Turning to Reiki for Stress Relief

DISEASE PREVENTION & ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

Stress is a normal part of life but when prolonged, it may have negative effects on our health. Working long hours, carrying out family obligations, stewing in traffic jams, coping with financial issues and running out of time to coordinate healthy meals all contribute to the high levels of stress in our lives. This build up of stress eventually creates imbalances in our physical, emotional and mental health.

Our stress can be handled in different ways. At times, we can choose to eliminate a stressful situation or instead remove ourselves from stressful surroundings. Unfortunately, it’s not always that simple. Managing stress can also be achieved through regular exercise or even a stress-reduction technique such as reiki.

An ancient Japanese technique, reiki is a non-invasive, energybased approach to relaxation and healing. Subtle, yet powerful, it is designed to stimulate the body’s natural ability to heal itself on all levels—physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Using a variety of hand positions on or just above the body, reiki practitioners work to increase energy levels in the body, restoring balance, health and well-being. In addition to its calming effects, reiki also helps in reducing the symptoms of anxiety, digestive disorders, insomnia and chronic stress.

During a reiki session, there are certain points on the body that practitioners focus on: the head, where we hold a lot of tension and stress; the heart, where we store our emotional memories; the stomach and solar plexus, where we hold a lot of tension, stress and worry; and the lower abdomen. By encouraging energy flow to these areas it creates an awareness of our bodies and emotions, allowing us to sense when stress levels are high.

Over time, reiki has become a more widely accepted form of healing. The hospital community has begun to recognize its benefits and as a result more research is being conducted to determine the full extent of its effect on both stress and anxiety. Past research indicated that patients who received six sessions of reiki showed significantly reduced signs of stress and depression. Re-testing one year later on those same patients showed that the positive results of the six reiki sessions remained in tact. Due to a better understanding of the positive impact of reiki, hospitals in England are now employing reiki practitioners to work with patients pre and post operative.

Tried and true, reiki is a safe, effective method for easing the symptoms of stress, building up the positive energy in the body and restoring a sense of well-being and balance. Talk to a certified reiki practitioner and incite positive changes in your life.

Owner of Infinite Wellness Services, Cress Spicer is a Reiki Master/Teacher, Certified Bodytalk Practioner and Bodytalk Access Instructor.