As powerful as they are, reiki and other types of energy healing do not produce instantaneous results. Healing is a process that is comprised of all the changes taking place in your body as it works to reach a state of wellness. These changes, despite their progression toward healing, can often surface as symptoms that indicate the changes are counterproductive. In other words, it may appear that you are getting sicker or that your condition is worsening, when in fact your body is working through all the energetic disruptions in order to heal. 

As soon as the healing process begins to take effect, your body will start working at a higher level of efficiency. This essentially means that the body is removing the bad to make room for the good. The liver, kidneys, bowels, and even your muscles and skin are working to eliminate toxins that have been stored in your bloodstream. As your body detoxifies, symptoms often emerge in the form of a runny nose, upset stomach, headache, fatigue, and other manifestations of what seems like illness on the surface. But look at it like this: when you haven't used certain muscles for a while they will ache after exercise. This rule applies to other body parts and organs as well. As they adjust to a healthier mode of operation, they experience what energy healers refer to as the "healing crisis" - a crucial part of recovery that indicates that you are in fact healing.

Here are some words to live by: Be patient and don't panic. Even though certain aspects of your physical or mental state may seem to be in crisis, you must know that once the toxins, blockages, and harmful energies have been released, you will feel better. Energy healing prompts the body to follow its natural course of healing, and any discomforts that may emerge in the process are simply part of that course. After a reiki session, or during the course of several sessions, you may feel that your condition has deteriorated rather than improved. Take solace in the notion that "this too shall pass" and remember that while your body is releasing toxins, it's important to drink plenty of water, replenish lost nutrients, get lots of rest, and be patient.

Contrary to what some people might believe, reiki is not aligned with any particular religion or faith; rather, it complements and enhances your own personal path (whatever that may be) because it gives you a more direct experience of what you perceive to be your own higher power. Reiki may feel spiritual, mystical, or even magical, but it is simply unimpeded divine order.

The reiki path is all about balance, healing, and empowerment. It has to do with revitalizing and balancing ki so that you can heal at the most profound level. Energy healing releases powerful energies into your body, mind, emotions and spirit. Those who practice reiki have the capacity to maintain a high level of emotional, physical, mental and spiritual health, as well as the balance and harmony that accompanies those heights. Once you begin to understand and practice reiki, you will be empowered to heal yourself and others for as long as you choose to use this gift. This empowerment is strengthened and enhanced with each level of reiki. That empowerment is further refined through continual practice. 

Using reiki just for healing can bring about life-changing benefits. But people who wish to use reiki as a tool in their journey to discovering the deepest essence of who they are can use this energy as a vehicle that propels them to deeper levels of consciousness. For both client and practitioner, reiki has numerous benefits that transcend the tangible manifestations of healing, including altered states of consciousness and spiritual experiences that result in less pain, greater awareness, and a sense of renewal that can make you feel as if you've been reborn. With reiki as a spiritual tool, love and joy can become the norm in a world so often filled with the opposite. As the light of truth flows through you it will dissolve negative energies, revealing to you the truth of who you are. Reiki can teach you that what appears to be a miracle is only unimpeded divine order, the natural flow that occurs when we let go of illusion.