I have struggled with anxiety for as long as I can remember
I have been actively trying things in my life that could help me for over 6 years now, so my curiosity grew when I learned about Reiki
Reiki is powerful for helping anxiety for most people, but there are times when it could make anxiety worse. You might experience more anxiety if you receive Reiki from a master that doesn’t align with you, if you have old pain resurfaced during treatment, or if you are beginning to learn Reiki.
You cannot heal from a wound without taking care of what is harming you first
Reiki usually gives people peace and calmness, but if you get anxious then it is time to look into why
Start by putting your bare feet into the dirt and sit with your feelings
What are they trying to tell you?
Maybe you don’t align with the master you visited so you can try someone else
Maybe you got reminders of a pain you have been avoiding and it is time to start healing
Whatever it might be, ground yourself and then listen to yourself
Every emotion you experience is your body trying to communicate with you.
What is it saying?
The purpose of Reiki
Reiki is an energy healing technique that promotes calmness, peace, and relaxation
It is not a substitute for medical treatment but can be an amazing additive
Stress is something the brain goes through when it thinks we are in danger
It puts us in a state where thinking clearly is close to impossible
Our brain goes into survival mode
The thing is that our brain hasn’t adapted to knowing the difference between stresses
The thing stressing us out of probably not going to kill us within the next hour
But our brain doesn’t know that
We get stuck in a cycle of anxiety and depression
We have all felt energy from other people
A comforting hand, waves of anger, a sadness in the air
Reiki is the process of someone taking positive energy and giving it to you to help break the cycle of stress
It calms you and takes your brain out of survival mode
There are many hospitals that have added Reiki to what they offer because of the amazing effect it has on a patient’s stress
Reiki doesn’t heal everything, but it helps encourage your body to help instead of being destroyed by stress
The cause of increased anxiety
Anxiety is created when the part of the brain that connects to your spine (the Amygdala)
This part of the brain is strictly information and controls the fight or flight response
There isn’t any thought or problem solving here, so it bases danger on what it assumes can hurt us
For those of us with terrible anxiety, it thinks MANY things will hurt us
One of the common causes of anxiety is trying something new
Whether you are getting a treatment or learning for the first time, your brain will likely want you to run away from something new and potentially dangerous (Well it thinks so anyways)
Many people call this self-sabotage
But I don’t like to think of it like that
Your brain is trying to keep you safe, and it is making decisions before most of the brain has a chance to chime in because it thinks this is an act or die situation
Your brain isn’t trying to self-sabotage, it is trying to keep you alive
You’ll find that if you spend too much time here, your depression gets worse too
That is because being in a state of panic is exhausting for the brain
So it will shut down and use as little energy as possible to keep you alive
That is depression and it is a terrible cycle because it jumps from anxiety and depression and never truly recovers
Why Reiki could worsen anxiety (even if it is rare)
Reiki is energy healing, but sometimes it can dig up things that cause pain
If that happens, your brain will react with anxiety because it buried those memories and thoughts to protect you
But in order to heal, you need to address those pains
In other cases, the master that is treating you is clashing with you
Not everyone has the same type of energy and not everyone is a good fit for each other
If you are getting anxious because of a person or a place, try somewhere else
You are in control of your healing journey, and it is important to listen to what your body is telling you
Just make sure that you aren’t confusing a warning with the fear of something new
Does Reiki affect you differently if you receive it instead of learning it?
There is a different process if you want to learn it instead of receiving it
When you receive Reiki, all you need to do is relax and have an open mind
Learning to do Reiki is a skill
You need to learn from someone who is already a master
The whole process can be scary if you are afraid of change and if you are afraid of knowing yourself on a new level
Because you will learn more about yourself on this journey
It is powerful and it is beautiful
But change can be scary!
The only way to overcome these fears is to face them and heal
Don’t endanger yourself though because some trauma can be terrifying
Take it one step at a time
Why do you want to learn Reiki?
Hold on to that reason and begin your journey
You don’t have to start anywhere scary
You can start with something as simple as energy work in the shower!
When you stand in the shower, use your imagination
Imagine light coming from your shower head and that the water is washing your fears and pains away
Watch those fears and pains go down the drain while you take deep breaths
This is a simple exercise that you can do on your own while doing something you already do
The imagination is a powerful tool for energy work and it is a great place to start!