Really Reiki
Published Wednesday, August 15, 2007 11:03:55 AM Central
Time
By Shannon Green
MONROE -- Jody Frautschy of Monroe was in heaven.
"It feels amazing," she said.
Using a light touch and lotion, Reiki Master Teacher and
certified Reiki-ssage practitioner Suzanne Cook of Freeport
worked on the reflexology points on Frautschy's feet.
Cook has been using Reiki since 1993 to help her clients.
She now serves clients in Monroe one or two Sundays each
month at the Dilly Bean on the Square in Monroe.
"It is hands-on," Cook said. "We work with the body's energy.
It's extremely relaxing."
"Reiki" (pronounced "ray-key") is Japanese for "universal life
energy." Reiki practitioners use a non-intrusive method of
hands-on healing that taps into energy referred to as "ki" in
Japanese and "chi" in Chinese.
Reiki is not massage or hypnosis. Reiki practitioners do not
use the technique to diagnose problems in a client.
Reiki instead deals with the energy that flows through the
body, affecting mind, body and emotion. According to Reiki
teaching, it can be used to gently promote balance in body
and mind. Disruptions or imbalances in the flow of energy can
cause physical, mental and emotional illnesses, according to
Reiki teaching.
"You don't want any (energy) blocks," Cook said. "It creates
'dis-ease' in the body."
When energy blocks are released, you feel more at ease and
less tense, Cook said.
It can also be combined with other techniques. Cook uses
Reiki-ssage, a blend of energy work and touch therapy, and
Reiki-reflex, a blend of energy work and reflexology, to help
her clients relax.
During Reiki-reflex, the touch is light and soothing and
typically less intense than in reflexology. Clients do not
remove clothing, and oils and lotion are used only sparingly.
Reiki practitioners use the technique on hands or feet, which
helps clients, who may be sensitive to touching on other parts
of the body.
Occasionally, release of energy blocks results in an emotional
response, or, as with Frautschy, an extreme case of goose
bumps.
"My whole body is tingly," Frautschy said after Cook used a
Reiki hands-off technique on her lower leg.
Reiki is being used more often in clinical settings to
complement Western medicine, helping to alleviate patients'
anxiety and pain. The technique can be used either hands-on
or without touching the body, over bandages and casts.
Cook has practiced Reiki on hospitalized patients, helping
them to deal with pain and to relax them before or after a
procedure.
While Cook will claim no medical benefit in using Reiki, she
has witnessed Reiki's positive effects on her clients.
"I use it for relaxation purposes, and if they get a healing
benefit out of it, that's a bonus," she said.
Current Reiki practice is based on the research of Mikao
Usui, who studied ancient teachings and refounded the art. It
is not a religion, Cook said, but simply the result of ancient
Eastern teachings on energy and the body.
At the end of the session with Cook, Frautschy was smiling
and more relaxed and ready to make another appointment.
"It feels amazing," Frautschy said. "(I feel) very refreshed."
Published Wednesday, August 15, 2007 11:03:55 AM Central
Time
By Shannon Green
MONROE -- Jody Frautschy of Monroe was in heaven.
"It feels amazing," she said.
Using a light touch and lotion, Reiki Master Teacher and
certified Reiki-ssage practitioner Suzanne Cook of Freeport
worked on the reflexology points on Frautschy's feet.
Cook has been using Reiki since 1993 to help her clients.
She now serves clients in Monroe one or two Sundays each
month at the Dilly Bean on the Square in Monroe.
"It is hands-on," Cook said. "We work with the body's energy.
It's extremely relaxing."
"Reiki" (pronounced "ray-key") is Japanese for "universal life
energy." Reiki practitioners use a non-intrusive method of
hands-on healing that taps into energy referred to as "ki" in
Japanese and "chi" in Chinese.
Reiki is not massage or hypnosis. Reiki practitioners do not
use the technique to diagnose problems in a client.
Reiki instead deals with the energy that flows through the
body, affecting mind, body and emotion. According to Reiki
teaching, it can be used to gently promote balance in body
and mind. Disruptions or imbalances in the flow of energy can
cause physical, mental and emotional illnesses, according to
Reiki teaching.
"You don't want any (energy) blocks," Cook said. "It creates
'dis-ease' in the body."
When energy blocks are released, you feel more at ease and
less tense, Cook said.
It can also be combined with other techniques. Cook uses
Reiki-ssage, a blend of energy work and touch therapy, and
Reiki-reflex, a blend of energy work and reflexology, to help
her clients relax.
During Reiki-reflex, the touch is light and soothing and
typically less intense than in reflexology. Clients do not
remove clothing, and oils and lotion are used only sparingly.
Reiki practitioners use the technique on hands or feet, which
helps clients, who may be sensitive to touching on other parts
of the body.
Occasionally, release of energy blocks results in an emotional
response, or, as with Frautschy, an extreme case of goose
bumps.
"My whole body is tingly," Frautschy said after Cook used a
Reiki hands-off technique on her lower leg.
Reiki is being used more often in clinical settings to
complement Western medicine, helping to alleviate patients'
anxiety and pain. The technique can be used either hands-on
or without touching the body, over bandages and casts.
Cook has practiced Reiki on hospitalized patients, helping
them to deal with pain and to relax them before or after a
procedure.
While Cook will claim no medical benefit in using Reiki, she
has witnessed Reiki's positive effects on her clients.
"I use it for relaxation purposes, and if they get a healing
benefit out of it, that's a bonus," she said.
Current Reiki practice is based on the research of Mikao
Usui, who studied ancient teachings and refounded the art. It
is not a religion, Cook said, but simply the result of ancient
Eastern teachings on energy and the body.
At the end of the session with Cook, Frautschy was smiling
and more relaxed and ready to make another appointment.
"It feels amazing," Frautschy said. "(I feel) very refreshed."
Suzanne Cook practices Reiki-reflex
on Jody Frautschy's feet at The Dilly
Bean in Monroe. Reiki-reflex, a blend
of energy work and reflexology, clears
blockages in energy in the body and
helps the client to relax as the
practitioner working on their feet or
hands.
Times photo: Shannon Green
on Jody Frautschy's feet at The Dilly
Bean in Monroe. Reiki-reflex, a blend
of energy work and reflexology, clears
blockages in energy in the body and
helps the client to relax as the
practitioner working on their feet or
hands.
Times photo: Shannon Green