Reiki, Stress & The Nervous System

Week after week, I meet with Reiki and coaching clients who are battling with our old friend, stress. While we think of stress sitting in our minds, it is something that can overrun our physical and energetic bodies. These days, we are wired to our gadgets, always thinking, reacting or responding, overwhelmed with that feeling of always being ‘on’. We are in a state of constant fight or flight, which may have made sense back in the stone age when we were fleeing from tigers, but this response doesn’t really have a place in our modern tiger-free world. 

When tuning into a client’s stress levels during a reiki session, this feeling is often found in the head/mind, the third eye or crown chakra. It can sit like a fog that clouds your intuition and sense of self-trust, or it can feel chaotic, with thoughts running a million miles a minute. But, most often, I can feel it ripple out through a client’s body. It can manifest as a ‘weight of the world’ energy that sits on your shoulders. It can pool around the heart chakra, with a fast heart rate, a tight chest and a sense of anxiety. Or it can reach further down to the hips, legs or root chakra—the source of most of our base fears. 

What are the functions of the Nervous System?

The Autonomic Nervous System connects the central nervous system with our organs and helps control essential body functions. These include our heart rate, body breathing rate, digestion, temperature and sensation. This system is split into the sympathetic nervous system, which stimulates organs, increasing heart rate and blood pressure, and the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps slow down most bodily processes.

These systems are also closely linked to stress and our flight or fight responses. Our sympathetic autonomic nervous system triggers stress responses and prepares the body’s energy for stressful or energy-exerting activities. While the parasympathetic nervous system helps calm our system, conserve energy and restore tissues. 

How can Reiki soothe the Nervous System?

Alternative mind-body modalities (like Reiki, meditation or breathwork) are known for their ability to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, thereby helping to reduce stress, calm the mind and regulate (or process) our emotions.

My goal during every reiki session is to create a safe and sacred space for your to unwind. I’ll encourage you to give yourself permission to rest and relax, something which we very rarely do. As the session unfolds, I will help you connect with your breath, connect with your body and allow all stress to melt away gently. Reiki energy will go wherever it needs to go, wherever it is being called to in your body, helping to untangle any energy locked in your body and your chakras.

As the session comes to an end, I will close with a meditation to support your needs before closing down the healing space. After our session, I leave time to discuss your experience and offer intuitive insights I have picked up during the session. This allows the space to acknowledge and comprehend your complex inner world and further facilitate your healing journey.

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