Reiki: A Complementary Therapy for Anxiety, Mental Health and Wellbeing
When Katie* came to see me, she had endured debilitating weekly panic attacks for a sustained period of two-years following a traumatic event in her life. Acknowledging her anxious predisposition prior to the traumatic event, Katie was a self-professed chronic worrier and anxious personality. She came to Reiki with initial scepticism but an open mind, prompted by a friend's recommendation.
As an experienced Reiki Practitioner, I have had the privilege of witnessing the transformative power of Reiki in the lives of individuals navigating anxiety, and Katie was one of my earliest.
Guiding her through three sessions within a ten-day period (commonly known as the 'Reiki Trio'), after the initial session, Katie described a sense of lightness of being, a feeling that persisted and deepened with subsequent sessions. Her Boss and work colleagues noticed a positive transformation in her unusually calm and glowing demeanour after the second session, and by the third, she said that she felt different from within, it was as though a weight had been lifted, experiencing a renewed sense of vitality and brightness. She reported a calmness she had never quite experienced before and a noticeable absence of anxiety and worry...the things that would have ordinarily caused her to ruminate on or get worked up or worry about, no longer seemed to phase or impact her. Katie reported that she experienced for the first time what is felt like to be ‘easy going’ and it opened up a whole new world of flexibility and capacity to ‘go with the flow’ without the limitations that fear or worry used to impose on her.
I followed up with Katie 1 week, 2 weeks, a month, several months, a year and finally 5 years later and most remarkably, she had not experienced one single panic attack since the Reiki Trio (an incredible contrast to the minimum weekly occurrence of them for a period of 2 years before our sessions). In addition, she said that she no longer worried about things like before and the anxiety she had experienced most of her life, had just seemed to dissolve.
And whilst individual results vary and some clients require more than the initial Reiki Trio to help support, manage and reduce their anxiety, this narrative underscores the potential of Reiki not merely to alleviate immediate symptoms but to instigate sustained positive changes in an individual's life.
Now, in the may years of practice since that early case with Katie, when new or prospective clients as me, 'will reiki help my anxiety', whilst taking care to let them know that results can vary, I confidently say that time and time again I have been able to bare witness to the remarkable positive impact of Reiki on anxiety, worry, depression and mental wellbeing with my other clients. And in some cases, in can be incredible quick to take effect.
Addressing the Prevalence of Anxiety:
Anxiety remains a pervasive concern affecting millions globally. In Australia, 1 in 5 are reported to be grappling with this issue. And this is reflected in my Reiki clinic, anxiety stands out as the most common reason clients seek my support, showing the growing recognition of Reiki as a valuable addition to mainstream wellness practices.
Understanding Reiki:
Reiki is a system of practices founded by Mikao Usui in Japan which utilizes vital life-force energy for healing. Energy has been utilised for healing for thousands of years in many different cultures using different names. Reiki, as an energy, is the life-giving and sustaining energy that is in and around us. Life, our environment, toxins, stresses, traumas and our minds and thoughts, impact the quality of our own life-force energy. Reiki’s vital life force energy brings up and heals anything unlike itself, slowly and gradually restoring our energy to its pure, more vital state. Reiki is channelled through the Reiki Practitioner, who places their hands on the recipient’s clothed body, connecting the recipient to the Reiki.
Reiki offers a holistic approach to healing. Importantly, it complements mainstream medical therapies without seeking to replace them, gradually restoring the body's energy to a pure and vital state. It is both a safe and effective complimentary therapy with no contraindications.
Clients report that the energy itself feels incredibly loving, calming and healing and many clients report feeling held and supported by the energy.
Clinical Validation and Scientific Insights:
Over the thousands of years energy healing has been practiced, healers and recipients didn’t need science to prove what they knew through direct experience, but today we are starting to see science (and certainly, those in the scientific fields), take much more interest in the possibilities of this incredible natural healing modality.
The integration of Reiki into clinical settings globally, with over 900 hospitals across the USA, UK, Australia, Ireland, Brazil, and Mexico, is a testament to its increasing acceptance and effectiveness, include world leading hospitals such as the Mayo Clinic and John Hopkins. Physicians, surgeons, and nurses are increasingly acknowledging its benefits, particularly reducing pain, hastening recovery and most commonly, in reducing stress and anxiety.
Scientific evaluations confirm Reiki's impact, surpassing placebo effects. Studies indicate its effectiveness in inducing physical relaxation, reducing heart rate, increasing heart rate variability, and activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
Hospital Programs and Studies:
Reiki's effectiveness extends beyond anecdotal evidence. Hospitals, such as Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, have embraced Reiki programs since 1998. A volunteer pilot program in Women’s Health demonstrated statistically significant reductions in pain and anxiety, leading to its formal integration into the Integrative Medicine Department in 1999.
Patient feedback highlighted the invaluable role of Reiki in relaxing, healing, and fostering positive thinking. Subsequent data revealed a remarkable 97% improvement in sleep after Reiki or massage sessions.
In the study, ‘The Effects of Reiki Therapy on Pain and Anxiety in Patients Attending a Day Oncology and Infusion Services Unit’ in the 22 patients who underwent the full cycle of 4 Reiki treatments, the mean VAS anxiety score significantly decreased from 6.77 to 2.28.
At the Oncology-Hematology Unit at Bega Valley Health Services, Reiki sessions provided emotional support, reducing fear, anxiety, and depression during stressful periods.
The ‘Integrative Reiki for Cancer Patients: A Program Evaluation’ of the 213 pre–post surveys of first-time Reiki sessions in the evaluation period, they observed a more than 50% decrease in self-reported distress (from 3.80 to 1.55), anxiety (from 4.05 to 1.44) and depression (from 2.54 to 1.10).
A comprehensive review of 13 peer-reviewed studies between 1998 and 2016 consistently demonstrated Reiki's efficacy. It was found to be better than a placebo in inducing physical relaxation and activating the parasympathetic nervous system, offering tangible physiological benefits.
What My Clients Have Said:
Many of my clients have sought support through Reiki for their anxiety often alongside and as a compliment to mainstream talk therapy and/or medications. Some of the comments my clients have made following Reiki session are ‘I felt grounded for the first time in my life, something that has evaded me my whole life’, ‘I’ve never been able to feel this calm, not even with years of therapy and my medication’, ‘I don’t worry as much and I’m able to go with flow more’, ‘I feel much less stressed and so much calmer’, ‘Nothing else I have done has managed my anxiety like Reiki has’, and ‘This is the first time in I don’t know how long, that I’ve been able to sleep throughout the night’, some reporting the benefits lasting a month after one or two sessions, others for much longer.
Conclusion:
As individuals increasingly seek holistic approaches for mental health, Reiki emerges as a valuable and safe complementary therapy, particularly for anxiety. The amalgamation of client anecdotes, clinical validation, and scientific insights reaffirms Reiki's potential in alleviating anxiety and promoting overall well-being.
If you are interested in having Reiki to help your manage anxiety and wish to discuss your situation further, please contact me and we can arrange a time to chat. Otherwise, if you are ready to start your Reiki journey, you can book an appointment here. I look forward to connecting with you for Reiki!
Warmest,
Fiona x
Certified Reiki Shihan (Teacher) and Practitioner
Within The Space
*Note: All names and identifying details of clients referred to in this article have been changed to preserve client confidentiality.
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