The World Health Organization estimates that 5% of the global population suffer from depression.
Without treatment, this is an illness that has serious consequences for sufferers.
Reiki is a holistic complementary therapy that can be used alongside existing treatments or as a treatment in its own right, that has proven beneficial results in the treatment of depression and anxiety.
With many sufferers resistant to the use of antidepressant drugs to help reduce the symptoms of stress, Reiki is a viable, drug-free, and natural alternative or complementary therapy.
What is Reiki?
Reiki is a therapy that is based on manipulating the energy flows within our bodies. Reiki practitioners use subtle hand movements and gentle touch to free energy blockages within patients and restore the body’s energy functions to a healthy state.
The therapy has roots that go back over 2,000 years, but the modern version was developed in Japan in the early 1900s. The word “Reiki” is an amalgam of two Japanese words “Rei” meaning universal, and “Ki”, meaning energy.
What happens in a Reiki session?
A Reiki session will last anywhere between 30 to 60 minutes. During the session, the patient remains fully clothed and will usually be lying on a treatment couch. The practitioner will deliver the treatment using their hands; there is little or no touch involved in the actual process.
The practitioner uses subtle changes of hand position and placement to manipulate the energy flows.
During the procedure, the patient may feel some heat or tingling as the energy is manipulated, but it is also quite common to feel little or no physical effects. However, most patients report a deep feeling of relaxation during the process, and it is quite common for patients to drift into sleep during a session.
It is this feeling of relaxation and detachment that is at the core of Reiki’s success as a treatment for anxiety and depression.
Benefits of Reiki for people suffering from depression or anxiety
Depression and anxiety can be relentless illnesses that self-perpetuate a state of constant edginess and an inability to relax. The first benefit that this article discusses is how Reiki can address this problem and allow sufferers to break this cycle.
- Reiki promotes a feeling of relaxation
Anxiety and depression are common bedfellows, with anxiety often the trigger point for episodes of depression. This can become a vicious circle that is hard to break.
Reiki can bring about a beneficial shift in your attention and, in doing so, can break this circle and ease the anxieties that can lead to depression.
- Can help to restore a better physical and mental balance
Reiki is a holistic treatment that targets the overall well-being of the body’s energy state. In turn, this promotes a better overall balance in the body, both from a physical and mental point of view.
This “restoration” of these functions can help patients get a better perspective on what is important and alleviate feelings of sadness and guilt.
- Reiki can reduce stress levels
Another common factor cited in the root causes of depression is the stress levels that we encounter in the modern world. Stress is an undeniable underlying cause in many cases of depression.
The relaxation and improved perspective on life that Reiki fosters are proven to relieve stress, which in turn can alleviate the symptoms of depression.
- Improves sleep patterns
Insomnia is another condition that frequently occurs alongside depression. This is another vicious circle that can torment sufferers.
Reiki is a natural relaxant, which in itself can help to ease insomnia, but because of its holistic approach, it can also help to reset our natural body clocks and, in doing so, improve our overall sleep patterns.
Conclusion – Reiki as a treatment for anxiety and depression
There is no magic pill or treatment that is going to make depression just disappear. Reiki in no way makes this claim; it would be a wonder cure if it did. However, there is plenty of researched and anecdotal evidence that supports the fact that Reiki can have a major part to play in alleviating the symptoms of depression and facilitating some relief for many sufferers of this cruel illness.
Reiki therapy is a safe, natural, and drug-free treatment that is gaining an increased following within the healthcare sector as a viable and effective treatment that can improve the quality of life for millions of people worldwide.