Reiki Journey
Two years ago, I was a stay at home mom struggling with anxiety, disassociation, depression, insomnia, and panic attacks. I had a difficult time handling the stress which left me with very little patience. I saw a doctor and tried a couple different medications but nothing felt right for me. I also saw a counselor, which did help, but the sessions were too expensive to continue while my partner and I were living off one income.
My mom mentioned Reiki to me one day, but I had no idea what it was. She explained it as energy healing, but I still didn’t understand. On a day where I was feeling especially desperate for change I started making calls to find a practitioner. I was losing my mind. Finally, I found Kindra.
She explained the Chakras to me, what they mean and how they relate to the energy in our body. The treatment itself was such a surreal experience. Like a deep meditation with vivid imagery. It was as it I could feel heat tingling from her hands hovering above me, and I struggled to make sense of it. Kindra and I connected so well it was like we were reading each other’s minds, she was so comforting and supportive, even though I had just met her I felt like I’d known her my whole life.
After the treatment finished I was able to better understand why I had been feeling such strong emotions. Kindra also explained crystal therapy to me, and how they can be used. Crystal healing became a new tool for me to deal with my anxiety.
As I began to do more research about Reiki, and had treatments once a month, I found I started to have a new way of thinking. I felt so much better, and more in control of my feelings. Eventually I decided that I wanted to learn how to offer this so that I could help others discover the emotional and physical healing benefits of Reiki.
In April of 2017, Kindra had introduced me to a Reiki master who had classes coming up right away. We met and connected very quickly, and with no hesitation I signed up for my Reiki level 1 and 2. I knew it was what I needed to do. The training process was a whirlwind of information. My mind was blown for at least 2 days afterwards. Once the bookwork was done, I was to perform Reiki on 10 people to earn my certificates.
Each person I worked on had such interesting experiences. For the first few I was still doubting that I was really doing anything, yet they all had very moving things to say about their sessions. They were much like my first experience with it, which was very encouraging. As I continued to practice, it became more fluid, I was more confident in my skills, and I was starting to see how much it was helping the people I was working with.
So, what is this Reiki thing anyway? Reiki is an ancient Japanese healing therapy for stress reduction and relaxation, that also promotes healing. The Word (Rei) (ki) translates to “Universal life force energy” and is administered by the practitioner’s hands laying on or above the body. It deals with the energy centers of the body and works to remove any energy blockages there may be. Most people go into a deep meditative state and may feel warmth, tingling, or other physical sensations as well as a sense of calmness and relaxation. It brings a state of healing on all levels, mind, body, and soul. It can be used as a complementary therapy alongside any medical treatments and is completely safe for people of all ages.
As I continue to practice Reiki, I am constantly encouraged to learn more, and am reminded to be more aware of the daily struggles of the people around us. Everyone is fighting their own battle and although I can’t perform Reiki on every passerby that is having a rough day, I do want to extend a healing hand to anyone who will accept it.
- Emma Campbell
