Reiju Kai For Jikiden Reiki Practitioners

What is a Reiju Kai?

Once you have learned Jikiden Reiki® you can also receive Reiju at a Reiju Kai meeting. This is like a short refresher course and social gathering. It is not necessary to receive it again to keep your Reiki ability active. Receiving it regularly is nice and beneficial though.

These Reiju Kai’s are only open to people certified in Jikiden Reiki®. People with Jikiden Reiki® certificates are welcome to attend meetings organized by any approved Jikiden Reiki® Teacher / Assistant Teacher.

Click here to Register

What Happens at a Reiju Kai?

Reiju Kai provides an opportunity for are for Jikiden Reiki® Practitioners to expand their reiki experience, training, & networking. This includes receiving a Reiju again from a Jikiden Reiki® approved teacher. While it is not necessary to receive it more than the number of times given in training, it is still beneficial.

One of our goals with the Reiju Kai’s is also to build a strong reiki community that is supportive of each other’s growth.

The day will include some bonding, networking, as well as the opportunity to ask questions.

A typical Reiju Kai includes the following:

  • Reiju (from all teachers present)
  • Any news or announcements
  • Ability to ask questions
  • Review
  • Practice Kekko
  • Exchange Reiki treatments

In Jikiden Reiki® we do not discuss the sacred aspects of Reiki in public, so this is a place where such discussion can take place outside of Reiki training.

Afterward, the group may socialize with snacks and maybe go for a meal together as a group. A Reiju Kai is a good way to meet other Jikiden Reiki® practitioners and share reiki experiences.

Pre-Requisite: Jikiden Reiki Certification any level and teachers are always welcome to join.

Join us for a day of connection, healing, and review exclusively for Jikiden Reiki practitioners.

For a list of upcoming classes, click here.

For more information about Jikiden Reiki training, click here.

Register here now!

Jikiden Reiki in Okuden (Level II)

Jikiden Reiki® Okuden (level 2 )training is recommended for people that want to learn more about Reiki and deepen their practice, be able to treat psychological problems, and give treatments over any distance.

*Prerequisite – Completion and certification of Jikiden Reiki® in Shoden.

For more about Jikiden Reiki®Training and classes: click here

Class times:

  • Friday, 7pm – 9pm
  • Saturday, 10:30pm-4pm

Click here to Register!

Why Can’t Americans Heal From Trauma & Chronic Illness?


By Adrienne MacIain, Ph.D.


“Americans are becoming increasingly bankrupt–mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually–but it doesn’t have to be that way.” Laura Bonetzky-Joseph, author of The Secrets to Healing (click)


In Japan, the energy-healing practice of Reiki has been reported to heal everything from major illnesses like Cancer and autoimmune disease to mystery ailments like chronic fatigue, anxiety, depression, and stress. So why aren’t we seeing these same results in the U.S.?

Laura Bonetzky-Joseph, author of The Secrets to Healing: An Invitation to Healing The ROOTS to Chronic Illness and Trauma Through the Japanese Reiki Gokai (click), which just hit bookshelves this week, believes she has found the answer. 

As an experienced healer, multi-generational intuitive, speaker, podcaster, seeker, spiritual mentor, Jikiden Reiki® Shihan (teacher), social justice warrior, and a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, and litigation abuse, Joseph knows first-hand both the destructive power of trauma, and the healing power of Reiki when properly understood and utilized.

“Unresolved trauma is an unrecognized epidemic that many times is the root cause for issues such as chronic illness, cancer, pain, autoimmune disorders, and anxiety,” says Bonetzky-Joseph, “Over a number of years, I suffered from more than one of these conditions, until I discovered a better way to eliminate them from my life.” 

Laura’s journey to healing began when she started looking into aspects of her issues that the healthcare system couldn’t figure out. “For over 14 years,” she says, “I systematically implemented a spiritually based, holistic approach to my healing that literally saved my life—in ways that you might say defy all logic.”

There is a method, however, to this medical mayhem.

“There is a direct connection between stress and illness,” explains Bonetzky-Joseph. “Medical research has repeatedly shown us over time that two-thirds of all visits to family physicians are due to stress-related symptoms. This has worsened since the recent pandemic. Many people feel they are spinning their wheels, not getting better & searching for answers with no feeling of end in sight, spending a fortune on medical care that is bankrupting Americans at alarming rates, with symptoms getting worse in some cases.” 

That’s why she wrote this book. Because it doesn’t have to be that way.

“When we address the ROOT systems including the capitalism of ‘disease’ that is a traded commodity on Wall Street, we can learn NEW ways of accessing healing, recovery, empowerment, and become our own superheroes,” Bonetzky-Joseph reassures.

