Reiki vs Therapeutic Touch
Reiki and Therapeutic Touch are increasingly becoming familiar means of energy healing, with these two being used as integrated interventions in wellness practices and ways to relax the body. Even though these two practices are based on improving the body's energy field for better healing, they still have some points of origin, philosophies, techniques, and application differences.
This article dismantles these two practices, comparing them to help you understand their unique aspects and judge which one may best serve your needs or interests.
What is Reiki?
Reiki is a stress reduction and relaxation technique that promotes healing. Dr. Mikao Usui rediscovered it at the beginning of the 20th century. Reiki means "Universal Life Force" in Japanese. It was based on the flow of universal life force energy through living things. The practice involves passing this energy through the hands to bring balance, reduce stress, and facilitate physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.
Principles and Philosophy
Reiki is based on five founding principles, or the Five Reiki Precepts, which promote a life of peace and mindfulness for the practitioner and client. These are:
Just for today, I will let go of worry.
Just for today, I will let go of my anger.
Just for today, I will do my work honestly.
Just for today, I will give thanks for my many blessings.
Just for today, I will be kind to my neighbours and all living creatures.
The philosophy behind Reiki is that of harmony, compassion, and wholeness.
Techniques and Practices
In a Reiki session, the practitioner's hands are laid lightly on or above the person's body. The practitioner then channels healing energy to different body parts, usually in a prescribed sequence or guided by intuition. The fully clothed receiver may lie or sit during the whole process.
Benefits and Effectiveness
Reiki is known to have a calming and stress-reducing effect. Most people report feeling relaxed, peaceful and re-energized after a session. Some studies indicate that Reiki helps in pain management and the reduction of anxiety and depression; however, more stringent scientific research is required in this regard to sustain these claims fully.
What is Therapeutic Touch?
The core concept of Therapeutic Touch (TT) was coined in the 1970s by the nurse Dolores Krieger, based on the human energy field and influenced by the philosophies of the East and the scientific principles of the West. There is, however, a difference in this respect between Reiki, which is firmly rooted in Japanese tradition, and Therapeutic Touch, which was structured to provide a form of healing that could be made accessible universally, without cultural or religious connotations.
Principles and Philosophy
Therapeutic Touch is based on the philosophy that the human energy field is an integral part of health but may result in illness if there are any disturbances within it. Through such an interaction with the energy field, practitioners try to bring it back into balance and encourage its healing.
Techniques and Practices
Therapeutic Touch has four steps: centring, assessment, intervention, and evaluation. The first step involves ensuring that the practitioner is present and focused. Then, one reads the recipient's energy field by passing his hands a few inches above the body to assess any imbalances. The intervention process then follows, modulating the energy field to bring balance, often through gentle sweeping hand motions. A session is always ended with an evaluation to ensure that the person's energy field feels balanced.
Benefits and Effectiveness
Therapeutic Touch is usually applied to reduce pain, promote relaxation, and initiate the process of healing. It has been included in some nursing practices and palliative care due to its non-invasiveness. However, the research to prove its efficacy is mixed; a few concluded that there are results showing positivity in relieving the patient of pain and anxiety, while others demand a higher number of controlled trials to validate these benefits.
Reiki vs. Therapeutic Touch: Key Differences
Philosophical Differences
Though there are similarities, each procedure is not the same: while Reiki and Therapeutic Touch both involve working in and around the energy field, Reiki has a spiritual dimension grounded in Japanese tradition, where emphasis is given to the flow of universal life energy through the practitioner's hands. The other is more aligned with Western scientific thought, focusing on the possibility of the practitioner reading and modulating the energy field.
Techniques and Methods
Reiki practitioners channel energy through their hands on, or slightly above, the body following intuitive guidance. Therapeutic Touch practitioners do not touch the body but use hand movements over it to assess and influence the energy field. The former is generally more structured, whereas the latter can be more fluid and responsive to the needs of the person being treated.
Training and Certification Requirements
There are three levels of training for Reiki practitioners: Reiki I, II, and Master. The process involves attunements that are said to open the practitioner's energy channels. In contrast, training in therapeutic touch consists of supervised practice in the carrying out or application of the technique and sensitivity toward the energy field is developed.
Practitioner-Client Interaction
Reiki sessions are performed in silence and non-verbal with very minimal communication. Therapeutic Touch sessions may involve more verbal communication, as the practitioner will discuss his or her findings and sensations with the recipient to change the intervention.
Scientific Perspectives on Reiki and Therapeutic Touch
Overview of Research and Studies
Reiki and Therapeutic Touch have undergone myriad studies, but the findings are mixed. Some research suggests potential benefits in reducing pain and anxiety, whereas others find no significant effects beyond placebo.
Evidence-Based Outcomes
Although meta-analyses and systematic reviews suggest many people have been shown to benefit from both methods, rigorous, scientifically validated evidence still lags. Much of the research can be criticized for methodological flaws, such as small sample sizes and lack of blinding.
Common Criticisms and Controversies
Critics, therefore, say that these practices are primarily based on anecdotal reports and very little scientific evidence, which limits the reliability of this approach. Proponents, however, argue that the subjective nature of healing and the individual experience of it cannot always be measured by the conventional scientific method.
Choosing Between Reiki and Therapeutic Touch
Factors to Consider
Now, consider your personal preferences and spiritual beliefs, then decide which type of experience you seek. For example, a person with spiritually inclined practice may be attracted to Reiki; on the other hand, another person might need an approach to Therapeutic Touch that is more practical and closer to scientific thought.
Personal Goals and Preferences
Consider what you expect to gain from energy healing. Are you simply looking to relax and relieve stress, or are you trying to manage or improve a health-related issue? If you have an idea of your goals, this can help point you toward these techniques.
Finding a Qualified Practitioner
Make sure you get someone who is properly trained and experienced. For Reiki, find those who have proper certifications from professional organizations. For Therapeutic Touch, look for those who have training through recognized nursing or healing programs.
Conclusion
Reiki and Therapeutic Touch are two different systems of energy healing. Each of them has its philosophy, techniques, and benefits. By knowing the difference between them, you can thus make a well-informed decision on what may be appropriate for your needs. Whether you find the spiritual roots of Reiki more appealing or the scientific basis of Therapeutic Touch more appealing, exploring both will give you a fuller understanding of the world of energy healing.