Reiki in the Treatment of Anxiety

Anxiety is an emotion that most of us experience from time to time; it can range in intensity from mild feelings of unease to full blown panic attacks. When we experience symptoms so severe that they adversely affect our ability to work, study and sleep, and negatively impact upon our relationships and ultimately our health, then this is characterised as ‘anxiety disorder’.

Root causes of anxiety are many, and can include: childhood trauma, disruption of neurotransmitters, gut dysbiosis, thyroid issues, nutritional deficiencies, dietary over stimulation, 21st century lifestyles and the drip, drip fear- mongering from mainstream media. These factors often negatively influence each other.

What many of these conditions have in common is the hyper-stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system which can result in any of the 300 plus physical, mental and emotional symptoms listed by the Anxiety Centre in Calgary, Canada. Some of these symptoms include shallow breathing, racing heart, high blood pressure, difficulty thinking, headaches, indigestion, and, with chronic anxiety, suppression of the immune system.

The sympathetic nervous system triggers the ‘fight or flight’ response while the parasympathetic nervous system triggers the ‘rest, digest, reproduce and heal’ response. These two branches of the autonomic nervous system work antagonistically, but when the SANS is constantly stimulated it can lead to feelings of anxiety. We need a balance between the two systems. Reiki stimulates the PANS, thus calming the ‘fight or flight’ response and breaking the vicious circle of the stress and anxiety.

Hospitals worldwide are now incorporating Reiki into their post-care treatments plans. One such hospital is Hartford Hospital in Connecticut. They carried out research across a number of departments under Dr. Molly Punzo, MD into using Reiki to reduce anxiety and pain. During the pilot phase, outcome measurements were obtained from patients rating their anxiety and pain pre, and post Reiki sessions. The Quality Management Department analysed the results which showed a statistically significant decrease in anxiety and pain regardless of the speciality area. Results are summarised in this diagram:

So how can the Reiki help redress this imbalance and what techniques can the practitioner use?

If the client is conscious of the cause of the anxiety, then sharing their fears during the consultation can, in itself, go a long way to releasing them. Voicing worries without fear of judgement and having someone listen with both heart and mind can reduce much anxiety.

At the beginning of the treatment we can encourage the recipient to use Joshin Kokyo Ho (deep abdominal breathing into the Hara). If the client is not used to this way of breathing it can be helpful to place the hand just above the lower Dantien point so that they can feel the breath going in. Just a few breaths taken this way will help the client to be present in the body, give the mind a focus, and soothe the vagus, the main nerve of the PANS which affects digestion, and heart and respiratory rates.

When starting a treatment using Byosen Reikan- Ho (body scanning), the practitioner can feel which chakras are ‘drawing’ the energy more intensely, prompting them to spend more time over these areas. However, the Reiki energy will go to the root cause of the anxiety - at whatever level it may reside - be it on the physical, mental, emotional or spiritual planes.

Of course, all chakras may be involved but I have found that working on the brow and solar plexus chakras especially valuable when treating anxiety.

“Mikao Usui speaks of the importance of first healing the mind so that the body ‘becomes sturdy of its own accord’.”

Mikao Usui speaks of the importance of first healing the mind so that the body ‘becomes sturdy of its own accord’. Working around the brow chakra is helpful for those prone to over thinking and anyone suffering from stress-related headaches can experience relief from pain. I like to use the Se He Ki symbol to bring balance to the mental/emotional level when working over this chakra.

Working over the heart chakra is undoubtedly beneficial for difficulties related to the lung area, particularly for anxiety related to grief. Fear and anxiety are often felt in the area of the solar plexus chakra which governs the upper digestion.

In ‘Anything can be Healed’ by Martin Brofman, he says that this chakra also governs mental activity: the vagus nerve sends messages from the brain to the gut and vice versa, so it is easy to see why this would be the case both physically and energetically.

It is said that the root chakra, with its connection to survival and security, governs the adrenals (the glands which produce one of the primary stress hormones, cortisol). Yet I have also read that the sacral & solar plexus chakras govern these endocrine glands. While there doesn’t appear to be a definitive answer, we do know that the Reiki energy will go where it is needed.

Encouraging the client to meditate, which is known to reduce stress and anxiety symptoms, is something they can do for themselves. Learning Reiki in order to experience the benefits self-treating is another strategy clients can use on their own.

These are some of the positive and productive ways that have helped my clients deal with symptoms of anxiety, and I look forward to learning many more. Sometimes one treatment suffices and sometimes a course of treatments is necessary. The client may also need to work with dietary therapy or psychotherapy or lifestyle changes. Whichever is the way forward for them, there is no doubt that Reiki is a most valuable tool in the treatment box.

Leo Maria Holmes

Master Practitioner/Teacher & Naturopathic Nutritionist.

www.nutritionandlight.net

UKRF and Reiki Academy London member

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