“In this book, I share with you my half a century long journey, the Japanese teachings I have learned along the way, Reiki stories, and why this powerful medicine, often not prized in a monetized culture, might be exactly what you are seeking.”

It is Laura’s hope that by addressing the capitalist healthcare system, the root issues of chronic illness and disease, that folks will not only find inspiration in these pages, but some healing, practical actionable steps, and reprieve. 

Weaving her own personal lived experience AND professional learned experience together, Joseph has created something that is vitally missing in our society, and more specifically in the Reiki industry, spiritual communities, and trauma fields. The Secrets to Healing is intended as a bridge between those gaps. 

“My work addresses the unspoken, untapped, challenges and pathways to reclaim our health, vitality and power,” explains Bonetzky-Joseph, “I am someone who has walked this path, trained with credible teachers and shared my work with others.”

The Secrets to Healing is an invitation back to self – an unpacking of our colonized mindsets that is blinding us from becoming our own superheroes of our story and reclaiming our life, health, vitality through the spiritual medicine of the traditional Japanese system of Reiki.

For folks struggling with cancer or chronic illness, this book may hold the answers to restoring wholeness that may be missing in their current care, yet is complementary to existing care. 

For folks who are survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault, this book may hold the answers to how to break the repetitive cycle of abuse and trauma, offer sustainable methods to heal the trauma manifesting as illness, or offer tools on how to present yourself more effectively when dealing with custody courts. 

For Reiki teachers, this book is a must-have resource book for every Reiki certification.

Laura Bonetzky-Joseph is here to help folks who suffer from a history of chronic illness, cancer, trauma, and/or abuse to address root issues, transform pain, bridge science, research and the practical magic so that they can experience sustainable healing and wholeness by rediscovering the body’s ability to heal itself and the power that lies within so that they can become their own superhero. Since 2006, she has helped thousands of people heal issues and restore wholeness – personally, mentally, physically, spiritually, professionally. 

Bonetzky-Joseph’s mission is to help others rediscover the power that lies within and become their own superhero by addressing root issues, transforming pain, bridging science, research and the practical magic of sacred, ancient traditions… with honor and integrity. She does this while also advocating for holistic health, domestic violence survivors, and policy changes. She is a bridge between the amazing modern advances of modern medicine with the ancient ways of healing and empowerment through rooted sacred spiritual practices. 

And Joseph practices everything she preaches. Even in the writing and publishing of this book, Bonetzky-Joseph has had to make use of her Reiki training.

“I have struggled with a lot of fear, writing this book,” she admits, “fear and anxiety surrounding all the lack aspects – lack of being seen, heard, and understood. Fear of retaliation for speaking my truth, of having my voice silenced once again. I had to put the teachings I preach to use to address my anxiety and fears of lack. I upped my own self-care strategies, put a team in place to support me (mentally, physically, and spiritually) who clearly understand my triggers and my somatic perpetuation of wanting to flee and go back into hiding again.”

But fear is far from the only obstacle she’s faced in the process of getting this book out into the world. “I have had to overcome the multitask of end-of-life care and subsequent passing of both my parents while also running my business, dealing with toxic family structures, moving, closing my father’s business and estate, and maintaining a healthy life work balance,” says Bonetzky-Joseph. 

“Triggers and CPTSD (Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) can be a beast, and can show up unannounced at any time. There is something strange that happens when the body reacts differently than the mind, like a two-year-old having a temper tantrum in the middle of the grocery store line. I have had to give myself grace when needed. I have had to push myself when it was needed. I have had to check myself on how much I am living what I am preaching and especially on the last precept – Do your duties fully – and contemplating on what that looks like in completing this book,” Bonetzky-Joseph confesses, “I have had to remind myself that if I want folks to believe in me, I need to believe in me better and stronger. I must believe in the medicine I offer more convincingly.”

Bonetzky-Joseph believes it is her extensive, intersectional training and dedicated practice that have allowed her to thrive and reach her goals despite the obstacles she’s had to overcome. And she wants these same results to be available to everyone.

“I believe in a world where universal balance is restored. When we can understand the intricate nature and power of the universe resides within us, we can restore our own innate healing and power. With that knowledge and understanding comes stewardship, great personal responsibility, and understanding that the balance of ALL life is needed for us as humans to become fully whole on a planet that sustains us.”

“If you can heal trauma,” Bonetzky-Joseph reassures, “you can heal anything.” 

Joseph offers spiritually-based integrative holistic health enrichment private sessions, workshops, groups, retreats, and guest appearances at our location or yours.


