By Dr. Craig Beach and Kerry Kozuki
Today I am excited to introduce you to the complementary and alternative practice of Reiki. Kerry Kozuki is Chief Operating Officer of Open Mind Health and a Reiki Master.
Dr. Beach:
When I founded Open Mind Health, one of the things that I sensed was the idea that there had to be more than medications and talk therapy to address mental health concerns. I knew that complementary, holistic approaches were probably part of the solution. So, with the theme of my personal story in mind, what was the initial spark that was the inspiration for your journey into a career in your healing modality?
Kerry Kozuki:
My journey into Reiki happened about 30 years ago. My initiating Reiki master and I developed a very close friendship, and I told her I was interested in getting my three levels of initiation. I suppose the initial spark was for me, healing and as a means of enhancing my spiritual development. All three Reiki initiations typically occur over several months or even a few years, but she had the intuition that she had to initiate me for all three in one evening. It really rocked my world, and I was out of kilter for about a year after that as I integrated those energies!
Dr. Beach:
I would like to learn more about you, and I think our readers might like to as well. We spoke about the why you entered your field of practice. I am wondering if you could share, to the extent you are comfortable, if there were any life events, crises, or epiphanies that may have nudged you towards this field. What personal stories could you share?
Kerry Kozuki:
There was not a particular life event that caused me to pursue Reiki, again, I think I saw it as another pathway to my spiritual unfoldment. Looking back, it occurs to me that I wanted to address any energetic blockages I had in addition to the need to find a way to navigate the material world while living as a sensitive, intuitive individual.
Dr. Beach:
Many of our readers may not be familiar with your modality. Can you explain what it is, what it is not?
Kerry Kozuki:
In essence, my explanation of Reiki is that it is the focusing or concentration of the universal life force energy (Chi/Ki) that is thought to exist throughout the universe and is unlimited by space and time and resides in all animate and inanimate things. In traditional Reiki practice, specific hand placements are prescribed for a full-body treatment, utilizing the Reiki symbols. The symbols and vocalizations associated with them used to be top-secret, although in the past decade or so, individuals began to publish them on the web. I do feel that initiation by a master is important to confer initiation to each level.
My practice of Reiki has evolved over time as I am a free spirit! I will scan the client’s body and energy field first, and often do “spot treatments” based on what I am picking up. I of course confirm what I am feeling with the client and get their approval to proceed with treatment. Another way I have evolved my practice is when I am doing in-person Reiki; I rarely physically touch the client any longer. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, I feel that I am better able to redirect the healing “Ki” energies to the client, and secondly, there is much improved validation of the client’s sensation of the energy work in-session. It is validating to the client in that they are feeling the energy of the work rather than wondering if they are simply feeling the heat of my hands.
Dr. Beach:
I have a general sense that those of us who enter the healing professions generally want to help others be the best versions of themselves. For me, I would say that is definitely true, and I’m guessing you might feel the same. Without identifying the clients, what kinds of breakthroughs or personal evolution stories have been most significant to you in the course of your work?
Kerry Kozuki:
This answer could vary from practitioner to practitioner, but in my experience with clients, I typically see the same theme. I strongly feel that for many people, when they experience trauma, that experience or energy can become trapped in certain places in the body. This can result in shame, anger, dysfunction, eating disorders, substance use, problems with relationships, etc. These issues could be described as psychosomatic, but that term may not always be a completely accurate description.
The breakthroughs tend to come when Reiki helps to break through that trapped energy pattern in the body. People may even come into this lifetime with energetic blockages where they are not even aware of their genesis. I think this release can come through Reiki without verbally and/or mentally processing the trauma, although talk therapy sessions with a mental health professional are also likely helpful. Clients report a sense of freedom once this energy pattern has been released in the body or energy field.
Dr. Beach:
It sounds as though we have both been fortunate to witness the exhilarating change that can happen when a client experiences healing. Based on your experiences with clients, can you tell me what particular types of mental health concerns are most responsive to your work? This could include anxiety, hopelessness, or any number of manifestations of suboptimal mental health. Also, are there certain conditions that don’t respond as well to your efforts?
Kerry Kozuki:
In mental health terms, I would say anxiety is the first condition that appears to me to be effectively addressed through Reiki. Clients frequently report “release” and a feeling of buzzing or peacefulness after a session. Since Reiki is not a licensed profession or medical in nature, I cannot make any claims of a curative nature. I feel like a condition like anxiety may have some underlying foundations based in emotional and/or physical trauma, and if that stuck energy is released from bodily structures or the client’s energy field, relief can and will be realized. Depression is another condition that seems to be responsive to treatment, and in my experience, it appears to be related to anxiety. There are situations where such conditions are entirely due to medical or hereditary factors, and a Reiki practitioner may not be able to effect healing in these instances.
Dr. Beach:
As you are a holistic practitioner, I suspect you also endeavor to work on yourself and raise your consciousness in your everyday world. If you had three suggestions to share with our audience as to how they could best advance their personal evolution, what would your top three be?
Kerry Kozuki:
Oh, what a great question! My top three would be as follows. First, I think it is very important to endeavor to be present or in the moment as much as possible. This is much easier said than done, in my experience, although I have found personally if I continue to practice this, my awareness is more astute, and I am living more from my soul or core essence rather than from my ego self. This can mean minimizing distractions such as mobile apps or television.
Second, I have learned that slaying my ego at every opportunity is a blessing. I look at it through Don Miguel Ruiz’s (author of The Four Agreements) theme of being a spiritual warrior. As I continue to practice this, my identification with my physical form, honorific titles, my educational background, things I own, where I live, how much money I have in the bank, etc. defines me less and less. A particular ego challenge for me as an individual who is gay and multiracial is the struggle with society wanting to categorize me into checkboxes. I have learned to lovingly resist this categorization in myself and others, and it is freeing! I no longer need to define myself based on these categories and can relax more and more into being me. This is spiritual progress and freedom.
Third, although there are many tantalizing approaches to personal evolution, I have learned to not be distracted into too many, only those that resonate most for me. If like me, you have attended several spiritual retreats and have not returned from any of them “evolved”, then you might understand what I am saying. A few resources that have become very important to me include Eckhart Tolle, the I-Ching, Human Design (I am an acolyte, but intrigued), and certain mantras such as the Mahamritunjaya mantra, and the Maha Sudarshana mantra. I believe specific mantras have healing vibrations that have been perfected over millennia.
Dr. Beach:
I am very interested to hear your views regarding the future of your profession and its place in the overall healthcare continuum. Do you see trends of wider acceptance, professionalization, insurance coverage, and possibly greater integration in healthcare? What are your thoughts on these themes, and more?
Kerry Kozuki:
Since our American healthcare system is science and evidence-based, and predominantly allopathic, it may take some time for insurance carriers to embrace complementary modalities such as Reiki. I do feel there are opportunities to employ technology such as artificial intelligence and longitudinal studies to determine if qualitative improvements in clients’ quality of life get better with Reiki treatments. If this data indicates a degree of efficacy, I believe carriers will be more likely to cover Reiki as they are motivated to reduce the number of claims over time.
Dr. Beach:
Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with me and our readers. It has been truly enjoyable to spend some time with you today, and I hope we will meet again.
Kerry Kozuki:
It has been my pleasure, thank you for seeking my perspective.
Article
NIH – National Library of Medicine
“Reiki Is Better Than Placebo and Has Broad Potential as a Complementary Health Therapy”