“Trust the process, you do not need to know how it works, only that it does.”

(Hazel Butterworth – Date Unknown)

There are a multitude of benefits that Reiki can have for us all. Reiki is able to promote healing and rejuvenation in every area and aspect of our lives. As an ancient alternative healing therapy, Reiki brings alignment, balance, health and well-being to our body.

For athletes and fitness enthusiasts, Reiki can be used as a highly effective complementary remedial aid to assist with the healing and repair of new or old injuries. The way Reiki works is that it brings the athlete’s natural healing ability to fruition. It boosts the overall positive wellness of the body and the mind by restoring and rebalancing their energy. Rather than tackling symptoms of pain, injury, etc., Reiki addresses the root cause of the problem through the channelling of the powerful life force energy – via the practitioner’s hands. Essentially, a Reiki treatment for athletes and fitness enthusiasts enables the body to eliminate the effects of the imbalance by releasing energetic blockages, tension and toxins which no longer serves the athlete. As the body receives the life force energy, the body intuitively knows where the energy needs to flow through and around the chakras (the body’s main energy centres). Therefore, repairing and restoring the body of pain, tension and stress. As a Reiki Master practitioner I always stress that I am not the one doing the healing. I am simply the one who acts as a clear vessel to channel through healing energy. The recipient is the one who intuitively heals themselves! Consciously or subconsciously.

How do you know that a Reiki treatment is having a healing effect on the body?  More often than not, this can be felt via sensations such as heat, tingles, twitches and spasms – which indicates that the energy is flowing through the body. Or, in some cases, you may feel nothing at all. However, don’t be alarmed if you don’t feel anything. Rest assured that the universal life force energy is flowing where it needs to. Therefore, aiding in the healing of the areas in the body that require the most attention.

In essence, Reiki is deeply restorative and therefore heals the body and mind naturally, enabling a positive shift in the energy. Below are just some of the benefits that Reiki can have on athletes and exercise enthusiasts. Reiki……..

• can help prevent severe injuries
• helps to improve post-recovery time
• can help your muscles heal faster and more deeply after intense workouts thus helping them grow back stronger and resist injury
• boosts memory
• improves concentration and focus, creating a centred mind
• relieves muscle soreness and stiffness
• improves post-workout recovery, speeding up the healing of old and new injuries
• can reduce the healing time of injury and makes the healing process more comfortable
• supports athletes to be calm, secure and focused
• supports a positive mental outlook, creating a winning mind
• supports “refuelling your gas tank” to relieve fatigue and to re-energise
• can add a great deal to our quality of life when combined with exercise
• is safe to use in conjunction with orthodox medicinal practices and/or other alternative healing modalities to encourage the healing process of a sports/exercise injury.

If at the end of the day you are reading this and thinking, “Reiki isn’t going to heal my injury“, I would ask that if you are contemplating a Reiki session, you come with a positive mindset and set the intention that you are committed to healing your body. I would also ask that you allow yourself to connect with your body through the power of the mind and through your heart. We all have an incredible ability to heal ourselves. If we so desperately want to heal our body, then we will achieve it – as the power of the mind is highly influential! Which brings me to the placebo effect. The placebo effect once had a negative connotation, but now scientists are discovering what a powerful mechanism it can be (don’t believe me? Do your research! 😊). Essentially, placebos trigger a relaxation response which appears to allow the body an opportunity to self-heal. Combine a high-powered Reiki treatment with the placebo and observe just how quickly your body will restore and heal back to its natural healthy state.

“Reiki is one of several therapies based on the biofield, or type of energy field that regulates everything from our cellular function to our nervous system.”

(Shamini Jain, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry – University of California, San Diego)

Many blessings,

Olga