Nature has gifted our bodies with an inbuilt mechanism to heal itself. The hands, especially, have immense healing capability. That hands possess innate healing power is evident in an Atharva Veda verse: "Gifted with the divine power, our left hand is empowered to heal skilfully by removing all barriers in the free flow of joy.
The right hand is still more powerful and dexterous as it contains all the divine gift of therapeutic capability - the healing touch of which ensures detoxification, harmonization, well-being, joyful life and salvation.
Our healing hands possess 10 healing fingers branching from them..." The inherent healing power of the hands has been deftly exploited in various drugless therapies including Quantum Touch, Acupressure, Su Jok, Shiatsu (Japanese from shi, meaning finger, and atsu, meaning pressure), pranic healing and Reiki. Amongst these, Reiki, the ancient healing system rediscovered by Mikao Usui in early twentieth century Japan, is popular worldwide as a way to treat physical, emotional and mental disorders.
The word ‘Rei' means universal and ‘ki' means life-force energy or the prana. Reiki simply involves tapping into universal life-force energy and laying on of hands on a few body areas. Once you have learnt the technique, and you have gone through an attunement process whereby you are able to source the universal life-force energy, you can channel its amazing power through your hands, to heal yourself or others, just by intent, as and when desired.
What causes illness in the body? Several factors seem to be responsible for illness:
1. Harmonic imbalance caused by restricted inter-movement of energy within the endocrine glands due to their partial or complete blockage.
2. Perforation of the aura - subtle energy shield around the body - by negative emotions, permitting the disease to enter and manifest in the body, thereby also affecting the mind adversely because of its interrelationship with the body.
3. The vibration frequency of body cells falls below healthy levels, causing the body to go weak and become susceptible to disease.
4. Diseases carried by inherited genes. How does Reiki address the causes? Recent medical evidence and scientific investigations verify the existence of this life-force energy and the role it plays in proper functioning of the immune system as also in the healing process. Just place your hands on a body part and connect to the universal life-force energy by intent. It would trigger the energy to flow from your palms through the meridians and clear the pathways to the endocrine glands.
Flowing through the affected parts, an uninterrupted supply of prana to the energy centres is revived, the energy blocks are removed; the vibration frequency of the cells raised to healthy levels and the immune system gets balanced. This subtle experience provides healing not only at the physical, mental and emotional levels; it also gradually heals your spirit.
Easy to learn and simple to manoeuvre, Reiki healing is being explored by many, the approach being one of faith and curiosity. Reiki does alleviate many kinds of ailments, provided it is done with practice and the patient is open to its healing powers. Hands as extensions of our mind and body play an important role in healing through touch, tapping energy resources and channelising the energy for positive effect. The Dehradun-based writer is a Reiki healer.