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DOES REIKI WORK?
After decades of often disputed validity, the effectiveness of Reiki, a holistic energy treatment is gaining new respect within the medical community. Not only are highly reputable medical facilities throughout the U.S. offering patients alternative healing programs such as Reiki, those facilities are analyzing the benefits of their programs and are submitting them for review and compilation. The results of these Reiki research studies are nothing short of remarkable. - Greenlotus.hubpages.com PROVEN STUDIESNew York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Campus conducted one of the first studies ever performed to determine the effectiveness of Reiki treatments on the autonomic nervous system. This “blind, random study” included a Reiki treatment group, a “sham” treatment group and a “control” group. The testing began with all participants at “baseline” autonomic nervous systems levels. The results within the Reiki treatment group showed a lowering of these levels including heart rate, respiration and blood pressure. These positive results led the team to recommend further, larger studies to look at the biological effects of Reiki treatment. It’s interesting to note that Columbia/Presbyterian was one of the first hospitals to offer Reiki as part of their Integrative Medicine Program (CIMP). Meditation is a mind and body practice that has a long history of use for increasing calmness and physical relaxation, improving psychological balance, coping with illness, and enhancing overall health and well-being. Many studies have been conducted to look at how meditation may be helpful for a variety of conditions, such as high blood pressure, certain psychological disorders, and pain. A number of studies also have helped researchers learn how meditation might work and how it affects the brain. - National Institute of Health.
A few easy ways to meditate are:
1. To decrease your "fight or flight" response, repeat to yourself, "Your name, you're not going to die, you're going to be okay. You've been through worse and then you've been all right. Everything will be okay.
2. Gratitude can help hopelessness. If you are having trouble coming up with something you are grateful for then try this little hack: say “What am I grateful for?” fifteen times without answering the question. Usually before you are finished you will feel the dopamine release. If not, do it a second time. 3. Smiling for 20 seconds can trick your body into thinking it is happy and release dopamine. Laughing and fake laughing are good hacks too, your body does not know the difference between the two. 4. Do your best to release the four feel-good chemicals, which are dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins. 5. Doing your best to stay in the moment can help you from spiraling down a negative unknown future. If you do look forward, a little bit of hope can help. Planning little things to look forward to helps to release dopamine. At my house, we look forward to Friday night nachos and a movie. Simple but effective. Plan a drive. Talk about what trips you will take when it will be safer to do so. Take a small step toward a goal. 6. Endorphins are released with activity. Look into your own exercise toolbox to see what you can use, maybe you will find it is walking, running, calisthenics, dancing or Zumba. 7.Oxytocin can be released by touch. This can be difficult for single people who used to be able to get a massage to release it. Self-massage can help. For those quarantined with others, hugs are effective. Try five a day. Also, according to Dr. Joe Dispenza, deep breathing while visualizing your heart can help. 8. Seratonin is normally released when the sun comes out in the morning and melatonin is released when it gets dark. Serotonin gives you energy and melatonin can make you tired. Seratonin is what is stimulated in some antidepressants. When sleep patterns are off so is the normal pattern of serotonin and melatonin. Some people who are very anxious feel better waking up in the afternoon because the serotonin from light exacerbates the anxiety with excess energy. And they are more productive when melatonin is released because it is more calming. If you are having trouble sleeping, try turning off the light in the evening and using candles or the light of your electronics with the blue light turned off. 9. Limit your news intake to a manageable amount from a reliable source. 10. Make a list of what coping skills you enjoy and are available to you. Here are some examples: Meditation, exercise, get outside in nature, read a book, take a walk, create something, have a phone, or zoom conversation or listen to music. Think about what you have done that makes you smile. Remember good memories. |
AuthorStacy Monaghan, LMFT ArchivesCategories |
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