is suitable for both people and animals. It can be given with hands on (touching) or hands off (non-touch). Most people find receiving it extremely relaxing and calming. Those receiving Reiki do not have to take off any clothing, barring perhaps footwear. Most importantly anyone can learn it and give Reiki to themselves on a daily basis.
Q. Can Reiki help someone with a terminal illness?
A. People with a terminal illness often find Reiki helps them to feel calm and relaxed, reduces symptoms such as pain and enables them to prepare for death themselves and with their families.
Q. Can you give Reiki to someone who is dying?
A. Yes, you can offer Reiki to a person who is dying and it has often been reported to reduce anxiety, bring calm and ease transition.
Q. What should I do if I am concerned about something that has happened during a treatment.
A. Firstly you should talk with your practitioner about your concerns. If this does not satisfy you find out whether your practitoner is a member of a Reiki organisation. If they are then you can contact their organisation for advice. If they are not you may still be able to get some advice about the issue from some this organisiton. If the practitoner is on a national register you can also conduct the regulator.
Q. How do I know what to look for in a good Reiki practitioner?
A. You can ask if the practitioner has been attuned/ initiated in person, one to one by their Reiki teacher.
Ask if their Reiki teacher and every person in their lineage was also attuned/ initiated in person. A bona fide Reiki practitioner will also have a Reiki certificate or a letter from their Reiki teacher confirming their level of Reiki training or will have trained in accordance with National Occupational Standards. Please also check that they are insured and they have a lineage that connects them directly back to the founder, Mikao Usui. Their treatment area will be clean and quiet and conducive to relaxation. A mark of professionalism is their having signed up to Codes of Ethics and Practice of a professional associaton or regulator. Look for someone who is warm and empathetic, in whose presence you feel comfortable and who has explained what to expect and any fee structure.
Q. Do certain Reiki Practitoners specialise in certain areas?
A. Some Reiki Practitioners specialise in working with animals in general, some will specialise in giving reiki to horses. It does not change the Reiki but they will have enhaced levels of underpinning specialist knowledge, experience and maybe qualification to support their practice.
There are guidelines from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons on giving Reiki to animals which can be found on
www.reikicouncil.org.uk. Some Reiki practitioners will have a special area of interest if you ask them.