Reiki as a complimentary therapy is widely recognized for its benefits to mental health and as the ideal alternative to modern drugs.

What is mental Health?

Good mental health may be described as a balanced, healthy attitude towards life. It is reflected in ones attitude that is influenced by different physiological, psychological, environmental and genetic factors. There are many reasons ones mental health may suffer, including repressed traumas, chronic stress, physical illness, childhood and hereditary issues.

Sometimes these factors manifest in the body and result in mental illnesses such as:

• Depression
• Anxiety disorders
• Bipolar disorder
• Post-traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSS)
• Eating Disorders such as Anorexia or Bulimia

What is Reiki?

Reiki is a traditional Japanese technique based on the Eastern concepts of the seven energy centres (chakras) in the body and energy flow between them. It is a powerful technique that releases the negative energy of the body often responsible for poor mental health.

Mental illness is often associated with the lower Chakras of the body. These include the root chakra, the navel chakra and even the solar plexus chakra (which is technically a middle chakra).

The Root Chakra symbolizes physical will and is seen to ground an individual to the Earth. It controls a variety of organs including the supernal glands responsible for adrenalin production. In high levels, adrenalin has been linked by science to mental illnesses such as anxiety disorder.

The reproductive and creative centre of a human being can be found at the Naval Chakra. It controls the renal, lymphatic and reproduction systems, as well as gastric juices and the bloodstream. Energy blockages in this area result in emotional paralysis, reduced libido, decreased feelings of self-esteem and suicidal tendencies.

The power centre of an individual is the Solar Plexus Chakra. This centre empowers the individual to shape their destiny, and is associated with the body’s automatic nervous system, spleen, digestive system, gallbladder and liver. Those with energy blackages in this area may experiences of confrontation where s/he has to be honest with their feelings, may withdraw from socializing, feel easily dejected or discouraged and experience persistent feelings of inadequacy.

A Reiki practitioner then uses the touch of their hands to clear these blockages to encourage the body’s natural healing process. Fully clothed, they will sequentially place their hands over parts of the body that correspond to the different energy centres, using actual touch or distant touch (NB: this is not a massage technique). This way they are able to detect energy blockages in the body that may be the cause of stress, mental or physical illness. The practitioner will then use their own energy to manipulate the body’s energy flow, relieving symptoms, and increasing feelings of health and well being.

Benefits of Reiki to Mental Health

This energetic form of medicine encourages a healthy mind by helping the individual overcome the emotional, physical, spiritual and mental issues that are often the root cause of mental illnesses.

Reiki benefits the mental health of all by:

• Relieving stress
• Encouraging relaxation
• Relieving physical pain (acute & chronic)
• Releasing traumas remembered in the physical body
• Improving overall immunity
• Reducing blood pressure
• Detoxifying the body

To get the most from your Reiki session, make sure to find a Reiki practitioner that will suit your needs. Over the course of a few sessions, you are bound to emerge with stronger mental health and increased feelings of well being.