Written by Diana Cox, Reiki practitioner and teacher
I’m one of the Reiki practitioners connected to Bellenden Therapies, teaching Reiki courses there regularly. Since I first encountered Reiki over two decades ago, I’ve known it to be powerful in many ways based on my own experiences of receiving, giving and teaching it.
It was always undeniable to me as my experiences have always been so powerful. However, I’ve recently been dipping into scientific evidence of its benefits.
There is growing scientific evidence of Reiki’s effectiveness. You may be aware that many NHS hospitals in the UK employ Reiki practitioners, as it’s recognised that Reiki improves patient outcomes.
Harvard University in the USA carried out a large-scale study of Reiki for physical and mental health symptoms including pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression and wellbeing. The study showed that all symptoms were significantly improved following a single Reiki session.
Dr David Hamilton refers to evidence that Reiki reduces blood pressure, decreases the harmful effects of radiotherapy, decreases fatigue and increases quality of life for those receiving cancer treatment. Other researchers have concluded that Reiki can give pain relief in the region of 30%, is comparable to common medications (which can also have adverse health effects).
We have so much more awareness of our nervous system these days. Modern life as well as past events and traumas can result in us being in survival mode often, activating the ‘fight or flight’ responses of our sympathetic nervous system. In this state, our body is primed for danger, with energy and resources moving away from digestion, repair and immune function to prime our muscles and whole system to escape to safety. Our body still reacts as if we are in physical danger – running from the tiger – when we are stressed by a work deadline.
Reiki helps to ‘flick the switch’ back to the rest, repair and relaxation functions of the parasympathetic nervous system, which reduces our heart rate, brings digestion back online, and allows us to relax and heal. There are a whole raft of ailments people can suffer due to chronic activation of the sympathetic nervous system, so Reiki’s contribution can help to restore wellness.
Received regularly, Reiki can help us increase our resilience to stress, which means we’re less likely to go into survival mode when we experience stressful situations. This can affect every area of our life in a positive way.
Reiki can be received as a hands on treatment where the recipient remains fully clothed while lying down in a relaxing setting. It can also be sent at a distance which is as effective.
Another way to receive the benefits of Reiki regularly to increase that resilience to stress is to learn how to give yourself Reiki. I teach certificated one-day Reiki 1 and 2 courses at Bellenden Therapies and also in Ramsgate, Kent.
Reiki 1 brings the ability to give Reiki for self-healing and to help friends and family. Reiki 2 extends that ability to be able to offer Reiki professionally. For information, please visit reikiramsgate.co.uk or contact reikiramsgate@gmail.com
Sources:
- ‘Why Woo Woo Works’ by Dr David Hamilton (book and audiobook)
- ‘The Telepathy Tapes Energy Healing Part 2’, podcast on 10/12/25 (including some very interesting research on cancer cells in petri dishes)
- ‘Not Just Woo Woo – the Science of How Reiki Works’, podcast released on 19/5/23
