Reiki for Caregivers

Last night I dreamed that a kind man who was highly spiritual gave me a care package: a basket of food. Then he was on his way to other things, perhaps to give baskets to other recipients. In the basket was a freshly baked loaf of bread, different kinds of cheeses, and lots more. All sustenance. I felt great gratitude for this man and the gift he brought, especially since I had been going through a stressful time. The following morning I thought about him and his role as a caregiver. He reminded me that Reiki treatment sessions for caregivers are indeed important. Since I’m a caregiver, I needed to schedule a Reiki treatment session for myself!

Caregivers and Reiki Benefits

Doctors, nurses, Moms and Dads, and energy practitioners: all are caretakers. In fact every one of us are caretakers in one way or another, and for those of you who are caring for a loved one, it can be challenging to remember to care for yourself. But it’s vital. Especially if you’re involved in long-term intense caregiving.

You may begin to feel that you get lost in the process of the medical ups and downs of your loved one’s path. That’s where receiving a Reiki treatment session can help to replenish your overall energy level for more stamina so that you can continue to give to your loved one and walk beside them.

Making Time for Reiki Sessions as a Caregiver

Taking time out, and choosing the appropriate time is up to you. At least a half-hour is suggested. An hour is even better because you want to be able to deeply relax.

Taking regular time for yourself to receive Reiki is important to create and maintain a foundation of feeling centered, whole, and rejuvenated with more clarity.

Five Benefits of Reiki:

Allows for a quiet time to regroup and relax your mind and body
Helps to recharge your energy
Provides a time to more fully feel the connection between yourself and loving Higher Power
Grounds and stabilizes your energy physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually
Helps you to honor your self-worth

After a Reiki session, you can come to your loved one with a stronger foundation of feeling refreshed and ready to continue caring for them.

Sometimes people say “There isn’t enough time to take care of myself. I’m so busy taking care of my friend/spouse/family member.”

What if We Don’t Take Care of Ourselves?

When we don’t take care of ourselves, it can impact us in the following ways:

We have less strength to help our loved ones
It’s harder to make decisions for our loved ones or for ourselves
We tend to run on empty and we feel drained which can affect our moods, which in turn can affect the moods of our loved ones
We may feel so tired that it begins to affect our bodies
It begins to be more challenging to stay truly positive with an uplifted outlook

Reiki Sessions for Caregivers

When you receive a Reiki treatment session, either in-person, or distance/remotely, it can help strengthen you on all levels. You can sit in a comfortable chair or lie down on a Reiki table or even on a bed or couch. You can say a positive affirmation or prayer for yourself at the beginning of the session to place your mind in a positive space for the session. You might fall asleep and that’s fine because when you’re deeply relaxed, the immune system has a chance to function at its highest level. (If you think you might fall asleep, you might want to set a gentle alarm so you’ll wake up in time.)

I’ve found that Reiki sessions for caregivers have proven to be restorative for their body, mind, and soul. After a session, they feel ready to face the tasks ahead.

Distance Reiki Sessions

Distance/remote Reiki treatment sessions are being felt just as profoundly, if not more so, than in-person sessions. That’s because the energy comes from loving Higher Power, through the Practitioner, to the recipient. The recipient always receives what they need for their highest good.

I hope that if you’re ever in a situation where you’re caring for a loved one, you’ll reach out to a Reiki practitioner so that a Reiki treatment session can help you to re-center and replenish your mind and your body. Because you’re worth it. You’ll also be able to bring a “better you” to your loved one, which may just help to lift them too.

Many of us are caregivers for others. On a very fundamental level, each of us are also caregivers for ourselves.

If we make the time for self-care, that caring energy for ourselves ripples out to all those whom we come across during the day, and it may help to lift someone who is just passing by, perhaps in ways we may not even know.

Many blessings,

Yvonne P. Gleason, Reiki Sanctuary of Northern Virginia
Certified Reiki Master Teacher
Certified Meditation Instructor and Life Coach

Reiki for Keeping Calm During Changes

Reiki is a wonderful modality for calming during changes in life that can cause us stress. The main purpose of Reiki is for deep relaxation. When we’re in times of transition, that’s when we need Reiki the most. Giving ourselves Reiki and letting that energy from loving Higher Power flow through us can be very palpable: felt as a strong heat or a sense of well-being and connection to Source. This can bring about immediate calm and inner peace. With calm and inner peace, focus and clarity come easier. If we’re too stressed to give Reiki to ourselves, receiving a Reiki session from a practitioner is equally beneficial and quieting for the mind.

Remember Reiki When Feeling Unbalanced

Many times when we’re uprooted or feeling unbalanced because of changes in our life, we forget to give self-Reiki to help calm ourselves down and get clarity on the situation. Just when we need it the most, we put off giving Reiki to ourselves. Maybe we think we can handle the situation without stopping to give self-Reiki for ten minutes or so. Maybe we feel there isn’t time. Or perhaps we’re unaware that we even need Reiki for calming.

There have been times in my life where I’ve definitely needed Reiki for calming during changes: it started with little things (“no big deal, I can handle these”) and then bigger things (“wow, no time to take a break now”) until a big tumbleweed of stressors had formed (uh oh, I’m out of balance!”). During these times of letting stressful changes pile up without taking a break to “plug into” the Reiki, I felt drained and off-center and quite frazzled. Feeling a sense of upheaval in any aspect of our lives can be all-encompassing for our minds; and many times we get caught up in the stressful situation at hand. I get it. It happens to all of us.

It’s human nature to think we can handle stressful situations on our own without stopping for a “Reiki break”. But things are so much easier and smoother when we pause and give Reiki to ourselves first.

Five Signs that We Need Reiki for Calming

So how can we recognize when we are feeling stressed? How do we know when we could use some self-Reiki?

Feeling of fear, anxiety, dread
Thoughts are scattered or racing one after the other
Not feeling secure and grounded
Experiencing brain fog or overwhelm
Nervous system is on overdrive, heart is racing, body is tense

So when we’re feeling any of these five signs, we can become aware that it’s time for a calming Reiki session.

Three Ways to Remember to Relax with Reiki

We can ask ourselves “If not now; when?”
Remind ourselves that we’re worthy of taking some downtime to nurture ourselves
Remember that solutions and next steps forward are easier to see when we’re relaxed and calm

To make it easier to incorporate Reiki into our life, we can set a regular time during the day or in the evening before sleep to give self-Reiki. We can also schedule a Reiki session at least once a month with a practitioner if we feel we’d like to receive Reiki regularly from someone. Many people find doing both of these things keeps them balanced throughout the daily stressors of life.

For Calming, Self-Reiki Sessions Can Be Short

We can start with ten or fifteen minutes. People often give themselves a short Reiki session upon waking each morning and before sleep each night. Having regular/daily Reiki sessions is what helps to keep calm and relaxed from day to day no matter what changes come our way. That way we’re meeting situations from a centered place of more clarity and inner calm.

It’s so much easier to navigate our way through life’s changes, whether big or small, when we first pause and experience the relaxation of Reiki. Then we can find which steps to take to move us forward where we’re meant to be.

Whenever I receive Reiki for calming during changes in life, I also end up experiencing much more clarity and I’m able to find my next steps forward. I wish the same Reiki benefits for you!

Many blessings,

Yvonne P. Gleason, Reiki Sanctuary of Northern Virginia

Certified Reiki Master Teacher
Certified Meditation Instructor and Life Coach

Reiki Treatment Sessions for Caregivers