Here’s what her clients have to say:

“Laura Joseph, what can I say?? She’s just Awsum! She helped me in soooo many ways, from spiritual & emotional healing, I’ve been to her retreats (omg, life changing!), I’ve had sound healings, mediumship readings, reiki session, empath workshop, & even had training to practice Jikiden Reiki! There’s not much this girl hasn’t done! Not only has it been great to be a client, but I am especially grateful for the friendship & kinship that has developed from that as well!”  – Monica McCall

“Laura is truly one of a kind. Her knowledge and experiences she shared only enhanced my learning throughout the seminar. I look forward to practicing and evolving under her guidance as I take this incredible journey as someone who can now begin to give Jikiden Reiki. Thank you, Laura!”  – Maribel Carubia, Jikiden Reiki Training (click)

“I highly recommend it for anyone being told they’re ‘too sensitive,’ weighed down by their emotions or their environment, or feel as though they don’t fit in. Laura is excellent at what she does and she has knowledge, compassion, insight and understanding that is truly unmatched.” – Debbie Gillis

“It can be challenging to open up, be vulnerable in a group. The class felt safe & nurturing & it became increasingly easier to share personal experiences.”  – Jeannine Whitehead

“Without the help I have received here I do not know where I would be today or who I would be.”  – James Fennessy


To learn more or book a session, please go to: https://linktr.ee/HealingWithSpirit (click)

“Relax, your soul has your back.” – Laura Boneztky-Joseph

Book Launch Party & Soft Opening of NEW Space

After 20 years since Laura embarked on this journey and 10 years writing, it is finally happening. The 2nd book in 2022 (her 1st book) and her first solo book, will be released on 10/10/22.

This book takes a real honest look at how we address and heal the growing chronic illness and trauma rates through the eyes of a domestic violence and sexual assault survivor, Reiki teacher, wellness professional, and advocate with over 20yrs experience working in a medical environment & legislative policy.

Laura weaves her personal story, work, training, and social justice work in this must have book.

I assure you … there is no book on the market like it that addresses the root issues and solutions like she does through this lens.

This book also includes a special insert on Shintoism by our dear friend, Reiki teacher, mentor, and Vice Representative of the Jikiden Reiki Institute, Kyoto, Japan, Frank Arjava Petter.

ABOUT TICKETS:

The cost to attend is solely for the purchase of the book.

Every attendee registered will receive an autographed copy of “The Secrets to Healing: An Invitation to Healing Trauma and Other Root Causes of Chronic Illness Using the Japanese Reiki Gokai”

NOTE: If you have already purchased your book and would like to attend, please reach out via text message 857-880-0365 with a photo of you holding the book or receipt of purchase, and if tickets are still available, we will grant you a ticket at no extra cost – unless you wish to purchase an extra book as a gift.

Again, the purchase of a ticket for this event is for the book.

Light refreshments served.

Plus, we will be offering raffles prizes and gifts throughout the event.

This is a ticketed event due to space limitations & advanced book orders.

Due to immense interest in this event and book, we advise to purchase your tickets early to ensure you do not miss out.

We will also have limited copies of our first co-authored book, “Feisty: Dangerously Amazing Women Using Their Voices to Make An Impact” available for purchase as well.

To learn more about these books, services, podcast, social media and more, click here

Get Your Tickets Here

Testimonial With Dr. Adrienne McClain – Shifting Beliefs, Healing Trauma Roots, Dragon Magic

Unsure if working with Laura is right for you?

This recording was NOT planned as you can see in the video. Dr. Adrienne McClain offered to share in the raw what she experienced after 2 sessions working with Laura as she found them to be quite powerful.

In this brief 6-minute video, she shares:

  • Her experience working with Laura.
  • What she didn’t anticipate would happen.
  • What shifted that landed her a job offer and new clients.
  • Why to work with Laura.
  • What separates Laura’s work from others.
  • Why others should work with her.

To learn more about Laura’s work, social justice work, podcast and more scroll through this website or visit: https://linktr.ee/HealingWithSpirit

 

Triggers & Spiritual Medicine Episode #10: Trauma Informed Reiki Practices

Welcome to Episode 10 of Triggers and Spiritual Medicine podcast with host, Laura Bonetzky-Joseph and Trauma Informed Reiki Teacher, Michaela Daystar

TOPIC: Trauma Informed Reiki

Struggling with what is reiki?

Wanting to know how to find a trauma informed reiki teacher?

Want to know how to become a trauma informed reiki practitioner or teacher?

You are not going to want to miss this episode. In the end, we will share 3 things you can do to become a more trauma informed.

Click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Scroll below you will also find additional resources & information.

