In our modern society people are increasingly taking their health into their own hands and making their own informed choices about what is best for them, rather than relying on Western medicine alone. The current trend for increased well-being is leading people to a mixture of Western and Eastern philosophies. We now more readily accept that physical conditions often have emotional causes, stress being one of the major factors in causing poor health. Reiki is a Japanese healing system that works on the body, mind and soul, creating a natural balance between all three.
Linking the Physical and Emotional
As Reiki healers we are trained to treat the person as a 'whole' meaning we look at the physical and emotional bodies and their interconnection.
We have seen through our healing work that certain events in people's lives have often triggered their conditions. Major traumas in people's lives will generally manifest as a physical illness eventually. Even seemingly inconsequential events will accumulate over time to create a physical problem. Ailments such as lower back pain, arthritis, stomach disorders (Crohn's, Celiac, gut permeability etc) can be aggravated and in some cases caused by emotional trauma and stress.
The Main Offender - Stress
Recognising Stress
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms below you may be suffering from the effects of stress: trouble sleeping, headaches, constipation, diarrhoea, irritability, lack of energy, lack of concentration, poor appetite or over eating, anger, sadness, higher risk of asthma and arthritis flare-ups, stomach cramping and bloating, skin problems, depression, weight gain or loss, heart problems, high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, neck and/or back pain, decrease in sexual desire.
Causes of Stress
Stress begins from the moment you are born when you are first separated from your mother. You become stressed when are you are hungry, need changing, need a hug etc. As you grow up your interactions with other people cause you stress such as: gaining parents and peers approval, succeeding at school, forming relationships, relationship breakdowns, working, not working, commuting, environmental factors (external toxins, tobacco, pollution, alcohol, food), hormonal factors, exams, driving, shopping, having children, losing loved ones, moving house, money and lack of, to mention but a few! Stress attacks us from every direction, everyday, whether we recognise it or not. In some areas stress is perceived as being a positive attribute but in reality you are subjecting your entire body to a chemical attack, creating an imbalance in your normal healthy bodily functions. It is no wonder that so many of us are plagued with so many different illnesses. Any form of change or even imagined change is stressful.
We generally tend to live fast paced lives with ever increasing financial demands. We are brought up to be ambitious and high achievers, focusing on our careers and acquiring material possessions as the answer to our problems. We associate the accumulation of goods with success and well-being. We are always striving for a bigger house, better job, faster car, bigger TV and other status symbols that demonstrate our life's achievements. We all feel the effects of the pressure and stress we put ourselves under. Many believe that by simply joining a gym or doing a few aerobics classes, they are balancing their physical and emotional needs. To create a balance we need to spend as much time and energy focusing on our emotional needs as we do on our physical needs.
Health and vitality is not about a few token gestures like joining a class or following faddy diets it is a life style issue. Every aspect of your life needs to be considered from your diet to the way you perform every task in your daily life and your interactions with people and circumstances. Everything you do needs to be with conscious awareness of the consequences on yourself and those around you.
'If man's vitality and energy do not propel his own will, his disease cannot be cured' (Yellow Emperors Classic of Internal Medicine). To achieve health and well -being requires you taking a pro-active approach the same as in any work environment. If you are not prepared to take the necessary steps then it is your health that will suffer.
It is important to look for the signs indicating that your health is waning and seek guidance as early as possible; 'Coming to see a doctor when you are very sick is like waiting until you are thirsty to dig a well'. (Master Kwan, The Healing Art of Qi Gong, Master Hong Liu, 1997). Remember prevention is better than cure.
Methods For the Body, Mind and Soul
Breathe Deeply
Breathing is the essence of life. When you breathe in slowly and deeply you take in large amounts of oxygen from the environment. This oxygen is taken into your circulation where it binds to red blood cells. This oxygen then provides the 'fuel' to produce energy. By exhaling fully you expel as much carbon dioxide and waste products as possible. Breathing is something we take for granted but this does not mean that we are doing it in the most efficient way.
Most of us use only 10-20% of our full breathing capacity. This leaves us lacking in energy as we accumulate more and more toxins in our body. Emotional distress causes our breathing to become increasingly erratic and shallow. Breathing in this way can cause many detrimental physiological reactions such as the accumulation of waste products like carbon dioxide and lactic acid in the body.
