I wanted to share this article written by Margarita Alcantara for – www.mindbodygreen.com
I firmly believe that Reiki can help us get into a better state of mind and I believe that our life’s energy force is more powerful than we ever imagined. The link between our mind and body is the make up of our existence and we should care for both as best we can. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did!
When a patient comes to me requesting a Reiki treatment, I know they’re ready to release old energy, patterns, and/or beliefs that no longer serve them. They may be fully aware of this, or just know on a subconscious level that whatever they’ve been doing has not been working. The idea of experiencing a Reiki session to balance their chakras seems to just feel right.
Reiki is an energy healing technique that uses “hands-on” and also “hands-off” healing. This technique can assist in relieving or reducing pain and discomfort by balancing the body’s energy centers, more commonly known as the chakras. It is a natural process that supports relaxation and healing by removing blocks to the flow of energy in your body and facilitates balance and support on all levels.
The reason why Reiki can be so powerful and effective is because it infuses your chakras and your body, with Universal light energy. Your body takes exactly what it needs to at that point in time. As a practitioner, my responsibility is to simply act as a conduit for Universal energy in order to help healing take place optimally, so that your body can heal itself.
Since Reiki helps us clear energy blocks in our chakras, it is no surprise that a patient feels much more grounded, calm and relaxed after a session. Some even take a nap during the treatment! Whether awake or napping, Reiki works for the patient’s highest good.
“Reiki helps us reconnect with our heart, realigning us with our Higher Self.”
My practice is in the heart of New York City, a wonderful metropolis full of opportunities — and stimulation! For those of us who are highly sensitive and easily pick up on the energy of others, living in a big city can sometimes overwhelm our sympathetic nervous system.
What happens when our sympathetic nervous system is taxed? Our bodies go into fight-or-flight mode, and our survival instincts are set into motion.
When this happens, our heart rate increases. We experience shortness of breath, have difficulty taking in full breaths, our muscles contract, we may break into a sweat, and our adrenal glands get activated, thus shooting up our cortisol levels (the “stress hormone”) to step in and help us handle the source of that stress. Adrenaline is our fight-or-flight hormone, which also gets activated by our adrenal glands, and helps give us the extra energy we need to deal with (or run away from!) a stressful situation.
Imagine what happens to our bodies when we’re in survival mode on a regular basis. Our adrenals get taxed, our system feels shot, we get fatigued, we may hyper-react, and we may even develop physical pains and strains that are not due to physical trauma.
This is a clear indication that what we’ve been dealing with energetically, has now manifested itself into a physical issue.
In addition, we may absorb energies that do not belong to us. This can leave some of us feeling irritated, fatigued, drained, and possibly even frazzled, stressed out and overly anxious.
One of my patients, “L,” used to come into my treatment room, often crying with overwhelm as soon as she sat down. It was clear to me that she was still working through old patterns of self-sabotage and low self-esteem. These patterns kept her from enjoying a satisfying love life, or from moving forward in her career from a verbally abusive boss. She was feeling the energy of everyone around her, because she is a highly sensitive person. Because of this she regularly felt off-kilter, scattered, and frightened, often speaking at breakneck speed.
It took her a while to calm down during her first Reiki treatment. But by the end of the session I could feel that she had already released some of the old energy through her hands and feet, and her chakras were cleared and infused with Universal Light. She shifted to a far more grounded and calm state, before she even got off the table.
Her eyes were less wild and they sparkled with Qi and aliveness, in a way they hadn’t before. She had said to me, “Wow. I feel so calm.” She was comfortable with the silence between her words, once again.
As each session progressed, her inner strength started to emerge, and she started to create awareness around her self-sabotaging patterns. She began to shift them, creating new and more productive, habits. She started to treat herself with more compassion and self-love, started trusting in her intuition, and taking better care of her body, despite her ongoing challenges.
“There’s a deep sense that everything will be OK.”
Holding space for my patient’s transformations is an honor that is not lost on me!
So, how exactly does Reiki gently and powerfully bring us back to center?
Reiki helps us reconnect with our heart, our true center, realigning us with our Higher Self.
Fear is often a strong emotion, but it is ultimately an illusion, albeit a powerful one. Love, however, is real. And, Reiki helps us reconnect to ourselves — to Love.
So when we use Reiki to clear out the energetic debris in our chakras and reconnect to our self-love, as well as our love for others, we become aware of the destructive patterns we’ve been holding onto. That’s when we can start to learn how to break them.
What does that look like from the outside?
During a Reiki session, you’ll feel calmer, and be able to take full, deep and easy breaths. Your muscles start to release tension, your heart rate will become moderate and adrenals will be put at ease. There’s a deep sense that everything will be OK, despite all of your struggles.
Most people benefit from their first Reiki treatment, while others work through deeper issues with additional treatments. Everyone’s needs are different.
So, how are you managing your stress and anxiety?
Written by Margarita Alcantara for - www.mindbodygreen.com
