Reiki is one of the most profound forms of energy healing available. It is also the easiest to learn and practice. There are no complicated flows to memorize. No tools, such as needles, or other technology needed. No plant medicines, complex shamanic ceremonies, or years of study required. All you need to get started is a one-day training, along with an open mind and willing heart.
“In the practice of Reiki, we find that love is the ultimate healing force.”
When I was first introduced to Reiki over thirty years ago, it was very much on the fringe. Energy healing of any kind was mostly considered quackery. Certainly not open to scientific inquiry. Happily, that perspective is changing. Serious scientists are doing rigorous studies to document that energy healing works, and to understand the how and why it does.
One of the latest groundbreaking studies on Reiki healing hasn’t yet been published in a mainstream journal. I heard about it on this podcast: Telepathy Tapes - Energy Healing Part 2: Consciousness at Work in the Body. The research was funded by the Subtle Energy Funders Collective (how cool is this philanthropic organization that is privately funding global research initiatives that answer core questions about efficacy and mechanisms of consciousness-based healing modalities?) David Leapson, Managing Director of the Collective, gave us a sneak peek at the research approach and findings:
Research was conducted at MD Anderson, a premier cancer research center in the U.S.
The study looked at the effects of energy healing on pancreatic cancer cells in petri dishes and in mice with pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is the one of the hardest to treat.
The research was conducted in a vigorous way, with different healers, large sample sizes and a control group treated by sham healers.
Results showed that energy healing significantly reduced the growth of cancer cells in the petri dishes. And, similarly, it had a significant effect on reducing the cancer in mice! Given the way the research was conducted, the results cannot be written off as simply the placebo effect.
The Collective has done a great job of compiling scientific research on how different forms of biofield (energy) healing affect a variety of health conditions. As of today, you can see from the Biofield Science Evidence Map that there are twelve studies that show Reiki has positive effects on cancer. Most of these show that Reiki is safe and beneficial in helping people cope with their cancer treatments.
Reiki has also been shown to help people recover more quickly from surgery, deal with pain, anxiety, depression, stress and more. There are twenty-two studies that show Reiki is beneficial for overall health and well-being. So much better than pharmaceutical interventions! Hopefully, more high-quality research studies on energy healing will be funded and promoted so that this non-invasive, safe and soul-ful healing becomes mainstream and available to all.
But, we don’t have to wait for that. You can learn to practice Reiki on yourself and others. Like many other forms of energy healing, the more you practice Reiki, the more balanced, coherent, and resilient you become. You also come to understand that our bodies have an amazing capacity to heal when we shed our egos, get out of the way, and invite the help of a higher consciousness.
Click here to learn more about my upcoming Reiki classes and workshops.
“Through Reiki, we learn to align ourselves with the rhythm of the universe.”