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The Soothing Power of Reiki 

靈氣的撫慰力量   

Reiki and other complementary approaches to wellness, such as art therapy, aromatherapy and meditation, are gaining acceptance among doctors and patients alike

靈氣和其他健康的輔助療法,像是藝術療法、芳香療法和冥想，在醫生與病人間逐漸獲得接受。

BY KAREN A. JAMROG    (2015.8)     取自 nhmagazine.com

 In the 21st century, we are fortunate to have technological innovations and medicines that can save lives and ease pain. But these days, an increasing number of doctors and patients are recognizing that supplementing the modern with more organic approaches can make the latest medical advances work even better.

在21世紀，我們很幸運能有革新的技術和藥物來拯救生命與緩和痛苦。如今，越來越多的醫生與病人瞭解到用更多健康的方法來使現代人的醫療發展更加順利。

Reiki (pronounced “ray-kee”) and other complementary approaches to wellness, such as art therapy, aromatherapy and meditation, might at first glance seem like strange bedfellows for modern medicine’s gadgets. But not only are integrative therapies now more accepted by doctors and patients, they have become sought-after treatments. Indeed, sometimes the morning list of patients who are waiting for Reiki grows so long, “we can’t get to everyone that day,” says Pauline MacKay, a therapeutic arts and activities assistant and facilitator of Reiki volunteers at Concord Hospital. “So many people want it.”

靈氣和其他健康的輔助療法,像是藝術療法、芳香療法和冥想，乍看之下像是現代醫學的伙伴。但這些療法不僅被醫生與病人廣為接受，還變的更加熱門。事實上，每天早上來等待做靈氣的人越來越多。”

我們無法為每個人做靈氣”一位在康科特醫院的藝術療法助手和靈氣志工調解人寶蓮．麥凱說，“實在是太多人了”。 

Reiki originated in Japan and is based on the idea that energy exists in everything and affects our body’s functioning. “Universal life energy is all around us,” MacKay says. “Everything has it. The ground, a light bulb, a stick — all have energy.” By placing their hands in positions that correlate to Reiki’s identified body energy centers or “chakras,” Reiki practitioners serve as conduits of sorts that channel universal energy to enhance and balance energy in the recipient’s body.

靈氣發源於日本，以能量存在於一切事物且影響著我們身體的機能為概念。“宇宙能量就在我們身旁”麥凱說”每樣事物都有”，不管是地面上、燈泡、一根棒子—都有能量。藉由他們的手放到定位並連結靈氣的身體能量中心或”脈輪”。靈氣從業者擔任類似宇宙能量的管道來提高並平衡接受者的身體能量

 Reiki, which is offered free of charge at many hospitals, can be performed hands-off or hands-on; patients who do not want to be touched or whose condition precludes touching experience Reiki through a practitioner whose hands hover but never make contact with the patient’s body. Reiki recipients remain clothed — in fact, in hospitals, Reiki is often performed over the patient’s bed blanket — and even when Reiki does involve contact, the practitioner’s touch is extremely light. “Sometimes the patients don’t even feel our hands on them, but they do feel the heat from our hands,” says Sylvie St-Jean, a Reiki practitioner at Portsmouth Regional Hospital.

許多醫院提供免費的靈氣服務，並可用接觸與不接觸兩種方式來施行。不想被碰到身體的病人可選擇以手懸空不接觸到病人身體的方式來接收靈氣。靈氣接收者仍穿著衣服，事實上在醫院裡，有許多是以病人蓋著被單的方式來做靈氣。即便做靈氣時有碰到身體，其碰觸是相當清柔的。”有時候病人根本感覺不到有被觸碰，但他們能感覺到從手發出的熱度” 一名在朴茨茅斯地區醫院工作的靈氣從業者 西爾維．聖讓 如此說道。

"A relaxed environment helps relax the mind, and a relaxed person heals much more quickly than a person who’s stressed out."

