S102: The Science Behind Reiki for Anxiety, Chronic Pain & Stress

After September 11th, Michelle's relationship with flying was never the same. Nearly three years ago, her anxiety had gotten so bad she watched her entire family board a plane without her and knew something had to change. Four months into her Reiki practice, she booked a flight, got on the plane, and her husband asked her the whole way, "Are you okay?" Not because she seemed nervous, but because she was the calmest he had ever seen her. In this bonus episode, I sit down with Michelle Montgomery-Gardes, self-described recovered corporate drone, and now a key member of my teaching team, to talk about how two minutes of Reiki a day helped her manage anxiety, quit a 30-year corporate career, and finally feel present in her own life. This is a story for anyone who's burned out, skeptical, and wondering if something this simple could actually work. In this episode: Michelle's story of flight anxiety, corporate burnout, and finding Reiki How two minutes a day created a total 180 in her nervous system response The moment on the plane that proved Reiki was working Why she quit her corporate job and what Reiki had to do with it How presence became the biggest and most unexpected gift of her practice

What if the simple act of creating a ritual around your Reiki practice was enough to reduce anxiety before you even start? In this season finale, I geek out about the science of ritual and what the research actually shows about ritualizing any practice. I walk through what you actually learn in a Reiki training, what a consistent practice can look like in real life, and why two minutes of intentional Reiki beats a 90-minute session you'll never actually do. Plus, two studies that prove ritual alone creates measurable, physiological changes in anxiety levels. This is your invitation to take the next step. In this episode: The science of ritual and why it reduces anxiety on a neurological level Two peer-reviewed studies on ritual and anxiety reduction What you actually learn in a Reiki training and what it's not Why consistency and structure matter more than duration or effort How to begin your own Reiki practice starting today

Two minutes of Reiki a day is more powerful than sixty minutes once a month. Here's the brain science that proves it. In this episode, I introduce one of my favorite teaching tools, the sledding hill, to explain how neuroplasticity actually works and why consistent Reiki practice physically rewires the neural pathways in your brain over time. I break down the long-term signs that your practice is working, why your body whispers before it screams, and how to start noticing the one-degree shifts that are quietly changing everything, even when it doesn't feel like much is happening. This is the episode that makes the science of consistent practice click. In this episode: What neuroplasticity is and how Reiki creates lasting change in the brain The sledding hill analogy and why it explains everything about habitual thought patterns Why your body whispers before it screams Long-term signs your Reiki practice is rewiring your stress response Why consistency is more powerful than duration, every single time

If you've ever finished a Reiki session and thought "I didn't feel anything, so did it even work?" this episode is your answer. In this episode, I break down why we're so fixated on the big, dramatic sensations, the heat, the tingles, the full-body transformation, and why those aren't actually the signs that matter most. I walk through every sense that Reiki can show up through, including the subtle ones nobody talks about like yawning, tummy gurgles, and watery eyes. And I make the case that noticing a one-degree shift in how you feel, think, or respond is more powerful evidence that your practice is working than any heat-and-tingles moment ever will be. In this episode: What Reiki can feel like across all five senses and beyond The subtle signs of Reiki working that most practitioners don't talk about Why comparing your experience to someone else's is a detriment to your practice How the brain's negativity bias makes it hard to notice progress Why showing up is sometimes the most powerful evidence of all

Is Reiki demonic? Do you need a special gift to do Reiki? Does Reiki replace therapy or medication? Can Reiki only work in perfect conditions? Does distance Reiki even make sense? I've heard every single one of these, and in this episode I'm rapid firing through the biggest Reiki myths and misconceptions one by one. No holding back. As someone who used to believe a lot of these myself, I'm uniquely placed to break them down with both science and compassion, including the ones that are rooted in anti-Asian prejudice and the history of Reiki's journey to the West during World War II. This is the episode to send to anyone who's still on the fence. In this episode: Is Reiki demonic or sinful? Where that idea actually comes from Do you need a natural gift or special ability to do Reiki? Can Reiki work when the environment is chaotic? Can distance Reiki actually work? The quantum entanglement explanation Why Reiki is a complement to medical and mental health care, never a replacement The harmful myth that medication blocks your intuition, debunked