As an accredited spiritual / energy healer, I would like to share with you the similarities and differences between spiritual / energy healing and Reiki because I find that this is a question which arises frequently when people are curious about experiencing energy healing with me. In discussing spiritual healing, I am being specific to my practice and the way I work with my clients. I always say that practitioners of any modality will have their own style and way of presenting their work, so the most important thing is to check that the way a practitioner works is in alignment with your own understanding and / or beliefs.
What are the differences between spiritual / energy healing and Reiki?
I am aware that there is often heated debate in the energy healing world regarding the differences between spiritual / energy healing and Reiki – but my belief is that they actually have more in common than they do differences. Fundamentally speaking, this is because at their very core, all healers are channelling energy, love and compassion. I have not trained as a Reiki practitioner myself but have many friends and colleagues who have, and we offer one another treatments and enjoy discussions regarding the similarities and differences in our training.
Another similarity between the modalities is that both spiritual healing and Reiki involve the channelling of healing energy through the hands of the practitioner, often either hands on or hands off. I choose to use both during in-person healing sessions with clients if they are comfortable with light touch.
How healing practitioners are trained
Training as an accredited spiritual / energy healer or a Reiki practitioner naturally varies depending on who you choose to learn with, but both paths include at least several days of formal teaching with time for self-development before the next level of training is offered to the student practitioner. As part of the initial training for spiritual healers, it is understood that you will go through your own healing journey, generally taught through meditation and imagery, whilst during Reiki training, care of the physical self is part of the initial training. (My own personal energy healing training took place over a two-year period rather than just a few days.)
At the start of Reiki training, the practitioner is ‘attuned’ by their teacher – whereas for spiritual healing, it is understood that every time a practitioner gives a healing that they are ‘re-attuning’ to a higher level. I have studied various different healing modalities over the course of many years and continue to work on myself as a matter of priority; for me it is important for my own journey as much as so I can offer the very best experience of energy healing to my clients.
Hands on / Hands off
Although both modalities offer hands on and hands off treatments, generally speaking, Reiki is taught as a hands-on discipline while spiritual healing is more often taught as hands off. As mentioned above, I choose to work both hands on and hands off during face-to-face appointments with clients as I believe gentle touch is comforting to the recipient. It also allows those who don’t feel the energy shifting to at least know where I am working at any given time.
Attunement
Spiritual healers often have their own method of attunement, for example, visualising white light coming down through and around them and their client. They may also have specific words they say in preparation as part of the process of opening and connecting to source energy and they may work with their healing team, angels, archangels and Ascended Masters while Reiki practitioners visualise Reiki symbols in order to focus their intent. Ultimately, both types of healer / practitioner attunes to what they believe to be the highest source of the energy that they are channelling.
How does it feel?
Clients often report ‘feeling’ the energy move through their body, maybe sensing a tingling sensation moving through them; others see colours, pictures or visions. They more often than not tell me that they are feeling relaxed, are somehow aware of the energy alleviating health problems and they may even have life-changing experiences. What’s wonderful to my mind is that both spiritual healers and Reiki practitioners create a beautiful flow of loving, compassionate healing energy with the wish to help their clients – both with the intention of channelling energy at the deepest and highest level, albeit using different language to describe the process.
Healing energy
All in all, the level of healing energy being channelled is determined by the amount of personal work the healer has done and continues to do for themselves, enabling them to raise their own vibrational energy and thus to help each and every one of their clients to raise their vibrational energy too. As with any modality, some spiritual healers and some Reiki healers will have done more personal self-development work than others.
Through my training and my continual and ongoing professional development, I offer deep emotional energy healing. This works on releasing suppressed emotions held within my clients’ physical bodies and within their energy systems.
The final thing I’d like to highlight is that both spiritual healing and Reiki can be given remotely, and I love connecting with my clients via Zoom just as much as face-to-face appointments. Overall, I would say that both modalities are deeply relaxing, help to aid relaxation and assist the body’s natural healing processes mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Trust your gut instincts and feel into what’s right for you in terms of finding a modality that speaks to you and a practitioner whose energy makes you feel safe and supported.
If you would like to embark on your healing journey, please don’t hesitate to call me on +61 4 2451 8884 or email hello@pippaneve.com.
