In this article, I want to explore the question: Can Reiki help with anxiety? It is common for people to come to Reiki looking for support and wish to see reductions in anxiety levels. Many people who approach me for help using Reiki have this as the primary outcome they want from Reiki treatments. In my experience over the years, many clients I have helped with Reiki report they have indeed experienced reductions in anxiety symptoms after a course of regular Reiki treatments with me.

At this point, it is useful to state that in this article I am using a general view of the condition termed anxiety, and the word anxiety can apply to a wide range of challenges and contributing factors as well as a variety of symptoms and severity in those symptoms. However, to answer the question of this article: Can Reiki help with anxiety? That is all that is needed. So, for this article, I am framing the word anxiety as anything from chronic, or prolonged feelings of worry upwards, clinically diagnosed or not. As professional Reiki teachers/practitioners, with Reiki treatments and diagnosed conditions, such as anxiety, we do not claim to be a treatment to resolve such conditions, yet with a bit of basic understanding of Reiki and intelligent thought, we can see why many do find it helpful.

So, let’s look at some reasons why so many people report Reiki as being helpful with anxiety. Although there are a variety of potential benefits to Reiki, for this topic I would group them in two areas. 1. Creating a calmer state, and 2. The deeper emotional healing/wellbeing capacity of Reiki.

1. Creating a calmer state

We can start with the well-known and accepted ability of Reiki to provoke a deep sense of relaxation and calmness during a Reiki treatment, which we could say is the opposite state to a state of anxiety. This relaxation is a very common experience at the Reiki treatment session itself and can continue for some time after the session.

The physiological effects of a calmer mental and emotional state in itself would likely create a better hormonal environment (reduction in cortisol- stress hormone for example) and a more preferable nervous system state (promoting parasympathetic dominance- the chilled-out side of the nervous system if you like). We would likely see reduced heart rate, and breathing rate, along with better breathing mechanics (less stress breathing), all moving a person as a whole away from an anxiety state, whichever way you look this has the potential to be helpful, in management of anxiety if nothing else. Other approaches can help promote this state, such as meditation, mindfulness, and others. With Reiki, it tends to create this state in a very deep way and ease, and as the receipient of Reiki, you don’t have to do anything either.

2. The deeper emotional healing capacity of Reiki

Reiki is known and accepted for its emotional healing capacity/ emotional well-being capacity. This is a harder one to quantify, yet we see this every day. It's in the name of the thing! The ‘Rei’ in Reiki means Tamashi, or soul, the very core of us in our subconscious- that’s where we are working with Reiki energy. Or more precisely the energy is coming in neutral (through a Reiki practitioner and out their hands), your body and mind are absorbing the energy and you at your core/ deep subconscious, absorbs it and your body and mind in its wisdom uses the Reiki energy to best help you, now if that doesn’t have the potential to be helpful, I do not know what is! How clients communicate this to me commonly is to report one or a combination of the following statements: feeling calmer day to day, or less stressed nowadays, or things that bothered them do so less now. So, report less internal mental/ emotional stress.

Even if the last point is hard to mentally grasp for you, just basically recognise the reality that our emotional state is going to be a factor in our day-to-day symptoms in a condition such as anxiety, and anything that helps our healing, or state on that level has potential is fine in terms of understanding for this point.

From my experience using Reiki to help people with anxiety, it is likely to be a regular course of treatments that would be required, a one-off session is unlikely to provide you with the relief you are looking for with something like anxiety. The experience of a period of calmness is more likely the result from one single session. What I would say, is try a single Reiki session, and see if you like the experience, then if you do, commit to a course of sessions, say a further 5 regular sessions, i.e. weekly then review and see how Reiki is helping you. From there you can decide if to continue with Reiki treatments or, as a higher frequency and volume of treatments works best with Reiki, you could decide to learn to do Reiki for yourself by taking Reiki training courses, so you have Reiki energy to support yourself daily if you wish.

If you do choose to learn Reiki, take Jikiden Reiki training courses (recommended) note: that is what I teach, but with whom you learn matters less, we have a specific psychological treatment that is only taught in Jikiden Reiki that could be helpful also, that you learn in the Okuden course, and I simply have found the way we deliver Reiki treatments in Jikiden Reiki (which is how they were done in Japan when Reiki started- how they were ment to be done) to be most effective.

In closing it is reasonable to see potential in Reiki to help with anxiety, be that in a supportive or main role. As will anything best results may come from approaching the challenge from a variety of angles or therapies, along with support from a healthcare professional where appropriate. It's worth a look, maybe have a chat with a Jikiden Reiki practitioner in your area, or look at taking Jikiden Reiki training courses.

I hope this article helps you in your search for the right Reiki training courses for you. If you are in the UK and would like to find out more about learning Jikiden Reiki see my Jikiden Reiki Training Courses page.

I am mainly known nowadays for my work with Reiki, as a specialist in authentic Japanese Reiki. I am an experienced, Reiki teacher and practitioner with a proven track record of results. I offer Jikiden Reiki training courses, promoting authentic Japanese Reiki teachings. I am based in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, in the UK. I have a background in coaching and training in the areas of exercise coaching, holistic lifestyle, fitness, and performance coaching. I also have a BSc.(Hons) degree in Sport and Exercise Science, for more information visit: www.shaunmckeown.com

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article. Shaun Mckeown, disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article.