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When we suffer, we tend to seek solutions by looking to the past for help—whether in our previous experiences or within like-minded communities. In respect to healing, it’s the ancient Eastern belief that vital energy flows through our bodies that area practitioners turn to for guidance.

“To understand energy healing, we must consider that at our core, we are energy,” Ann Wendel, Reiki Master and Sound Therapist of Harmonia Reiki Healing in Appleton, explains. “The human body, when aligned, is brimming with energies that are flowing freely, ensuring that our cells, organs, tissues—everything within us—are functioning at their optimum level.”

“Everyone and everything is energy and has an energy field, whether of high or low vibration,” Jan Lucht, Certified Holistic Energy Practitioner and sole proprietor of Simplicity Healthworks in Appleton, adds. “The higher the vibration, the closer to wellness they will feel. Energy is the unseen component of mind, body and spirit—viewing the person as a whole.”

A person’s energy is intrinsic and intangible, but also inexplicably felt. Ally Cleereman, LMT, Reiki Master, RYT-200 and owner/founder of Room to Breathe Massage and Wellness in Appleton explains that as we become more intuitive to ourselves we also become more aware and intuitive to others. 

“Sometimes energy feels light, warm, airy and energetic, sometimes it’s heavy, cold and dark,” she says. “It is believed that if your life force energy is low you tend to get sick or stressed easily and when it is high you feel happier and healthy.”

The goal of energy healing, or energy therapy, is to balance energy and restore blockages for better quality of life.

“(It) is a process that assists clients with clearing negative energies that affect their bodies,” Holly Skelton, Reiki Master Practitioner and Channel at Reiki Light, LLC, adds. “We can utilize the energy to bring healing to our bodies.”

What Is Reiki?

Combining “rei,” which means universal and “ki,” which translates to life force energy, reiki is a Japanese healing technique often used within a holistic approach to health, encompassing the notion that in order to reach true wellness, one must treat the body as a whole. Reiki utilizes energy to heal and to get to a higher vibration.

“(It) affects the spirit (energy), mind and body, allowing deep relaxation and a return to natural wellness physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually,” Lucht says.

“Our inner energetic structure requires circulation and balance in order for us to be strong, healthy and joyful,” Wendel says. “In addition to helping to create a healthy physical body, reiki is immensely valuable in maintaining our mental health.”

Practitioners of reiki become Reiki Masters by devoted education: learning healing symbols, attunement and through practicing on others. They are required to have taught at least one class, received Master symbols and Master attunement to be considered as such.

Once qualified, Reiki Masters channel healing energy through their hands and transfer energy to the recipient.

“The practitioner, who has been attuned to reiki energy, places his or her hands on or slightly above a person’s body, releasing whatever blockages are present and restoring energetic balance,” Wendel explains. “It is powerfully effective, bringing a sense of peace and harmony to one’s body, mind and emotions.”

“When giving Reiki you are simply a conduit of energy and the energy flows to where it’s needed most,” Cleereman adds. “Your hands are gently placed on the recipient or gently above while you work through a series of hand positions around the body with the intent to heal the whole body.”

The body’s main energy centers, called chakras, regulate specific portions of the mind, body and spirit, and need to be balanced and aligned for an individual to feel their best. In Sanskrit, chakra means “disk” or “wheel” and refers to the spinning energy within the chakras.

When chakras are blocked, a person can experience physical issues like migraines and other headaches, back pain, hip pain, fatigue, anxiety and fibromyalgia. Blockages can also manifest as stress, anxiety and mental and emotional challenges.

There are seven chakras of the body:

• Root chakra (base of the spine)
• Sacral chakra (below the belly button)
• Solar plexus chakra (stomach area)
• Heart chakra (center of the chest)
• Throat chakra (in your throat)
• Third eye chakra (between the eyes)
• Crown chakra (top of the head)

Energetic blockages occur when daily stressors, powerful emotions and traumatic events hinder energy’s natural state of flow.

“Energy becomes stagnant and/or out of balance due to improper self-care, and avoidable and sometimes unavoidable circumstances… diet, exercise, sleep, thoughts, abuse, trauma, injuries, accidents, etc.,” Lucht explains.

“An imbalanced human body can only function properly for so long before illness, pain and other maladies begin to appear,” Wendel says.

Who Should Consider Reiki?

“People might seek out reiki if they are looking for a deeper sense of relaxation, don’t like being physically touched, have suffered physical abuse or sexual trauma and countless other reasons,” Cleereman explains. “I’ve personally worked with a lot of oncology patients… the beauty of (reiki) is that you can do it anywhere. My patients would be in the infusion room receiving chemo while I’d be right there performing reiki.”

“Clients may seek support for clearing negative emotions, mental blocks, attachments that are sometimes called entities that drain energy from the body, past life trauma and the desire to feel a lightness in their bodies,” Skelton adds. “It can open up spiritual gifts and help clients to empower themselves. I feel that it is a gift that we can all access.”

“I still find energy healing to be beautifully indescribable,” Lucht says. “As energy is an unseen and intangible element, the best way to know how it can serve you is to experience it yourself.”

Just for today, I will let go of anger.
Just for today, I will let go of worry.
Just for today, I will give thanks for my many blessings.
Just for today, I will do my work honestly.
Just for today, I will be kind to my neighbor and every living thing.
—Reiki principles