The ancient art of Reiki continues to thrive on Rowan University’s campus. On Thursday, April 4, 40-year-old Reiki Master Ashley Shaw facilitated a healing Reiki session at the Rowan University Rec Center.

Shaw, who has been a Reiki Master Teacher for three years, is the assistant director for housing systems and logistics for the Residential Learning and University Housing Office by day. By evening, she guides participants through a series of meditative probes. Thursday’s event was a special crystal Reiki, during which participants held a crystal randomly chosen as their own.

Shaw explained the rules of the game to the eager onlookers.

“You won’t know what the crystal is. That’s the caveat. You have a little bit of a present to take outside of this space. It’s kind of like a choose-your-own-adventure situation,” said Shaw.

With a little bit of excitement from the participants directed toward the unknown, she went on to explain the purpose of the practice.

“Every class that we do is different…typically, my goal is for everyone to leave here calm and relaxed, maybe having gained some sort of skill they can use to support them outside of this space,” said Shaw.

She makes it a regular practice to vary the class material to keep the sessions enjoyable for all parties involved.

“[For instance], last week we specifically did a self-Reiki meditation where I walked everyone through how to call Reiki into themselves and utilize it to support themselves…then we shared it with each other, and then someone outside of this space,” said Shaw.

Reiki is a 2,500-year-old Japanese practice centered on the belief that an unseen life force energy known as qi (pronounced ‘chee’) flows through us. When this life force energy is out of balance, we can experience issues ranging from stress to physical ailments.

A typical Reiki session involves the participant lying on their back while the healer gently places their hands on or above them, helping to regulate and channel the qi within. However, they say that the pivotal moment in the practice occurs beforehand when you determine what you want from the session. That’s the key to everything.

Before the session began, the participants chose a gift bag containing a crystal (e.g., aragonite or agate), an explanation card, and an oracle card. They then lay prone on the floor with pillows under their heads. The participants placed the minerals on their chests or bellies to amplify the movement of the qi, allowing their life-force energy to flow freely.

Shaw moved from person to person, gently placing her hands on or above them, guiding the qi to the areas where it was needed, drawing it in or out to stabilize it.

After the class, the participants opened their bags to reveal the crystals they had intuitively chosen. They then randomly selected an affirmation card from a shuffled deck, although Reiki practitioners claim that nothing is truly random in the universe.

Shalanda Gray, 49, is the director of standards and acquisitions for information resources and technology (IRT) at Rowan University. She is also the Zumba instructor at the Rec Center. She has been practicing Reiki for some time now.

“I teach Zumba before Reiki, and Ashley invited me to join her class…it was a way for me to relax after Zumba because, after teaching, I’m wired…this is a way to kind of bring my energy level down and…ground me,” said Gray.

For Gray, Reiki offers more than just physical benefits. It also has emotional and spiritual benefits.

“Reiki is relaxation. It’s meditation. It’s just a way for me to connect back with myself after connecting with my students for 45 minutes and giving them all of my energy, trying to pull some of my energy back into myself,” said Gray.

Sean Winfield, a 20-year-old sophomore majoring in computer science, summed up his experience succinctly.

“It’s quite peaceful,” said Winfield. That is something the participants agreed upon.

Grey McDermott, a 20-year-old sophomore sociology major, completed the session and shared her impressions as well.

“I thought it was really interesting and kind of different and fun,” said McDermott. “I always like [it] when there are a lot of people here. It’s always fun, and I just feel more relaxed, more centered.”

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