Food, Sleep, Exercise
As a National Board Certified Reflexologist and Reiki Master, you might be surprised to learn that these two practices tie for fourth on my personal wellness priority list, rather than ranking at number one. I use both daily for self-care, but there are three other activities that come first, in part because of the overwhelming evidence regarding their importance for both short and long-term physical and mental health outcomes. This trifecta (not necessarily in this order) is:
Nutritious food
Daily Exercise
Sufficient Sleep
While I work in a very specific complementary health field, it is important to me that clients receive exemplary care and get the best results, even if that means putting other wellness priorities above what I offer. Without focusing on food, exercise, and sleep, no amount of bodywork or energy work is going to allow me to be at my best and I strongly believe that clients will see the most positive results from their reflexology and reiki sessions if they take a holistic approach to improving health and wellness.
Reflexology and reiki shine when it comes to providing relaxation, which can then assist in meeting any goals you have related to eating, exercise, or sleep. For example, let’s say you are someone who tends to overeat when you are stressed out. If you have the opportunity to fully relax during a bodywork session, it can help you tune into what kind of nutrition your body is craving. Do you want water or food? Do you need something comforting or energizing? What will make your body feel good now as well as tomorrow? In terms of exercise, it can be challenging to workout (or even move and go about daily activities) if you are dealing with pain. For some people, exercise could mean getting out of bed in the morning. For others it could be running a marathon. Whatever “exercise” or “movement” means to you depending on the day, helping your body relax in order to decrease pain and stress levels can be very beneficial. Finally, for sleep, many people fall asleep during a reflexology or reiki session. Over the years, many of my clients have gotten in touch the day after a session to report very deep sleep that they were not expecting.
As you can see, with all of the examples above, reflexology and reiki can be used to support your daily routine and habits that you would like to continue. That is why I put them fourth on my list. I believe that their primary benefit is promoting relaxation, which does wonders for reducing pain and stress.