Reiki for brain injuries

What it is

Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is a gentle and natural energy healing system. One of the oldest known healing methods, it originated in Tibet and was rediscovered in the 19th century by a Japanese monk named Dr. Mikao Usui. The Usui System of Natural Healing is named after Usui and has been passed down by Master Reiki Masters ever since. The Japanese word, “reiki”, consists of two syllables: “rei”, which means “universal”, and “ki”, the “life force energy”, corresponding to Chi in the Chinese system of Qigong and acupuncture, since the concept of prana in the various Indian systems of Yoga. Therefore, Reiki refers to the healing qualities of universal life energy.

Today, people practice Reiki all over the world. Many hospitals, clinics, and hospice centers now offer Reiki as a complementary therapy administered by volunteers or trained multi-modality specialists. Reiki is a wonderful complement to massage therapy, craniosacral work, and psychological therapy.

That makes

Reiki works on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level. She uses a precise method to combine this universal energy with the body’s own innate healing powers. Reiki is not intended to replace professional medical advice, but rather to complement other treatment modalities by promoting very deep relaxation. When the body is deeply relaxed, it can begin to heal itself.

Reiki practitioners do not diagnose or prescribe medication. Instead, they allow healing energy to flow through their hands. Receptors often perceive this energy as warmth or tingling. Many fall asleep during treatment sessions, allowing the body to relax and regenerate.

Reiki works with the human energy system, which consists of meridians (energy channels) and chakras (energy centers). Traditional Chinese Medicine identifies twelve main meridians, as well as a governing and functional channel, which run as pathways up and down the body. Although acupuncture was once considered entirely “alternative,” research has shown a correspondence between major acupuncture points and scientifically discovered nerve pathways and trigger points. Similarly, the chakras, the seven main energy centers that extend from the base of the spine to the crown of the head, appear to be connected via bundles of nerves to endocrine glands whose function or malfunction results in feelings and feelings. physical states associated with those energy centers. The study of the meridians and chakras spans thousands of years, and Western medicine has only recently confirmed what Chinese and Indian scholars professed so long ago.

A Reiki practitioner does not need to understand the human energy system to support it. Through mechanisms that most people find mysterious, Reiki flows where it most needs to go. In this way, it acts as what herbalists call an “adaptogen”: it energizes weak areas while decreasing overstimulated areas. This makes sense, considering the Reiki state as “universal life force energy.” Nature always seeks balance. A concentrated solution of salt water placed in fresh water results in a slightly saline combination. Yin balances yang. As Reiki flows through the body, the energy is redistributed in a balanced and natural way.

why it works

As mentioned above, Reiki works by allowing the body to relax enough to heal itself. As a gentle, adaptogenic form of energy, it integrates and reconnects all levels of healing: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. This is important for all healing, but especially for TBI survivors. In some ways, TBI provides the best illustration of the need for multi-level healing. A physical injury affects mental processing and emotions. Depending on the location of the brain damage, someone may lose the ability to feel sad or forget how to do sequential tasks. The synapses become so confused that survivors often answer “random” questions, based on the connections the brain is making at the time. Rational thinking (mental level) becomes a challenge. Depression (emotional level) affects the majority of TBI survivors, partly due to neurochemistry and certainly due to chronic pain and loss of lifestyle. To stay positive during recovery, many survivors find themselves turning to spiritual activities.

This spiritual questioning naturally follows an injury that destroys one’s sense of self. If a physical injury can strip us of all the things we think we know about ourselves, what’s left? What is that underlying Consciousness? Does the universe really hit randomly, or did this injury happen for some reason?

If everything happens for a reason, what could TBI carry as a message? Going back to the idea of ​​chakras, TBI is a 7th chakra issue. The seventh chakra is located at the crown (top) of the head and is associated with the hypothalamus and pineal glands, spirituality, unity consciousness, and the colors violet and white. Tradition says that whenever an illness or injury hits a particular chakra, the spiritual issues related to that chakra will aid in the healing process. Well, the seventh chakra is THE spiritual chakra. The crown of the head provides our closest connection to “God Consciousness” or “Universal Love.” This chakra also controls all the other chakras, in the same way that the brain influences the entire body. For most survivors, TBI presents challenges in the form of finding the path of life, opening to a greater sense of connection and service, embracing traces of the Divine in everyone and everything, and coming to recognize an underlying order. In the universe.

Because Reiki addresses all levels of healing, it also helps to balance the spiritual elements that are so crucial to recovery. Unlike other forms of energy work, however, Reiki does it in a very gentle way. Kundalini energy, for example, also known as the human potential that is coiled at the base of the spine, does not come across as smooth. Powerful, strong and potent, yes, but if awakened too quickly, the Kundalini energy can cause symptoms similar to those of a TBI. Reiki, on the other hand, always works as an adaptogen. It does not force a quick change. Instead, allow the healing to unfold and reveal itself in its own time and in its own way. Since the seventh chakra represents the culmination of all the other chakras, we might extrapolate that TBI and other neurological issues demand compassion and respect. These are extremely complex and dynamic health problems. Trying to force recovery never works, because that would require replacing something we don’t fully understand. Ultimately, TBI offers an integration opportunity in the deepest and deepest way. Many TBI survivors actually possess strong spiritual, creative, and healing gifts, so the retrieval and healing of your soul offers the potential to make dramatic differences in our world. Reiki honors this mysterious process and creates a safe space for transformation.

Where to find

As Reiki continues to gain recognition among healthcare providers, it can increasingly be found alongside other modalities such as massage and psychological therapy. Many hospitals and hospices also offer Reiki to help patients feel nurtured and gently supported. You can look for brochures or business cards in health food stores or local alternative magazines, or ask friends and family for referrals. The International Association of Reiki Practitioners (IARP) offers an online search for practitioners and teachers by zip code: http://www.iarp.org.

In general, you want to choose a Reiki practitioner that you are comfortable with. A standard Reiki treatment lasts one hour; however, Reiki integrated with other techniques can take more or less time. You can also receive Reiki from a distance, as Reiki Level 2 practitioners and above have learned to “send” Reiki through Distant Healing. The Reiki Distant Healing process is too complex and complicated to cover here; however, it does not differ in effectiveness from an in-person session. That being said, some people prefer in-person sessions because they enjoy a human connection and/or a spa-like experience.

A few words about the different levels: Someone with Reiki Level 1 knows all the traditional hand positions for treating people on the body (with a light touch) or on the body. (Unless combined with massage or some other modality, Reiki never involves tissue manipulation.) Level 2 Reiki practitioners also know special techniques to increase energy flow, create mental/emotional balance, and heal past traumas. A Reiki Master or Master of Reiki has studied advanced energetic techniques and can offer something known as Healing Attunement, a powerful technique that encourages the recipient’s Higher Self to take a more active role in recovery. Many people experience dramatic changes after a Healing Attunement.

How to learn

Reiki certification requires completion of the courses required for each level, along with attunements from a certified Reiki Master. The attunement process clears and opens the meridians and chakras in such a way that Reiki begins to flow through the hands. After an initiation, students can provide Reiki treatments to others and to themselves. Therefore, Reiki classes offer an inexpensive way to receive ongoing treatment. Instead of paying others for sessions, students can treat themselves as needed. Reiki classes empower survivors and even offer the opportunity to earn income while disabled. When selecting a Reiki master teacher, students should look for someone they resonate with. TBI survivors would also want someone who understands their different learning style and individual needs.