The Potential of Reiki to Support Health
In this article series viewing Reiki from differing perspectives, we look at viewing Reiki from a health perspective. In the UK all-natural therapies have major restrictions on reporting the results we observe with our therapies, especially regarding positive results around conditions people might be suffering from. So in relation to the topic of Reiki and helping people from a health perspective be aware we have a very narrow window of issues we can claim Reiki to be beneficial, so this article is written to be mindful of this reality.
Any claim of improvement in illness and health will quite rightly attract attention from government bodies that were put in place to protect the public from misleading claims in the area of health. Claims of any health benefit by any therapy can also gain the attention of companies, organizations, or individuals with an emotional or financial attachment to a different belief system or treatment approach. That said I am witnessing an increase in more open-minded medically trained professionals who are starting to appreciate the value of more integrative approaches to health utilizing natural therapies and we welcome such progressive thinking from such individuals.
Reiki is used in quite a few hospitals in the USA due to it being more established and more widely accepted there than in the UK at this time. Applications include specific post-surgery recovery, to generally speed up recovery and reduce the time patients need to stay in the hospital. The value of Reiki is increasingly being recognized for applications such as post-traumatic stress disorder. (PTSD) among others.
Many of the benefits from viewing Reiki from a wellness perspective also have benefited from a health view such as lowering stress levels. Just from a physical view lowering chronic elevations of cortisol (the primary stress hormone) is going to help physical health whichever way you look at it. In Japan Reiki has been traditionally used extensively for all kinds of conditions, including illness and physical conditions. However, from a legal and professional position in the UK, (and indeed Japan) a more conservative presentation of the merits of Reiki in regard to health is more advisable in the current climate.
For a start, the positive effect my clients repeatedly report Reiki having an improving influence on their sleep, which could be considered a key way in which Reiki can positively support someone's health. There is an array of now-accepted diseases and health problems that poor sleep patterns are considered contributing factors. In addition, the effects Reiki has on reducing stress also warrant strong consideration of the merits of Reiki in the context of improving health.
A point to consider when looking at Reiki’s use within a treatment plan for health or with a medical condition is regarding the timing, or stage of disease development when someone might look to Reiki to help them. It is almost always after diagnosis. Indeed in many situations, it is only after all allopathic, or conventional treatments have failed that someone looks to natural therapies. This is very different from evaluating the value of Reiki in a pro-active approach to building health, or at least as an integrated, holistic approach with other professionals, be they natural or medical-based.
Eastern systems of medicine have always recognized that we live in a world of energy and that the free flow of this energy is the foundation of well-being, facilitating the body’s natural healing ability. From an Eastern view of health, an emotion may be driving a physical problem: for example, buried anger from past emotional hurt, say from a past relationship, or from childhood, might manifest as energetic disruption, or stagnation of energetic flow in the body, so we might utilize Reiki in assisting healing of the deeper emotional root cause of such an issue, this could have a potential impact towards better health as well.
In my previous professional career as a holistic health coach building people’s health, I observed this pattern of energetic imbalances and an individual’s health profile with my own clients. At the time I specialized in building health, via natural/ holistic methods, as a holistic health and lifestyle practitioner and exercise conditioning specialist for many years. Witnessing the patterns in energy disruption, past/present lifestyle, and their current health problems, was all the evidence I needed as to the merits of something like Reiki.
It is sensible to suggest that it is from a proactive view of health that Reiki might have the greatest influence on a person’s or even a population’s health. Again very hard to isolate all the variables and measure to statistical significance under scientific measures, however, it only takes a little understanding of natural health and Reiki to see the potential benefit.
I have always worked in an integrative fashion with other professionals for the best outcomes for my clients and I continue to do so. I find that all areas of emotional well-being, nutrition, physical activity, posture, happiness in life, and environmental toxicity among other things all need consideration with regard to health. I would say that Reiki can have a very powerful part in that mix, especially in the root causes of imbalances. In the context of this article, I am talking about emotional healing as well as Reiki's effect in stimulating the clearance of energetic tensions, stagnation, and blocks to support the body's natural healing mechanisms to work correctly.
So to conclude, the potential of Reiki to support someone’s health is from a variety of angles, primarily, deep relaxation supporting better sleep, reducing stress, helping someone to be calmer, as well as emotional healing and well-being. Reiki will likely be best used in conjunction, or in a support role with a medical team, or other health professionals, yet it is an application of Reiki as a natural therapy that can easily be overlooked. To get an idea of different ways people have actually found Reiki to be beneficial in their life, have a look at my Reiki reviews page, Or to find out more about Reiki and how I help people with Reiki treatments and Reiki Courses visit those pages. Or for similar articles see the Reiki articles page.
I am mainly known nowadays for my work with Reiki, as a specialist in authentic Japanese Reiki. I am an experienced, Reiki teacher and practitioner with a proven track record of results. I offer Jikiden Reiki training courses, promoting authentic Japanese Reiki teachings. I am based in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, in the UK. I have a background in coaching and training in the areas of exercise coaching, holistic lifestyle, fitness, and performance coaching. I also have a BSc.(Hons) degree in Sport and Exercise Science, for more information visit: www.shaunmckeown.com
The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article. Shaun Mckeown, disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article.