What Is Integrative Reiki?

POSTED BY ginntree | 03.09.16

What is Integrative Reiki? Is it different than a other Reiki sessions?

Every Reiki practitioner has their own style. Because Reiki is so versatile, it can be given and received in a myriad of environments, positions, and potentially by anyone. Some practitioners use Reiki for self-care, others incorporate Reiki with traditional and alternative medicine, while some prefer to use Reiki as their sole focus. I prefer to integrate a few other modalities and session tools to supplement my Sacramento Reiki practice.

I believe in having multiple approaches to an issue. Consider massage – most people would probably benefit from very deep tissue work. However, many people have difficulty with the amount of pain that deep tissue work would cause. One approach might be to first warm up the muscle, then deepen the pressure. Or maybe a position change will expose the target area differently, making it easier to work on. Sometimes stretching will help relieve the tension area so that deeper work isn’t as necessary. What these different techniques have created are side doors to the problem area. That’s what all the different techniques and tools do in my Integrative Reiki sessions – create more approaches.

Why are these “side doors” beneficial? They allow me to meet you where you’re currently at in your healing, while also keeping you involved in each stage and easing your ability to move forward. Your body and energy will let me know what it needs. If the energy is too intense, I’ll ease up and try something else that is more subtle, but effective. See below for some of my different tools.

Please note: I am not arguing for any one style over another. I always advocate for client preference and finding what fits you best at each step. If you do prefer a simple Reiki session without the extras, I also have an À la Carte Reiki option.


Oils, Stones, and Decks…Oh My!
Here are a few tools that I use in my session

Essential Oils
Essential oils are distilled or expressed from various parts of plants – leaves, flowers, bark, fruit peels, etc. While still in the plant, the oils continually change their chemical composition to aid the plant’s internal and external environments. Once extracted, the oils can lend chemical and aromatic benefits to us – anywhere from emotional changes and skin ailments, to diet, exercise, and manifesting.

The oils I use in my sessions specifically work with our chakras – goDésana’s Chakra Blends. Your subconscious and intuition choose which blends to use during each session, sometimes changing every time. These Chakra blends supply their corresponding chakras with “warmth, nutrients, and strength.”

GT_2.21.14Healing Stones
Stones and crystals transmit diverse vibrations and energy that are beneficial to living beings. Some are favorable for protection, others for healing physically, emotionally, or mentally. Many stones have multiple uses and benefits. They can be very gentle as they transmit energy.

Here are some examples of stones and their beneficial properties:

Amethyst relieves stress, brings wealth, and encourages spiritual growth and awareness. It attracts positive energies while repelling negative ones, which makes them brilliant for protection.

Rose Quartz is wonderful for the heart chakra. It enhances love – self, romantic, friends, family. It gently opens our heart and encourages empathy, forgiveness, and understanding. It also clears our hearts of negative energies and emotions such as anger, jealousy, and sadness.

Black Tourmaline is useful for grounding and protection. It can be very intense, so a small stone goes a long way. Use it in smaller doses and make sure to cleanse it regularly.

Oracle Cards
You’ve most likely heard of Tarot, which is a tool that can be used for personal introspection, exploration, and growth. Though every deck may have a unique theme, the count and suits of cards are basically the same from deck to deck. The reader’s intuition and personal connection with their deck might give each card a different interpretation from other readers. Spreads, or arrangement of cards, are generally similar from reader to reader.

Oracle cards are used for the same purposes, however they tend to be a little more free-form than Tarot. Spreads can be formal or based on intention. From deck to deck, the number of cards varies. Again, each deck can have its own unique theme (unicorns, faeries, Archangels, cats, dogs, etc). The root message each card brings is based on its creator’s intuitive authorship. The user isn’t driven by any particular set of guidelines, numbers, symbols, or suits, but based on individual the decks and cards.

I like having a few different Oracle Cards decks available to clients. They often reiterate a message my clients need. They give wonderful guidance from Spirit in a visual and tangible way.

**If you are looking for these types of tools to use at home, I would recommend going to a store that has a wide selection (Ology in Sacramento has some great stones!). Walk around the decks or other tools and see what catches your attention. Pick one up and observe how it makes you feel; whether it resonates with you. If you don’t find something at first, try again or go back another time. Many times our attraction or desire for a particular stone or deck (etc.) is a strong indicator that a connection is present.**

Modalities that complement my Reiki:

Cranial Sacral Therapy
This is a light touch therapy that works with your body’s natural tissue and skeletal rhythms to relieve compression in the cranium, spinal column, and sacrum areas. By gently manipulating the synarthrosis joints of the cranium and some areas of the spine and pelvis, we can increase relaxation, the flow of cerebrospinal fluids, and health of the central nervous system. Cranial Sacral Therapy incorporates wonderfully with the calm feeling of Reiki and does not interrupt the session in any way.

Swedish Massage
All my Reiki sessions are done fully clothed. The Swedish massage techniques I use can be done over the clothes as your body tells me its needs. Many times we hold a memory or emotion in an area of the body, leading to physical tension and congestion. One of the main concepts of energy work is to work on the last stage of manifestation, which is often the physical stage. We then work back towards the level of origin (emotional, mental, ethereal, etc). Your body may indicate it needs some physical work before receiving energy, usually leading me to gently massage or place my hand in an area to help release the tension. This helps relax the muscle, encouraging the memory or emotional trauma to rise to the surface for healing.

Meditation & Visualization
Meditation is a proven stress-reducing technique. Focusing on breath, contemplation, and reflection aids our ability to confront our needs and refill what we might be lacking. All this while lowering blood pressure, easing anxiety, boosting focus, and improving self-confidence and relationships. When clients have difficulty relaxing into their session or a particular chakra is unsettled, I find that guided meditation is a very effective assistant.

It’s very important to me that you are involved in your own healing. Your energy and body speak to me, and I am here to interpret their needs and wants. I feel that by creating these side doors to an issue I am also creating gentle and easy ways for you to move forward so you can feed your roots and become more fruitful.




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