So here is the original interview :
What is the theory behind Reiki?
At the beginning of the 20th century, a Japanese man named Mikao Usui discovered a new healing ability that he named Reiki. In Japanese, Ki is the same as Qi or Chi in Chinese medecine or Prana in Vedic medecine : there is an abundant and universal life force around us that we can tap into. Usually we get Qi by breathing or by taking it from the food we eat but there is also the possibility to tap directly into the source. Reiki is a way of doing it. This extra energy is taken by the Reiki practisionner who acts as a channel and given to the "lower energy" client. Physical problems and emotional issues can be seen as lacks of Qi at specific points in the body (chakras, meridians). If you fix the cause then the problem disappears by itself without the use of external chemistry or the need to open the body.
Out of the many holistic medecine systems that appeared in the last century (most in the New Age era), Reiki has a very good reputation because it has been around for nearly 90 years and shown good results that can be reproduced.
Are there different varieties? What is the difference between them?
Last time I counted there was 200 varieties of Reiki. Reiki is like a base technique and when people adds something to it they want another name for the technique. But out of this jungle of Reiki techniques, what you should look for is what is called Usui Reiki. This is normally the original technique taught by the vast majority of Reiki Masters around the World. There are national associations that sets the teaching standards and the ethic code: in Canada this is the Canadian Reiki Association (CRA), www.reiki.ca. The CRA also ask for people to submit a number of case studies in order to join them.
Apart from Usui Reiki, Karuna Reiki is very popular among Usui Reiki Masters that want to go to the next step. While Usui Reiki energy is gentle, Karuna's energy is strong, sometimes painful at first, but very efficient. I teach both.
From a non-mystical perspective, what is Reiki ?
Is Yoga mystical ? Is Meditation mystical ? Reiki is a technique so by itself it is not mystical. People can make it mystical by adding their own beliefs or fears by lack of understanding. In the world, there are 3 medecine systems : Western, Ayurvedic, Chinese. We live in the West so most of us don't even know about the 2 other systems even if they are older than the Western system. 2 out of 3 systems tell that the human being is using a force named Prana or Qi. Without any Qi in the body, the body is dead. With a boost of Qi, the aura, the energetic body around your body which acts as an interface between you and the rest of the universe, will extend in size, change its colors, shines more. All of the concepts we use in Reiki like chakras, aura layers, and so on, have been used in Ayurvedic medecine for ages. I personally see the physical body as a results of thoughts and emotions. You create your own illnesses. And as such you can also by yourself and with the help of some extra energy, reverse the process. The body is a lot smarter than what our current model teaches us.
What do people expect out of their session/what are reasons people would attend a session?
The minimum expected is a feeling of relaxation, a zen attitude, at the end of the session. This is why many books will describe it as a relaxation technique...But this is just a side effect. Reiki is a healing technique. Depending on the level of experience of your Reiki practitioner, changes can happen on the physical or emotional or even on your life path (we would call it your spiritual side). On the physical, healing will occur, sometimes on very old problems that you thought you would carry all your life. Emotional release means clients may cry or laugh during a session but this process will help them to move forward. The life path changes are the ones I am always amazed at, how life can reorganize itself in a smarter way...
I work on handicapped people, drug addicts, people with sleeping disorders, back problems, people who wants to commit suicide, bipolars, but also on simpler cases like people who just want to experiment how a boost of Qi can influence their life.
What should someone undergoing treatment expect to feel during a session?
Reiki is often perceived as a heat, which moves fast in the body. Others will feel tingling sensations, waves, pulses. During Karuna sessions, I have often seen hands moving by themselves or feet playing soccer on the massage table. The most interesting part being that the client doesn't know it, and doesn't control it. He/She feels as in a medium trance, the body being heavy and the mind very light.
I don't need to touch the body for those sensations to happen. Indeed most of the time I am working above it.
What physical changes would someone experience after a session?
It all depends on what the client brings. Let us talk about my last 2 weeks: I have seen a 1.5 year old problem related to the sciatic nerve (problem to get up), annoying enough that the doctor recommended reeducation, disappear in one Karuna session. And I am working on a mentally handicapped girl that can not walk without support. A lack of oxygen in the brain during birth makes her not able to control her legs since then. During our first session, she felt her feet for the first time in her life. We both cried. She had a back problem (8th vertebra broken after falling down, she was forced to take cortisone the last 2 years)...She couldn't feel it anymore after the session. She felt a wave in her pelvis and was able to walk without support and without shaking directly after the session. Indeed she met her physiotherapist one week after and he cried too. The inclination of her pelvis had changed by 2cm. And it was not a one time event, as I have been working on her during 3 sessions and we can both see how her body is becoming progressively a lot more flexible and the sensibility is coming back to her legs.
Some people come for healing something specific and this usually takes from one to 3 sessions. Other becomes addicted to how zen it makes them and will come every months for energy level checkup and maintenance like they go to the hairdresser :)
Have you ever practices with anyone in the medical profession?
I have taught Reiki to many PhDs in science (biology, pharmacy and so on), I have taught also to physiotherapist, osteopaths, naturopaths. As I like to work on difficult cases, because this is where I can learn new things, my clients are generally followed by professionals and I like to get their point of views about the evolution of their case. I would really like to work on cancer patients in cooperation with hospitals or with the Canadian Cancer Society.
If yes, what were the circumstances and results?
A good example is the one I gave previously about my handicapped client. The physiotherapist cried, considered it a miracle, and wondered whether the positive effects would stay or if they would disappear as soon as my client would stop meeting me every 2 weeks. The other physiotherapist asked for my phone number and will probably learn Reiki soon.
I have often seen professionals being perplex about the results, not being able to classify it with their known reference so they have 2 options: it is a miracle, or "hmmm maybe we were wrong when we diagnose this problem initially" (and then they move on without further analysis). I would like to work more with professionals. I contacted hospitals and I am willing to be scientifically analyzed while performing healing because I am a scientific (engineer) and I want science to progress and I really think there is something worth studying here.
If no, why not?
N/A
What is your opinion of medical professionals who discredit Reiki?
Healers and medical professionals share the same aim: healing and helping other people. We can learn from each others by working together. If you have never experience Reiki and you criticize it based on your fear of change, the best way to open your mind is to try a session. And from there, we can have interesting discussions about new ways of seeing a human body. Don't hesitate to contact me.
Have there been any recent developments in Reiki therapy?
Apart from Karuna Reiki which is around 10 years old, all the actual developments are based on the combination of Reiki basic technique with techniques working in the energy field around people (aura).
Is there anything else you would like to say about Reiki therapy?
As a teacher, my aim is to bring more autonomy to people regarding the management of their health. Learning Reiki, you can also treat yourself. Your skills will develop with practice and discipline, so this is also interesting to get sessions from people with experience.
I dream about cooperation between medical professionals and Reiki practitionners and would like to work directly where I am needed the most, in hospitals.
by Matt Briand, a Usui and Karuna Reiki Master Teacher in Montreal.
http://www.reikimatt.com
info@reikimatt.com