Breathing slowly and deeply can cause many positive reactions within the body. If you slow your breathing down to eight breaths a minute it induces a meditative state, six breaths per minute stimulates your pituitary gland (which boosts the endocrine system influencing almost every cell, organ and function of our bodies), four breaths per minute stimulates the pineal gland (which helps to regulate your sleeping pattern through the release of melatonin).
You Are What You Eat
It is important to have a nutritionally balanced healthy diet suited to individual needs. Symptoms such as excessive hunger can be caused by the body screaming out for nutrients, which it is not receiving. Western dieting techniques often focus on lowering cholesterol and weight loss whereas Eastern diets often focus on nourishing the organs to foster better physical and emotional health.
We all too often associate thin as being healthy but what is more important is that your body is obtaining the correct nutrients and is the right weight for you. Someone who has an apparently healthy and fit body may not necessarily have healthy organs. Too much emphasis is placed on physical appearance as an indicator of people's success, health and well being, even if this is achieved through pain and damage to the body's vital organs.
Be Yourself, By Yourself
Everybody needs time to themselves, away from the pressures of work, family and friends. Having quiet time by yourself creates a stillness of mind and body and establishes a healthy detachment from your everyday existence. This enables you to give yourself the respect and consideration you and all of us deserve and allows you to think in a more clear and focused way. If you find you are unable to spend quiet time with yourself without any distractions then it is very probable that you need emotional healing.
It is important to incorporate into your daily regime methods which help you to relax and encourage your body to activate it's own healing responses. There are many sorts of classes you can participate in (Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong) that foster the individuals ability to self heal and consider their health, as well as direct healing methods such as Reiki.
The best way to maintain good health is to integrate into your life a regime that clears energy blockages and allows life force energy (universal energy and internal energy) to flow freely throughout your body. This nourishes your organs, muscles and joints as well as healing emotional traumas and giving you greater clarity of thought and insight. This enables you to lead a healthier life. By making these kind of lifestyle decisions you are empowering yourself by taking responsibility for your own well-being. We need to take responsibility for our actions before we can ever truly be happy and healed.
How Reiki Can Help You
Reiki is a form of non-intrusive energy healing originating in Japan. Reiki is used widely around the world and is offered in some hospitals in the US and the UK. Naturally occurring electromagnetic energy (universal energy) is channelled by an 'attuned' practitioner using their hands above the client's body. The practitioner acts purely as a channel for the energy but in an active way using visualisation, intention and sacred Reiki symbols. Reiki can be used to treat yourself as well as others. Many people learn to use Reiki purely for their own self-development.
Reiki can be learned by anybody and everybody. It is not as is often claimed limited to those with a 'spiritual' or 'healing' gift. The only pre-requisite is an open mind and desire to learn how to help yourself and others. Students are attuned using a traditional method passed down from the original founder of Reiki, Mikao Usui.
What Are The Benefits of Reiki?
Reiki induces profound relaxation / meditative state which allows the patient to detach from their everyday existence and look in objectively on their lives, providing them with the sort of clarity needed to make positive, healthy decisions about their life.
What Happens During a Reiki Treatment?
The patient lays fully clothed on a treatment couch with their eyes closed. The practitioner places their hands in various positions above the patient's body.
Experiences of Reiki are individual but many people often comment of feeling at the very least intense relaxation, clarity and serenity. For others Reiki is a life-changing event. The treatment can last between 45 minutes and 2 hours depending on individual needs.
If You Want to Learn Reiki
Anybody can learn Reiki. It is a simple form of energy healing that requires no specific spiritual or religious beliefs. Reiki is for everyone and be wary of anybody who tells you otherwise. Ensure that the Reiki teacher belongs to an accredited association and teaches an accredited course.
Be careful of websites that offer distant attunements and treatments. These qualifications will not be recognised and you cannot guarantee the sort of treatment you will be getting. Make sure you go to a teacher who offers a certified course and gives post course support for free.
© Copyright Andy Chrysostomou and Dawn Mellowship 2004.
Note: Edited 16/03/24 AC
