False msafiri FEEL THE FORCE habariinspiration REIKI 24 FURTHER INFORMATION Q Reiki Association of South Africa ( www. reikiassociation. co. za) Q UK Reiki Federation website ( www. reikifed. co. uk) Find out how to de- stress and improve your wellbeing with Lucia Cockcroft’s introduction to reiki experience’ that led her to investigate further. She says: “ I feel really peaceful and relaxed after a session. It can feel like energy moving around your body and you may feel heat or tingling or a sense of floating. Sometimes it may be more powerful and can even be unsettling the first few times you experience it. Reiki has helped me cope with stress and learn to relax and rise above things, and to Energy healing Some people ( including much of the medical profession) disregard reiki as scientifically unproven and rather ‘ wacky’. However, studies have shown that ‘ energy healing’ produces immediate biochemical effects, such as a rise in hormone levels ( DHEA) that protect the body against major illness. Reiki is also thought to be beneficial in balancing the emotions, promoting mental clarity, shaking off unwanted habits and enhancing calmness – and all with no side effects. When reiki practitioner Annabel Howard first tried reiki, she had a ‘ really strong beginners’ guide to… further reading Q Reiki for Life: The Essential Guide to Reiki Practice by Penelope Quest Q Reiki and the Seven Chakras: Your Essential Guide to the First Level by Richard Ellis Q Reiki for Dummies by Nina L Oaul Reiki was first developed in Japan by Mikao Usui during the early twentieth century. Yoga, acupuncture and t’ai chi are also based on the flow of a person’s energy Reiki ( pronounced ray- key) is a long- established form of healing that has grown in popularity worldwide in the last decade. The Japanese word ‘ reiki’ means ‘ universal energy’, derived from Rei ( universal life force) and Ki or Chi ( energy). According to reiki philosophy, a person with low levels of ‘ life- force energy’ is more prone to illness and stress. High levels of the same energy, meanwhile, are more likely to bring health, happiness and longevity. get things in perspective.” Reiki is now used beyond private practice and complementary therapy centres. It can be found in doctors’ surgeries, hospitals and prisons and in caring for HIV patients, as well as the elderly. Organisations such as the Reiki Association of Southern Africa ( which has 90 practitioners on its books) and the UK Reiki Federation holds a list of registered practitioners, all of whom work to a code of rules and ethics. The practitioner tunes into his or her reiki energy by channelling it, and directing it to the client. He or she will rest their hands above the client, allowing the energy to run from the palms of the hands downwards. In the first session, the therapist will take time to ask questions about the client’s health, lifestyle and medical history. The therapist will ask you to lie or sit down, fully clothed, and will place his or her hands gently on or near the body in a pre- determined sequence of hand positions, focusing on the back of the body. The idea is that energy is transferred from the therapist to the client – the aim being to restore a state of balance. There is no massage or manipulation involved. Sessions usually last an hour, and a minimum of four is usually suggested as treatment. BOB THOMAS/ GETTY IMAGES

False