1. Trauma Healing with Reiki
A traumatic experience happens when a person suddenly faces danger or a shocking
experience which overwhelms him with fear, a sense of being helpless or powerless,
and sometimes provokes rage. This person’s traumatic experience may result to
problems that were not there before the experience. Most of these problems arise due
to the fear that the survivor experiences again after the trauma. If these problems go
on unattended, it may become severe and affect not only the trauma survivor but also
the people around him including family members, friends, and co-workers.
Trauma can be caused by any of the following:
Natural calamities like earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, and hurricanes.
Personal tragedies like physical injury or illness, rape, physical assault, street
mugging, robbery, vehicular accidents, fires, divorce, death of a loved one,
hospitalization.
Other causes include war, child or spousal abuse either physically or sexually,
hostage situation or terrorism, being a refugee, being in a concentration camp
or in some religious cults.
The traumatic experience may have physical manifestations resulting from the trauma
or they may be psychological symptoms arising from the experience. The physical and
psychological symptoms however may overlap each other. After the traumatic
experience, the survivor may feel the following signs or symptoms:
Horrible dreams and nightmares
Blame (survivor blames self or others for the traumatic experience)
Flashbacks ( feeling of recurrence of the traumatic experience)
Irritability when exposed to things or experiences that remind the survivor of the
trauma
Anxious behavior or excessive fear
Aggressive behavior and extreme need for self-protection
Lack of Emotional and impulse control
Lack of concentration or clear thinking
Insomnia
Paranoia and agitation
Chest pain
Palpitation and difficulty of breathing
Easily gets startled, shakes and sweats
Depression
Hopelessness
Panic Attacks
Loss of Positive Life Values
Detachment from the environment and daily events
Emotional numbness
Transient amnesia
Avoidance of personal contact
Insensitivity to pain
Anosmia
Loss of interest in usual hobbies and pastimes
Having strange physical sensations
Enuresis
Loss of appetite
Separation anxiety
Emotional detachment
Psychological dissociation
Memory repression
Loss of Self Esteem

2. Feeling of desperation
Symptoms referable to the Gastro-intestinal tract
Headaches
Signs and symptoms of Allergy
Menstrual irregularity
Joint pains
Increased startle reflex
Periodic violent outbursts
Suicidal tendencies/preoccupation
Hyper-vigilance
Blunt reaction or affect
Dominating behavior
Guilt feelings of surviving
Persistent Dysphoria
Inhibition of sexuality or obsession with sexuality
Hyper-amnesia
Depersonalization
Sense of being defiled
Preoccupation with getting back at the cause of the trauma
Persistent search for the person who made the rescue
Distrust
People who survive traumatic experiences often re-live the trauma. This includes
recalling the experience through the mind, viewing images of the experience, and
actually having similar sensations and feelings experienced during the trauma and right
after the event. Most trauma survivors easily become upset when they are exposed to
situations or things that remind them of their traumatic experience. These reminders of
the trauma are known as “triggers”. Upon exposure to these triggers, they react like
they are again in danger.
Even in situations which are relatively safe, they tend to behave like they are exposed
anew to danger. Because of this false sense of danger, their aggressive behavior
becomes exaggerated and they can attack people even if it is not necessary. They are
also extremely paranoid and overly cautious of their personal safety. It is common
among trauma survivors to have a house alarm, with security locks, high fences, and
even attack dogs. Some survivors may engage in hostile reactions directed against
innocent bystanders or on oneself and may not even be aware of it. Eventually, severe
anger episodes will appear often, as the survivor always feels an ever present danger
around him.
He may not even be aware of his actions and responses while the “flashback” occurs.
These flashbacks may occur more frequently if the traumatic experience is left
untreated, and may even deter the survivor from being fully aware of the situation.
Panic attacks are common as the survivor will always feel endangered and thus, want
to escape. Anxiety attacks and physical agitation and irritability cause lack of
concentration and insomnia. Eventually, this results in a cycle of heightened awareness
accompanied by intervals of severe exhaustion both physically and mentally.
Anti-social behavior may result as survivors turn away from people, places, and
gatherings that may remind him of the traumatic experience. They also actively repress
emotions so that they become emotionally “numb” in order that they can no longer
feel traumatic pain. They may feel detached from the environment and from the day
to day events. If a survivor feels he cannot be cured, despair sets in further aggravating
his already delicate psyche. Depression may occur especially when the survivor isolates
himself further. Positive values are lost when the survivor loses belief in the natural
goodness of man and the world as a safe haven.

