The difference and connection between Reiki and energy healing

Reiki is a standardized branch with clear inheritance under the broad category of energy healing. The two are subordinate rather than parallel. The core differences focus on the theoretical origin, operational logic and inheritance requirements. The common point is that "life energy imbalance will cause physical and mental problems" as the underlying assumption. The ultimate goal is to regulate energy flow and activate the individual's self-healing ability.

Last week, a girl came to do Reiki for the first time. When she sat down, the first thing she asked was: I have done energy healing with singing bowls before. Is this the same thing as yours? Will you feel dizzy after finishing it? In fact, many people have this question. After all, whether it is Reiki or other energy healing, it sounds quite "mysterious", and it seems that you can cure diseases by dancing.

Let’s talk about the differences that everyone is most curious about first. The origin of Reiki is actually very clear. It was a healing method that Usui Ono of Japan came to in 1922 while in retreat at Mount Kurama. Later, branches such as traditional Usui Reiki and Karuna Reiki were developed. Even the new era Reiki that has been improved in Europe and the United States has the same core symbol system and energy calling logic. But energy healing is different. It is more like a cross-cultural "big basket" - the shamanic extraction of the North American aborigines, the Kundalini awakening of ancient India, the Bach flower essences of Europe, and even the Zhuyou technique of our ancestors are now included in the broad category of energy healing, and the theoretical foundations of each other are very different. There is also a controversy within the circle that needs to be mentioned here: the old-school inheritors of traditional Reiki insist that "without a guru's initiation, the Reiki energy cannot be used", but now many cutting-edge schools also support individuals to connect Reiki energy through meditation and self-study, without having to follow a fixed inheritance route. ； The energy healing circle is even more quarrelsome. Some factions say that you must have talents passed down from generation to generation. Some factions think that as long as you can sense energy, you can use it in any way. There are not so many rules.

I have been doing Reiki myself for almost 5 years, and my most intuitive feeling is that the operation of Reiki is so "simple" - no tools are needed. Most of the time, you just put your hands on the corresponding chakras on the client's body, without touching it. It can even be done remotely across cities without any impact. Last month, I did remote Reiki for a friend who was far away in Shenzhen. She was lying at home and said that her lower back was warm for almost half an hour. I was sitting at my desk in Beijing without raising my hands. But when it comes to other energy treatments, there are many tricks: singing bowls need to be struck along the chakras, crystals need to be arranged according to the astrology, and flower essences need to be mixed with water and drank according to the time. The last time I went to the healing market, a master who did quantum touch therapy adjusted the shoulders and necks of people, and waved their hands over the people’s shoulders for ten minutes. It was completely different from the static healing of Reiki.

But to put it bluntly, whether it is Reiki or various energy healing methods, the underlying logic is actually the same. Both of them acknowledge that in addition to the visible physical body, humans also have several layers of invisible energy bodies: etheric body, emotional body, and mental body. Wherever the energy is blocked, there will be problems. For example, for people who have suppressed grievances for a long time, the energy in the heart chakra is easy to accumulate, and they may feel chest tightness and panic at all times, or they always stumble in close relationships. If you ask a reiki master to replenish the energy of the heart chakra, it can be adjusted. If you ask a crystal healer to put a rose quartz in your heart chakra and use it with meditation, it can also be adjusted. The essence is to help you open up the blocked areas and mobilize your own repair ability. The healer never “gives” you something supernatural, let alone a magic spell that can cure all diseases.

Of course, I also know that many people think this is an IQ tax, and I don’t refute this at all. At present, there is indeed no way for the mainstream scientific community to detect the so-called "reiki energy" or "chakra" through instruments. Most of the feedback effects can be explained by the placebo effect and suggestion effect. There are even many people who cheat money under the guise of energy healing, claiming that it can cure cancer, which is purely bad. But judging from the more than 300 cases I have handled, for those sub-healthy people who have been anxious for a long time, cannot sleep well, and have no organic problems after checking the hospital, whether it is Reiki or other suitable energy therapy, it can really help people relax quickly. After finishing it, many people say "I haven't slept so deeply in a long time." In fact, the effect of mindfulness and yoga is not much different. There is no need to praise it too highly, and there is no need to beat it to death with a stick.

The girl who asked me about the difference last time said after finishing Reiki that compared with the singing bowl therapy she had done before, Reiki was more like "warm water slowly soaking open the tight muscles", while the singing bowl was like "bang bang to smash the distracting thoughts in your mind." No one is better, but the people who are suitable for it are different. To be honest, everyone is under a lot of pressure now. Whether you choose Reiki or other energy healing, as long as you feel comfortable after the treatment and are not deceived into paying sky-high fees, that is enough. It is supposed to help you relax. If you have to compete for right and wrong, you will fall behind.