What is the difference and connection between Reiki and energy healing

To put it simply, the two have a subordinate relationship. Reiki is a specific branch of energy healing with standardized inheritance. The core underlying logic is the same, but the differences in practical rules and practitioner thresholds are very obvious.

Many friends who are new to the field of mind, body and soul tend to confuse the two. When I first entered the industry, I thought they were all "metaphysical operations" that changed the soup without changing the medicine. It was not until I studied Usui Reiki with a teacher for three years and attended more than ten energy healing workshops of different schools, that I slowly figured out the boundary. Not long ago, I met a little girl who came to me and told me that she had applied for more than 20,000 "energy healing cards" at a beauty salon. Every time she went there, she would be given crystals, banged singing bowls, and listened to the healer recite a bunch of unintelligible mantras, saying it could help her clean up the "negative energy" of childhood trauma. However, after half a year of treatment, she still suffered from insomnia, and her old problem of shoulder and neck pain was not cured. When she came, she asked me if I also needed to place crystals when doing Reiki. I laughed at that time and said that I don’t even need tools when doing Reiki, I just rely on my hands for the whole process.

It’s quite interesting to say that energy healing is more like a big basket that can hold anything. As long as it is a method that “adjusts the subtle energy field of the human body”, whether it is Western crystals, singing bowls, flower essences, or our local guides, blessings, and even some so-called spiritual dances and breathing therapies, they can all be included in the category of energy healing. How low is the threshold? Some people buy hundreds of dollars worth of crystals, read two spiritual books, and then dare to call themselves energy healers and charge hundreds of dollars in class fees. But Reiki is different. The current mainstream Usui Reiki and Karuna Reiki have very clear inheritance systems. From beginner to advanced, you need to go through a fixed process of enlightenment and practice. There are also standardized hand positions corresponding to different energy areas during operation. Most of them do not require the use of any external tools, either touching the body lightly or staying in the air. You don’t even need to say a word during the whole process. Compared with the various energy healing methods, it is much more regular.

Oh, by the way, when it comes to the root, the underlying logic of the two is actually the same. Practitioners generally believe that in addition to the visible body, people also have a more subtle energy layer. Past trauma and accumulated emotions will be stuck in the energy layer, which will manifest into physical discomfort or emotional problems over time. Adjusting the flow of energy can improve the state. But to be honest here, this logic has not been confirmed by modern science so far. The academic community generally believes that the relaxation and pain relief effects brought by this type of therapy are essentially the placebo effect brought about by psychological suggestion, stable companionship, and a soothing environment. There have been constant voices saying that this is "pseudoscience." I have been doing Reiki healing for so many years, and I never talk to clients about the "special energy" I can transmit. I usually make it clear in advance that this is just a supplementary relaxation method. If you really have a physical illness or serious psychological problem, you must go to the hospital or a psychological counselor first, and you must not delay treatment.

When I usually do therapy, I will also combine other small energy healing methods. For example, when I meet a client who is prone to anxiety, after doing Reiki, I will suggest that she go back and listen to the white noise of the singing bowl, or bring a small moonstone in her bag. This does not mean that these things really have any "energy", but it just gives her a psychological anchor to help her quickly get back to the present moment when she is anxious. To put it bluntly, whether it is Reiki or other energy healing methods, they are essentially just channels to help people escape from a tense state. There is no need to blow it up to something magical, and there is no need to beat it to death with a stick. Just experience it with a normal mind.