Listen to this episode here

or watch it on YouTube here:


ABOUT Michaela Daystar:

Michaela Daystar founded HeartScapes after 11 years of helping university students increase their capacity for social justice. At the intersection of self-reflection, spiritual practice, and social action, she teaches the system of Reiki as a pathway to understanding, healing, and expressing our true self, and adapts trauma-informed principles for Reiki practitioners. Michaela continues her studies of Reiki with the International House of Reiki and holds a master’s degree in Social Justice Leadership. www.heartscapesinsight.com


Additional Resource Links:


ABOUT TRIGGERS & SPIRITUAL MEDICINE:

Vision: To break the unrecognized endemic of unresolved unhealed trauma & create sustainable systems for recovery, healing & empowerment.

Mission: To help others rediscover the power that lies within and to find that treasure buried in the depths of the shadows. To help them become their own superhero.

We hope by addressing the intersectionality and connect the dots like a web of many of society’s challenges, we can help others understand the trauma infection that impacts all areas of life – addiction, domestic violence, racism, homelessness, sexual abuse, chronic health issues, cancer, environmental issues, climate change and more.

In this NEW collaborative program, we hope by highlighting these infected areas and what they share in common, a new perspective of solutions, healing, and resolutions can be birthed. Click here for more information:

Harness & Master The Secrets To Your POWER in 2022

Learn the mechanics of HOW and transform your life in this 3 part interactive experiential virtual workshop series


If you clicked on a link and you are reading this, there is a reason. Thank you and thank yourself too (you will be glad you did).

Let’s uncover what’s blocking you from BE-ing in your full power, and harness it with simple easy to learn time tested exercises backed by a facilitator with immense personal & professional experience of almost 20 years.

Heal old stories & trauma (personal, generational, karmic & past life) stealing your joy, purpose, and life. Learn HOW to turn triggers into super powers.

This is a three part interactive experiential virtual workshop series NOT a lecture series that is designed to help you make breakthroughs you have been seeking but maybe never considered THIS as a possibility.

This event is NOT pre-recorded. This event is a LIVE interactive experiential virtual event on Zoom.

We will dive deep in the operating systems of our subconscious minds to reveal what needs upgrading or purging preventing us from BE-ing in the fullness of our power..

This program comes at a time where the craziness of the world perpetuates more divide and harm knowingly or unknowingly avoiding the key root issues.

Are you ready to change and up level yourself?

Join me and learn how to harness & master these three super powers.

We chose these dates with the 1st New Moon of 2022 on January 2, 2022 at the start of our course and the 1st Full Moon of 2022 is on January 17, 2022 at the completion of our course.

This is a GREAT course to kick off the new year with 2 POWERFUL moon cycles to start the year off strong and the timing can not be more perfect with this moon cycle.

This course also makes a GREAT HOLIDAY GIFT to ask for or give as a gift to someone you love this holiday season.


Who This Program Is For:

This program is anyone called to it for whatever reason and/or for those

  • seeking deep guidance, direction and breakthroughs through a series of experientials.
  • who feel like they are doing everything right, but not matter what they “do”, they can’t seem to make the breakthroughs they are seeking. They want to understand what is missing and make a change.
  • for those who want to improve outcomes, results, and manifestations.
  • who want to break cycles, but don’t know how because everything else they tried has not worked or worked effectively enough.
  • who are struggling with triggered responses

Part 1: The POWER of the Word

Tuesday, January 4, 2022

7-9pm (NY-EST)

 (1st New Moon of 2022 on January 2, 2022)

Words have energy do they not?

If you are saying to yourself right now, “yeah yeah yeah. I have heard this. I do this work. I have done affirmations and mantras.” I want to challenge you. Let’s uncover what is unseen buried in the subconscious mind through a series of experientials.

Words have spiritual power is also what makes gaslighting so effective to create harm, but why haven’t we mastered the power of the word to empower us? Learn what is missing and how to harness this simple power to breakthrough imaginary walls and empower our very BEing.

We will use some very simple Japanese concepts rooted in Shinto teachings. There is a reason why Japan did NOT have a written language until Buddhist was imported in 4th century.


Part 2: The POWER of the Pause

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

7-9pm (NY-EST)

The RBG Superpower
This is the most widely known concept, but the most misunderstood. Shift the power of the word and shift the energy driving it by learning not just to pause, but learn how to master the pause.

Bring clarity into the problem and identify HOW you can move towards an effective solution.

Learn what is missing and how to harness this simple power. THIS was the power that Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG) mastered that enabled her to win five our of six supreme court cases. Are you ready?


Part 3: The POWER of Processing

Tuesday, January 18th

7-9pm (NY-EST)

(1st Full Moon of 2022 is January 17th)

Feel. Understand. Let Go.
How many times have you heard “just let go and move on” Well if we knew HOW to do this effectively, we would, right?

