I am very excited. I am on the verge of practising Reiki from Calmer Clinics, Dolphin Square, London! My first clients will be welcomed in March 2022. What a place to be able to work, in the heart of London, alongside other healing professionals including an osteopath, a psychotherapist, a sports massage therapist, a nutritionist and a number of other highly qualified and experienced therapists and practitioners. I am very grateful for this opportunity.
What do you know about Reiki? Have you ever tried it? It is quite an astounding experience, and can bring all sorts of positive transitions to your life. My personal experience of Reiki has been transformative. Seven years ago I got onto a Reiki bed, not knowing what to expect. And when I got off, a nagging three week old running injury that had caused me pain when I walked had gone! I was converted there and then to Reiki . Since then Reiki has had positive impact on all aspects of my life, including my relationship with myself, my emotional health, and general happiness and wellbeing.
Reiki doesn’t always bring the outcome you think you want at the time, but it brings the best outcome – you really can trust in the universe to bring you the best of life. Reiki can also pull you out of negativity, particularly states of mind in which you are feeling critical and judgemental of others – which generally means you are giving yourself a hard time too! And if you are a cynic, that is fine – Reiki will still have a positive impact on you and your life – you do not need to ‘believe’ in it for it to work.
I am now a trained practitioner, and continue to be amazed by the positive impacts of Reiki. A practice that used to be met with scepticism, today is appreciated in the mainstream. The University Colleges London Hospital (UCLH) was the first NHS hospital in the UK to employ Reiki therapists, as part of its complementary therapy team back in 1999. Now many hospitals and GP practices provide Reiki. The UCLH team gave Reiki to a range of patients, but particularly those suffering from serious diseases such as cancer. Reiki has also been used successfully to treat the emotional stress suffered by relatives of patients with potentially lethal diseases. Angi Buxton-King was the first Reiki practitioner to be employed by the NHS in the UK, and you can hear more of her pioneering story in this podcast. She worked within the NHS for 12 years.
Angi describes how she introduced the concept of the healing universal energy that is transmitted through Reiki to science-minded doctors. She would find agreement that there is an energy field around our bodies, which is demonstrable, and that changes in the energy field can be measured. A balanced energy field creates the most conducive environment for healing. She explains how Reiki rebalances this energy field. When she gave Reiki demonstrations to the doctors and they felt the energy running through their bodies, they were more accepting. And when they saw the positive impacts of this energy on their patients, they become convinced of the benefits of Reiki.
Torsten Lange, founder and director of The Reiki Academy in London, has invested time and effort into gathering scientific data to prove the power of Reiki, so as to broaden its acceptance and availability. He experimented by practising Reiki on water last year, and has evidence that it changes the molecular constitution of the water. This demonstrates that Reiki has the capacity to make tangible changes to living beings, bearing in mind we are between 50% and 65% water. Torsten’s experiment is significant!
In 2019 the National Library of Medicine published a scientific research paper based on 1,411 Reiki sessions and concluded ‘Statistically significant improvements were observed for all outcome measures, including positive affect, negative affect, pain, drowsiness, tiredness, nausea, appetite, shortness of breath, anxiety, depression, and overall wellbeing (all p-values <0.001). The results from this large-scale multisite effectiveness trial suggest that a single session of Reiki improves multiple variables related to physical and psychological health’. People familiar with receiving Reiki, and Reiki practitioners know this, but this kind of research is wonderful for extending the reach and acceptance of Reiki into the wider world.
However, there is no substitute for personal experience. This is the most influential proof of the impact of Reiki, regardless of the science. Most people are surprised by how relaxed they feel after a Reiki treatment, but there are many impacts beyond this on the mind and body, and on one’s life in general. When our energy levels change, many aspects of life change, and things that appeared to be problems often fade away, with a new and higher perspective. The healing life force that is Reiki goes to the root of any problem. This may be on a physical level, or an emotional or spiritual level. Some of the impacts do not manifest immediately, but events may begin to take a turn for the better in the hours and days following a treatment.
As my teacher, Alexandra Swann explains, drawing on her twenty years of experience, ‘Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit and creates many beneficial effects including relaxation and feelings of peace, security, and wellbeing. Reiki heals by flowing through the negatively affected parts of the energy field and charging them with positive energy. It raises the vibratory level of the energy field in and around the physical body where the negative thoughts and feelings are attached. This causes the negative energy to break apart and fall away. In so doing, Reiki clears, straightens and heals the energy pathways, thus allowing the life force to flow in a healthy and natural way’.
I think you know what I am going to say now. If you feel curious, why not get in touch and we can discuss Reiki, and book you in for a treatment! You can take advantage of my Reiki offers in the month of March. If you have got to this point, I am guessing your curiosity is already piqued, and now you have the opportunity to try Reiki first hand, in a professional and safe environment. Please visit my page on the Calmer Clinics site to learn more.
I am also a coach and can bring coaching elements to the Reiki session if you are interested in hearing more about this.