Thirty years ago, most mainstream Americans knew little about Eastern culture other than egg rolls and the "Ancient Chinese Secret" detergent commercial. Luckily, massage therapy gained popularity over the past decade and paved the way for other alternative healing modalities such as reiki.

Reiki is an ancient art form and technique used for healing, stress reduction and relaxation. It's based on the idea that unseen energy flows through all living things and is directly connected to good health.

Rennie Laing of Blue Earth Studio, 6944 N. Port Washington Rd., has been a reiki master for 18 years.

"Reiki works on an emotional, mental, spiritual and physical level all at the same time," she says.

Karen Dwight agrees. Three years ago, she moved to Milwaukee from Denver where she saw a reiki master on a regular basis and says, "For me, reiki is a cross between a massage and a therapy appointment."

A reiki session is, in some ways, similar to getting massage, and usually takes place in a room with many of the same trimmings: a massage table, candles, soft music and New Age baubles. Reiki clients, however, usually stay clothed.

Laing, who is also a massage therapist and henna artist, says she begins a session by asking the client why they chose reiki, and then tailors her technique from there. In general, reiki masters work to eliminate stress, aid in pre- and post-operative healing and increase emotional health.

So how does this happen? In the simplest terms, the reiki master places his or her hands over parts of the body -- often times over one of the seven chakras -- and channels positive energy to the ailing areas. Ideally, the reiki master locates the body's problem spots where negative thoughts and feelings are stored, and releases good energy to melt away the bad stuff, allowing the afore-mentioned energy -- or life force -- to flow in a healthy and natural way.

"It's like my body becomes a hollow tube. I draw in energy and release it to help people feel better and to help them get charged up so they have more chi (energy)," says Laing.

Don't buy it? According to Laing, you don't have to.

"The best part about reiki, is that you don't have to believe in it to work," she says.

Laing says she had a skeptical client a few years ago who came to her with active congestive heart failure and that within one session, her heart failure disappeared. Although the condition returned two years later, Laing says she worked on the client two more times, and that she has been healthy for five years.

Reiki can also help with sexual abuse healing. One client came to Laing after years of stress and anxiety due to rape, including an unexplainable fear of aluminum foil. Through reiki -- which often stirs up blocked memories and emotional issues -- the client remembered that her abuse happened in an attic with exposed foil on the walls.

"People with chronic stress issues usually feel change within one or two sessions," she says.

However, how long the stress or pain stays away depends on the person. For some, it returns quickly, while others shed it for weeks, months or even for good.

Typically, a reiki session is one hour long and costs between $50 and $100 (Laing charges $60). After a session, clients feel anything from energized to fatigued.

Laing says Milwaukee, in general, is starting to appreciate and understand reiki, but many people still harbor the misunderstanding that reiki is a religious practice.

"It doesn't matter what religion you are, because reiki isn't a religious belief. It's for anyone who wants to transform their life and become more intimate with themselves," she says.

For more information about reiki or to schedule an appointment, call Blue Earth Studio at (414) 351-6562.