In today’s world, life is no longer described as survival of the fittest, but survival of the calmest. Many doctor visits are linked to stress-related conditions, and how individuals respond to stress can influence overall health, longevity and happiness. Reiki, a gentle hands-on healing practice, is gaining attention as a complementary approach to stress management and emotional balance.

Reiki sessions are shared with clients fully clothed on a massage table. The practice is intended to help balance energy so individuals feel more peaceful and better able to handle life’s stresses from a calmer, more grounded place. Reiki is designed to address stress at its underlying mental and emotional source. It may help individuals become familiar with their own inner place of peace, making it easier to return to that state and remain there longer.

Chronic stress often causes muscles to tighten, contributing to headaches and sleep disturbances. Reiki’s emphasis on relaxation may help ease muscular tension and support improved sleep.

As individuals become more conscious of energy through reiki, the experience can encourage gratitude. Cultivating gratitude shifts emotional states and reduces stress, as it is physiologically impossible to be stressed and grateful at the same time.

Rickie Meryl Freedman is a medical reiki master/teacher, physical therapist, certified holistic health coach and author who focuses on an integrative approach to holistic wellness. Freedman created and opened Harrisburg’s first reiki center—Reiki by Rickie: Reiki Space & Learning Place—in 2013. The center is located at 2793 Old Post Rd., Ste. 10. She offers individual sessions, workshops and reiki classes. For more information, call 717-599-2299, email [email protected] or visit ReikiByRickie.com.