Reiki is an alternative therapy from Japan that uses energy as a healing medium. This therapy is believed to have many benefits, from relieving pain, reducing stress, to supporting cancer treatment.
Reiki comes from 2 words in Japanese, namely rei which means universe and ki which means the flow of energy in living things. Literally, reiki can be interpreted as energy that belongs to the universe. This therapy was created by Dr. Mikao Usui in 1922 as an alternative therapy to complement modern medicine.
How is Reiki Done?
Reiki therapy aims to increase the energy within a person. This is because Reiki has a philosophy that someone who has low energy in himself, will be more easily stressed or sick. However, if the energy he has is high, the person will feel healthier and happier.
When starting a treatment session, the reiki therapist will ask the patient to lie down in bed. After that, the patient will be asked to relax and calm down. If necessary, the therapist will play soft music to make the patient feel more relaxed.
Next, the reiki therapist will place his hands on the patient's body or a few centimeters above the patient's body to channel energy. Therapy usually starts from the head, then works its way down to the feet. However, the focus of therapy can also be aimed at certain areas of the body, especially those that are problematic.
The energy channeled aims to change and balance the energy in the body. This energy is believed to stimulate the body's ability to heal itself naturally, reduce pain, and restore physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual conditions.
In addition to channeling energy from the hands, the reiki therapist will also use crystal stones during the treatment session. Crystals are thought to have a calming effect and aid healing, although there is no research to support this practice.
Crystals are usually placed over or around the patient's body. During the therapy session, the patient will feel a warm or cold sensation, tingling, or just do not feel anything. This therapy usually lasts 20–60 minutes.
Benefits of Reiki for Health
Reiki therapy is claimed to provide several health benefits. The following are some of the benefits that can be obtained:
1. Provides a relaxing effect
One of the benefits of Reiki that is quite well known is that it provides a sense of calm and relaxation. Research shows that alternative reiki therapies appear to reduce stress and lower blood pressure and normalize heart rate in people who are often anxious.
2. Reduce pain
Some studies say that reiki therapy can relieve pain in people suffering from certain diseases, such as cancer, pinched nerves, and muscle pain, as well as in people who have recently undergone surgery.
The study also mentions that the benefits of reiki as a pain reliever, it even looks almost as effective as giving painkillers.
3. Relieve anxiety and symptoms of depression
Reiki therapy has also been widely used as part of alternative therapy to treat psychological disorders, such as anxiety and depression.
There are studies that state that depressed patients who undergo reiki therapy can feel calmer, less anxious, and easily excited to return to activities.
However, until now, reiki therapy can not be used as the main therapy to treat mental disorders such as anxiety disorders and depression. To overcome these conditions, patients still need to get treatment from doctors, such as psychotherapy and drugs.
4. Relieve chemotherapy side effects
In Japan and several other countries, reiki therapy has been widely used as an additional treatment method for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. This is because reiki therapy can make patients feel calmer while undergoing chemotherapy.
Cancer patients undergoing reiki therapy are also seen to experience milder chemotherapy side effects.
In addition to some of the benefits above, reiki therapy is also often used to relieve headaches, insomnia, and nausea. However, further research is still needed to determine the effectiveness of reiki therapy in overcoming these conditions.
In addition, reiki therapy is also believed to be useful in increasing endurance, overcoming fatigue, and accelerating the body's natural healing when injured or sick.
Unfortunately, the various benefits of reiki are only limited to small-scale research. Until now, the effectiveness and benefits of reiki therapy to treat certain conditions or diseases is also unclear and still needs to be investigated further.
It should also be remembered that reiki therapy is not an alternative treatment to treat disease, but a complementary or additional therapy to support the success of medical treatment from doctors.
If you suffer from a disease and want to use reiki as a complementary therapy, it is recommended that you consult with your doctor first to ensure that it is safe according to your condition.
