October 16, 2010

Reiki is a form of energy work that promotes harmony among body, mind, and spirit, and is becoming increasingly popular as a means of stress relief. Yet as demand for reiki increases, so has the price. In New York City the cost of a typical one-hour reiki session ranges from $40 to over $200. For those on a budget, a Reiki Healing Circle can provide a relaxing and effective introduction to reiki without the high cost.

Reiki Healing Circles are group events, and as the name suggests, participants form a circle while seated in chairs. At the start, there are usually personal introductions and some discussion by the organizing reiki practitioner who will then typically provide a verbal, guided relaxation to help the participants clear their minds before receiving reiki. This meditative portion may reflect the personal style of the group leader and varies from circle to circle. Each seated participant then receives a reiki treatment of approximately five to ten minutes depending on the size of the group.

In New York City, the Center for Living Light, www.livinglightreiki.org, offers five reiki healing circles per week, four of which are held in local hospitals. The times and locations are listed below, and all are free of charge.

Mondays 6:30pm to 8:30pm except holidays at Beth Israel Medical Center-Phillips Ambulatory Care Center, located at 10 Union Square East, 2nd Floor Conference Room 1 & 2, Contact: Randi Ditman-Ibrahim (201)357-8405.

Tuesdays 7:00pm to 9:00pm except holidays at St. Luke’s Hospital located at 113th between Morningside and Amsterdam, Muhlenberg Bldg, 4th Fl. Auditorium, Contact: Carmen Lariño (718)626-4685.

Wednesdays 6:30pm to 8:00pm at the office of Olivia Lermand, MD - Integrative Gynecologist located at 210 Central Park South between 7th Avenue and Broadway Note: Open to both Women and Men, Contact: Ascension Hernandez, (718)275-1428.

Wednesdays from 6:30pm to 8:00pm at Lenox Hill Hospital, Sidney Weisner Conference Center located at 130 East 77th Street, 2nd Floor - Conference Room 201 A & B, Contact: Randi Ditman-Ibrahim or Carmen Lariño.

Thursdays (alternating) from 6:30pm to 8:00pm at Roosevelt Hospital located on 10th Avenue between West 58th and 59th Streets, in the Doctor’s Private Dining Room on the first floor. 2010 Schedule: 1/7, 1/21, 2/4, 3/4, 3/18, 4/1, 4/15, 4/29, 5/13, 5/27, 6/10, 6/24, 7/8, 7/22, 8/5, 8/19, 9/2, 9/16, 9/30, 10/14, 10/28, 11/11, 12/9, 12/23 Contact: Linda Walls-Mccartha (718)612-1566 or Lenn Savoca-Ditman (917)975-7412.

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.