Intention- The foundation of energetic healing

Reiki, and other energy healing practices, have been around for centuries. And across all energy healing modalities throughout history, a consistent factor has been intention. So, what is intention?

According to the Mirriam-Webster dictionary, intention is what one intends to do. Well, that clears it right up doesn't it! I define intention as holding your awareness on a specified aim or action you want to do. By focusing on the aim or action, you avoid limiting yourself to specific outcomes like with goal setting, which often relies on past experiences to create expected outcomes. Intention allows for different outcomes than expected. And research is beginning to show the power that intention has on affecting and changing our reality.

Intention can affect all living things.

Studies have shown that human intention, even at a distance, can influence biological activities like cell function, growth of seeds and plants, and animal healing after surgery. And MRIs done during a distant healing session have shown changes in a patient's brain when the healing practitioner used intention.

"In the case of distant healing, the healer who directs his thought or intent, and the patient, who receives it, create a single system, even physically separated."- Matos et al.

When providing a Reiki session, I always focus on positive intentions, or what will provide the highest good for the recipient. So, while it is good for the recipient to set a specific intention, it is not necessary for healing to occur as the Reiki energy will be channeled with intention. The recipient just needs to be open to receive and draw the energy in.

Research indicates that this connection between the energy healing practitioner and the recipient may be explained through quantum entanglement, or what Albert Einstein called "spooky action at a distance." The scientific definition of this is that particles that have a connection will always be connected, no matter how far apart in space or time they are. Which means, affecting one particle affects the other across space and time. And, when you think about it, all living things come from the same building blocks making us all connected.

Harnessing the power of this connection through intention allows Reiki, and other energy healing practices, to support you on your healing journey.

References

• Matos LC, Machado JP, Monteiro FJ, Greten HJ. Perspectives, Measurability and Effects of Non-Contact Biofield-Based Practices: A Narrative Review of Quantitative Research. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jun 13;18(12):6397. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18126397. PMID: 34199174; PMCID: PMC8296239.

• Radin D, Schlitz M, Baur C. Distant Healing Intention Therapies: An Overview of the Scientific Evidence. Glob Adv Health Med. 2015 Nov;4(Suppl):67-71. doi: 10.7453/gahmj.2015.012.suppl. Epub 2015 Nov 1. PMID: 26665044; PMCID: PMC4654780.