Being a massage therapist, I was trained in a few different types of massage styles before I graduated, but mostly, the emphasis was on Swedish massage. Little did I know, there are so many types of massage that can be enjoyed and be helpful to both body and spirit. The below link provides a comprehensive guide to different types and I will then write a small amount about my views on the subject.

Spiritual Massage Techniques

Reiki, a Japanese form of touch therapy, is a gentle massage style that channels healing energy through the laying on of hands, usually beginning at the head and traveling down through the body's seven "chakras," or energy centers. The "ki" in "Reiki" is the familiar "chi" energy that is at the center of so many healing practices. Reiki is thought to be valuable for everyday stress management, as well as to promote healing of diseases including chronic pain, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and infertility.

I haven't ever had a Reiki treatment, but I've heard that it is wonderful. Although in my practice I'm known as having a deep touch, I prefer to recieve a gentler form of massage when I'm needing relief. I have thought about getting additional education to learn how to give the treatments. I didn't realize that infertility was one of the conditions that it treated. Of course, whenever I see that a treatment can help with cancer and the relief from the pain, I feel regret that I didn't encourage my dad to seek more alternative therapies while he was alive. Maybe I should call around for a master to see if Reiki could help with grief processing as well. I love it when a treatment can access more than just my health, especially when it includes both my mind and my spirit.