Brian Johansen is not just a clinical holistic health practitioner, he is also a certified trained reiki master, one of only a hundred that practice in the world.
Many types of natural medicine and modalities are based on the belief that every person has a “biofield”. Some of these are yoga, tai chi, acupuncture, and of course Reiki. It is believed to be an energy field that surrounds the outside of the body and when internal emotional or physical problems arise this external field is also affected. Reiki practitioners use their own energy and that of the client to create changes in that field which in turn produces both mental and physical healing.
(Another fascinating phenomenon we like to recommend to our clients, especially those suffering from chronic depression is what is called heart-brain communication or you can find studies on heart math for do it at home therapies.)
Reiki is used in operating rooms at Columbia University Medical Center, R. Adams Shock Trauma Center, Johns Hopkins Hospitals, and many palliative care centers. The many studies into this technique have produced evidence of repeated success with reiki treatments for a variety of conditions and chronic pain and has been documented in these reputable hospitals.
According to Alt MD, beyond signaling a physical problem, chronic pain can also stem from psychological and emotional disturbances. Reiki can resolve them by allowing healing energy to flow freely. The result is reduced pain and tension, as well as feelings of relaxation and rejuvenation. Unlike most other treatments, Reiki is a multi-purposed method that can heal both physical and emotional ailments. Through Reiki, some patients suffering from pain due to cancer, injury, or psychological or emotional distress have found relief where other methods were not successful.
According to an article by Anthony Schifano on the National Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Association’s website, reiki has shown to bring balance and relief to many individuals. He states that patients who have utilized reiki treatments say they experienced “total relaxation, less tense muscles, and improvement in their range of motion.” A patient who suffered years with the pain of fibromyalgia was able to stop taking pain-relieving medications after starting regular Reiki treatments”. There is also evidence that biofield therapies reduce the intensity of pain for hospitalized patients that are dealing with cancer.
During a reiki session the practitioner uses the combined bio energy of themselves and the client to unblock restrictions to the flow of energy through the body. Most recipients of a reiki treatment experience reduction in pain, tension, anxiety, stress, and emotional pain.
During a Reiki session, muscles are relaxed, helping to reduce physical tension, pain, and anxiety and stress, helping to unblock and release emotional pain. Although you may not be completely pain-free, you feel relaxed, refreshed, and better able to cope with your condition.
Reiki sessions involve a very light touch or no touch with the hands held slightly above the body. The practitioner decides which will be the most effective to the condition being treated. It also serves as an excellent therapy for those with pain so intense that any touch is uncomfortable, and for those who just do not like to be touched.
Just as many things in medicine cannot be totally explained many are still trying to identify what makes biofield therapies work. Some believe that the practitioner is able to increase the strength of the individuals biofield while others subscribe to the idea that it shifts the nervous system from a tense “fight or flight” mode “rest and restore” relaxed state.
Evidence based studies have concluded that reiki offers many benefits. There are both physiological and psychological benefits as it produces alpha and theta responses.
These benefits include:
Meditative states of relaxation
Stress reduction
Healing and mental changes
Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (our rest-and-restore system)
Lower heart rate, lower pulse rate and slower breathing
An overall nudging toward homeostasis.
Shifts toward a positive mental attitude and toward feeling happier
Reiki may help ease:
Pain
Sleep problems
Nausea
Anxiety
Depression
Tension
Chronic fatigue syndrome
These are hallmarks of Reiki that we know exist—they’re real, measurable,
and the reason people seek Reiki for physical and mental issues.