Natural Living

NH’s Talking About: How to Take a Reiki Bath

If you’re feeling stressed, this simple reiki technique could help you relax and reduce feelings of anxiety

Thoughts, fears, stress and anxiety can all affect your physical, mental and emotional health. But by practising reiki and connecting to universal energy, Jasmin Harsono, author of Self Reiki: Tune in to Your Life Force to Achieve Harmony and Balance (£9.99, DK) believes you can become your own healer.

According to Jasmin, a reiki bath is a wonderful way to relax and recharge your energy levels. This practice involves performing a full reiki self-treatment based on the seven main chakras: crown, third eye, throat, heart, solar plexus, sacral and root. But instead of finding a comfortable space, you lie in a bath of warm water.

“We can easily be diverted to negative thoughts and feelings,” says self-healer Alice May (alicemayredmond.com), “but this self-healing practice offers a simple way to remove toxic energies, and encourages fresh energy to circulate clarity, balance, positivity and, most importantly, love.” It can also help you sleep better at night, reduce anxiety, and heighten a deeper sense of relaxation.

First, fill your bathtub with warm water. To enhance the experience, Jasmin suggests you play soothing music, fill the space with candles and crystals, or add essential oils and flower petals to the water. Once you’re comfortable, close your eyes and place the palms of your hands together. As you allow your breath to flow naturally, you should feel your mind and body become calm and clear of distractions. “Now, starting at your crown,” says Jasmin, “follow the hand positions of the full reiki self-treatment, spending around three minutes on each of your chakras.” To indicate when to move onto the next chakra, Alice suggests playing reiki music with singing sound bowls every three minutes. Then, when you’re ready, repeat the five reiki principles (gokai): Just for today, do not anger. Just for today, be grateful. Just for today, work with diligence. Just for today, be kind to yourself and others. Just for today, do not worry. Repeating this in the bath as well as every morning and night requires patience, but will encourage you to live in the moment. For example, by reciting ‘just for today, do not anger’, you’re allowing your anger to surface, forcing yourself to observe your feelings. By letting these feelings pass you’ll create more positive outcomes for yourself. “In this way, you can understand that it’s only the ego that wants us to hold onto things that don’t serve your true self,” says Jasmin.

Intentionally closing the healing that’s taken place with gratitude is important as it shows your commitment to honouring the best version of yourself. Jasmin recommends you take three deep breaths into your abdomen, then exhale with an ‘ahhh’ sound. When you’re ready, let the water drain from the bath as you place your hands together and thank reiki.