Reiki Treatments

There are two things that the body is hard-wired to do: to protect itself and to heal itself. The autonomic nervous system is divided into two branches, the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, and when one is working, the other is off. The sympathetic nervous system is the one that protects the body. It is also called the "fight or flight" system, and it takes over when the body is under stress. The parasympathetic nervous system is also called the "rest and digest" system. This system is the opposite of the sympathetic nervous system, and it brings the body to a state in which it can heal itself, the state we all aspire to!

STRESS!!! Yes, we all have enough of that! But, what is stress? It is more than when the computer crashes and eats a report the night before it is due, and more than getting the kids to school, and ballet, and soccer, clean the house, laundry, etc. Stress is anything that disrupts the body's natural state of homeostasis. The body responds to stress the same way, whether it is caused by rush-hour traffic or imminent attack. Homeostasis is that state of relaxation and balance that we all aspire to. When we are under stress the sympathetic nervous system is in control. The sympathetic nervous system is the one that prepares us for "fight or flight". It causes your blood pressure and heart rate to increase, digestion to slow, blood vessels to dilate, all the things that prepare the body to deal with a threatening situation. Other things that can put the body into a state of stress include food additives, environmental pollution, and even electric light. Our endocrine system, that is our system of hormones, is one of the body's managers, it, along with the nervous system, manage homeostasis. The pineal gland, which is often associated with the crown chakra, releases a hormone called melatonin which responds to light and dark. It is the hormone that tells our body when it is time to sleep. With the invention of electric light that has been thrown off for most of us. Now, add to that TV's, laptops, cell phones, ipads, and you get the idea of how much stress it has added to our bodies.

Watch Laurelle and Michael, my Reiki Masters in Sedona, discuss Reiki as it is taught and practiced by the International Center for Reiki Training.