Strengthening Trust and Overcoming Doubt

At a recent Reiki Practitioner Information-Sharing Gathering, the topic under discussion was "Strengthening Trust and Overcoming Doubt in our Practice of Reiki." I was inspired to write a bit about the topic. First, what is doubt? Doubt is a mindset associated with a feeling of fear and resistance. After I took my Reiki 1 Training, I diligently practiced daily self-Reiki (and, yes, all these years later, I still do!). A few weeks later, it dawned on me that I had not experienced a vestibular disorder episode during this time. I had suffered from a vestibular disorder for about 2 decades, which often interfered with my work and family life. Now, imagine one of those cartoon images of a person trying to make a decision; above his/her head are two figures: one is an angelic figure prodding the individual to choose the good/right thing, while the other is a devil-like figure prodding the individual to choose the evil/wrong thing. Except, in my case, one of the figures was the "Reiki Elise" and the other was the "Skeptical Elise." The "Reiki Elise" was urging me to accept that it could well be the Reiki self-healing that had alleviated the vestibular disorder, while the "Skeptical Elise" was ridiculing that notion. Well, to this day, I have not had a vestibular disorder episode. My doubts and skepticism dissolved with my practice of Reiki. Funny thing is that I never embarked on the Reiki path thinking that it would impact the vestibular disorder at all. For me, trust in Reiki is not a matter of blind faith; nor is it some belief in a set of ideas or dogmas. Instead, my trust in Reiki is strengthened by experiencing positive outcomes for both myself and my clients. Having said that, I realize that overcoming doubt can be challenging for most of us who have been raised in a culture that leads us to expect quick and predictable results. The results and outcomes of Reiki healing are not always predictable, and this fact can play into our doubts and skepticism. Most of us were brought up in a system of always judging, evaluating, labeling, and comparing all experiences. Most of us were brought up in a system of always seeking validation. My practice of Reiki has taught me that Reiki transforms situations because WE are transformed. As nice as positive feedback from clients can be; as nice as validation by clients' responses can be, what is lasting is the insight that the world is a better place if I practice Reiki.

Brain Science Behind Reiki's Emotional Healing

Reiki practitioners, students, and recipients report the benefits Reiki brings in improving emotional states and outlooks. It may suffice for us to simply feel gratitude to Reiki for facilitating emotional healing. I am nonetheless drawn to recent brain research that may reveal what goes on in our brains in shifting our destructive emotions into more positive ones. Let's take a closer look. The amygdala, located within the limbic system of the brain, is active during negative emotional states, especially fear. The left prefrontal cortex, on the other hand, is associated with positive emotional states, such as optimism and inner calm. Furthermore, increased activation of the left prefrontal cortex actually suppresses the activity of the amygdala. This may be the biological mechanism behind the emotional shifts Reiki induces, freeing us from our more destructive emotions and enhancing our positive ones.