Emotions are energy in motion.  This is a step I witness most folks wanting to avoid, escape from, or numb ourselves from.  Learn why this is a crucial step that is needed and why processing our junk effectively matters.

By Learning HOW to effectively process our “stuff”, we gain clarity. We gain understanding. We make sense of things. We deal with our “stuff” in a healthier way so it is NOT running like a toxic operating system running in the background of our minds sabotaging our efforts.

How we process starts with our own tool box.

Join us an learn HOW.

Are you ready?


About Your Facilitator:

Laura Joseph is New England native located just south of Boston. She goes by the pronouns she/her. She is a seasoned multi-generational healer, speaker, intuitive, holistic health practitioner, educator, truth seeker, social justice junkie, trauma survivor, trauma recovery specialist, seer, & earth based medicine woman.

Laura is currently working on getting certified in addictions counseling and is learning every day through various teachers on the topics of privilege, anti-racism, diversity, inclusion and decolonizing the mindset.

What started out as trying to learn how to fix the broken me after succession of various form of abuse Laura endured culminated by domestic violence, let to her career practicing spiritually based integrative holistic health enrichment since 2006.

This program is born out of the accumulation of teachings, personal growth, healing & recovery and her professional experience helping thousands of others in their path.


What is NEXT?

Investment: Special Limited Time Offering $199 (Savings of $50)

Patreon Member? Get up to 40% off. Click here to learn how to become a member today

To Register go to Eventbrite here.

Limited scholarships available. To qualify, please write a one page paper as why you need the scholarship, your commitment to self development, Why you feel this workshop could help you and what you hope to gain, and attach any supporting documentation or reference. Click here to inquire

Not sure if you are ready?

Timing bad?

Want to do this NEXT time?

Stay in the loop and click here.

 

Virtual Jikiden Reiki® Gatherings

These are virtual gatherings for those practitioners and teachers already certified in Jikiden Reiki® for extra visual support, community building, reciting Gokai together, talk about Jikiden Reiki® & more.

These will be weekly and will change as the group finds its grove and needs. Please NOTE these are held at EST.

These are FREE for now, but will change as we grow as a fundraiser for the forming of the Jikiden Reiki® Association of Ma

For more about Jikiden Reiki® services, click here.

For more about Jikidren Reiki® training, click here.

For more about Reiju Kai, click here.

To Register

Pre-requisite: You must be a certified Jikiden Reiki® Practitioner or Teacher from a verifiable Shihan (teacher) through the Jikiden Reiki® Institute, Kyoto, Japan. If you are unsure if you qualify, please contact us.

To register and to choose dates you wish to participate in, click here.

Quantum Shift Podcast Episode 18: Cocooning Vs Isolating

Check out the interview on the Quantum Shift Podcast with Shawna Pelton. How many of you feel there is something coming????

In this episode, we chat about the topic of Cocooning vs Isolating – a spiritual perspective of the lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic

We talk about all the deep stuff not to miss.

  • from a trauma informed lens
  • transformation
  • trauma that’s embedded in the soil we live on
  • spiritual bypassing
  • triggers
  • changing the language
  • shadow work
  • maladaptive behavior
  • lineage based patterns that are repeating
  • what is the difference between isolation vs cocooning
  • the psychic elements of manifestations
  • the war that was forecasted on our soil and what that really means.
  • How cocooning is a mindset shift.
  • Ancestral wisdom
  • Asking permissions and why that matters
  • Avoiding pausing as a form of distraction
  • Managing triggers, trauma responses.
  • Addressing Fear
  • Colonized mindsets and conditionings
  • A global awakening
  • The aftermath – How do we move forward
  • Taking action
  • The opportunity
  • The Japanese Jikiden Reiki Gokai Teachings

.

 

Complementary Alternative Medicine for Holistic Treatment Options for Addiction

As someone who has been practicing spiritually based integrative therapies since 2006, looking into using complimentary alternative medicine (CAM) for holistic treatment options as part of an addiction treatment program intrigues me. Personally, in my own recovery, not from addictions, but from complex post traumatic stress disorder or CPTSD, these therapies I credit for saving my life, reduced my need to be medicated and potentially reduced my risk for addictions.

In this post, I was hoping to learn more about how effective these therapies are in treatment for addiction, but have found limited scientific data.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)[1], approximately 23 million Americans require treatment for a substance use problem, but only 2.5 million people in the U.S. receive treatment which includes:

  • pharmacotherapy, including medications to treat addiction or related mental health conditions;
  • behavioral therapy, including well-known techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy(CBT),\
  • motivational enhancement therapy (MET),
  • and contingency management(CM);
  • or a combination of pharmacotherapy and behavioral therapy.

As we are learning to understand, due to the complexity of how addiction affects each person, there is not one single treatment right for everyone.

