The Reiki-River Analogy

When you receive Reiki treatment, most of the time it will leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated, and often also alleviate all kinds of symptoms. But sometimes, it can cause temporary discomfort. Why is that? In the Western society, Reiki is often not fully understood, leading to all kinds of theories attempting to explain why Reiki-clients sometimes feel unwell after a treatment. As a result, many people belief that it may have to do with negative energies, lack of protection, or karma. However, none of this is the case. In this article we use a simple analogy to explain how Reiki works.

Imagine Your Autoimmune System as a River

To understand this, we first need to understand how life-energy flows through our body and how it cleans us. Imagine a river: Just like a river flows naturally, your life energy moves through you, maintaining your physical, emotional, and mental well-being. When this energy flows uninterruptedly, your body's self-healing capabilities keep you healthy and happy. In case of a healthy energy flow, any external energies that could potentially harm you are “washed away”, much like if debris falls into a strong stream.

However, certain actions you take can either enhance or disrupt this stream flow. This is directly connected to the Gokai. Understanding this connection is crucial - so have a look at the article Gokai: How the 5 principles impact your Reiki flow.

Picture what happens when a river's flow slows down. It can no longer flush out dirt and debris effectively, leading to accumulation of pollution over time. At this point, a Reiki treatment is like a powerful current that appears in that sluggish river. This energy clears away surface-level debris, and contributes to restoring the natural flow. Sometimes, a single Reiki session is enough to remove minor blockages. Other times, multiple sessions are required to address more persistent issues.

The Deeper Layers of Energy Blockages

Now that we understand how surface blockages (which often translate to symptoms) are removed, let’s examine the deeper layers of our metaphorical river. Picture the ground polluted with several layers of dirt - not visible from the surface, but very substantial and existent on the ground. These layers of dirt represent our underlying issues - old, unresolved matters that settled over time. These burdens often go unnoticed because we've become so accustomed to them. However, they continually affect our health, well-being, fitness, happiness, and consequently also how we feel in life and even the decisions we take. And Reiki doesn't stop at clearing surface-level debris; it also addresses these deeper layers of 'energetical dirt.' It loosens these underlying issues and brings them to the surface. And as they appear on the surface, they become visible and feelable. This is when you might experience temporary symptoms like emotional release or physical discomfort. But these signs are positive; they're indicators of detoxification and healing.

On a Biological Level

A similar process occurs on a biological level. Toxins that have been stored for a long time in tissues and the lymphatic vessels are released into the lymphatic circulation, and mobilized for elimination. This detox might cause temporary swelling, irritation, slight pain, or exhaustion. What’s happening is that your body is actively working to clear these old blockages, allowing for natural healing.

How to Keep Your Energy Stream High and Clean

What's even better than fixing your energy flow with Reiki is maintaining its strength to the point where it doesn't need fixing in the first place. In order to do this, it is crucial to adapt a way of life, where we consciously say No to the things that drain our energy on a daily basis, and instead, cultivate actions that make us and others around us feel good. For this purpose, Mikao Usui has developed the 5 Principles of Reiki, also known as the Gokai. Have a look at the article about the Goka and how it is directly related to the flow of life energy.