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How is Reiki Beneficial for Veterans?

Updated: May 7, 2022

Reiki can have a significant positive impact on our mind, body, and soul.


I would like to start this post off by saying if you are in need of help, and have not tried reiki yet, I would highly advise that you give it a try.


(Please note: this article is in no way meant to be used as medical advice. Please consult your medical professional for any sort of medical-related advice.)


There are many articles that show just how much reiki helps to minimize the negative effects that PTSD can have not only on veterans but anyone who suffers from any kind of trauma.


The International Center for Reiki Training refers to post-traumatic stress disorder as the "dark night of the soul". That is such an accurate, yet haunting term. Each case of PTSD is unique to the individual. Though soldiers may have fought in battle together, each one of their PTSD ailments is unlike the other because of how their body processed the stressor(s) at the time of the occurrence(s) AND because of how their body continued to process it through life thereafter.


Horrific dreams, a racing mind, and physical ailments are just a few of the MANY problems our veterans face both during and after their service in the armed forces. Reiki can have a profound effect on calming the mind and helping someone ease back into a less chaotic and less stressful life.


I follow Pamela Miles of Reiki, Medicine, and Self Care. She has been involved in the Reiki industry for over three decades. Pamela featured an article about the experiences of reiki practitioner Ellen Severino, and her treatment of military veterans who suffer from PTSD. She recounts a particular experience with one of her veteran clients who couldn't sleep at night. Ellen began with her hands over his crown chakra at the top of his head and worked her way down his body. Soon after, his breathing slowed and he was snoring because he had fallen asleep. When he woke up he was astonished by how wonderful he felt.


Though this was just the first stepping stone in an uphill battle, this is a HUGE result after a single reiki treatment. Some people respond to the reiki energy more quickly than others, so this was excellent progress towards his healing.





Wondering how all of this is possible?

Simply put, reiki treatment re-balances the energy throughout your body, by focusing on the seven chakra points throughout the body. Each chakra represents different organs and parts of the body. If you have a blocked chakra, the blockage will present itself as an ailment somewhere within your body. For example, a blockage in your Third Eye Chakra could present itself as headaches, sinus problems, seizures, or other ailments.


However, some ailments don't always present themselves near the location of the chakra that is blocked. This is why reiki practitioners will conduct their energy healing on all chakra points throughout the body and not just one. The energy that is flowing into your body during a reiki treatment will also distribute throughout your chakras and focus on the ones that are blocked. That is the beauty of the universal life force energy, it knows where it needs to go in order to best heal the recipient. The reiki practitioner is the vessel for the energy, and once the energy has been sent into the client's body, it starts to work its magic.


Other Studies

Hope for the Warriors wrote an article on the reiki as a regular therapy method for veterans.


They stated, "In a recent study conducted by the Military Medicine Journal, researchers examined the effectiveness of Reiki, labeling it as “Healing Touch.” Researchers observed a drop in PTSD symptoms for the intervention group by 14 points (from 54.7 to 40.7) using the PTSD checklist, which is considered to be clinically, as well as statistically, significant."


I am a huge advocate of trying holistic healing prior to administering any sort of medication (unless it is explicitly advised by your doctor). Studies have shown that sometimes medication can only exacerbate the current symptoms someone may be having. Trying reiki as a healing option might be beneficial to you if you have not had any luck with medication.


While I have not personally experienced PTSD, I have had a history of anxiety and depression. Medications tended to work here and there for me, but the side effects outweighed the benefits of the medication itself. So I decided to turn to meditation and reiki practice on myself, and I haven't looked back since.


My husband is a veteran of the United States Air Force (Air Transportation Journeyman), now currently serving in the Army Reserves (Combat Medic), and he is a police officer as his civilian job. He carries many memories with him from his 6 years of service in the Air Force. We first met when he was stationed in NJ, and he was deployed overseas on a regular basis. His tours included Iraq (twice), Afghanistan, Pakistan, and others. His night terrors were prominent very early on in our relationship (back in the early 2000s) and continue to this day. He is the main reason I decided to pursue a career in the reiki field. Not much support has been provided from the VA (as is sadly stated by numerous veterans all too often). And being a police officer, he is constantly exposed to various traumas on a regular basis as well. So I became curious to learn more about the benefits of regular reiki practice in relation to PTSD.


Whenever he is not working, I perform reiki on my husband at night before bed once the kids are asleep and it is quiet. He is able to respond to the reiki treatment better when he can lay in bed and relax. It takes me anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to finish my treatment, but he usually falls asleep just a few minutes in. It's very rewarding to see him able to sleep so peacefully after a therapy session.


Aromatherapy is another great method of relaxation in combination with reiki therapy. Our sense of smell is a direct influencer of how our brain reacts to certain things. With the right essential oils, aromatherapy can truly make a difference.


Many veterans have claimed that reiki has changed their lives, helping to ease the challenging effects of their symptoms as well as curing insomnia that is often experienced with PTSD. And curing insomnia is a crucial step to living and feeling better. No matter what condition you may have, lack of sleep can wreak havoc on your entire body and being. Once your sleep can be regulated, your body will begin to function as it should. You will begin feeling much better as your sleep habits continue to improve.





If you or someone you know is suffering from symptoms of PTSD, please feel free to reach out to me if you would like to take part in some reiki therapy sessions. If you are local to the Southern New Jersey area, I offer in-person sessions at your location if you prefer that. If you prefer virtual sessions or you live anywhere else in the United States (and the world), I provide that as a service also via Zoom.


I am offering 50% off for all veterans and first responders on their first full reiki therapy session (whether virtual or in-person) and 10% off after that for recurringly scheduled treatments (express and full sessions).


Visit my Services Page to take a look at the therapy sessions available and to schedule an appointment. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below or send me a message (beautifullymysticmt@gmail.com).


Thank you for your service, and I look forward to helping you ♡








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