Haven't heard of Reiki until...recently? You're not alone. Even though Reiki is rooted in very old principles and was founded by Mikao Usui in Japan in the early 1900s, it didn't come to the U.S. until the 80s.

More recently, national TV personality and real-life doctor, Dr. Oz, made Reiki more well-known when he ranked Reiki as the #1 Ultimate Alternative Medicine for 2010. Having used Reiki in his open-heart surgeries, and associated by marriage—his wife is a Reiki Master—he has been championing Reiki for many years. It doesn't hurt that pro golfer Phil Nickelson and the Chicago White Sox along with celebs like Shania Twain, Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston's dog (counts for fame, right?) are Reiki clients. Plus, Reiki has made appearances on Grey's Anatomy, The Ellen show, and Oprah among others.

But what about Reiki in clinics and hospitals? Yup, it's there too—in hospitals across the country including Genesis in Zanesville, Cleveland Clinic, Dartmouth, Tuscon Medical Center, California Pacific Medical Center, Stanford Medical Center, Johns Hopkins, Yale-New Haven, and Harvard University, a few of the 800 hospitals in 2007 reported to offer Reiki by USA Today. And in 2008, the US Army unveiled a $4 million dollar program to offer Reiki to returning vets. Since then, more hospitals have added Reiki and there's a growth of private Reiki practitioners as new studies reveal the powerful effects of Reiki and people actively seek out treatment.

With recognition and fame from the likes of Shania Twain and Dr. Oz, plus Reiki's rapid integration into western medicine, Reiki is not so “alternative” anymore; it's part of natural healing for everyone. That's great news!