Got Stress? Healing Therapy May Help

Healing Touch and Reiki therapy are built on the philosophy of caring for the whole person – body, mind, emotion and spirit. 

When used in conjunction with therapeutic treatment provided by your physician and other health care personnel, these complementary therapies are intended to help “smooth out” the body’s energy field during times of physical, mental or emotional stress. 

While Healing Touch and Reiki therapy don’t treat an illness or disease, what they do do is allow the body to let go of stress

When the body holds on to stress, treatments for chronic conditions, such as diabetes or cancer, aren’t as effective. However, the less stress a person has, the more effective treatments are. 

Pronounced “ray-key,” Reiki originated in Japan in the 1920s as a technique for reducing stress while promoting relaxation and healing. It is based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy,” or qi, flows through the human body. If this energy is low, you are more likely to get sick; if it’s high, you are better equipped to fight off disease. 

Similarly, Healing Touch helps to “restore balance” to the body’s natural energy field in order to increase health and self-healing. It was developed from various traditional energy practices in the 1980s. 

Many people have come to believe that the human body has its own energy field, which radiates in a smooth constant flow. Though unseen, this energy radiates from every part of the body, and the "smooth" flow can be affected, even disturbed, by a person’s physical, mental and emotional stress.

Healing Touch and Reiki therapy involve little or no contact with the receiver’s physical body. 

The therapist moves his or her hands above the body to “smooth out” the body’s energy field. 

If the recipient is comfortable, the therapist will apply a light touch to certain areas, or no physical contact at all can be requested. 

Sessions can last from a few minutes to 20-30 minutes. Relaxation best occurs when there are limited distractions and interruptions. 

Healing Touch and Reiki therapy are available to patients at the Pali Momi Women’s Center and the Kapiolani Medical Center Women's Center. After receiving a session from either one of these therapies, many patients report feeling more relaxed, decreased discomfort and improved overall sense of well-being.

Volunteers, some of whom are medical personnel, have completed course work in their specialty and follow strict guidelines set forth by the medical center prior to performing therapy sessions.

Published on: April 27, 2016