How Gentle Release Therapy is different to Reiki!

I often have people ask how Gentle Release is different to Reiki and I often say it is similar in that they are both Energy work, but Gentle Release is more specific. I believe because it is more specific and the focus on areas more in depth the results are therefore greater. Someone once commented Gentle Release was like Reiki on Steroids, and its been said many times since then.

With Reiki you have an attunement where your teacher opens a link between the student and the reiki source, they also work with symbols. In Gentle Release there is no attunement, everyone can do this work on themselves or others without any opening or ritual. There are also no symbols, yet we work closely with Traditional Chinese Medicine Beliefs that form the basis of traditional acupuncture treatments, but also bring in Cranial Release, Endocrine Release and Lymphatic Release. 

Many of our Gentle Release Practitioners trained in Reiki before they found Gentle Release Therapy, here is what some of them said when I asked them about how they are different to them.

Maggie says...

'For me, I feel it when reiki enters and leaves my body and it feels somewhat a heavy energy that needs little guidance. With gentle release it feels that I am holding the person in my care and just intuitively guiding there body to release in a very safe and gentle way. They are completely different.'

Joanne says...

'They are SO different. My clients feel the difference and I also feel the difference. I feel more tired giving GRT than Reiki but I think that's because I get the clients who have a LOT of stuff to shift. My clients that have tried both come for a "boost" as they call it if they have Reiki but if they are wanting to have a release they can really feel they go for GRT. Most feel the release several days afterwards.'

Marie says...

'I feel Gentle Release is more specific to key areas, emotions and issues and how they are feeling. Reiki is an overall calming and balancing the mind and body.'

Maria says...

'Why I feel reiki is far more different than gentle release!

With Reiki the focus is only on chakra centres and related organs. The practitioner is a vessel for energy to pass through on to client . Reiki practitioners need to have attunements by Master Reiki practitioners in order to be able to facilitate a Reiki session, as well as using symbols or chants. Almost seems as though you are leading client to believe that healing is from an outside force, that they are not connected to and always have to rely on the outside for assistance (at least in my own opinion & experience) There seems to be a level of entanglement energy wise with the attunements (for me at least). 

Gentle Release works on the principles of acupressure points relating to meridians and in turn the organs. Gentle Release makes the client more aware of their own energy freeway with in their body. Obviously still connected to a greater source, but I feel Gentle Release is more empowering for the facilitator, as the facilitator we are encouraged to go within and connect with ourselves and our intuition & meet with Great spirit, we don't receive attunements we are given knowledge that we then need to apply.

With gentle release we focus more on organs and meridians and interconnected relationship. We work on far more acupressure points.

I feel Gentle release to be far more healing and empowering and shifts a lot more issues than Reiki. I feel it is because we are not placing focus on the therapist needing to be a vessel for healing to come through to then transfer on to client. But simply because we are focused on the clients own energy to shift and clear.'

If you want to learn more about Gentle Release Therapy and start supporting yourself and your family members the Introduction to Gentle Release Therapy Online Course is a great place to start!

Written by Helen Robinson, Founder of Gentle Release Therapy and EnerQi Facial Rejuvenation with Contributions from Gentle Release Therapy Practitioners