I’ll start by reframing the term “overthinking” which has a negative connotation when actually it often is a sign of psychic overexcitability that simply reflects deep, analytical, creative awareness and curiosity.
Extremely active minds may however lead to rumination when anxiety comes in and that’s when the mind starts pulling you down. The more stressed you are, the more this energy will feed negative thoughts. The more relaxed and happy you are, the more this energy will be invested in more positive endeavours.
Hence releasing ruminating thoughts will imply soothing your anxiety and therefore ease the fight or flight response which has been triggered.
When our brain (more specifically, the amygdala) identifies a threat, it sends messages to the hypothalamus to secrete stress hormones (adrenaline, cortisol) to defend against that threat - fight or flight response.
Although the amygdala is usually pretty good at picking up danger clues, trauma increases the risk of misinterpreting whether a situation is dangerous or safe. That’s why, you will want to try and identify your “triggers”:
-When did you feel anxious?
-What triggered the anxiety?
-When is the earliest memory you have of such a situation? Can you reframe it? Can you release that block?
The more aware you become of your triggers, your traumas, your limiting beliefs and energy blocks (stagnant energy which you may identify through body aches, behaviours, emotions…), the more control and space you will have to generate a more appropriate response.
Now, what’s that to do with Reiki?
Reiki is a Japanese form of alternative medicine for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is based on the idea that the energy that flows through us is what causes us to be alive. If one's "life force energy" is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.
The release of cortisol causes a number of reactions in our body and energy field to help deal with stress. Energy is mobilized so the body can respond and cope with the stressor. The flow of energy in our body is disturbed, preventing us from feeling safe and serene.
When a body receives Reiki energy, it is as if these dissonances (stagnant energies, blocks caused by repressed emotions/traumas/stress…) were coming to light so they can be released and harmony can be restored in the overall energy flow.
As the flow is being restored, we allow the mind to access more clarity and concentrate on more fulfilling tasks.
Ruminating thoughts are released and the client experiences a deeper connection with themselves and their body opening the door to their intuition and inner truth.