On October 25th, I had the honor of presenting a workshop on Reiki to the men’s basketball team at Northwood University in West Palm Beach, Florida. It was a great opportunity to discuss the practical application of Reiki for athletes. The focus of my presentation was on how Reiki helps with relaxation and focus. In order to face a competitive event, athletes seek relaxation and require intense focus to create an atmosphere for optimal performance.
In addition to relaxation and focus, we talked about how when you are trained in Reiki and you’re in a situation where, for example, a referee makes a bad call during a game, Reiki can help. Imagine you’re on the bench and feeling angry about the call. Doing self-Reiki can bring about calm and allow you to refocus on your goals for the game.
Another example, was how Reiki can be combined with visualization to improve an athletic skill. I talked about how I use it for my erratic tennis serve. With visualization, I use Reiki to imagine a well-timed, accurate serve, and a ball toss that is in the ideal spot. All this brings about focus and a state of calm where my body and mind work in sync for the ideal outcome.
Each player who wanted to, received a sample of Reiki on his shoulders for about 5 minutes or less. Here’s some of their feedback: one player said, “I still feel your hands on my shoulders and that was 15 minutes ago.” A couple of them said, “I feel a pleasant tingling sensation on my shoulders.” Some of the coaches received a sample treatment as well.
Reiki helps to facilitate mental clarity and focus. It is also an excellent way to facilitate the body’s healing process. There were a number of athletes at the workshop working with physical injuries. I explained that Reiki goes where it is needed but, during sample treatments, also placed hands on knees and the top of the head for two athletes who preferred that to address their acute injuries.
Reiki is an excellent tool for athletes to facilitate relaxation and focus. If you’re an athlete, please share your experience with Reiki in the comments below!
(I extend my gratitude to all those who coordinated the Reiki workshop on 10/25/14 at Northwood University, Florida.)