Reiki in Cancer
By Reiki Master Farida Abou Khizam BPharm, MPSI
(Written for the Lebanese Monthly Magazine "Moms & To Be")
To quote the Classical Greek philosopher Plato: “It is the great error of our day in the treatment of the human being that physicians separate the soul from the body.” Indeed, modern medicine, as advanced and beneficial as it is, for most part, seems to ignore this philosophy and focuses almost exclusively on only healing the physical body.
Increasingly though, energy medicine modalities such as Reiki that aid in healing the mind, body and soul, are being used in hospitals as complementary treatments to conventional therapies. In this way, they are even used in aiding cancer treatment (see below). For patients who prefer natural therapies to chemotherapy, Reiki may be useful as part of a holistic treatment program to help the body build immunity and strength.
According to the website : http://www.reikiinhospitals.org, the American Hospital Association in 2007, found that over 15% (or 800) American hospitals offered Reiki as part of hospital services. The Dana–Farber Institute is one such hospital. It is a Harvard Medical School Affiliate which is reported to have been ranked as the best cancer hospital in the New England states for the past five years. It is also a major research facility.
Explaining the philosophy behind the use of Reiki, the Institute states that the “Dana- Farber Institute believes in treating the ‘Whole Patient’”. “Reiki is one of the interventions used in treating the ‘Whole Patient’ with the aim being to support and encourage the body's natural mechanisms to recover from illness by addressing the needs of the mind, body and spirit.”
Reiki can possibly be used in many ways to assist in cancer therapy. Reiki is widely believed and used in pain relief. Reiki boosts immunity in the body. Reiki can often be very calming which would presumably be valued by people who are fearful of death. One study suggests that touch therapies have efficacy in promoting wound healing. During & after reiki treatments, clients tend to find improvements in sleep which promotes the body’s healing mechanisms. Practice shows us that Reiki can sometimes bring to the fore and allow the release of trauma, anger, stress, fear or toxic thoughts that might be contributing to the cancer itself.
Cancer patients alone must decide whether they wish to follow a traditional medical treatment path, a combination of traditional and complementary therapies or pure holistic treatments. It is recommended that patients research the different therapies and the possible outcomes of each.
Reiki can be learnt easily in a weekend workshop. Clients learn to do Reiki on themselves and can do so at their convenience there on. It is a powerful and natural healing tool. Most certainly though, it is a gift to the mind, body and soul.
(Written for the Lebanese Monthly Magazine "Moms & To Be")
To quote the Classical Greek philosopher Plato: “It is the great error of our day in the treatment of the human being that physicians separate the soul from the body.” Indeed, modern medicine, as advanced and beneficial as it is, for most part, seems to ignore this philosophy and focuses almost exclusively on only healing the physical body.
Increasingly though, energy medicine modalities such as Reiki that aid in healing the mind, body and soul, are being used in hospitals as complementary treatments to conventional therapies. In this way, they are even used in aiding cancer treatment (see below). For patients who prefer natural therapies to chemotherapy, Reiki may be useful as part of a holistic treatment program to help the body build immunity and strength.
According to the website : http://www.reikiinhospitals.org, the American Hospital Association in 2007, found that over 15% (or 800) American hospitals offered Reiki as part of hospital services. The Dana–Farber Institute is one such hospital. It is a Harvard Medical School Affiliate which is reported to have been ranked as the best cancer hospital in the New England states for the past five years. It is also a major research facility.
Explaining the philosophy behind the use of Reiki, the Institute states that the “Dana- Farber Institute believes in treating the ‘Whole Patient’”. “Reiki is one of the interventions used in treating the ‘Whole Patient’ with the aim being to support and encourage the body's natural mechanisms to recover from illness by addressing the needs of the mind, body and spirit.”
Reiki can possibly be used in many ways to assist in cancer therapy. Reiki is widely believed and used in pain relief. Reiki boosts immunity in the body. Reiki can often be very calming which would presumably be valued by people who are fearful of death. One study suggests that touch therapies have efficacy in promoting wound healing. During & after reiki treatments, clients tend to find improvements in sleep which promotes the body’s healing mechanisms. Practice shows us that Reiki can sometimes bring to the fore and allow the release of trauma, anger, stress, fear or toxic thoughts that might be contributing to the cancer itself.
Cancer patients alone must decide whether they wish to follow a traditional medical treatment path, a combination of traditional and complementary therapies or pure holistic treatments. It is recommended that patients research the different therapies and the possible outcomes of each.
Reiki can be learnt easily in a weekend workshop. Clients learn to do Reiki on themselves and can do so at their convenience there on. It is a powerful and natural healing tool. Most certainly though, it is a gift to the mind, body and soul.
