November 13, 2010

Reiki is a form of energy work that promotes balance in body, mind and spirit, and is often used for stress reduction. Membership organizations such as the International Association of Reiki Professionals, www.iarp.org, and the Reiki Alliance, www.reikialliance.com, both provide online searchable reiki practitioner databases for use by the public. For those new to reiki, identifying and choosing the best practitioner is not easy. Below are eight questions to help you decide.

1. Where did you learn reiki? Traditional reiki is passed by hand from teacher to student. A lineage is therefore traceable from teacher to teacher going back to the reiki founder, Mikao Usui. A professional practitioner will know his or her teacher and will have a reiki lineage tree available upon request.

2. What is your reiki level? Traditionally, reiki is taught using three levels. Reiki I is the beginner level , Reiki II is the intermediate level, and Reiki Master is the teaching level. Knowing the level attained will provide insight into the practitioner’s development.

3. How much hands-on reiki experience do you have? Experience matters, and choosing a seasoned practitioner often translates into a calmer, more settled session. Begin with a benchmark of 1000 hours of reiki treatment experience.

4. Do you practice self-treatment? Reiki practitioners are taught to remain clear and balanced through regular self-care, either with daily reiki self-treatments or activities such as yoga, tai chi or meditation. A practitioner’s self-care routine is often indicative of his or her philosophy and commitment.

5. Where do you provide your sessions? In New York City space is at a premium. Practitioners can work out of their homes, rent professional spaces or provide house calls. In all instances, let safety come first. The location should feel safe and the actual treatment room should be clean and peaceful.

6. What does a session cost? Reiki session prices can vary widely. Keep in mind that reiki is a spiritual discipline and the most expensive practitioners may not always be the most qualified. Call around.

7. What does a session include? Reiki is simple. A traditional reiki session will last one hour during which time the practitioner moves from head to toe using soft-touch hand placements on the front and back of the body. Clothing, except for shoes, remains on. Practitioners often combine reiki with music and/or aromatherapy to create a more pleasing, relaxing environment.

8. The last question is for you. Reiki is about finding a peaceful balance among body, mind and spirit and the process starts with the practitioner-recipient relationship. After asking your questions, how do you feel about the practitioner? Hint: You should feel very safe and very comfortable.

Dave Gorczynski is president of SPARK, a non-profit organization that has provided free energy work sessions and workshops across New York City since 2002. He writes a regular column about energy work and meditation for the Compact News in New York City's Chinatown. E-mail him at dave@sparkenergy.org.