We have all experienced stress at some point, and usually we associate stress as a negative response or emotion. We all want to know the secret to preventing or reducing stress (Reiki for stress relief is my secret tool!). But first it can help to understand what stress actually is, to then work out what to do about it.
What is stress?
Stress can be defined as our body’s reaction to any change, challenge or demand that requires a response. Stress is not always bad; it can be essential for our survival. However when we hold onto stress for too long, it can have serious detrimental effects on our body and mind.
How our body responds to stress
Our body responds to stress automatically and effects body processes such as blood pressure, digestion, breathing and more. We have both our sympathetic nervous system (our fight or flight response) and the parasympathetic nervous system (our rest and digest response).
When faced with a stressful situation, our body releases stress hormones (cortisol, adrenalin and noradrenalin). These chemicals can trigger an increased heart rate, heightened muscle tension, sweating, fast shallow breathing, and general alertness in our body and mind.
Situations that might trigger our stress response include doing something new for the first time, almost getting hit by a car, or even going out on a first date! But usually after the event, the stress dissipates and our heart rate slows down, and we can relax and breath deeper.
However, today we more often experience ongoing stress due to our fast-paced society. This is chronic stress, and is the most harmful. Chronic stress eventually lowers our immune system, can affect our sleep, and create ongoing problems in both our body and mind.
Reiki for stress relief
So how can we reduce stress and prevent these health issues from occurring? Yoga, meditation, massage, taking a holiday, and practicing deep breathing are all great strategies to help us release tension. However, sometimes we all need a little help to learn to switch off our flight or fight response. What a relief it can be to finally relax and let go!
Reiki Healing is an incredible healing system that takes your body into a state of deep relaxation so that it can heal. When we’re under stress, our body can’t relax and our energy is on high alert. Over the long term, we can start to develop imbalances in the flow of energy. Reiki healing helps to restore our energy, so we can finally bring ourselves back into balance.