by James Calvin

Stress is an evil six-letter word that can be so harmful to your health. Work can be stressful, traffic jams can be stressful, raising a family can be stressful, and sticking to a strict budget can be stressful. Stress causes headaches, muscle aches, irritability, insomnia and a broad range of other problems that you can live without. Nobody wants it, but we do get it at some point in our lives. Now, we must learn how to either cope with stress or how to get rid of it. You can release your stress with Reiki (pronounced Ray Key). The combination of these two Japanese words means Universal Life Energy.

Reiki is an age old system of holistic healing that is used to alleviate pain and elevate relaxation and overall well-being to those stressed out individuals. Reiki refers to the life force or energy that is channeled through the palms a recipient during contact with the Reiki practitioner. Reiki is designed to help achieve balance and assist in healing through a natural healing system. The Reiki practitioner will act as a conduit by which the Universal Life Energy can be channeled to a recipient, by using either a hands on or hands off technique. Reiki practitioners may also opt to treat themselves. The Reiki energy flows through the palms at various rates of speed and depending on a number of factors, such as the degree of the recipient's ailment, to the recipient's preparedness to accept a change, etc.

Reiki is not a faith or other religious healing, although it may sound like it is, and the effectiveness of Reiki is not based on religious doctrine acceptance. It is not required for the recipient to have a belief system in order for Reiki to work. Although Reiki has principles that encourage spiritual empowerment and growth and is very spiritual in nature, it does not conflict with anyone's beliefs. It doesn't matter who you are, your gender, religion, intelligence, nationality, or what your financial status is, Reiki is a gift of vitality and energy that is offered to everyone. Reiki does not hurt, but it can give you the sensations of warmness and coolness, or a sensation of tingling, throbbing, numbness, itchiness or drowsiness.