One of the great benefits of Reiki energy is its ability to get the receiver into ‘alpha’ state.  Alpha is the term used for the brain waves associated with meditation and relaxation.  Practitioners of Reiki report effortlessly falling into alpha state through the simple process of placing their hands on themselves or others and although we do not yet understand how this occurs so easily, we believe that one of the pathways of Reiki energy is in stimulating the brainwaves towards deeper relaxed states.

As reported recently in a University Study:

“This wave type has been used as a universal sign of relaxation during meditation and other types of rest,” comments Professor Øyvind Ellingsen from NTNU. “The amount of alpha waves increases when the brain relaxes from intentional, goal-oriented tasks.This is a sign of deep relaxation, — but it does not mean that the mind is void.”

Neuroimaging studies by Malia F. Mason and co-workers at Dartmouth College NH suggest that the normal resting state of the brain is a silent current of thoughts, images and memories that is not induced by sensory input or intentional reasoning, but emerges spontaneously “from within.”

“Spontaneous wandering of the mind is something you become more aware of and familiar with when you meditate,” continues Ellingsen, who is an experienced practitioner. “This default activity of the brain is often underestimated. It probably represents a kind of mental processing that connects various experiences and emotional residues, puts them into perspective and lays them to rest.”

So far from trying to ’still’ the mind as many meditation methods teach, in Reiki we simply allow the energy to work and the brain to quiet naturally.  For those of us who have been practicing Reiki for awhile, we know the powerful ‘ah-ha’ moments that can arise when we allow the alpha state of our relaxed brain to mentally process, release and make us more aware.