How Does Reiki Work?
A Reiki session typically starts with an interview to determine the illness or discomfort a person is experiencing. The Reiki practitioner asks the patient to lie down so they can administer Reiki. The therapist lightly places their hands on or near the patient’s body. This way, the healing energy from the practitioner flows to the patient. Reiki involves centering, beaming, clearing, infusing, smoothing, raking aura, and extracting harmful energies. In some situations, Reiki practitioners use crystals and chakra healing wands to facilitate energy flow.
Western scientific studies suggest that Reiki’s effects are caused by an increase in the patient’s parasympathetic autonomic nervous system activity. Nevertheless, the patient experiences relaxation, mental clarity, and a heightened sense of well-being. The patient also experiences decreased anxiety and pain.
What Are the Benefits of Reiki?
Today, Reiki is becoming more popular because of its many health benefits. Reiki can be beneficial to anyone, regardless of their state of health. Aside from its health benefits, Reiki is also sought after as a way to achieve relaxation and for its emotional and mental benefits. There are studies that have been made to support Reiki benefits. The results from a large-scale multi-site trial suggest that Reiki improved issues related to the physical and psychological health of over a thousand patients.
Here are seven reasons why it is a perfect alternative treatment for addressing various ailments:
1- Reiki Promotes Relaxation and Stress-Reduction
One of the most popular reasons why people seek Reiki is to achieve stress reduction and relaxation. The balanced flow of life force energy induced by Reiki triggers a relaxation and de-stressing response. Once the body and mind are relaxed, Reiki helps prevent other health issues, such as stomach and heart problems and mood disorders.
Stress reduction helps the patient enjoy the health benefits of Reiki, especially if they are suffering from any of these conditions:
- Irregular heart rhythms that could result in serious issues, such as stroke or angina
- Eating disorders could either be an aversion to food or overeating
- Digestive issues caused by imbalances of hormones, such as ghrelin and leptin
- Mood disorders
2- Reiki Enhances Mental Abilities
Another benefit of achieving a deeply relaxed state through Reiki treatments is enhanced mental ability. Patients attain a state of deep reflection during Reiki sessions, which enables them to reach a deep mental state. Patients can often see through their situations clearer after Reiki sessions, helping them formulate solutions and make sounder choices.
3- Reiki Helps Raise Intuition
Patients often reach a deep mental state during a Reiki session. Because of this, Reiki also helps patients trust their intuition more by allowing them to read their bodies better.
4- Reiki Helps Treat Anxiety and Depression
Many patients also seek Reiki as a treatment for anxiety and depression by itself or alongside conventional treatments. The positivity and calmness reached during Reiki sessions and achieving a better sense of well-being help patients overcome emotional issues. Reiki sessions also improve the mood of the patients because of the increase in the flow of positive energy. Studies done by Bowden et.al. and replicated by Goddard and Gruzelier in 2011 suggest that Reiki may benefit mood in some patients.
5- Reiki Helps Improve Focus and Control
Among the techniques used by Reiki are centering, smoothing, and raking aura. The focus of these techniques is improving a sense of control and groundedness in the recipient where they are connected to the present moment. Reiki thereby helps guide people who seem lost by helping them learn to accept events as they are and stay present in the moment. This way, they can better address their situation than act on impulse.
6- Reiki Helps with Sleeplessness
Because of the deep relaxation and stress relief provided by Reiki, patients benefit further by being able to sleep better. Patients often fall asleep during Reiki sessions, and they maintain the feeling of relaxation after going home. Reiki also helps address issues of sleeplessness by addressing issues that cause them, such as digestive issues and chronic pain.
7- Reiki Helps With Pain Relief
Reiki treatments help ease tension in the muscles and nerves and improve blood flow. A study conducted in 2021 on four randomized control groups involving 212 participants yielded a statistically significant improvement in the pain level of the participants.
