With those experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the body cannot tell the difference between the past and the present. So when exposed to a trigger, past trauma can be experienced as if it were happening in the now. So how can Reiki be used to aid the healing process when trauma is involved?

Reiki works on four levels: Mental, Emotional, Physical and Spiritual. It is an energy system that can release stuck, blocked and stagnant energy, encouraging and stimulating healthy, positive, pure energy to flow in its place, which in turn can activate and promote healing. It is particularly useful for healing trauma, because the energy that is held in that space after a trauma occurs is of low vibration and it is this low vibration that blocks the flow of energy. After the blockages take place in our energy pathways, energy becomes denser and heavier emotionally and psychologically. Now the healthy energy has to find a different route to take so that human life is in the flow and is moving. Reiki helps to open and reset the healthy flow of energy.

Reiki practitioners use the principles of the chakra system and metaphysics, a branch of philosophy that, among other things, examines the relationship between mind and matter. According to metaphysics, the unhealthy beliefs and emotions that stem from a traumatic experience, if not processed and released, get stuck in the body, causing pain, discomfort, and dis-ease. So, for example, when working with someone who has experienced an emotional trauma, focusing on the heart space or the solar plexus can help to remove feelings of self-doubt and self-esteem.

Our body is a miracle when it comes to its ability to store trauma at a cellular level. It is often the physical and emotional manifestations of the trauma that brings people in to have a Reiki session- the back pain, the fatigue or insomnia, a tight neck and shoulders, anxiety, depression (to name a few). Helping people make the connection between the event (the trauma) and the symptoms is often the first step in healing. Reiki can support this process by opening the heart space and allowing the person to feel again. Reiki can clear out the blockages on all levels, encouraging the flow of pure energy to aid the healing process.