I believe a terrific way to make sure that the both of you are happy with the choice of Reiki music is just to ask the individual if they like the music that could be playing, and, if they are not you can happily change it for something different that they rather have. This may be a brilliant strategy to begin a Reiki procedure simply because already two of you are settled and your thoughts and mood feel comfortable with the entire procedure.
You will find a vast selection of music that may be acceptable as Reiki music and the option is really down to personal preferences. You must avoid anything that is too rapid and raucous, and in all likelihood the customer will realise this also and not select some thing they might normally enjoy in their regular everyday living. I wouldn't think Heavy Rock and roll is a good place to start for a Reiki procedure. There are specific types of music which can be ideal for Reiki and these are generally speaking the following
Reiki Particular Music
This is music which is definitely particularly recorded to go along with Reiki. Some of this particular music may perhaps include things like Reiki symbols by chanting or maybe singing them. Certain albums are even timed to coincide with all the hand positions in the Reiki procedure. This is accomplished by either creating passages of music of specific lengths or even simply by adding a bell or some other similar reminder at particular points. The intervals usually are somewhere between three and six minutes depending on choice of album.
Meditation Specific Music
This particular music is suitable for Reiki and will come in a huge range of choices and may also be recorded by quite a few different musical instruments. This music is made specially to aid relaxation and thus is incredibly suitable as Reiki music.
Popular Music Not Reiki Specific
There are actually certain popular performers whose music is suitable for use as Reiki music. Musicians such as Enya, record music of such an enchantingly fabulous character it is already perfectly appropriate as Reiki music. I do know of a number of folk musicians which specialize in Celtic type music whose albums are excellent and one that instantly comes to mind is the Breton Harpist Alan Stivell. He is a really wonderful musician and some of his music is perfect as Reiki music. I know that you have your own names to add to the list because as previously stated this is down to individual taste.
Naturally Occuring Sounds Associated with Nature
So what can be more calming than the sounds from the ocean lightly lapping on to a beach, a breeze blowing through bamboo stems or reeds, or perhaps gentle rain fall There's no doubt that these kind of sounds speak for themselves as fantastic Reiki music. The fact is I find myself tranquil just thinking about these things.
The Sound Of The Human Voice
When applied properly a persons voice can be very suitable as Reiki music. The sound of a choir singing gently or perhaps the sounds of chanting can be very relaxing and hypnotic and are also perfectly suited to being used to support the Reiki therapy and be played as Reiki music.
Reiki music is totally down to using whatever seems right for both participants and really not even knowing that the music is being played it unconsciously relaxes you both and therefore helps with the complete process.
I don’t know about you but when I go for a massage I expect the massage therapist to use their hands, fingers and maybe even their elbows to loosen my stress-laden muscles. There is nothing more delightful than an experienced pair of hands that helps to expunge all of the bad stuff from my body that causes me to become tense, anxious and, perhaps, a bit unpleasant to be around sometimes.
still vividly remember a visit with a physical therapist for a problem that I was having with a disk in my neck. The disk was pinching a nerve which was causing pain in my neck, back and arm. A particularly annoying area was near my shoulder above my shoulder blade. As I sat in a massage chair, the therapist used her elbow to dig right into the affected area with a force that caused some serious discomfort. But when I left that morning, the pain was almost gone. Now that was massage!
Recently, I was introduced to the concept of Reiki. I was reading up on the various forms of massage therapy and, quite frequently, Reiki was listed as a therapeutic option or as part of the curriculum at a massage school. Further reading about Reiki has caused me to question references to Reiki in the same context as massage. In fact, I began to wonder why Reiki was included in references to massage at all. And I’m not the only one.
Massage is generally defined as “the manipulation of the soft tissues of the body for therapeutic purposes, healing or relaxation.” I would think that “manipulation” is the operative word here. The practice of Reiki takes a quite different approach. Like Shiatsu massage, Reiki seeks to balance “ki” or “life force energy” within the body. The theory, according to ancient Oriental philosophy, is that if this energy is out of balance in the body, or is depleted, then an individual becomes susceptible to physical and emotional ailments. Practitioners of Reiki seek to channel energy into their clients in a manner that corrects imbalances and promotes healing.
However, based on the prescribed methods of practicing Reiki, there is no “manipulation” involved. In fact, in some cases, there is not even actual touch involved in Reiki treatments. That would certainly present a conflict between the generally accepted definition of massage and the practice of Reiki.
Reiki, as practiced today, was developed by Dr. Mikao Usui, a minister and head of a Christian school in Japan. His students had asked him how Jesus healed. Usui did not have the answer but became fixated on discovering how Jesus had cured the ill and infirmed. ( I guess “because he was the Son of God” does not qualify as an acceptable answer.)
Dr. Usui spent years studying in Christian schools, Buddhist monasteries and temples. He found no answer to the healing question until he embarked on a 21 day fast. At the end of the fast he apparently had a revelatory experience that showed him the methods he had sought to understand. He then set about on a healing ministry. Eventually, he shared his knowledge with Dr. Chujiro Hyashi who, in turn shared the knowledge with Mrs. Hawayo Takata who trained 22 Reiki Masters who then shared the knowledge with thousands of others.
Essentially, Reiki transfers energy from the Reiki practitioner to the patient. Actually, Reiki teaches that the patient draws this energy from the practitioner thus giving the patient an active role and ultimate responsibility for their own healing. The energy is then realigned and balanced and harmony is restored in the body.
Though it is not a religion there is a great deal of spirituality at work in Reiki. God or a Universal Life Force is acknowledged and recognized as the source of all life energy. Though there are specific principles involved in Reiki, the actual methods are quite similar to the “laying on of hands” practiced by faith healers of many religious denominations. But “laying on of hands” is not quite the same as “the manipulation of soft tissue” required to be defined as massage.
There are a couple of issues here. First, massage as a stand alone practice, has struggled to be recognized by the medical establishment as a legitimate form of therapy and healing. Under the auspices of physical therapy, massage is readily accepted and practiced to restore muscular function and to assist in the rehabilitative process. However, there is the view by many that massage therapy is somewhat of a “mongrel” healing application with touches of mainstream medicine, alternative medicine, holistic, health, New Age cultism, sexual indulgence and mystical fakery. The simple fact is the “the manipulation of soft tissue” has been proven and is accepted as a healing modality. It is the desire to include any healing avocation that involves touch, or even the close proximity of hand to body, under the heading of massage that creates confusion and causes suspicion.
Scientists and doctors have dismissed Reiki as a placebo that encourages patients to feel better because they are supposed to feel better. Other questions about the motivation of practitioners is the fact that Dr. Usui, the founder of Reiki, determined that there must be an “energy exchange” between Reiki healer and Reiki patient to invest the patient in the healing process. This investment is monetary in most cases and is a core principle of Reiki.
Another problem with Reiki being considered a form of massage is that some states require that practitioners of Reiki be licensed as massage therapists. Many Reiki practitioners dispute this categorization specifically because of the distinction between Reiki and massage as stated in the definitions presented earlier in this article.
So, Reiki has a bit of a schizophrenic personality. On the one hand, courses teaching Reiki are offered in many massage schools. On the other hand, many practitioners themselves don’t consider themselves massage therapists. So, far be it from me to try and settle this dispute in one article. Reiki may or may not be a truly effective form of healing. All I know is that I still have difficulty categorizing Reiki as massage. I think there may be some “manipulation” of the definition of massage required to justify the inclusion of Reiki.
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