Stress, trauma and your state of mind plays a critical role in your overall health and well-being.

Whether you are seeking ways to alleviate physical symptoms or simply looking for modalities that encourage a state of wellbeing; understanding the parasympathetic nervous system can be a game changer.

The autonomic nervous system is what is responsible for regulating the automatic and involuntary mechanisms in the body, and is comprised of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.

The parasympathetic nervous system is active when the body is in a state of relaxation, which is what enables the body to be in a state of healing. The sympathetic nervous system on the other hand, is the “fight or flight” response of the body, where stress hormones are released into the blood and mechanisms are enabled to help the body be prepared to escape or fight against perceived danger, essentially promoting a state of tension and stress in the body and mind.

In every day life, the human body is functioning from either one of these states.

Ancestrally, the sympathetic nervous system was beneficial as the dangers that humans experienced were generally life threatening, and the physiological stress responses were what helped us get out of said dangers (for example, blood sugar rises in response to a stressor so that the sugar can be sent to muscles to provide instant energy to run away from the threat).

Now days, humans do not generally face the same dangers, however when the mind & body is consumed by the stressors of every day life without finding healthy stress outlets and support, the body can perceive them as the same sort of threat & activate many of those same sympathetic nervous system responses, which can lead to a cascade of health imbalances overtime.

There has been a multitude of research revealing the benefit of the parasympathetic nervous system in facilitating healing within the body.

One therapeutic modality in which assists with parasympathetic nervous system activation is Reiki.

Reiki is an ancient and powerful healing practice that works fundamentally on the energetic systems of the body as well as through the parasympathetic nervous system to promote relaxation & the body’s innate ability to heal itself.

6 Reasons to Receive a Reiki Treatment:

– Activate your parasympathetic nervous system

– Regulate your heart rate

– Decrease cortisol levels in your body

– Enter a deep state of relaxation

– Enjoy meditative time with your inner voice

– Experience a deep rest in a space of love and nurturing

– Allow vibrational shifts to take place as you enter the flow state

There have even been a surprising number of clinical studies that are beginning to support the transformative healing power that reiki possesses. One study found that reiki had the ability to significantly reduce pain symptoms from illness’ such as fibromyalgia, as well depression and quality of life. Additional studies have found a significant therapeutic benefit of consistent reiki sessions in reducing anxiety and pain, as well as improving sleep and well-being. Reiki sessions have even been shown to reduce feelings of hopelessness, stress and depressive symptoms.

Science has only been catching up with this powerful ancient therapy, reiki has even been found to be more effective than placebo! 

At Qi we offer a variety of integrative and natural therapies.

Give us a call or head over to the treatments page on our website to book your next session.