By Julissa James
Staff Writer
A “Reiki Meditation Workshop” took place last semester in the Loker Student Union, where a small group of students were taught the history of the ancient energy healing technique by certified Reiki Master Julianna Davis.
Reiki is non-religious healing practice originating from Japan. In Reiki, energy from a higher power is passed through a practitioner and onto a recipient. The word is a combination of the Japanese “Rei,” meaning spiritually guided, and “Ki,” meaning energy.
Like many forms of Eastern medicine, Reiki is primarily a preventative treatment and has been used to remedy emotional and mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression, and physical ones, such as injuries and disease.
Davis explained to the class how she got into Reiki after a life-altering accident left her with symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a debilitating spinal injury and chronic pain.
Since then, she has been certified at the “Master Teacher” level in four different systems of Reiki. She is also a psychic reader and certified crystal healer, a topic she shared her knowledge of at a “Crystal Healing for the Chakras” class at CSUDH early last semester.
After introducing herself and giving a brief history lesson of Reiki, Davis asked everyone to picture a bright ball of light in between their hands and focus energy into it to make it grow. Some in attendance claimed to feel resistance between their hands. This, Davis explained, is how the energy works.
With a smaller group, Davis was able to give a few minute-long Reiki sessions to each individual. She came around the room and gently placed her warm hands on the top of each participant’s head and shoulders. By doing this, Davis is able to sense what she calls blockages in a person’s energy. These blockages can be signs of emotional or physical imbalances.
When the Reiki session ended, Davis asked everyone to gently open their eyes and share their experience (if they felt comfortable). Some students explained how they felt emotional during their time with Davis; others opted not to share.
Davis responded by explaining how a lot of the time, Reiki can be an emotional experience, whether or not you’re seeking treatment for that.
The two-hour workshop concluded with Davis leading a guided meditation. Everyone rolled out yoga mats provided by the LSU, trying to ignore the distracting sound of someone singing karaoke to a Taylor Swift song coming from outside.
Davis used the disruption to her advantage, encouraging everyone to use affirmations like “I release,” to let go of distractions, and come back into focus.
“There is no time or space with Reiki,” Davis said. “You can send it across the room, across the globe, [even] to the past.”