With that said, even the best treatments cannot guarantee complete remission of addiction and drug-seeking behaviors, which is why integrating CAM approaches as part of the treatment option might improve the recovery outcomes.


Types of CAM approaches are separated into two categories:

  • Natural products such as mineral, vitamins, herbals, Adaptogens like Ashwagandha and probiotics.
  • Mind and body therapies such as yoga, chiropractic, osteopathic, meditation, massage, acupuncture, Thai chi, expressive arts, reiki, Chinese medicine, Ayurveda medicine, homeopathy, naturopathic medicine and more.

CAM treatments can benefit addiction treatment in at least three ways[2]:

  • addiction prevention,
  • increasing treatment compliance,
  • and boosting treatment outcomes.

In the case of prevention, CAM interventions can be implemented to treat underlying conditions that commonly occur in association with addiction, such as mental illness and chronic pain. If these issues are addressed and managed early, addiction may never develop. For mental illness, there is good evidence to support that CAM strategies are effective in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety.[3]


The Benefits of Adaptogens

Adaptogens like Ashwagandha[4] root are natural substances that help the adrenal system regulate hormones and manage stress. Over recent years, I have seen how well Ashwagandha works for so many especially those with diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety, addictions, and sleep issues that have astounded me and have had reports of some in recovery who have used this as part of their treatment effectively.

One of the attributes of ashwagandha is its ability to induce calmness and clarity by regulating neurotransmitters such as serotonin and the stress hormone cortisol.  Research has shown that consuming ashwagandha may “substantially” reduce chronic stress to help your body adapt to and alleviate the stomach-churning anxiety stress can cause. (Mercola)

Research indicates there’s a likelihood that ashwagandha may be useful for helping patients in opioid withdrawal as well as reducing or eliminating dependence on benzodiazapene drugs such as Xanax and Valium[5].


Equine Assisted Therapy

Statistics, data, and research is lacking in the field of complimentary alternative medicine. However, CAM approaches can be helpful by keeping the individual engaged and active in their course of addiction treatment.

One such technique is horse-assisted therapy (also known as equine-assisted therapy), an intervention that actively involves horses during the therapy process. Results show that people stayed in treatment for twice as many days and were much more likely to complete treatment than those in traditional programming.[6]


Mindfulness Based Approaches

According to NCCIH, mindfulness-based approaches have shown some success when applied to the treatment of substance abuse and addiction by improving distress tolerance.[7]

Available data suggest that mindfulness-based interventions may help significantly reduce the consumption of several substances including alcohol, cigarettes, opiates, and others compared to control groups; however, many studies have had small sample sizes, methodological problems, and a lack of consistently replicated findings.


Other types of CAM treatments studied with effectiveness include[8]:

  • Mindfulness meditation has been effective in reducing cigarette use and reducing cravings.
  • Mindfulness Based for Reduction in Pain: 2016 review also found that mindfulness-based interventions effectively reduce pain intensity, improve functional status, improve pain-related psychological consequences, and improve quality of life; they can also be used as adjunct therapy aimed at improving health-related quality of life in individuals with substance use disorders interested in self-management strategies.
  • Mindfulness Based For Reduction of Consumption:2014 systematic review of 24 studies found evidence suggesting that mindfulness-based interventions can reduce the consumption of several substances including alcohol, cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana, cigarettes, and opiates to a significantly greater extent than wait list controls, non-specific educational support groups, and some specific control groups.
  • Hypnotherapy study in 2014 found that hypnotherapy patients were more likely than nicotine replacement therapy patients to be nonsmokers at 12 weeks and 26 weeks after hospitalization.
  • Yoga has been shown to reduce cravings and to ease withdrawal from nicotine, with stronger results in women.
  • Thai chi seems to enhance mindfulness and one’s ability to break the cycle of nicotine addiction.
  • Acupuncture has been studied with a number of addictions.Most notably, electric acupuncture has helped to reduce relapse rates for people addicted to opioids.

Several studies have used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine the effects of mindful attention on the anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortex in smokers, the areas of the brain associated with cravings and self-control.

In a 2017 study of 23 participants who completed either mindfulness training or cognitive behavioral treatment for smoking cessation, the researchers found that stress reactivity in several brain regions including the amygdala and anterior/mid insula was related to reductions in smoking after treatment.[9] The findings suggest that reduction in stress reactivity may be one of the underlying mechanisms of mindfulness-based treatments.


The Benefits of Tibetan Singing Bowls

Tibetan Singing Bowls[10] have been used by Tibetan monks for centuries for healing and meditation purposes. These bowls create a range of sounds to restore the normal vibratory frequencies of diseased and out-of-harmony parts of the body, mind and soul.