"一個放鬆的環境有助於放鬆心情，而一個放鬆的人療癒效果比緊繃的人更加快速"

Although a full, traditional Reiki session might last 60 to 90 minutes, hospital sessions typically last only 20 minutes or so, and focus on areas such as the head, shoulders, feet and knees while bypassing most of the torso. But even Reiki that is limited in this fashion will be beneficial because “Reiki goes where it needs to go,” says St-Jean, meaning that the energy automatically flows to the body area most in need of it.

儘管一個完整的靈氣療程需時60到90分鐘，在醫院裡一般只做20分鐘，且針對人的頭、肩膀、腳或膝蓋等局部而不是整個身體。就算靈氣被以這樣的方式限制住了，還是會對人體有助益。"靈氣會自己跑到需要它的地方" 聖讓 如此說道，意即靈氣能量會自動流向人體需要療癒的地方。

 Whether or not you buy into the energy-based theory behind Reiki, there’s no denying that the practice brings comfort to many people. It helps them relax, and that can be a true gift to patients who are terrified of the cancer diagnosis they have received, or are so anxious about their upcoming heart surgery that they haven’t slept for days. And that’s really what hospital-based Reiki is all about, says Ana Drexler, RN, director of Integrative Care at Portsmouth Regional Hospital. “The Reiki we provide in the hospital is primarily for relaxation and stress reduction,” which has been proven to lessen pain and improve healing by boosting the immune system while also lowering blood pressure, heart rate and stress hormones, says Drexler.

無論你相不相信靈氣背後的能量基礎理論，不可否認的是靈氣的實施為人們帶來慰藉。它幫助他們放鬆，對於那些被診斷出癌症而恐懼或是因為要進行心臟手術而緊張到好幾天睡不著覺的人是一個真實的禮物。"而那就是醫院結合靈氣的目的"，安娜．德雷克斯勒，綜合護理朴茨茅斯地區醫院主任說道，"醫院提供的靈氣主要是用來放鬆與減壓"，且已被證明可緩和疼痛並增強免疫系統，同時降低血壓、心率與壓力賀爾蒙"，德雷克斯勒說。

 To that end, most Reiki practitioners in hospitals — often a mix of volunteers and staff members — try to create an atmosphere conducive to relaxation by dimming lights in the patient’s room and playing soft music. “A relaxed environment helps relax the mind, and a relaxed person heals much more quickly than a person who’s stressed out,” MacKay says.

到了最後，許多醫院裡的靈氣從業者，通常會混和一些志工和職員，藉由在病人房間打上朦朧的燈光並播放柔和的音樂來嘗試創造出一個放鬆的氛圍。"一個放鬆的環境有助於放鬆心情，而一個放鬆的人療癒效果比緊繃的人更加快速" 麥凱說。

 Reiki can be used on anyone, regardless of the person’s age or medical condition, and it carries no risk. At Portsmouth Regional Hospital, Reiki was first offered to pre-operative patients, “but it’s now all over the hospital,” Drexler says, from behavioral health to maternity, oncology, the emergency room and the ICU. “Our practitioners will work with anybody,” she says, even positioning themselves alongside equipment in the mammography department so that they can administer Reiki to women who are undergoing a biopsy. Reiki can be performed on patients who aren’t even awake, and can also benefit visitors of patients, who, knowingly or not, affect the patient’s emotional state, Drexler says.

靈氣可用在任何人身上，無論人的年齡或醫療狀況，且毫無風險。在朴茨茅斯地區醫院，靈氣首次用在要進行手術的病人，”但現在整個醫院都在用靈氣了”，德雷克斯勒說，從婦產科、腫瘤科、急診室到加護病房。”我們的從業者會在任何人身上做靈氣”她說，即使他們站在胸部X光的機器旁做檢查，他們都可施行靈氣。靈氣也能在病人未清醒時使用，有助於在探病者來訪時，穩定病人的情緒，德雷克斯勒說。

Although more patients today are open to the idea of Reiki than in the past, skeptics are well-represented among the patient population. In some cases, the stress of constant anxiety or pain leads them to set aside their doubts, however, and give Reiki a try, MacKay says. “It happens all the time. They do it because their nurse or doctor suggested it. We come in and explain it and they’ll say [unenthusiastically], ‘Yeah, alright. I’ll try it.’ They’re almost resigned. Then after the session, I’ve had people say, ‘Thank you so much. This has been so helpful. I had such doubts and I don’t know why it works, but it works.’” More often than not, MacKay says, they want it again the next day.

