Healthytalk8 What is Reiki?
Contents
Reiki is a Japanese healing technique, which is a kind of alternative medicine.
According to the research, Mikao Usui developed Reiki in the 1920s. It comes with two Japanese words ‘Rei‘ means universal, and ‘Ki‘ means lifeforce.
According to the inscription, Mikao Usui taught his system of reiki to more than 2,000 people during his lifetime (1).
Reiki is considered for stress reduction and relaxation that promote well-being.
But it is not an alternative to allopathic medicine, it is a “supplementary therapy” which means – it can be implemented with all other medical and therapeutic techniques.
Also, it doesn’t cure or get rid of any health conditions by itself.
It stimulates own natural healing abilities, and it is pure unconditional love and joy.
How does it work?
First, the person lies down on the table fully dressed, then practitioners use a technique called “palm healing“.
Over different parts of the body to the patients in order to encourage emotional and physical healing.
Basically, lightly laying of hands just above or on the cloth body, working over the front and back in a slow progression of hand positions.
Reiki has no religious doctrine and is accepted by people from all backgrounds, colors, and belief systems (2).
It stimulated growth, health, life, and healing which keeps us healthy for years and years.
Unfortunately, bad habits and negative feelings result in the flow of Reiki being stifled.
NOTE: Reiki can be destroyed even if we die in the life forces that leave our body it continues to exist as part of the universe.
Research on Reiki
Research showed that this therapy should probably not be considered for the treatment of PDN (painful diabetic neuropathy).
It does not directly cure disease or illness, it just improves well-being, and reduces symptoms, which is why it is used with supplementary therapy (4).
Several studies trial suggests that a single session of Reiki improves multiple variables related to physical and psychological health.
A rat study found that reiki on rats for 5 days for 15 minutes, significantly reduced heart rate.
It was found that a single session where our head, eyes, ears, and chest are covered, showed that reiki increased heart rate and body temperature.
Another study indicates that it also significantly reduces HBP followed by the placebo and the control group.
There are some studies that show links between reiki and reduction in feelings of pain and anxiety (5)
In addition, it reduces pain, and stress, in patients who going to knee replacement therapy (6).
Safety
Reiki is a safe that activates the parasympathetic nervous system to heal the body and mind.
Studies on reiki in the adult population have shown a decrease in pain and stress without affecting vital signs (6) (7).
Safety concerns of reiki sessions are very low, and similar to many complementary and alternative medicine (8).
A pilot study suggests that this therapy among newborns at risk for NAS is a safe intervention (9).
Does reiki have side effects?
During a study on cancer patients who experience pain, reiki treatment showed benefits in most cases, it is supported as pain therapy.
It is considered to be safe, but it may have some adverse effects on individuals like:
- Feel uncomfortable or awkward
- may increase tiredness, which leads to headache, weakness, etc
- drop in oxygen blood level
When reiki perform on premature newborns for 10 days started 7 to 14 days after birth, there were no serious adverse events (10).
Check Out – Premature Birth: Causes, Signs, Complications, Prevent
Reiki for depression and anxiety
The most common and worst enemy of our mental health is anxiety and depression, which affect millions of people.
It is said to work by activating the natural healing process of a person’s body and restoring physical and mental well-being (11).
There are some reports showing that reiki alleviates anxiety and depression, but no specific systematic review.
Maheshwari Gupta a reiki healer with more than 15 years of experience, tells that using reiki on depressed people has shown a positive effect.
It can promote relaxation, reduces stress and anxiety, and promotes a positive mental state through gentle touch (12)
Reiki on cancer patients promoted improvements in well-being, relaxation, the alleviation of pain, and reductions in the level of anxiety (13).
However, there are some well popular studies that show no significant effect on depression, anxiety, and stress with reiki.
How do we feel if reiki performs on me?
It is a created environment of comfort and support.
A Reiki practitioner (Lisa) patient says, that healing has not come from touching like massage, it comes from their energy, and from heat.
Some other says it’s a warm, tingling sensation, which feels safe and comfortable.
Many people who felt Reiki is above themselves they say that feel:
- Someone hugging you
- It’s a human connection that something else is there to protect you
- someone says it’s a warm feeling like a cozy
- Vibrational, electrical feelings from head to toes
Some say I don’t know, what it feels like, but also you must try it, great feeling.
Practitioner Lisa says that when I lay my hand on a patient’s body, I feel my heart open up, also patients open up, and just energy flows.
NOTE: Some others feel numbness, throbbing, itching, and sleepiness or sleepy.
How to Learn Reiki?
Anyone can learn reiki, for this, find a practitioner or you can teach it yourself, which will teach you like a child. this is not, what we read and just learn.
It’s something else, where you have to do with some other person, without even touching them, just with your inner heart, heat, and energy.
You can find practitioners online, you can also get a recommendation from yoga, meditation, and massage clinic.
But there are certain things that weaken the life-giving energy including:
- Too much alcohol and tobacco
- poor breathing
- stress
- a lack of exercise like yoga, meditation
- lack of sleep
- drugs
- negative psychic activity
- poor diet
- negative habits
BOTTOM LINE
It is a Japanese technique for relaxation that also promotes well-being, and it is a “supplementary therapy“.
This means – it can be applied with all other medical and therapeutic techniques, but it cannot cure disease and illness alone.
It is an easy, natural, and safe way of spiritual healing and self-improvement that everyone can use.
