http://www.care2.com/greenliving/reiki-and-teen-angst.html
Reiki and Teen Angst
By Hope Bentley, Natural Solutions
Acne, mood swings, growth spurts—we don’t mean to imply that adolescence is a disease, but sometimes it can feel that way. The flux and change that characterize the teen years can leave adolescents (and those around them) feeling out of balance. In times of stress, confusion, or illness, a little Reiki may go a long way toward smoothing out the rough spots.
Reiki, a Japanese rethinking of the “laying on of hands” school of healing, can reduce stress and gently enhance well-being. Reiki defines itself as a primordial life force, similar in spirit to prana and qi. Most Reiki practitioners work with the chakra system, the seven centers of energy in the human body that originated in yoga philosophy. Practitioners say they can make subtle shifts in their patient’s energy by gently touching the patient and sometimes by moving their hands over (but not on) the patient’s body. This noninvasive technique allows the patient to remain fully clothed.
“Reiki is great for teens because they don’t have to talk. It is rare for teens to want to tell their problems to anyone who is not their age,” says Pamela Miles, author of Reiki: A Comprehensive Guide (Penguin Group, 2006).
Miles says that Reiki works particularly well with ADD and ADHD because Reiki helps calm and balance. “Teens with ADD and ADHD respond very quickly,” says Miles. She has also seen great results for young people who have diabetes. “Reiki can help the kids release some of the negative emotions that surface in connection to treatment, and help alleviate some of the helplessness.”
Other studies show that Reiki helps reduce depression. A high school in Camden, Maine, provided Reiki treatments to its students after the school lost eight students to drowning, car accidents, and suicide in six months. The school reported that the Reiki helped students cope with their grief and distress.
One of the great things about Reiki is how easy it is to learn. Teens can learn to practice it on themselves or others—some practitioners also offer classes tailored to suit parents and teens together, in which parents and teens treat each other.
Hannah Grace Miles, Pamela Miles’ teenage daughter, has even become an advocate: “I would absolutely recommend Reiki to my friends, and I have in the past. A lot of [my friends] have expressed interest, especially at times of stress in school, like final exams or important sporting events, or at times of emotional stress.”
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6 comments
add your comment »thanks...
Kabin
Konteyner
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why is this inappropriate?
This is a wonderful validation for me, as I will be completing my Reiki I & II by end of March 2009. I would like to go further towards Master Level. Researching more on Reiki healings done and validated by major organizations are such a wonderful way to educate people that it is safe to use Reiki. This is a wonderful way to maintain one's health too.
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As a massage therapist and therapeutic touch practitioner for 22+ years, I know the benefits of Energy healing modalities. (I learned the Therapeutic Touch at a weekend seminar held at a hospital in 1985) I do however take slight issue with the Reiki branch of energy work, in it's "attunement" process... That sounds like Apostolic succession (the laying on of Hands to imbue pastoral authority within the Roman Catholic Church) to me. Having been raised in an Evangelical (Lutheran) household, I much prefer the more egalitarian approach offered to therapeutic touch practitioners. But what ever form it takes, energy work is good stuff for a myriad of ailments...
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I'm grateful to see such an informative and well written article on Reiki. My daughter is a Reiki Master and all the benefits you mention are true. She's done wonders for our entire family - and releasing stress is a big key.
To continue the benefits of a Reiki treatment, she recommends eating the best quality (cleanest and freshest) foods possible and drinking plenty of good-quality water. The healthier and more stress-free we are, the better our immune systems work. We feel better and our skins show it.
One last thing that's very important. Read the labels on any acne products you're using. Some of the ingredients are very harmful, even toxic. Once you've researched the ingredients, you can make an informed decision as to if you're willing to put a poison on your skin, or look for an herbal or home remedy that's equally effective.
Mayo Underwood
http://www.best-mens-skin-care.com
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It is my understanding that Reiki is transfered through an attunement process rather than "learned". The hand positions can be learned, however the attunement from a Reiki Master is so much more than a "learned" process. You become a clear channel for the Universal Life Force energy to flow and are able to practice this on others with an intention that the energy go where it is needed for the persons greater good. Reiki is beneficial for all beings! Humans, animals, plants...
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Reiki is a wonderful healing art, which I have utilized as a practitioner in my massage practice for many years. Classes are also available for young children to take in many areas of the country. Even more powerful is the ancient Japanese healing art of Jin Shin Jyutsu, as it can be used more specifically for mental, emotional & physical health & wellbeing than Reiki is generally used. For more details see The Touch of Healing by Alice Burmeister & Tom Monte.
Reiki, however, is an easier skill to learn & use for the layperson and is a great starting point for all to use for themselves, family & friends. It's how I got started in what I've been doing for 20 years now!
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