Children's Mental Health Week and How Reiki Can Help
Monday 5th February marks the start of Children's Mental Health Week, so I thought I’d use this weeks’ blog to share how Reiki has the potential to help the younger members of our Reiki community as well as 10 ways we can support them - as shared by www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk.
Incidentally, this website has a number of links and downloadable resources for children, schools and families on how we can support and empower our young people by providing them with the tools they need to express themselves.
So, how can Reiki help?
Anyone of any age can have Reiki, that’s one of the reasons I love it. It's totally inclusive and available to all and it's gentle and non-invasive at the same time. Here are some ways it can help children in particular:
Stress Reduction:
Stress can be harmful for children when they don't don't have a break from it, or when they lack the support or the coping skills they need. Over time, too much stress can impact their mental and physical health. This is, of course, true for all of us!
Reiki has a very calming effect and the feedback I get most often is that clients feel ‘lighter’ after a session, as if a weight has been lifted. They often say they feel relaxed and that feelings of stress, tension and anxiety have lifted.
Emotional Balance:
As adults we often (but not always!) are able to regulate our emotions, children generally and understandably have more challenges with emotional regulation. Being at an earlier stage in their development, they tend to be more impulsive and reactive and in some cases they might suppress their emotions.
Reiki can help by promoting balance, healing and relaxation of the mind, body and spirit. When we feel balanced and relaxed, we are more able to respond and feel more able to cope, without feeling triggered, overwhelmed and out of control.
Inner Calm:
I feel like children don't often get the opportunity to have moments of calm and quiet these days. With technology all around them, it's really easy to turn to a screen to fill any moments of boredom, quiet or stillness. Not only is it always available but the content focused at children can quickly overstimulate, overwhelming the senses and creating feelings like anxiety, fear, irritability and restlessness. I know it's real because I've seen it in my own kids - and in myself.
Reiki is innately calming, it encourages us to be still and go inwards. After a Reiki session, people often describe feeling like they’ve been in a deep meditation or a dream like state - and I would estimate that during a session, around 80% of clients fall asleep at some point!
Distance Reiki:
The great thing about Reiki is that we don't need to be face-to-face for a session to take place. Distance Reiki sessions are equally as effective and I think this is a real advantage that most other complementary therapies cannot boast, and especially an advantage when it comes to Reiki for children.
Many adults prefer to come to the Reiki room so that they are out of their environment. They appreciate that they can come to a calm, quiet space dedicated to relaxation and get to detach and recharge for at least as long as the session lasts. For me it's always a real treat to be able to have a break and some 'me' time, away from responsibilities or distractions for an hour or so.
Children, on the other hand, often prefer the comfort of their own environment. Being in a new space can sometimes feel awkward or uncomfortable for them. The more comfortable we feel, the more we are able to relax and the more we will feel the benefits of the session.
Distance Reiki can be sent at any time, but bedtime is usually the best time for children, either when they are resting in their own rooms or are already asleep.
Whenever a Reiki practitioner sends Reiki to anyone, they must have their permission first. For children, we need the permission of their parent or guardian, and if they are to receive in person Reiki, the parent or guardian needs to accompany them.
Booking a session
If you'd like to book a session for your child, send me an email at amy@threelittlebirdsofficial.com and we can curate a session that will work for both you and them.
10 things young people need from us
www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk has many tips and resources to help us help our young people. From their website, below are 10 things young people need (and don't need) from us:
1. We don’t need to have ‘one-off conversations about our mental health’ – sometimes a chat on a journey or at bedtime is enough.
2. I need to know it’s okay to talk to you about any and all of my feelings. Please hear what I have to say, without interrupting me.
3. Please listen to me carefully and acknowledge how I am feeling – it might seem silly to you but what I am going through is important to me.
4. Playing with pets can make me feel better. Same with playing football, basketball or whatever type of sport I am into.
5. Don’t compare my experiences to your own when you were a child.
6. Sometimes I just need you to listen and hear what I’m saying – I don’t always need answers (or lectures)
7. Please don’t worry about trying to fix things for me – I often just need to know you are there for me and understand what I am going through.
8. If you are open with me about your feelings, this can help me to be more open about mine.
9. Sometimes I don’t want to talk. Please trust that I will come to you (or another grown-up or someone my own age) when I’m ready. Sometimes it’s easier for me to talk to someone nearer my own age – my siblings, cousins, friends, younger teachers at school - because they ‘get it’.
10. Sometimes a hug is all it takes to make me feel supported.
Have a wonderful week, my friend!
Much love and many hugs,
Amy 💜🤟