What is “Spiritual Healing”?

Article by Angie Webster

When I first began writing for Reiki Rays, I wrote Reiki and Christianity. My intention was to address a few of the many spiritual questions surrounding Reiki, particularly as I had seen them arise in relation to Christians. Since that time, I have experienced more with Reiki, with the online community through writing about Reiki and with speaking to the public about Reiki. I have heard many questions, fears and misunderstandings in relation to Reiki and other types of energy healing, so I‘d like to write another article that goes a little deeper and explores a little more broadly on the subject.

Many have heard that Reiki is energy healing or spiritual healing, but what does that mean exactly? It can sound a little vague and that can leave lots of room for misinterpretation. Everything in the Universe is energy. This is not only a concept that has been explored in all major religions and spiritual traditions, but has been the acknowledged basis for most ancient healing traditions. Modern science has since caught up to this fact and is expanding its understanding of it and the way in which it studies it and speaks about it.

We all have various types of energy that courses through our bodies and around our bodies all the time. We could refer to the main energy that keeps us alive as “life force energy”. This is only one way to think of it, but it is a fairly common term to hear among energy healers. This can also be called prana, qi, chi, or ki. Another term is spirit. This is why Reiki is often referred to as spiritual healing. Not because it is related to teaching or counseling us about spirituality or altering the course of our spiritual path.

There is nothing particularly mysterious about this energy, no more so than other types of energy. The thing that makes it seem so is that most people don’t see it, can’t sense it and aren’t aware of it. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of types of energy that we are not aware of on a daily basis, and yet they are there and we constantly make use of them and interact with them. Sunlight alone has many different kinds of energy and we have only been able to detect some of them in recent centuries. Consider the normal use that we get from microwave energy and x-ray energy every day in the modern world, or from the electricity that powers our appliances and the wi-fi signal which allows the connection of our internet. We take these energies for granted all day long, and yet we had no idea they existed 150 years ago.

Energy is everywhere and we are literally alive because of it. Our brains and our hearts function because of energy signals. The cells of our bodies and the neurons of our brains interact with each other because of energy. We interact with others and the world because of energy signals that we give and receive. This is not religion or new age woo-woo fluffy nonsense. This is factual science which can be looked up anywhere. This is the basis of energy medicine. The approaches may be different, but the basis is in energy and keeping it balanced and flowing in a healthy manner.

Many see the life force energy as being what connects us to our Higher Power, or God. Reiki is considered Universal Energy, which could be seen as the source of all life force energy, where all energy flows from. That depends upon your view. However, no matter what your views, the energy remains. Your health and well-being are influenced by how your energy flows in your body. That is not affected by your religious affiliation or lack thereof, nor by the Reiki practitioner’s views or affiliations.

Though many religious and spiritual traditions have recognized this energy, there is no religious tie to Reiki. Reiki is not anti-religion. It is simply energy based and makes no particular affiliation. Just as a doctor, massage therapist or acupuncturist may have their own spiritual views and beliefs and it has no influence on the work they do, a practitioner’s individual beliefs are not the basis of the work we do in Reiki. The work is energy based. It works directly with the Universal Source of all life force, for the greatest and highest good, to bring a greater balance to your energy field, but makes no particular judgement about how to see that or what to call it. All of that is very human based and Universal Energy doesn’t concern itself with that. It simply is.

If your beliefs are that you are doing spiritual harm to yourself by receiving Reiki, then you should not receive it. Receive some other type of healing. The fear that you carry will create blockage in your energy and that alone will cause problems. Fear is energy. It sends many signals to your body, mind and the world around you, which are responded to. Examine those fears first if Reiki interests you. Another option is to find a Reiki practitioner who has similar beliefs to your own. There are Reiki practitioners of nearly every religion or spiritual tradition. Some seeking should easily lead you to the right match for you.

Free eBook download: We’ve created an eBook with our best articles on this topic, and offer it for free to all our newsletter subscribers.

Angie Webster made a significant contribution to the Reiki community, with a particular focus on Animal Reiki, which she had a deep affection for. As a knowledgeable Reiki Master Teacher and Author, she conducted online courses on energy healing, herbalism, flower essences, and personal growth.
She is the author of “Animal Reiki: How it Heals, Teaches & Reconnects Us with Nature” and “Reiki from A to Z”. Currently, Angie has decided to retire from her professional life to devote more time to her health, family, and the little joys of life.