by Beth Haley
Reiki is just one of many therapies that is considered a “holistic” practice because it affects the whole person – body, mind and spirit.
Body
Reiki facilitates deep relaxation, a sense of positive wellness and overall feeling of wellbeing, while supporting and quickening the physical body’s own healing abilities so that we can operate more effectively in our life. It also helps develop a deeper connection or awareness of our body’s needs, like healthy nutrition, and regular exercise.
It is similar to doing a body scan in yoga: what hurts? What part of your body feels tense or tight? Where is there struggle? Where is there resistance? It is a tuning in and creating awareness of what our body is trying to tell us.
“My stomach feels tense and it hurts,” is not just a physical symptom. Knowing that someone just lost a job, puts physical symptoms into a whole new light. Emotions such as stress, affect us holistically, the same as relaxation affects the whole body holistically: body, mind, and spirit.
When we bring ourselves into a relaxed state, our bodies’ healing capabilities are quickened.
Mind And Emotions
Because of the relaxing nature of Reiki, it allows for the release of stress and tension. It supports the examination of our emotions, and encourages us to let go of toxic emotions, thoughts, and attitudes such as bitterness and anger. Reiki stimulates healing of emotions such as sadness and grief, or imbalances in emotional response and reactivity, grounding one in a more balanced state of being, feeling, thinking and responding.
Reiki encourages qualities such as love, care, trust, goodwill and sharing. It can also help to direct the energy of our emotions toward different or more positive outlets, such as creativity.
There is a Taoist practice like this in which you channel or direct unneeded, or excess, sexual energy towards other goals: such as to create art or to write, or to breakthrough in a career or new business. If the energy is unused, misguided, or in excess (imbalanced) Reiki is very helpful in bringing back into balance and redirecting it to where it is needed most.
From my personal experience: I can walk in the door after work in one state, lay down on my yoga mat for a self-treatment in Reiki, and by the time I get up 20-30 minutes later, it’s like I’m a different person.
It has been very balancing for my entire body, especially my emotional body after such things as a big disappointment, after receiving bad news, or even just after a long day. I have literally laid down in tears, and gotten up smiling. It’s a night and day difference.
Combinations can be amazing.
That said, I am also doing a lot, in addition to Reiki, during a treatment. I am visualizing the colors, chanting mantras, praying, repeating an affirmation for each chakra center, meditating…
Combine every therapy you know, that will fit the setting, into the one treatment.
For example, if cranberry is all you need for a urinary tract infection, that is great! But if you combine cranberry with D-mannose and hibiscus, you now have a very powerful combination for your entire urinary tract system from kidneys on down.
When I got a Reiki treatment from my yoga and Reiki instructor, I was getting yoga principles, massage, chiropractic techniques, acupressure, Reiki, and an anatomy lesson to boot!
Spiritual
Reiki helps bring acceptance and love to your whole self, and encourages a non-judgmental look at humankind, allowing you to accept each person as they are. It facilitates qualities of love, empathy, understanding and acceptance, and supports you on your individual path of personal growth and spiritual development.
Reiki Principles
Kyo dake wa – Just Today
Okolu-na
Shinpai suna
Kansha shite
Goo hage me
Hito ni shinsetsu ni
Just for today, do not anger
Just for today, do not worry
Honor your parents, teachers and elders
Earn your living honestly
Show gratitude to every living thing
It is always today.
Photo Credit : Ravi Roshan @ Unsplash
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