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Ready for Reiki?
Boost Your Health and Energy Levels
By Lisa A. Goldstein
Because she likes to try new and different things, Andrea Roebker decided to try Reiki. In her role as a publicist representing a spa, she had heard of it but hadn't experienced it firsthand. She was even more motivated because of how helpful it is for her to have a good knowledge of the treatments her clients offer.
Roebker, a 28-year-old Los Angeles, Calif., resident, described her experience as "very interesting" and "a great beginners' treatment for those who aren't comfortable with massages."
Simply put, Reiki is a non-invasive, complementary medicine technique that adjusts the subtle energy of the body. The Reiki practitioner places his or her hands in a variety of positions on the person's body to direct the energy to the person they're working on, says Debbie Milam, a 40-year-old Reiki master in Weston, Fla.
"Life force flows within the physical body through pathways called chakras, meridians and marmas," Milam says. "When this flow of life force is disrupted, it causes diminished function in one or more of the organs and tissues of the physical body ... Reiki clears, straightens and heals the energy pathways, thus allowing the life force to flow in a healthy and natural way."
If this notion of manipulating energy sounds odd, Milam likens it to a radio receiver. "If you want to hear 100.7 and your dial is on 97.3, you won't be able to hear what you want," she says. "Energetically, when a practitioner is giving Reiki, they are changing the frequency of the person who is receiving the energy, allowing him or her to tap into their innate healing channel rather than the static they have been experiencing, allowing them to hear 100.7."