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GOOD VIBRATIONS

Samantha Murray Greenway goes with the flow and investigates reiki, in her regular deep dive into the wellness industry.

SAMANTHA MURRAY GREENWAY

Rebalancing your vibrational field to allow your energy to flow freely might not be the most straightforward concept to grasp. It’ s a practice known in the West as reiki. It was developed in Japan, early last century. Rei translates from Japanes ea su niversal life, and ki, means energy. During a session, practitioners place their hands lightly on, or near, the body (clients can stay fully clothed, lying down or comfortabl ys itting up) to allo ww ha tt he professional organisation, Reiki NZ, describes as “a free flow of universal energy”. The aim is to encourage emotional or physical healing. The question is, do you need to believe in it, for it to work?

“You don’t have to be spiritual, intuitive or even believ eini t,” says Natalie Reynolds, reiki mast erat Tonic Room, a centre for holistic health in Auckland. “Just be open to receiving it . Yo u can meditat eor cha tw hile it’s happening ;t he reiki will flo wt hrough regardless. People sometime ss a yt hey feel ‘weighed down’, or they are ‘carrying stress on their shoulders’. Both are energetic phrases. Holding that negative energy can affec tus physically and emotionally.” The idea is tha tt hea ttuned reiki practitioner will shift energetic blockages and create balance. “You just need to be open to receiving the loving healing energy,” says Reynolds.

A study in The Journal of Pain and Symptom Management found that, “reiki therapy may result in positiv eph ysical sensations and symptom relief in hospice patients and their caregivers, with no reported side effects. Further study is needed t obe tter understand this phenomenon.”

No f urther study is required to understand the value placed on reiki at Dov e Ho spice and Wellness in Auckland. “It is a simple, safe, and non-invasive therap yw e can offer t o an yone, an yst age of their illne ss t rajectory,” says bod yt herapist, Linda Browne. After having reiki, “Patients report feeling a sense of peace, stillness, and comfort and a connection with something bigger than self.”

Similarly, reiki i sus ed to support patien ts u ndergoing cancer care at hospitals in the US and the UK. The Sam Buxt on S unflower Healing Trust is a chari tyt hat has funded reiki and energy healing for cancer patients and their families as a complementary therap yw ithin the UK’s National Health Service and other health-related areas. They call it “healing support”.

While Mary Hambly, vicechair of Reiki NZ, note st here is no regular reiki in hospitals anywhere in New Zealand right now ,i t is part of Reiki NZ’s five-year plan to raise awareness of the benefits of the practice and encourage its us e in t he p ublic health system.

Even those who have trouble wrapping their heads around the idea of energy healing, can probably recognis ei ts v alue in reducing stress. “Reiki promotes a meditative state, in terms of brain waves and calming effect, the reduction in blood pressure, stress hormones and heart rate,” says Hambly. “We kno w we need to be in a calm, relaxed state for self-healing to take place. The reiki practitioner facilitate st hat. There can be some co-regulation there: the practitioner is in a calm, relaxed state and can suppor tt he clien tto join them.”

There are various factors at pla yw hen receiving reiki therapy. Grant Schofield, profess orofP ublic Healt hat AUT, highligh ts t he power of belief. “In modern medicine, yo ut ake something t oget better. Wit hanal ternative treatment like reiki, modern medicine has difficulty; it’s not designed t ono tice anything that doesn’t come from big pharma.” Anecdot ale vidence i sv aluable. “Even if something isn’t scientifically proven to work,” says Schofield, “If you believe the treatmen tw orks, then we kno wt he placebo effect can be incredibly powerful. That isa proven fact.”

Schofield also believe st he benefits of touch, relaxation and empath ys hould not be discounted. “Human touch and aph ysical connection seem to be something that humans crave and respond well to,” says Schofield. “Practitioners can als obe very good at listening, at health-coaching.” And environment plays its part, too: “They are in a space where they can feel relaxed, safe.” Asw it han yt herapy, it can help if you find a connection with the person you receiv ei t from. That’ sw hy Reiki NZ suggests you hav eacon versation with your practitioner before you commit: you are more likel yt o feel the benefits if you are able to relax.

Reiki promotes a meditative state, in terms of brain waves and calming effect, the reduction in blood pressure, stress hormones and heart rate.

MARY HAMBLY

Vice-chair Reiki NZ

HAUORA / HEALTH

en-nz

2023-05-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-05-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/283356181498326

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