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Aasheesh Sharma
Energy follows thought. This is the cardinal principle of Reiki (pronounced ray-key), the healing hands technique that is finding increasing acceptance in our metros. We have an inherent energy in our intellect, which can direct things the way we want them to go. All that is required is its channelling into our bodies.
``Reiki helps me relax and clear the clutter in my mind. At its core lies a science, which propagates cleansing yourself before moving on to help others. The purifying effect was really useful for me,'' says Manish Swaroop, a photojournalist, who has learnt the art of Reiki till its first degree.
``For many people, the overriding appeal of Reiki is relief from pain. Also, there is that amazement that comes from knowing that someone has the power to heal you by just touching you,'' says Chandra Kanta Arya, a school-teacher, who has also undergone a first degree course with traditional Reiki master Lt Col. R S Mann.
``The contemporary belief system induces a lot of negative thoughts. Wekeep complaining about everything under the sun. Also, most professions today put tremendous pressure on individuals to succeed. Stress can be induced by too much work or no work at all. Reiki helps you think positively and gain self-esteem,'' says Reiki grandmaster Sangeeta Gupta. ``The mind has the power to make things happen. That is, the thought directs the energy. If you want to take up a certain course of action, Reiki will help you reinforce your will.''
At her School of Holistic Healing in north Delhi, Gupta helps businessmen, housewives, students and even Delhi Police personnel overcome their physical stress, mental anxieties, irritation and anger. ``Reiki helps you relate to your work environment in a better way. It releases negative emotions like fear, anxiety, tension and nervousness through touch. If accumulated over time, these symptoms could lead to bigger calamities like a cardiac attack or arthritis. We believe in curing the root of the disease before the disease itself. That is, addressingthe mental being before the physical,'' Gupta says.
The more than thousand-year-old discipline is perceived by many as a cousin of the Japanese acupressure and Chinese acupuncture, but it has its origins in Tibetan Buddhism. In the late 1800s, Reiki was rediscovered by Dr Mikao Usui, a Japanese Buddhist. The word Reiki comes from two Japanese words -- Rei and Ki; Rei is the upper Japanese character, while Ki is the lower character. Translated into English, Rei means `universal', though this interpretation is a very general one. Later day research into the esoteric meaning of the word ascertained that it was more close to `supernatural knowledge' or `spiritual consciousness'. Ki means the same as Chi in Chinese or Prana in Sanskrit--the life force.
Reiki as a curative science is an expensive affair. An hour's `attunement' training could cost you between Rs 200 and Rs 500, depending upon the experience of the Reiki master or his assessment of his worth.
Students can themselves heal others after completingthe first degree, but they need the expertise of a third degree master for initiation into the practice or attunement.
``There is an increase in the strength of your curative powers with increasing degrees of learning, going up to three. In the first degree, the student is attuned into Reiki energy, but is not taught the symbolic chants. The second degree teaches you the hand symbols and chants. After the third, you become a master,'' explains Gupta.
``On reaching a high degree of expertise, the healer does not even require the physical presence of a student before him. Through distance Reiki, one can send this life energy to anybody in the world even through telephone,'' claims Swaroop.
``Different people store their emotions in different places (head, shoulders, knee, stomach, etc.) There are seven chakras in your body, more or less corresponding to your endocrine glands. The energy passes through the first four chakras into the palm, from where it can be transmitted to others,'' says Gupta. But arethere any physical indicators of the phenomenon?
``Well, there have been varied experiences. The sensations could range from a pleasant warm feeling in the palms, to a tingling one, or even cold. Some psychic individuals can also notice an aura of energy,'' says Gupta. This reporter experienced none of these in a 20-minute session except a deep sense of relaxation. But yes, the hypnosis preceding the exercise makes one feel good about the world.
According to Gupta, a bizarre and amusing application of Reiki could be sending a distant Reiki to your boss to placate him if you are expecting a tough day ahead. She claims that it could help ease tensions with your superiors. Another patient claimed that it helped him not go bonkers after a business deal fell through!
Certainly, for businessmen and corporate executives, who experience tense moments round the clock, Reiki could probably help them relax after a long, tiring day.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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This story was printed from Net Express located at http://www.expressindia.com. Net Express provides a portal to India, with news from The Indian Express and The Financial Express along with sites on travel and tourism, the entertainment industry, the power sector, the environment and much more.
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