Reiki
Reiki is a complementary therapy relating to energy healing. Proponents say it works through the transfer of universal energy from the practitioner’s palms to the client. Many people find Reiki effective at reducing stress, anxiety, depression and pain.
Reiki Helping You Make Positive Lifestyle Changes
Reiki therapy is based on an Eastern belief that vital energy flows through your body. The idea is that a person who specialises in reiki treatment, referred to as a reiki master, uses gentle touch, or places their hands just above your body in order to help guide this energy in a way that leads to balance and healing.
Reiki has been studied for conditions like pain, anxiety, and depression. It’s a complementary treatment, which means you use it along with proven traditional medical treatments. It doesn’t cure or get rid of any health conditions by itself.
What is the History of Reiki?
The reiki healing system, founded by Mikao Usui in the early 1900s, said that people should practice certain standards or values that bring about peace and harmony, ideals that most cultures practice. It was brought to the Western part of the world by Hawayo Hiromi Takata and become popular in the U.S. quickly.
The term comes from two Japanese words: “rei,” which means universal, and “ki,” which loosely translates to a flow of a life force of energy that happens in all living things.
Reiki practitioners act as a middle ground between you and energy forces. Energy travels from their hands to you, and more specifically the areas of focus. During a session, you would take only the energy flow that you need instead of what the reiki practitioner might think you need.
What Conditions Can Reiki Help With?
Reiki can aid relaxation, assists in the body’s natural healing processes, and develops emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. Because reiki is considered a universal life force energy, it can be useful in helping with many conditions, including:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Stress
- Infertility
- Chronic pain
- Neurodegenerative disorders
- Cancer
- Heart disease
- Autism
- Crohn’s disease
- Parkinson's disease
- Trouble with digestion
It is important to note that Reiki should never take the place of medical treatments. However, people living with certain health conditions may be interested in trying Reiki to compliment their regular treatment.
For instance, some people with cancer may find Reiki beneficial as it may help them relax. The gentle nature of Reiki therapy may have a soothing effect on patients who find that they become overwhelmed with invasive therapy, fear, and stress.
Individuals report different experiences. Some say that the practitioner’s hands become hot, others report cooling hands, and some feel pulsating waves. The most common reports are of a release of stress and deep relaxation.
Donna Marie Thomas
Hello, my name is Donna, I am a qualified counsellor, psychotherapist, hypnotherapist and Registered Member of BACP based in Pontefract, West Yorkshire.
I have a passion for helping people to enjoy a happier, more fulfilling life via a person centred approach to therapy tailored to meet each individuals specific needs.
Get in touch to find out more or book an appointment with me today.
What are the Seven Chakras in Reiki?
Healing with Reiki revolves around opening up your body’s energy centres, called chakras. Chakras are seven key points stretching from the base of your spine to the top of your head, and each one is linked to different parts of your body.
Reiki healers focus on these key areas in order to get your energy flowing, aiming to improve your mood and overall health. Here are the seven chakras:
- The root chakra is right at the bottom of your spine, at the tailbone
- The sacral chakra is just below your belly button
- The solar plexus chakra is placed in your upper belly
- You can find the heart chakra right at the centre of your chest
- The throat chakra is, as you probably guessed, in your throat area
- The third eye chakra sits between your eyebrows
- The crown chakra is at the very top of your head
During a Reiki session, the practitioner will work with these areas, placing their hands near them to encourage healing. They do this gently, without pressing hard or touching you anywhere else, ensuring that you remain comfortable at all times and the energy in your body is flowing properly.
What are the Benefits of Reiki?
Studies show that reiki therapy may be useful for reducing stress and anxiety, easing pain, and even improving your quality of life. It can bring about symptom relief and other improvements, like:
- Help with meditation
- Balance to your immune system
- Post-surgery healing of bones and tissues
- A natural form of healing one's self
- Support healing for other medical conditions
Is Reiki Evidence-Based?
While some studies provide support for it, Reiki lacks substantial scientific evidence compared to other therapies. Nevertheless, Reiki is generally regarded as a good complement to these standard therapies.
Just because there are not enough studies proving Reiki’s efficacy yet doesn’t mean it’s not worth considering. It can still be a part of a well-rounded approach to dealing with a range of health conditions when used alongside evidence-based treatments.
How Innerworth Counselling Can Help
Reiki can provide you with a safe, soothing, compassionate and confidential space where you can begin to discuss and understand the root causes of your specific problems.
Take the First Step Now
I offer private Reiki sessions, and take a person-centred approach, meaning that I’m non-judgemental, see clients as equals, and collaborate on your healing journey together.
If you feel that Reiki could be beneficial for your problems please book an initial consultation. You don’t have to prepare for this, just come as you are and we can look into how I might be able to help.
Additional Information
Here are some links that you may find helpful:
NHS
www.nhs.uk
Mind
The team at Mind provide information on a range of mental health problems.
www.mind.org.uk
Contact me today to book a confidential consulation
What My Clients Say
Jason Osborne
I shall be forever bewildered by the effectiveness of hypnotherapy. I had always remained sceptical until my very last session, then the “weight” that suddenly lifted was both physical and emotional and continues to benefit both myself and those around me three years on – thank you Donna.
Jason Osborne
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I went to see Donna because my anxiety and depression had spiralled out of control. I now have skills and techniques that I can use for the rest of my life to help me cope with any challenges. Thoroughly recommend psychotherapy from Innerworth Counselling. Donna is warm, professional and clearly passionate about what she does.