Reiki healing is a hands-on energy healing art. It originated in Japan in the early 20th century. The founder of the system, Mikao Usui, had a life-changing experience of light and energy that he recognized as reiki—sacred life force—and that awakened his innate healing abilities. Usui developed a system of practices that enabled others to become effective healers.

In a reiki healing session, the practitioner, trained to access and serve as a channel for the life force (ki or chi), places her hands on or just above the client’s body in order to activate healing energy within receptive points on the body. The practitioner’s hands move progressively with a passive touch through 12 positions on the body, remaining in each position for three to five minutes. As a harmonic flow of energy is strengthened, within the client and practitioner, healing occurs through the return of physical, mental, and spiritual balance. Click here to find a Reiki practitioner.