The Word: Energy Healing

THE WELL OF PBC / DEC ISSUE 2021

28

OWNER OF THE SANCTUARY FOR MIND, BODY & SPIRIT IN LAKE WORTH, FL. WWW.FB.COM/MBSSANCTUARY |@MBSSANCTUARY |HEALING@MBSSANCTUARY.COM

BY SHEILA ZAYAS

Energy Healing as a Self-care Tool

THE WORD

THE WELL OF PBC / DEC ISSUE 2021 29

The true effect stress was having on many lives came to light during the COVID-19 pandemic. Once people settled into the new work-from-home routine, they had more time to reflect on their constant state of stress.

Stress-related illnesses and mental exhaustion are skyrocketing. Most people we know experience moderate to high stress levels.

Modern-day living has become hectic with errands, worries, and relentless distractions pulling our attention. Days melt into weeks, and the next thing one knows, here comes the winter holidays again.

To calm down from high levels of stress, more people are exploring unconventional ways to feel balanced and soothe the mind-body as a whole. For thousands of years, indigenous and prescientific medical systems have documented that a balanced pulsing biofield is fundamental to treating the mind-body-spirit.

Health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes, can stem from leaving stress to run amuck and unchecked. Additionally, mental and behavioral effects such as anxiety, substance abuse, and toxic relationships can leave one feeling emotionally and physically heavy.

Stress releases specific hormones into the bloodstream to ready the body to fight or flight. That is why, despite feeling exhausted and sleepy, falling asleep or staying asleep can seem difficult during stressful times. One’s body can’t calm down while the stress hormones are raging like a wild river and getting fueled by worry and racing thoughts.

EFFECTS OF STRESS ON THE BODY

” Stress releases specific hormones into the bloodstream to ready the body to fight or flight. That is why, despite feeling exhausted and sleepy, falling asleep or staying asleep can seem difficult during stressful times.

“

THE WORD

The Word is a broad topic space for contributing writers (a.k.a the community) to share your stories of behavioral health or anything self-care related i.e. fitness, health, educational, parenting, hobbies, wellness, etc. To contribute, send your article ideas to thewell@bewellpbc.org with “The Word” in the subject line.

Reiki is not a cure-all solution and should not take the place of medical treatment. However, it is worth an honest try. Learn more at www.MBSsanctuary.com

It can be performed remotely. So, a recipient and practitioner do not need to be in the same location, making for an extremely safe and comforting form of healing for those uncomfortable with physical interactions during the pandemic.

Reiki practitioners lightly place their hands on the body in a series of positions to aid in energy flow throughout the body. No religious belief system is attached to Reiki. A soothing treatment usually lasts between 30-60 minutes, with the recipient lying fully clothed on a massage table while soft music plays in the background.

WHAT IS REIKI?

THE WELL OF PBC / DEC ISSUE 2021

30

Maintaining clear energy can be beneficial for the individual who prioritizes their spiritual health. Taking the time to go inward can open us up to our unseen resources. People who bond with their inner being via spiritual practices, such as energy healing or meditation, can diminish the negative side effects of chemotherapy, improve surgical outcomes, regulate the autonomic nervous system, and dramatically alter their experience of physical and emotional pain associated with illness.

Reiki, also known as energy healing, is a wonderful method of clearing energy and self-care for stress relief and wellness and for spiritual growth, abundance, love, and discovering one’s life purpose.

A practitioner senses and works with a client’s biofield (interacting fields of energy and information that surround all living beings). The practitioner aims to balance these subtle energies to boost the body’s innate knack to bring itself back to its default state - homeostasis.

Starting in Japan in the 1920s, Reiki works by supporting the recipient in deep relaxation, which gently nudges the nervous system to stop pumping additional stress hormones into the bloodstream. It encourages us to shift our view of the body from a physical mechanism into a body that shares information about what it needs to create balance.

Biofield therapies such as Reiki and pranic healing are noninvasive and low-risk methods for stress relief and stimulating the body’s natural self-healing ability. Thus, they are worthy spiritual complements to conventional medical treatment.

EXPLORING ALTERNATIVE WAYS FOR STRESS RELIEF AND SPIRITUALITY

THE WORD