Today’s fast-paced life can leave you stressed, which can disturb your mental, emotional and physical balance of your body leading to ill health. Therefore, it is vital to adopt a daily practice which can help you ease the tension and relax thereby generating happiness and inner peace. Reiki can be one such alternative practice. It is a spiritually driven life force healing which not only enhances one’s health but also improves the quality of life. Practicing Reiki on a daily basis can propel your body to achieve mental, spiritual and physical balance.
Eastern medicinal systems like Yoga, Acupuncture have commonly recognized life force energy and have worked to clear energy blocks to support natural healing mechanisms. Reiki is also a powerful spiritual healing art. It promotes healing by way of touch. It serves to balance and align a person in a gentle, non-invasive manner.
Life force is indefinable energy that surrounds us. It flows through every living being via mediums like meridians, chakras, nadis. It is called “Chi” in China, “Ki” in Japan and “Prana” in India. This subtle life force nurtures all the cells of the body and encourages in their proper functioning. When the free flow of life force gets interrupted, a person possibly feels weak and thus becomes more prone to ailments. Stress and negative thoughts can negatively impact the flow of life force causing disruption and diminished working of body organs. Hence strengthening of life force is crucial to ensure that the body remains healthy and heals swiftly.
What Is Reiki?
Reiki is a complementary health approach in which practitioners place their hands on or just above different areas of the body. It’s based on an Eastern medicine belief that living beings have energy fields that support their health and vitality.
Energy blocks, on the other hand, impede innate flow of energy, causing not only health problems, but also negative life circumstances like financial troubles or relationship problems, according to belief. Energy blocks of any living being can be treated, according to belief, which is why some practitioners also work on animals and plants. Reiki practitioners focus on sensing energy blocks and moving the energy for the greatest good of the client.
Reiki is a form of alternative therapy often called energy healing. If you’re looking for a natural way to relieve pain, ease stress, or help your body heal, Reiki may be an option.
The purpose of Reiki is to promote good health by balancing these energy fields. It’s done by a Reiki practitioner, who places their hands on or just above your body to redirect energy. Research suggests it may help reduce pain and anxiety, improve your mood and sense of well-being , and help with depression.
Many questions are asked when it comes to the topic of “Reiki and Health”.
1. How does Reiki help with health problems? 2. Can Reiki cure illnesses? 3. Can Reiki act as a substitute for medicines and medical treatments? 4. Is there any Reiki technique that can eliminate health issues?
Reiki is believed to be safe, but it shouldn’t replace any of your regular medical treatments. However, in Reiki, we go beyond the physical body. We focus on healing the multiple energetic dimensions of our existence. The physical body is just one manifestation of our multi dimensional nature. In the larger scheme of things, we know that we are beings of pure energy. We also know that when there is an imbalance in the flow of energy, it manifests as a corresponding imbalance in our mental, emotional and physical bodies.
Health Benefits of Reiki
Reiki is an energy healing technique that promotes relaxation, reduces stress and anxiety through gentle touch. Reiki practitioners use their hands to deliver energy to your body, improving the flow and balance of your energy to support healing.
Mikao Usui developed reiki in the early 1900s, deriving the term from the Japanese words rei, meaning “universal,” and ki, which refers to the vital life force energy that flows through all living things. Now, reiki is used all over the world,
1. Relieves pain, anxiety, and fatigue
According to reports, reiki may help to reduce pain and anxiety, though more research is needed. It may also help to reduce fatigue.
A study found that people being treated for cancer who received distant reiki in addition to regular medical care had lower levels of pain, anxiety, and fatigue. These levels were significantly lower than the control group, who only received medical care. Participants had 30-minute sessions of distant reiki for five days.
Even researchers found that reiki significantly reduced pain, anxiety, and the breathing rate in women 1-2 days after having a cesarean delivery. The need for and number of analgesic pain killers was also reduced. Reiki didn’t have an effect on blood pressure or pulse rate.
A study even compared the use of reiki to physiotherapy for relieving lower back pain in people with herniated disks. Both treatments were found to be equally effective at relieving pain, but reiki was more cost-effective and, in some cases, resulted in faster treatment.
2. Treats depression
Reiki treatments may be used as part of a treatment plan to help relieve depression. Researchers looked at the effects of reiki on older adults experiencing pain, depression, or anxiety. The participants reported an improvement of their physical symptoms, mood, and well-being. They also reported more feelings of relaxation, increased curiosity, and enhanced levels of self-care.
Larger, more in-depth studies are required to expand upon these findings.
3. Enhances quality of life
The positive benefits of reiki can enhance your overall well-being. Researchers found that reiki was helpful in improving the quality of life for women with cancer. Women who had reiki showed improvements to their sleep patterns, self-confidence, and depression levels. They noted a sense of calm, inner peace, and relaxation.
Larger studies are needed to expand on these findings.
4. Boosts mood
Reiki may help to improve your mood by relieving anxiety and depression. According to results people who had reiki felt greater mood benefits compared to people who didn’t have reiki. The study participants who had six 30-minute sessions over a period of two to eight weeks showed improvements in their mood.
5. May improve some symptoms and conditions
Reiki may also be used to treat:
headache
tension
insomnia
nausea
The relaxation response that happens with Reiki may benefit these symptoms. However, specific research is needed to determine the efficacy of reiki for the treatment of these symptoms and conditions.
