Walking into The Day Spa at Centennial Lakes isn’t unlike entering most other spas in the city. Skin and nail care products line the shelves, a client waits patiently for her French manicure to dry, and employees eagerly greet you as you approach the front desk. In addition to the staple spa offerings, however, The Day Spa menu includes something else. Amongst the manicures, facials and massages, an ancient form of Japanese healing called reiki (pronounced RAY-key) is featured.

While reiki recently gained popularity in the Midwest, it dates back thousands of years. In 2007, 1.2 million Americans reportedly used some form of energy healing therapy, like reiki, according the National Health Interview Survey. The hands-on, energy transference technique is now practiced everywhere from spas to hospitals across the country as a means of relaxation and healing for the mind, body and spirit. While skeptics exist, The Day Spa has seen a major uptick in interest, suggesting that many are turning into reiki converts.

Healing Energy

“Reiki isn’t logical and concrete, so you have to be open to it,” says Denise Obermeyer, a reiki practitioner at The Day Spa. A business degree from the University of St. Thomas didn’t exactly prepare Obermeyer for the out-of-the-box thinking required of a reiki practitioner. However, once she was taught the practice, she immediately became convinced of its effectiveness. Upon introducing reiki to her employees at The Day Spa, it quickly caught on and eventually made its way onto their official menu; Obermeyer herself offeris a reiki healing service that lasts 50 minutes, while the spa also boasts 50- and 80-minue reiki/massage sessions.

A reiki appointment is akin to a clothed massage. The client lies on a table in a small room with dim lighting and a relaxing soundtrack playing in the background. Obermeyer begins by wafting a lightly scented essential oil over the client to encourage full relaxation. She gently places her hands over “energy points” or “chakras,” starting with the head. She explains, “Chakras can get out of balance when people become ill or stressed. Part of reiki is to rebalance those chakras.”

The thought is that the practitioner channels a “life force energy” to the client to encourage healing, whether it be for the body, mind or soul. Obermeyer contends that many people feel heat and tingling over the chakras as she performs the 50-minute session, signaling the healing forces at work.