What is Reiki and 5 Amazing Benefits of the Alternative Practice

Reiki is a natural therapy used to help promote relaxation, relieve stress and pain, and calm the parasympathetic nervous system by moving ki, or life force energy, through energetic channels in the body. This practice originated in Japan in the 20th century before spreading worldwide. Reiki is now used in many hospital and hospice settings, spas, and meditation centers worldwide.

 

Reiki is performed by a trained and certified professional who gently “lays hands” on or slightly above the clothed client and helps instruct the energy within the client to move freely. They will try to remove any energetic blocks and encourage the ki to move quickly and freely through the body. It is thought that stagnant or slow-moving life force energy manifests as physical or mental ailments.

5 Benefits of Reiki

Many people who seek out a reiki professional have at least one ailment or concern they would like to address. However, even if you don’t have something specific you would like addressed, reiki can help improve your life in many ways.

 

Introducing reiki sessions into your life with either remote or in-person sessions can help improve your quality of life, help manage depression and improve mood, relieve pain and anxiety, increase sleep quality, and may even help your fertility.

Improves Quality of Life

Reiki is a noninvasive treatment plan that anyone can benefit from. Many people seek out reiki for its overall reputation for increasing relaxation and improving the mental health of the individuals who regularly attend sessions.

 

A study conducted in 2011 saw that the individuals who received six treatments in 2-6 weeks saw an increase in their mood and overall happiness compared to those who didn’t receive reiki sessions.

 

Reiki has also been used to help manage many ailments and diseases. While more studies need to be conducted, many argue that reiki helps treat headaches, pain, insomnia, and nausea.

Can Help Manage Depression and Improve Mood

When someone is hoping to overcome their depression or other mental health woes, many therapists and doctors recommend seeking alternative therapies along with their conventional ones. For example, reiki is a commonly prescribed energy work for many patients.

 

In 2010, a small study looked at how older adults reporting levels of pain, depression, or anxiety reacted to a regiment of reiki treatments. After these participants received their reiki sessions, they reported an improvement in every category! In addition, these individuals were experiencing less physical pain and reported having better moods, improved sense of well-being, and increased levels of relaxation.

Relieves Pain and Anxiety

In a 2015 study, experts looked at women who had just undergone a cesarean birth. They noticed that the women who had received distant reiki sessions, sessions not done in person, reported lower levels of stress, pain, and anxiety than those who didn’t receive reiki.

 

Even those not undergoing major surgery can benefit from reiki as pain relief. In 2018, a study was conducted on patients undergoing physical therapy for herniated disks. The research showed that both the reiki clients and the physical therapy clients saw improvement in pain. However, some of the clients receiving reiki reported feeling better faster than others not receiving reiki.

Increases Quality of Sleep

One of the most common problems people seek a reiki practitioner for is insomnia. Reiki helps promote relaxation by calming the parasympathetic nervous system, allowing clients to fall asleep quicker and easier.

 

Another way that reiki can help with insomnia is by creating a connection between the practitioner and the client. These interpersonal relationships help provide a sense of calm inside the client’s brain as the reiki professional is a safe and comfortable person who cares for them.

May Help Infertility

Just as many individuals turn to acupuncture when they have difficulty conceiving, reiki is another popular alternative. Reiki is thought to help remove any emotional or energetic blocks that could be within the client’s body, creating a difficult time for their bodies to conceive naturally.

 

In addition to removing the energetic blocks, reiki can calm the parasympathetic nervous system, creating a feeling of relaxation and peace, which is an integral part of the fertility journey.

 

Reiki has also been known to help reduce nausea, improve sleep quality, and decrease stress for individuals trying to conceive or who are already pregnant.

Who Performs Reiki

Before someone can ethically call themselves a reiki professional, they need to attend a training class and receive a certificate. There are multiple levels to becoming reiki certified, with each level requiring more education.

 

Local or federal government agencies do not regulate reiki. Most practitioners received their certifications online, leaving lots of discrepancies between organizations. If you are hoping to find a certified reiki professional in your area, the International Center for Reiki Training has a directory of professional reiki practitioners you can utilize.

Are There Negative Side Effects to Reiki?

Since reiki is a noninvasive treatment, there are not any contraindications. This means anyone can experience and benefit from a reiki session. During the sessions, there are no physical manipulations, nothing is ingested, and nothing is applied to the skin.

 

Most sessions are completed with the individual lying down. However, adjustments can easily be made, allowing the client to be seated or standing. Distance reiki allows those bed bound or in a different location to experience the healing effects of this treatment.

Summary

Alternative therapies, like reiki, are gaining popularity all over the world. Since its inception in Japan in the early 20th century, reiki has helped billions of people get relief from common mental and physical ailments.

 

During reiki, the professional will help guide the ki, or life force energy, through energetic pathways inside the client’s body. They do this by gently placing their hands slightly above or on the client’s clothed body.

 

Reiki has been shown to help improve your quality of life, help manage depression and improve mood, relieve pain and anxiety, increase the quality of your sleep, and may even help your fertility.

 

Reiki practitioners are certified and trained, usually online. Since there is no physical manipulation, ingestion of substances, or topical treatments applied, reiki has no contraindications and can be performed on anyone, both in person or distantly.