3. Since re-living the trauma is a very painful experience, trauma survivors do their best to
forget the traumatic experience and turn away from reminders of the trauma. More
often, these survivors turn to alcohol or drugs to avoid the re-experience or “flashback”.
Re-living these traumatic symptoms is proof that the mind and body are activating their
coping mechanisms. Or it may be the mind’s way to rationalize what really happened.
Simply ignoring the traumatic experience and refusing therapy for symptoms related to
the traumatic experience can be more disadvantageous in the long run. Left
untreated, these symptoms eventually worsen and cause more symptoms to appear.
These symptoms may eventually cause more disability and trouble than the original
traumatic experience.
Non-resolution of the problems, arising as a result of the traumatic experience, would
impact negatively on the survivor’s relationships whether in the family, at work, or
among friends. Some survivors eventually blame themselves for the trauma thereby
lowering one’s self worth and esteem.
Because of its psychosomatic nature, trauma survivors eventually manifest physical
signs and symptoms of disease. These are due to the cycle of heightened awareness
and mental and emotional fatigue that puts so much strain on the survivor’s health.
Further aggravating the situation is the survivor’s refusal to seek professional medical
help as it may remind him of the previous traumatic experience.
The trauma survivor avoids social interaction and loses faith in other people. This leads
to isolation socially from friends, family, and co-workers further heightening the survivor’s
helplessness and insecurity.
Trauma survivors have increased aggressive behavior and simple conversations may
turn into heated arguments and possible physical violence may ensue. These violent
confrontations may become vicious and can be life threatening.
It is therefore imperative that therapy be given to the trauma survivor as soon as
possible to avoid these unnecessary consequences.
The body possesses energy centers named chakras. Seven main chakras are found in
the human body and correlate with the physical being. They are set at the center from
the head to the end of the spinal column. The chakras are:
1st Chakra (Root Chakra) – base of spine
2nd Chakra (Sacral Chakra) – just below the navel
3rd Chakra (Solar Plexus) – Stomach
4th Chakra (Heart Chakra) – Chest
5th Chakra (Throat Chakra) – Throat
6th Chakra (Brow Chakra or Third Eye) – center of the forehead
7th Chakra (Crown Chakra) – Crown or top of the head
When there is trauma, blockages develop in the chakras thereby impeding the optimal
flow of life-force energy. Physical, sexual, and emotional trauma have specific effects
on the energy flow of particular chakras. Physical trauma includes physical injuries,
accidents, surgical procedures, and illness and diseases. Emotional trauma can result
from grief, death of a loved one, divorce, loss of prized possessions, and betrayal by a
confidante. Sexual trauma may be due to sexual abuse by a spouse or sexual partner,
rape, incest, or abortion.
If the first chakra is blocked, it may result in lumbago, sciatica, and problems on the
knee joints. Fertility problems result from blocking of the second chakra. You may also
have a hard time expressing your emotions. If the third chakra is blocked, you can have
stomach problems as well as feelings of hostility and powerlessness. Because of its

4. location in the chest, blockage of the fourth chakra results in tension on the shoulder
area, cardio-pulmonary problems, and depression. The fifth chakra, if blocked will result
to tension of the cervical area as well as problems referable to the thyroid gland and
the throat. You may also have difficulty speaking up. Headaches, problems on vision,
and memory recall are part of the symptoms of 6th chakra blockage. Blockage of the
7th chakra can also cause headaches.
Reiki balances all of these energy centers or chakras. It exerts its effect on the physical,
mental, and emotional aspects of your being. It can even increase the level of your
spirituality.
How does Reiki energy help physical as well as emotional and psychological trauma?
Reiki brings calm and spiritual clarity. It lessens tension by making you relaxed and
comfortable. Because of this, Reiki offers relief in times of grief and soothes the
emotions. Reiki also relieves pain - the physical as well as the psychological one. It
improves the circulatory system and can stop small hemorrhages. It can also cleanse
the different organs of the body. Because of these effects, Reiki can help speed up the
recovery from surgery and long illnesses thereby shortening the convalescence period.
Athletes heal faster from injury and perform better after Reiki therapy.
Chronic and acute conditions may be treated by Reiki. Migraine, bronchial asthma,
fatigue both chronic and acute, arthritis, sciatica, insomnia, depression, stress
symptoms, are but some of the conditions proven to be cured with reiki healing.
Reiki not only treats the person but also the environment. It can hasten the removal of
bad spirits or bad energy from a home, office, or garden.
Because it is a natural method, Reiki has no side effects and has no risk of over dosage
or addiction.
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