The term "Reiki" is a Japanese word where "Rei" means "universal" and "Ki" means "life changing."

The "life force" is reffered to as the "chakras," "meridians," or "nadis" by Reiki therapists. These life forces may be disrupted by traumatic experiences.

An "Aura" is a colorful energy that surrounds every living individual.

A "Reiki Practitioner" is someone who performs the service of Reiki palm healing

A period of time where an individual lies down in their clothes and sometimes a light blanket for a period of time. The Reiki therapist will hover or gently brush their hands above the individual.

Some experiences people have shared include memory flashbacks, tingling, vivid visions, temperature changes, and light sensitivity. The experience does not involve any pain infliction.

• Centering and Grounding - a meditation period.

• Smoothing and Raking - involves breathing exercises and sage burning. This stage cleanses the aura.

• Beaming or Scanning - a focus on improving specific locations of the body.

• Clearing of Space - main component of Reiki and consists of energy directing.

(Bubert 2021)

Throughout the years, Reiki has transitioned into a more complex process. In a typical Reiki session, the patient lays fully clothed and flat on a massage table. The practioner places his or her hands for 3 to 10 minutes in each position. The hand placement leads to the flow of energy between the magnetic fields (Everyday Health Newsletters 2020). A theory that explains the process is known as the “biofield” phenomenon. The electrical field produced throughout the body produces negative and positive charges within cells, leading to the formation of magnetic fields. Reiki revolves around the interaction between two human magnetic fields guiding physiological and psychological functions (VanderVaart et. al. 2009)

The credibility of Reiki’ healing effects is often questioned among people. In 2019, a study done in the United States demonstrated the physical and psychological effectiveness of the Reiki practice. Through the duration of the study, 999 Reiki practitioners instructed their clients to fill out a Positive and Negative Affect Survey before and after their session. The analysis included surveys from 1411 sessions and found a statistically significant improvement for negative affect, positive affect, drowsiness, anxiety, appetite, and overall well-being (Dyer, Natalie L., Ann L. Baldwin et. al. 2019). The results of this study suggest the authenticity of healing Reiki can do on the body.

Overall, Reiki sessions continue to modernize as more people participate in the practice. The belief of healing by energy forces continues to appear throughout the world.