I’ve been asked recently if Reiki can aid in anti-aging and it’s a subject I’ve been meaning to write about for some time. In a nutshell, Reiki is an overall healing therapy that heals physically, mentally, and emotionally, and much more.
There is no doubt about it, stress, anxiety, and trauma have a plethora of negative effects beyond what it does to your skin and general looks, and that's just the outward manifestation but we’ll stay on the subject of skin, your appearance, and anti-aging for now. Stress, anxiety, and trauma cause inflammation in the skin which impairs its barrier function and creates oxidative stress as well as causing imbalances throughout the body. It is clear that not only does this affect your general health but also the outward manifestations of it like your skin, and its appearance. Chronic low to high-level stress elevates cortisol levels in the body and can lead to a deluge of negative health effects including wrinkles. Recent studies have even indicated that these stress levels can even make you less attractive to the opposite sex or potential partners! Yes, as we have more stress and anxiety, and it raises our cortisol levels, it will make you appear less healthy and, therefore less attractive overall! https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3290291/How-stress-makes-UGLY-Emotional-strain-gives-men-women-unhealthy-look-repels-potential-partners.html
Increased stress and anxiety can also lead to more skin breakouts. Research indicates that the nervous system and stress adversely affect inflammatory skin conditions. The skin’s nerve endings tend to release a greater amount of chemicals that inflame the skin. Then again that pesky stress hormone, cortisol, can cause skin inflammation. When cortisol is released into your bloodstream, oil production increases. When this happens, your oil glands produce sebum which can cause your pores to get blocked and bacteria can grow causing a breakout.
It is also known that stress and anxiety can cause dry skin, redness, and wrinkles. Again, through impaired skin barrier function and or sleep deprivation your skin becomes more sensitive and susceptible to natural irritants and damage. Not only does stress cause wrinkles, but it can also aggravate existing wrinkles. If you have wrinkles, you may notice that they become more pronounced when you're feeling stressed. Increased cortisol is known to break down your skin's collagen as well and it’s collagen that helps to keep your skin elastic and youthful-looking. Let’s not forget sleep deprivation. That alone can cause dark circles under the eyes, red eyes, and droopy eyelids. Not very attractive!
It is also well known that elevated cortisol levels, anxiety, and stress can create increased appetite and fat storage. Stress affects you physically and mentally, making you more likely to make unhealthy food choices as a stress response mechanism. You’ll be much more likely to reach for that processed comfort food that clogs the system and packs on the pounds. Your body can also have the opposite response where you actually lose your appetite. This is no better because then your skin and body fails to get the proper nutrients, and nutrition it needs to look and stay healthy. Either way, as stress triggers the fight-or-flight response, proper digestion slows or stops so that the body can focus all its energy on managing the source of the stress. Indigestion, inflammation in the gut, heartburn, and IBS can all occur and even change the composition, diversity, and number of healthy intestinal bacteria along with increasing greater numbers of potentially harmful bacteria. This can negatively impact your immunity and skin health and even bring on, or increase anxiety and depression.
One of the best ways to manage stress and anxiety and enhance anti-aging is Reiki. This beautiful and gentle healing system while removing blocks throughout the body, creates an overall feeling of peace, calm, and well-being while alleviating feelings of stress, anxiety, and panic. Stress is all pervasive in our culture and everyday lives, so a regular program of periodic Reiki sessions will not only remove stress, anxiety, and the damaging cortisol response but in time, improve your sleep patterns, and reduce the fight or flight patterns in your brain therefore reducing overall stress, anxiety, and panic responses. This will give your skin a much healthier, attractive appearance and even a glow that comes from the inside out.
Reiki while neutralizing stress, anxiety, and cortisol which is activated at the same time, allows your skin to heal and reduce the appearance of wrinkles, and the creation of new ones. I actually had a first-time client who reported to me that after she got home from her first session, her husband actually remarked on how good she looked. I myself have been getting Reiki sessions done once a month since I began to practice Reiki, just for my general and overall physical, mental, and emotional health and it has worked beautifully. However, as a byproduct of that, I believe it has also improved my appearance. Most people are very surprised when I tell them my actual age. They usually guess that I’m younger than that not to mention all the other benefits I receive.
So while healthy eating, exercise, and protecting your skin from the sun are all good strategies to keeping your skin youthful or younger looking, getting Reiki done at least every 4 to 6 weeks will go a long way in improving not only your outward appearance but also your overall health, as well as your inner state of well-being too! It’s also a lot cheaper and safer than a trip to your local plastic surgeon and a heck of a lot more natural and pleasant.
With Love and Light,
Katherine McBride, C.P.C.Reiki Master / Teacher Karuna Reiki® Master / Teacher Certified Life Coach Cell: 714.321.8259 Email: reikiearthmother@gmail.com Website: reikiearthmother.com https://www.instagram.com/reikiearthmother/
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