by Andrea Kennedy

Stress takes a physiological toll on our minds and bodies. The National Institutes of Health reports, "Emotional stress is a major contributing factor to the six leading causes of death in the United States: cancer, coronary heart disease, accidental injuries, respiratory disorders, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide." The National Council on Compensation Insurance reports,"Up to 90 percent of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related complaints."

We may want to consider adding reiki to our self-care practices. It is a Japanese stress-reducing technique based on the energy anatomy of the body, similar to acupuncture, and is non-invasive, painless, cannot do harm and a complement to traditional medical care—not an alternative or replacement.

The stress we face each day, coupled with deeper emotional hurts and traumas we may carry, actually effects the way our life force energy (qi) flows in and around the body. When this flow isn’t adjusted and maintained in a balanced way, symptoms may arise on emotional, mental or physical levels, and can manifest as anything from inability to focus, irritability, anxiety and depression to physical pain and disease.

A reiki practitioner places their hands lightly on or just off our fully clothed body to balance the life force energy that all living things possess. Clients usually feel extremely relaxed and may fall asleep. When this energy begins flowing the way it is designed, we may begin to feel more positive, connected to life, grounded, balanced and more able to focus. These benefits often last long after the session.

Reiki has been shown to impact the way the nervous system operates by shifting out of the Dzfight-or-flightdz mode of operation that triggers cortisol release and damaging physiological changes. Then the parasympathetic nervous system takes over. It is in this state that the body enters into the Dzrest-and-restoredz mode that allows cells to recover and repair themselves as the body is naturally designed to do. The immune system can then better support us in maintaining health and feeling better in general.

The sources of stress may seem endless at times, but we can choose strategies to help heal the damage done and prevent further imbalances. Reiki may support us in feeling better, and when we feel better, everything seems better.

Andrea Kennedy is the owner of Mainstream Reiki, in Saline, MI. She has practiced reiki since 1995. The first session is $25. For more information, call 734-664-2255 or visit MainstreamReiki.com.