reiki therapy /rī″kē/ , a complementary therapy in which a trained practitioner places his or her hands on or above a specific body area and transfers what is called “universal life energy” to the patient. That energy, it is claimed, provides the strength, harmony, and balance necessary to treat health disturbances. The therapy, derived from an ancient Buddhist practice, involves a total of 15 hand positions covering all the body systems. Reiki sessions are generally held in a quiet setting in comfortable surroundings and may be as short as 5 minutes for treatment of a specific part of the body or as long as an hour for a full-body treatment. See also healing touch.
