You cannot avoid feeling pain and anger after facing a tragedy due to a physical or mental injury. While it is a part of life, brooding too long on the pain can be harmful to your health. Therefore, you must immediately take medication to relieve the pain or turn to treatments like acupuncture. However, what if you’re not only looking to heal your physical pain but also the mind and soul within? In such a case, Reiki therapy may serve you right, healing the body, mind, and soul’s energy. Today, we’ll discuss the benefits of Reiki, what it exactly is, and how can you get the therapy.
What is Reiki?
Developed in 1922 by a Japanese Buddhist named Mikao Usui, Reiki is a type of energy healing. Reiki is a combination of Japanese words rei (universal) and ki (life energy).
Energy healing aims at the energy fields around the body. The practitioners believe when someone goes through an emotional or physical injury, the energy in the body becomes stationary. This stagnant energy can in turn cause further illness. Improving the flow of energy around the body during such injuries can speed up the healing, relax the mind and body, and reduce pain.
There exist energy medicines and methods such as acupuncture to restore the flow of energy. Similarly, Reiki is an efficient method of energy healing. It started becoming popular in the US in the 1940s and Europe in the 1980s. Around the western world, Reiki is also known as palm healing and hands-on healing.
How Does Reiki Take Place?
Before we dive into the benefits of Reiki, let’s have a look at how the session takes place. To start with, Reiki requires a peaceful atmosphere, though you can conduct it anywhere. The session can take place with or without music, depending on the preference of the patient, who will sit in a chair or lie on a table fully clothed.
The practitioner then begins to lightly place their hands over specific areas of the patient’s body for up to 5 minutes. Some of these areas include the limbs, head, and torso, but can go up to 20 different spots the practitioner can target. In case of an injury on the skin, the practitioner holds a hand above the wound.
When holding hands on or over the body, the energy transfer takes place. The practitioner continues to hold a hand over the body until they feel the energy transfer is complete. Tingling and warmth in the hand are the key signs that indicate the energy is still transferring to the body.
Once the practitioner believes they have transferred the benefits of Reiki and the energy flow has been restored, they would place their hands over another area and continue the process. A Reiki session can take up to 90 minutes, depending upon the client’s expectation from the Reiki healing.
Getting a Reiki Session
If you wish to earn the benefits of Reiki, the first step is to book a session. Reiki is becoming popular in most countries due to it being a herald of wellbeing and combating pain. If you get lucky, the major hospitals in your city would offer a Reiki session free of cost, as a part of their voluntary program.
However, if it is not available in the hospital, you might have to take a private session, which costs up to $100. Be careful when booking a private Reiki session, as there are a few regulations that govern the therapy. Always ask your practitioner for their Reiki training and experience before the session.
Remember that Reiki is just a therapy that promotes wellbeing, and in no way is an alternative to treatments for major diseases. We strongly recommend taking professional medical advice before taking a Reiki session.
Benefits of Reiki
Now that we know about Reiki and how to book a session, let’s have a glance at Reiki’s benefits. Below are 9 benefits of Reiki, discussed in detail.
1. Restores Blocked Energy
Frequent Reiki sessions can help break any energy blocks your body is experiencing. When your body feels energy blocks, the energy cannot flow to certain areas and hence causes anger, pain, mood swings, and fear. Reiki helps to clear these passageways and make a way for energy to flow through your body. It leads to healing from physical/mental pain, improving memory and learning, and spurring mental clarity.
2. Props the Immune System
Among the benefits of Reikiis its support for the immune system. A Reiki session can assist the body to enter the ‘repair’ or ‘self-healing’ state and get rid of useless energies in our body. By doing so, it cleanses our body of any toxins and shields it from immune system failures, burnouts, or exhaustion.
3. Improves Your Sleep
Among many benefits of Reikiis its contribution toward a relaxed sleep. A Reiki session can relax your mind and body to the point that it promotes self-healing and the ability to think more clearly. As a result, you can expect to have a good sleep the following night. If the Reiki meditation goes too well, you might fall asleep during the session, as well.
4. Enhances Self-Healing Ability
Included in the benefits of Reiki is the ability of the body to self-heal more effectively. By restoring the energy blocks, Reiki can help balance the internal body levels and return them to a natural state. It means that some of the key functions such as blood pressure, breathing, and heart rate would improve. As a result, the balanced and neutralized body shows a better ability to self-heal from injury and pain.
5. Helps Mind to Focus
A clear mind focus is a part of the numerous benefits of Reiki. By restoring the flow of energy to the mind, a Reiki session brings the patient to the present moment while forgetting about the past. By letting go of past mistakes and anxieties, it offers a clear sense of purpose to focus on goals and objectives that matter in the present.
Additionally, Reiki helps perceive the unknown with a positive mindset and face challenges head-on with an attitude to overcome them.
6. Relaxes and Rids Body of Tension
Reiki offers the opportunity to simply forget about the world for some minutes, and that’s what people like the most about it. By sitting on a chair or lying on a table, the patient forgets about all the worries and tensions, relaxing and enjoying the present. By feeling relaxed, the patient experiences light and peaceful life for the time being. It enables the patient to think clearly about what their inner-self wants and reflect on doing what makes them happy.
7. Brings Balance and Harmony
The benefits of Reiki include well-balanced systems of the body and mind. By taking a non-invasive approach to maintaining the flow of energy in the body, Reiki ensures overall wellbeing.
Reiki restores all systems of mind, spirit, and body by getting rid of any energy blocks. Consequently, it promotes harmony and allows the patient to continue with their life in a positive way.
8. Promotes Emotional Growth
A distinct quality of Reiki is that it focuses on the entire person, not just the body. Therefore, it also emphasizes the mind and soul, making the benefits of Reiki more pronounced. The transfer of energy not only removes the pain and anger but also improves the patient’s mood and attitude toward life, contributing to emotional growth.
The decisions that the patient takes would be a result of the positive progress of their mind and these reflect through their daily activities. Not only does Reiki spur emotional growth, but it also emphasizes emotional cleansing, letting go of past regrets, and focusing ahead.
9. Banishes Depression
Depression is a common problem today, and one of the benefits of Reikiis that it helps get rid of it. By unbarring the energy, it comforts the mind to relax and combat depression. Certain evidence exists that shows the effectiveness of Reiki against depression as well.
For instance, a 2010 study reveals that Reiki can combat depression. The research focused on older adults experiencing depression, anxiety, and pain. These adults then took Reiki sessions and the researchers found an improvement in their wellbeing and mood. Furthermore, they also reported improved self-care, curiosity, and relaxation.
Does Reiki Have Side Effects?
We have already discussed many benefits of Reiki, but is it free from side effects? Reiki is non-invasive and pretty safe, with no known side effects.
However, if you feel uncomfortable being in a room alone in a dark setting with somebody close to you, then the Reiki massage is not for you. Additionally, if you’re on an active treatment plan and your doctor advises you against Reiki therapy, we strongly recommend following your doctor’s instructions.
Summary
Energy healing has become increasingly popular in recent times as a measure to mitigate pain and anger. One proven method to restore energy within the body, mind, and soul is Reiki – a Japanese therapy introduced in 1922. Reiki focuses to break any energy blocks in your body to restore its flow. It consequently causes relaxation and improves focus. Some other benefits of Reiki are freedom from depression, progress in self-healing ability, enhanced focus, and so much more. However, if you’re undergoing medical treatment, we strongly suggest consulting your doctor before taking a Reiki session.
