Massage & Bodywork

NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2019

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REIKI AND MASSAGE Massage therapists who learn reiki can not only practice it on themselves for daily self-care and again briefly to refresh between appointments, they can also (with the permission of their client) integrate moments of reiki touch into their massage sessions. "Maybe at the beginning to help a client start to relax, or at a point of pain during the massage, or if they feel an area in the body is very tender or tight." Miles says massage therapists tell her that when they use reiki in their sessions, they get the sensation of muscles melting under their hands, and they are then able to move into that area of the body more effectively. After reiki training, massage therapists often report back to Miles that their clients immediately sense a new depth to their touch. Here are some other tips from Miles on how to practice reiki during a massage or bodywork session: 1. Put your reiki hand on either the solar plexus or the crown of the head for a few moments to help the client settle before you start the massage. 2. During the course of the massage, if you find yourself at a place where there is congestion or the musculature is tight, rest your palms there. 3. Close the massage with a few minutes at the crown of the head or solar plexus. If the client is on their stomach, place your hands on the "back of the heart" and sacrum. Practicing reiki to close the session helps the person settle and brings them back to themselves in a very subtle, pleasant, delightful way. "It's a little bit like shavasana at the end of a yoga class," Miles says. "It's a time to let the body be still and integrate the benefit of the massage." 72 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 9

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