Suffering from anxiety? Stressed?
Then you will have likely heard about Reiki. Reiki is a well-known form of energy healing that aims to restore balance in your body and return you to a comfortable state of mind.
What is Reiki?
Reiki is a form of energy healing.
You can use “hands-on” and “hands-off” treatment. Either way, Reiki focuses on relieving your pain by balancing your seven ‘chakras’ — i.e. cores or centers in your body. The idea of Reiki is to remove the obstacles that impede the flow of energy in your body.
Can Reiki Help with Anxiety?
Absolutely!
Not only for treating anxiety but when it comes to mental health, Reiki is gaining ground as a treatment option. Of course, there is that perception that Reiki is this mysterious, last resort for those who have tried everything else. But Reiki has much, much more weight than that.
According to Harvard Medical School’s Ashwini Nadkarni, M.D, Reiki can “induce relaxation in a manner similar to yoga or acupuncture and attenuate people’s stress response.”
In fact, even mainstream medical practitioners are open to letting their patients use Reiki to address anxiety as well as depression, pain, and emotional issues. As a result, Reiki is now a more common sight at hospitals, hospices, and other private practices.
Have There Been Studies on Reiki and Anxiety?
Scientifically, there’s no way to explain how Reiki reduces anxiety.
However, when it comes to mental health, there are many intangible factors, such as the people in your life, the difficulties you’re facing at work or at home, and countless others.
It’s difficult to put any of that into a neat graph or chart, and Reiki does not try that, at all. Reiki is an option among many (or used in combination with others) to get at the root of the problem.
But there are studies (discussed below) that show that it anxiety goes down after Reiki.
Have Anxiety?
Is Nothing Else Working?
The Center for Reiki Research spearheaded a massive effort to study the impact of Reiki on reducing anxiety and other mental health issues in patients.
Results have frequently shown that patients using Reiki for mental health treatment have seen both “immediate and long-term improvements in depression, stress, and hopelessness.” Reiki’s results were particularly effective among cancer patients.
Using Reiki for Anxiety
So, you might be wondering ‘how do I use Reiki to solve my anxiety?’
Well, here is a breakdown of what to expect when you go for Reiki treatment.
When you approach a Reiki practitioner, you should “expect the practitioner to treat you with respect and to create an atmosphere of safety and acceptance.”
Your Reiki practitioner will talk to you to understand you — and the triggers or issues that worry you — before beginning the treatment process. This could take a few minutes.
To begin treatment, you will be asked to lie down on a massage table.
Unlike some other forms of healing, Reiki is done fully clothed and your practitioner will not use any oils. Furthermore, there are no manual treatments, even on hands-on treatment. Rather, the practitioner will use “very light touch” to bring life force energy into the chakras that need it.
If you opt for non-touch treatment, then the practitioner will channel the life force energy without touching you. It’s perfectly fine if you opt for this method. In the end, Reiki is about empowering you to discard or let go of whatever is causing you anxiety.
For More on Healing:
What Happens After Reiki Treatment?
No two people are the same, so how you respond to Reiki will be different from someone else.
However, your Reiki practitioner will ask how you feel to see if your chakras are in balance and, in turn, if your anxiety or other mental health troubles have gone down.
Key positive signs include better sleep or greater calm in difficult situations. But negative signs are not a bad thing as they could mean your body is clearing them — i.e., a sign of healing.
If you have additional questions about whether Reiki treatment is right for you, then we strongly encourage you to visit or contact our team at Better Living. We look forward to listening to you and understanding the issues that are troubling your mind and body. Let’s talk today!