A 2016 study examined the effects of sound meditation, specifically Tibetan singing bowl meditation, which “concluded that Tibetan singing bowl meditation may be a feasible low-cost low technology intervention for reducing feelings of tension, anxiety, and depression, and increasing spiritual well-being. This meditation type may be especially useful in decreasing tension in individuals who have not previously practiced this form of meditation.”[11]

Although the study results are brief, I find it promising.  I began using Tibetan singing bowls in my work in 2015 as something I felt drawn to do on an instinctual basis for my own healing. As someone who has a history of trauma resulting in CPTSD, I welcome this study.

I went through the traditional medicinal route and felt I was given a band-aid with a wound that continued to grow and fester with no relief in sight. So since 2005, I began looking into me. Who I am, and how can I heal especially when my very trust in humanity was so broken. I went up into the spiritual unknown to  build my trust in my spirituality.

“If we accept that sound is vibration and we know that vibration touches every part of our physical being, then we understand that sound is heard not only through our ears but through every cell in our bodies. One reason sound heals on a physical level is because it so deeply touches and transforms us on the emotional and spiritual planes. Sound can redress imbalances on every level of physiologic functioning and can play a positive role in the treatment of virtually any medical disorder.” — Dr. Mitchell Gaynor


Reiki For Addiction

Other potential viable options also include reiki.  Since traditional nonwestern forms of reiki (Jikiden Reiki[12]) has been prevalent in my own personal healing path as well as with those I have treated and/or taught who are in recovery, I looked into reiki research.  Jikiden Reiki® is the “direct teaching” of Reiki from Japan that is free from Western influence. The word Reiki itself means “soul energy”, which is the natural, vital healing force found in all life.

Jikiden Reiki® sessions focus on removing toxins from the body and guiding it towards wholeness. Jikiden Reiki is known for its effective treatment of acute and chronic conditions, as well as to address deep rooted beliefs, habits, traumas and addictions.  Reiki has been effective treatment option like alleviating pain, pre-op and post-op surgery recovery, anxiety, skin conditions and post-traumatic stress.

Unfortunately, I was unable to find a quality study on the effectiveness of reiki for addiction, but found numerous individual accounts of addiction and recovery on how reiki helped their own recovery as evidence.

According to the Rehab Center which offers reiki therapy, states “alternative medicine, like Reiki therapy, for addiction has been successful for some individuals, but is likely only effective when it meets the unique needs and beliefs of the person”.[13]

Benefits include according to this site:

  • may help an individual with some aspects of recovery
  • boost energy
  • lower stress
  • reduce pain
  • help with symptoms of withdrawals
  • reduce agitation
  • promote relaxation,
  • may also help a person remain calm during the early and stressful stages of addiction treatment.

According to Sober Nation, if done within the few first days of detox, Reiki therapy may help make withdrawal symptoms more tolerable to endure. Secondly, people are better able to deal with stress of recovery and life in a healthier manner.[14]

Additionally, Reiki therapy for drug and alcohol addiction also helps those newly recovering deal with anger and resentments which are common triggers that can lead people back into active addiction. I have personally witnessed this aspect in my own practice when reiki is used effectively from a qualified practitioner. Reiki therapy also helps repair the physical and psychological damage that addiction causes and allows the individual to get back on a path towards a healthy lifestyle.[15]

I did find one recovery site that had concerns regarding reiki “detoxication” which can be explained simply from my experience.[16] Most Americans are trained in some form of  “westernized” reiki which is NOT the full scope of training as it was taught in Japan with many added “new age” concepts. When the traditional training is adhered to which takes decades to master, the so called “reiki detoxification” mentioned has been reduced by 90% with a 90% reduction of intensification from my own personal experience of doing THIS work since 2006.


Final Thoughts

Overall, there is a lack of evidence to support the use of many forms of CAM despite numerous individual claims of benefit. I can personally attest to this so-called phenomena.  For this reason, most of the sites I researched urged “caution” in initiating CAM treatments due to lack of safety.

This only makes me question is this due to the lack of research or money lobbied by big business, wall street and Big Pharma. I say this because known therapies such as meditation and yoga have repeatedly been shown to be effective and safe and have been effectively practiced as part of a spiritual based practice for thousands of years.

I also feel that how is it possible to quantify and make quantitative something that is spiritually based like yoga, reiki, Thai chi, or meditation just to name a few which can vary based on personal beliefs, spiritual beliefs, and experiences that at the end of the day are all personal.

This is not a one shoe fits all approach. It takes someone skilled at knowing their clients, their needs and belief systems to know which approach is best suited for them. It is part of what I consider the spiritual journey. These therapies are different from other forms of spiritually based therapies as they are free from religious indoctrination and dogma and tap into the something that links all spiritual beliefs that are our innate BE-ing.

