Why Reiki May Be The Answer For Your Colic Infant

We know Reiki may not be the first treatment that comes to mind for your colic infant. As a parent, maybe you've heard of this powerful ancient branch of energy medicine during prenatal yoga, on social media, or over dinner with your spiritual friend. And maybe you think it's a stretch to seek a Reiki practitioner to help heal your baby's uncontrollable colic crying. Think about it like this: if you’re part of the 1 in 10 adults who integrate complementary alternative medicine (CAM) into your own life through yoga, acupuncture, or meditation, why not look into a remedy that will treat the underlying imbalances of your baby’s colic condition, not just the symptom? Why not treat their stress like you’d treat your own?

Reiki In The Medical Field

Like with most CAM, standardized research reporting the success of Reiki is scarce. But here’s what we do know: it’s popping up alongside conventional, clinical medicine across the country. Think hospice, pediatrics, and neonatal units. Personnel are learning and integrating First Degree Reiki in their care routines, practitioners are offering treatment to staff and patients, and hospital-based education is teaching the method to parents and caregivers. In fact, one study reports nurses who received three months of Reiki treatments felt less pain and more present, warm, and relaxed in their bodies. They felt they had more positivity to offer their patients, which is kind of beautiful.

So what does this mean for your infant with colic? It means there is help! Reiki is a calming treatment with metaphysical benefits not yet studied by science. Like with yoga and meditation, it took the practices becoming popular for science to catch up. “Treating colic with Reiki is not about eliminating a symptom, it’s good health and wise parenting,” explains Sama Ecker, Doctor of Medical Qi Gong therapy, Ordained Daoist Priest, Usui Reiki Master of her nine-years energy work on over 100 babies. “We can’t underestimate the life-long benefits of raising an infant that sleeps and digests their food well,” Ecker says, as many studies suggest colic comes from a combination of digestion, parental anxiety, and allergies.

What an Infant Reiki Session Looks Like

Depending on the practitioner, you travel to their location or they will visit yours, and the session may begin with talking about your infant's colic. “Then, I like to treat the infant right after fed, swaddled, and, if possible, asleep while the mother or father is holding, so to keep comforted,” says Ecker. “I would use two fingers instead of the whole hand to do a series of healing hand positions on the infant.” These physical hand positions help the practitioner maneuver energy. Adult sessions might last 60-90 minutes, but with babies, 20-30 minutes of energy work is normal. “Infants need shorter sessions because their energy blocks shift more quickly than adults,” explains Ecker. So as the parent, you would be with your infant the whole time and be able to ask questions to your practitioner. The remainder of the session is used to counsel parents, as many Reiki professionals have a catalog of other training skills, like nutrition, herbalism, or therapy. “Whatever is happening in the family has an effect, from dad or mom being stressed at work to adjusting to a new family schedule,” explains Ecker. “The infant is syncing their energy fields with the primary caregivers, so counsel is also to train the parent in directing energy in a healthy way.” Beyond healing colic, the ultimate goal is more energetic harmony and communication within the family unit.

Reiki Treatments For Colic:

1. Stress“Infants have a very sensitive system and are constantly scanning their environment for calm or distress,” explains Ecker. It’s normal to be a frazzled after bringing home a newborn, but your family’s mood is something to consider if your infant is showing signs of stress. “We now understand that stress can indeed modulate neurological responses, therefore supporting the need to promote parental stress-coping mechanisms,” reports Pediatrician Lawrence D. Rosen, MD. Reiki can help both parents and infants significantly reduce stress by decreasing heart rate and blood pressure. “It’s not just the topic or environment. Within the body, we are building the platform of a strong, well-balanced nervous system,” Ecker explains. During a session, you may be given ‘homework’ or tools like meditations, writing exercises, visualizations, mantras, or intentions specific to your case to continue healing at home.
2. DigestionSince poor digestion and colic are often in tandem, this is a good place begin. “Highly trained Reiki professionals will understand the function of the organs and immune system,” says Ecker. “So, for me, I would begin by energetically treating the function of the liver and the spleen while properly descending the stomach qi to reduce repeating breast milk and burping.” Know that healing one aspect of an imbalance will have an overall positive effect on your baby. “When Reiki improves digestion, we then have a foundationally stronger immune system as an infant, which equals fewer colds, viruses, infections, allergies, and ultimately less need for prescription medicine and antibiotics as an adult,” says Ecker of her life work. “We have improved immunity for life.”
3. SleepThe obvious: if we have reduced digestive stress and improved family harmony, we have a baby that sleeps like, well, a baby. “Reiki is notorious for having a link to improve the endocrine system,” Ecker explains of her experience. A quick science lesson: Within our hormonal system, also known as the endocrine system, exists the pineal gland. It’s a small but powerful gland located deep in the center of the brain that produces that luscious sleep hormone, melatonin. “It’s a leading gland and universal life force is compatible with regulating its function.” And just like you, lack of sleep can make some pretty wacky things happen in the body. “When we regulate the sleep cycle, we’re regulating aspects of the brain. So even though an infant is coming to improve the sleep cycle, we’re setting the baby up to reduce ADHD and improve cognition,” as Ecker has seen in her professional experience.

Finding The Right Reiki Practitioner For Your Infant

Interested? The next step is choosing the right practitioner for your family. Poke around. Do your friends have a healer they like to work with? Who is practicing in your area? Do some research and find a Reiki Master who also has certifications in nutrition or counseling. “The number one question to ask a Reiki Master is ‘how many hours did your certification program require?’” says Ecker. A good program will span about two years, because it takes practitioners time to grow, learn, and return for the next levels. “Then, ‘how many clients did you work on to get your certification?’ 40 or more patients is a good professional training guideline.” Also, consider asking ‘how can Reiki directly affect colic and the digestive system?’ You should get an informed answer explaining organs and anatomy while weeding out the folks who got their certification through a weekend program.

Know that when searching for a practitioner, asking specific questions is totally normal and actually appreciated by professionals, because the dialogue leads to more successful treatment of colic for your infant. Reiki is a delicate and powerful practice of energy medicine that has the potential to help not only heal your infant of colic but enhance your entire family structure. “If you’ve had two or three sessions and symptoms have not gotten better, don’t assume Reiki doesn’t work. Look for a new practitioner,” advises Ecker. Just like in a yoga class or guided meditation the instructor should be helpful, highly informed, and effective. “Remember, all information shared by a professional should be very positive,” Ecker says. “Your practitioner needs to believe the symptoms will improve.”