儘管相較於過去，人們對於靈氣的接受度有提高，但在病人之中還是有部分人對於靈氣抱有懷疑的態度。在某些情況下，持續性的焦慮與疼痛所帶來的壓力使他們將懷疑放到一旁，願意嘗試一下靈氣。麥凱說”這每天都在發生”，他們因為醫生或護士的建議而嘗試。當我們解釋完然後他們會冷淡的說”好吧，我就試一下”，他們幾乎投降了。在療程結束後他們會說”感謝您，這非常的有幫助，我對它是否會生效感到懷疑，但他真的很有用”，屢見不鮮，麥凱說，然後他們隔天又會想要再做一次靈氣。

 In fact, a bit of a Reiki revolution seems to be taking place. “People used to be sort of scared of it. They didn’t know what it was,” Drexler says. “But complementary care and energy healing is becoming really mainstream, and I think now people are expecting some of these services when they go to the hospital.”

 事實上，靈氣的些許改革看似正在展開，”人們還是會對不瞭解的東西感到害怕”德雷克斯勒說，”但這些輔助的能量療法已逐漸成為主流”，我認為人們會期待在醫院裡得到這些服務。

 Patients’ increasing openness to Reiki appears to be part of a huge surge of interest in all things natural and complementary, from healing crystals to mindfulness and yoga. “Our Reiki practitioners often go to local health fairs and they’re never not busy,” Drexler says. “There’s always a line for the Reiki.”

靈氣對病人的日益開放似乎是自然輔助療法巨大浪潮下的一部份。從療癒水晶到正念與瑜珈，” 我們的靈氣從業人員經常去當地的健康博覽會，他們總是很忙””德雷克斯勒說”總是會有一排人等著做靈氣”。

Bringing Comfort to Newborns

為新生兒帶來舒適

As Reiki and other complementary therapies gain acceptance at hospitals throughout the country, their use is expanding across a greater variety of situations. Sadly, one of those applications now includes babies born to mothers who used drugs while pregnant — an increasing occurrence. Soon after birth, the babies go into withdrawal and are “inconsolable,” says Alice Kinsler, manager of therapeutic arts and activities at Concord Hospital. “They have a poor appetite, won’t sleep and are constantly crying. They’re just really struggling,” Kinsler says.

當靈氣與其他輔助性的療法在全國各地的醫院獲得接受，其用途擴展到其他不同的情況上。可惜的是，許多媽媽在常常在懷孕期間使用藥物，導致這些嬰兒在出生後出現戒斷症狀且”非常沮喪”，愛麗絲．金斯勒，協和醫院治療領域和活動的經理說。””他們食慾不振、失眠、一直哭，他們真的很掙扎”金斯勒說。

 In an effort to lessen the newborns’ discomfort, some hospitals apply Reiki to the babies. Reiki offers an alternative to administering morphine as way to ease withdrawal symptoms and can have dramatic effects, says Kinsler, even calming days-old babies who have been crying nonstop and enabling them to fall asleep at last.

為了要減緩新生兒的不適，一些醫院將靈氣應用在嬰兒身上。靈氣提供一個使用嗎啡來緩和戒斷症狀之外的一個有效替代方案。金斯勒說，甚至用來安撫哭不停的一天大的嬰兒也可讓他們在最後安然入睡。

 “If you’re tense and worried and your muscles are tight, everything bad, including pain, is amplified,” Kinsler says. By bringing a sense of tranquility, she says, Reiki triggers a release of feel-good hormones, reduces heart rate and blood pressure, lessens perceived pain and aids the healing process.

“如果你感到緊張與憂慮，而使肌肉緊繃，所有不好的東西，包括疼痛都會被放大”金斯勒說。藉由靈氣帶來的寧靜感受，可觸發自我感覺良好的荷爾蒙的釋放，降低心率與血壓，減少疼痛感並幫助癒合的過程。

This article appears in the August 2015 issue of New Hampshire Magazine

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