Based on what my research is showing and from my own personal experiences, the results of implementing complimentary alternative medicine as part of a treatment plan can be very promising with much less serious if not deadly side effects seen in traditional medical approaches and can be used as part of a treatment program during ALL stages addiction treatment.

I am hoping you found this guide helpful. This is just the tip to what is possible and plausible.

I would LOVE to hear from you as to what you found most resourceful for you

With appreciation,

Laura

Spiritual Medium, Healer, Speaker, Writer, Metaphysician, Advocate, Holistic Health Practitioner, Facilitator, Trauma Specialist, Empowerment Specialist and Spiritual Badass.


For more information about classes, click here and our events calendar, click here.

To book a private session, click here.

SIGN UP FOR MONTHLY E-NEWS

Follow me on FacebookInstagramLinkedInYouTube.


Disclaimer

Please note that content on this website is intended for informational purposes only, and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional, not is it meant to diagnose or treat a health problem, symptom or disease. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read on this website. Information provided on this website DOES NOT create a doctor-patient relationship between you and any doctor affiliated with our website.


RESOURCES:

[1] U.S. Department of Health & Human Services; The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; (2014); https://www.samhsa.gov/;  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK385055/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK385055.pdf

[2] National Rehab Directory by American Addiction Centers; Complementary and Alternative Treatment for Drug Addiction; Eric Peterson; (November 4, 2019); https://www.rehabs.com/complementary-alternative-medicine-for-addiction/

a href=”#_ftnref3″ name=”_ftn3″>[3] National Rehab Directory by American Addiction Centers; Complementary and Alternative Treatment for Drug Addiction; Eric Peterson; (November 4, 2019); https://www.rehabs.com/complementary-alternative-medicine-for-addiction/

[4] Why Ashwagandha Root Could Be The Cure For The Western Epidemic of Stress Related Illness; Laura Joseph; November 2018; https://laurahealingwithspirit.com/why-ashwagandha-root-could-be-the-cure-for-the-western-epidemic-of-stress-related-illness/

[5] How the War on Drugs Has Caused More Harm Than Good; April 7, 2016; Dr. Mercola; https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/04/07/war-on-drugs-opioids.aspx

[6] Kern-Godal, A., Arnevik, E. A., Walderhaug, E., & Ravndal, E. (2015). Substance Use Disorder Treatment Retention and Completion: A Prospective Study of Horse-Assisted Therapy (HAT) for Young AdultsAddiction Science & Clinical Practice, 10, 21.; https://ascpjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13722-015-0043-4

[7] National Institutes of Health; National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health; Mind and Body Approaches for Substance Use Disorders; (April 2018); https://nccih.nih.gov/health/providers/digest/Substance-Disorders<

[8] National Institutes of Health; National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health; Mind and Body Approaches for Substance Use Disorders; (April 2018); https://nccih.nih.gov/health/providers/digest/Substance-Disorders-science#hed5

[9] National Institutes of Health; National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health; Mind and Body Approaches for Substance Use Disorders; (April 2018); https://nccih.nih.gov/health/providers/digest/Substance-Disorders-science#hed5

[10] Vibrational Healing/Tibetan Singing Bowls; Healing With Spirit; https://laurahealingwithspirit.com/services/meditation/vibrational-healing-tibetan-singing-bowls/

[11] Medical Study of the Effects of Singing Bowl Sound Meditation on Mood, Tension, and Well-Being; Healing With Spirit; November 18, 2016; https://laurahealingwithspirit.com/medical-study-of-the-effects-of-singing-bowl-sound-meditation-on-mood-tension-and-well-being/

[12] Jikiden Reiki Services; Healing With Spirit; https://laurahealingwithspirit.com/services/reiki/jikiden-reiki-services/

[13] Addiction Campuses; Reiki Therapy For Addiction; Medically reviewed by Isaac Alexis, M.D., AAMA, AMP-BC; (January 24, 2019); https://www.rehabcenter.net/reiki-therapy-for-addiction/

[14]Behavioral Health Innovators; Sober Nation; Holistic Therapy Spotlight: Reiki Therapy for Addiction; Tim Powers; (3/24/2016); https://sobernation.com/holistic-therapy-spotlight-reiki-therapy-for-addiction/

[15] Behavioral Health Innovators; Sober Nation; Holistic Therapy Spotlight: Reiki Therapy for Addiction; Tim Powers; (3/24/2016); https://sobernation.com/holistic-therapy-spotlight-reiki-therapy-for-addiction/

[16] Axis Recovery; Reiki Detox Therapy; https://axisresidentialtreatment.com/drug-detox/reiki-therapy/