Healing Arts: Reiki and Anointing
Reiki is a special kind of healing energy that can only be channeled by someone who has been attuned to it. Reiki is a very simple, non-invasive, yet powerful technique. It is administer by “laying on of hands.” The person receiving Reiki remains clothed and is often treated while lying on a massage table or seated in a chair. Reiki is both powerful and gentle. It works in harmony with all other kinds of treatment. You can continue to receive regular medical or psychological treatment while receiving Reiki, with improved results.
Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is an ancient technique rediscovered by Dr. Mikao Usui in the early 1900s.
The word Reiki comes from two Japanese words: Rei and Ki. Rei means “universal,” meaning present everywhere. A deeper understanding of the word would be “higher knowledge” or “spiritual consciousness.” Ki means the same as Chi in Chinese, Prana in Sanskrit and Ti or Ki in Hawaiian. Ki is” life energy,” the non physical energy that animates all living things. If your life energy is low, or there is restriction in its flow, you are more vulnerable to illness. When it is high and flowing freely, you are less likely to get sick.
Anointing of the Sick
For those who choose to receive it, I, as an ordained independent catholic priest, am also able to administer the Rite of Anointing with holy oil, an ancient practice in the Christian tradition.
This rite consists in the laying on of hands by the priest, prayers , and the anointing with oil. It is an ancient practice used to comfort the sick in time of anxiety, to encourage them to fight against illness, and perhaps to restore them to health.
I have received attunement in USUI Reiki, levels I, II, and III (Reiki Master Training), and am a Reiki Master.
I have pursued his interest in spiritual healing through the study of spiritual direction, by studying massage as a meditation art at the Institute for Culture and Creation Spirituality at Holy Names University, and at the Body Electric School, both in Oakland, CA.
I am an associate member of the the Order of St. Luke the Physician, an organization dedicated to the study and practice of the Christian healing arts.
