Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/398416
Seventh/Crown Chakra The seventh chakra is the portal to the higher self and life purpose. We each have our own unique path to follow, which can become most evident to us when the lower chakras are clear, strong, and functioning at optimal levels. When we are more concerned with survival or baser tasks, the fulfi llment we might experience with an open crown chakra may not be available to us. We store trauma in our bodies energetically, not only within our chakras, but all the way down to the cellular level. Because reiki helps balance and fortify energy fi elds while clearing energetic blocks, it can address issues similar to those mentioned here. Reiki helps restore the chakras back to a healthy, vital state and eases and even eliminates the symptoms of stored trauma. THE IMPACT OF TRAUMA According to the Washington Post, the number of military deaths due to suicide in 2012 surpassed that of deaths in combat. 2 In addition to depression and hopelessness, erratic behavior and the inability to recreate a productive life means the impact of PTSD reaches beyond individuals to their families, communities, and society as a whole. The response from the VA has been a push to develop initiatives and protocols to bring veterans some relief, including energy healing modalities, massage, meditation, yoga, and other means of promoting relaxation. The VA estimated it would spend $600 million in 2013 to treat PTSD, 3 though programs are expanding beyond the VA to independent service centers created to meet the rapidly growing need. USING REIKI TO REACH OUT In early 2012, I contacted the Jesse Brown VA facility in Chicago to see how members of the Midwest Reiki Community could connect to veterans in need. I was invited to bring a group of practitioners to the next VA Stand Down, a service fair for homeless veterans that is held in locations across the country. These events offer food, shelter, clothing, health screenings, VA and Social Security benefi ts, counseling, an opportunity to reconnect with other veterans, and referrals to services such as health care, housing, employment, and substance abuse treatment. During the fi rst year volunteering at Stand Down, we had a diffi cult time selling people on reiki initially. As we offered demos to the crowd, we were met with a variety of responses ranging from "no thanks," to winks and chuckles. Overseas, our troops are exposed to all manner of hands-on "services" and misconceptions were to be expected. I had REIKI AND PTSD F r e e m u s i c d o w n l o a d s f o r C e r t i f i e d m e m b e r s : w w w. a b m p . c o m / g o / c e r t i f i e d c e n t r a l 67 What is Reiki? Reiki is a valuable addition to any massage therapist's toolbox. It is an energy healing modality in which the practitioner makes a fl ow of life-force energy—called chi or prana in other cultures— available to the recipient. Everything is made of energy, so reiki is able to address healing on all levels: physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual. Its noninvasive nature is what makes reiki a great resource for those suffering from PTSD. The benefi ts of reiki are sometimes immediate and profound, and usually found to be cumulative over time. In addition to its ability to alleviate pain and stress and promote an overall sense of well-being in very little time, reiki has two unique features: it can be learned quickly by anyone, and it can be used as an effective means of self-healing on a daily basis, much like the practices of yoga or meditation. The fi rst level of reiki training takes place over a one- or two-day class, and children as young as 7 years old have attended reiki classes and gone on to offer reiki and its myriad benefi ts to others. As awareness of its effi cacy in reducing physical pain and anxiety grows, reiki is being increasingly incorporated into hospital treatment programs around the world, and the corresponding body of anecdotal and clinical data is mounting in its support.