Are there any side – effects of Reiki?
Reiki is non-invasive and thought to be safe. It doesn’t have any known harmful side effects. For those with a past trauma, lying quietly in a dim room with someone close to you might be uncomfortable.
Reiki is not intended to replace any doctor-approved treatment plan.
What happens during a reiki session?
A typical reiki session lasts between 20 and 90 minutes. At your first appointment, you’ll meet with your reiki practitioner. You’ll have a short introduction or chat about the process and your expectations or intentions. Let your practitioner know about any symptoms you want addressed or if there are places in the body on which you’d like them to focus. Also, let the practitioner know if you have any injuries or places that are sensitive to touch.
You’ll be instructed to lie down on a treatment table or mat. They will cover you with a blanket. Usually soft, relaxing music will be playing in the background. For the most part there won’t be any talking during the session, but you can feel free to let your practitioner know if there’s something you need to feel more comfortable or to share what you’re experiencing.
The practitioner will move their hands around your body. They may touch you lightly or have their hands just above your body.
You may experience sensations in the body such as heat or tingling. Some people report seeing visualizations such as colors or pictures, or having memories appear. Try to allow whatever arises to pass without attaching too much meaning to it. Your experiences may become deeper the more you continue with reiki.
Are any Crystals used during Reiki?
Your practitioner may use crystals during your reiki session. Crystals are thought to add an extra element of healing to the treatment by helping to release emotional, mental, or spiritual blocks.
Crystals may be placed on or around your body or you may be asked to hold a crystal. There’s no research to support the use of crystals as improving the healing. But some people claim they can have a calming effect and help with their healing.
Examples of crystals that may be used include:
rose quartz
amethyst
moonstone
topaz
tourmaline
aquamarine
Coming back to the topic of health, we do not currently have an evidence based approach to the management of health issues through Reiki. And even if such research is undertaken, we do not know how successful it will be in coming up with standard Reiki protocols for the management of illnesses. The reason being that each individual’s energy field is so unique and so is their karmic blueprint.
It’s simple – when a person is resistant to the Reiki energy, he will not let the Reiki in. Similarly, a partially receptive person will only receive whatever he is willing to receive. And, such is the case with conventional medicine too; a patient’s recovery is often attributed to his attitude and his will to get better.
Reiki has shown miraculous results on all forms of illness and negative conditions. Through Reiki, the side effects of regular medical treatments have also been condensed or eliminated. This includes the negative effects of chemotherapy, postoperative pain and other ailments. Reiki is believed to have also improved the healing rate of patients.
The best part is that Reiki works well alongside every system of medicine. Medicines have their place in this physical world and often become a necessity for the physical body. With this awareness, we just have to do the best that we can do and let go of the rest- heal ourselves with Reiki every day, allow Reiki to balance our energies and surrender to its loving intelligence.
Reiki gives your body a break from the stresses of daily life, helping your body return to a state of relaxation. Once in this state, your body is able to heal any damage brought on by stress, injury, or disease.
Reiki balances your internal body levels to return to a near-natural state. This means that your breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, circulation, and other bodily systems will improve. This normal balance will allow your body to heal itself from within.
Reiki is becoming increasingly integrated into traditional medical care as a powerful alternative medicine or therapy for healing and promoting well-being in patients. It is gentle, comforting, and non-traumatic, and is easily integrated into an overall wellness and lifestyle plan. Whether you are looking to improve mild health concerns, are searching for ways to reduce stress, or are grappling with more significant health challenges, Reiki treatment is a profound and effective method for healing on a multi-layered and holistic level: mind, body, and spirit.
So, the next time someone asks you how they can use Reiki to heal a health issue, tell them that “Reiki is the way”. All we need to do is practice self healing everyday and allow Reiki to work as it needs to, supporting medical care when needed.
Overall, reiki has the potential to bring about many positive benefits to your overall well-being. Some small research studies show promising results, but more research is needed to determine the benefits of reiki.
Always speak to your doctor if you plan to use reiki to help with any medical condition. Remember that reiki is a complementary therapy and should be used alongside a conventional treatment plan.
Risks and Side Effects of Reiki
Multiple studies report no adverse effects of reiki, likely because it’s a noninvasive treatment. Practitioners note clients usually report feeling relaxed after a session, but some feel energized. Depending on the nature of the problem, Newton says some clients also may feel more emotional or have other intense feelings in the days or weeks following a session.
While there is a professional code of ethics that governs reiki practitioners, there are no licensing boards like there are for doctors, nurses or even hair stylists. Reiki “master” is the highest level of training, but there’s a wide range of training and expertise among practitioners. To ensure the best result, practitioners advise clients to do their homework—ask a practitioner about their training and credentials, but also find someone you connect with and trust.
One potential risk is that clients can misunderstand the role reiki should play in a treatment plan. The code of ethics of the Reiki Alliance, a professional reiki association, clearly states that reiki practitioners work as a complement—not a replacement—to the medical care a patient receives. Reiki is also not a practice intended to instill doubt in other medical treatments and interventions. Clients are strongly discouraged from viewing reiki as a substitute for medical doctors, surgery, therapy or prescribed medications.
Learn REIKI from an expert, join classes or groups that can help you and we are pretty sure the result would be not just visible, but drastic and impactful to turn your life around into a positive way.
