New healing method available in Sussex

Newton - This fall, Sussex County Total Health Center introduced a new option for their patients - Reiki. Dawn Somers had been a patient of John Ford’s for more than 10 years when she went to work for the center last summer as vice president of marketing. Somers overheard two physical therapists discussing a patient who had suffered a stroke which left one arm immobile. The patient was not progressing. Somers suggested to the therapists that Reiki might help. When Ford heard her say this, he agreed, surprised to hear Somers was a Reiki master. With Reiki added to the physical therapy, the patient quickly progressed, and has a wide range of motion in that arm. Since then, patients can seek a relaxing session of Reiki with Dawn Somers in Total Health’s second office on Trinity Street. Reiki is directed by a higher consciousness for the highest good, and is a Japanese technique that reduces stress and promotes healing. Literally translated, Rei means “God’s Wisdom or the Higher Power” and Ki means “life force energy.” For Somers’ clients, it means a way to aid their body in the healing process along with medical options. For Somers, it helped her with her fibromyalwgia, an auto immune disease. “At one point, I couldn’t even get up a flight of stairs. After Reiki, the difference was amazing.” Somers cautions, “It doesn’t cure cancer or heal infections, it allows our body to operate in its highest level so we can heal.” Reiki opens the body’s chakras to promote evenly flowing life energy for good health. Reiki shares its principles with chiropractic, looking at health from a holistic approach. It was developed by Dr. Mikao Usui, a Japanese born in 1865. Highly educated, he held a variety of jobs from public servant to reporter to missionary. His studies brought him to Mount Kurama, as a Buddhist monk, where he got the inspiration for his healing method. “Since then, Reiki has been passed on, person to person and you can follow the lineage of each Reiki healer back to Master Usui,” said Somers. The Reiki session itself begins with relaxing music in the background as the patient climbs up onto Somers’ table, lying on his or her back, shoes off. After some deep breathing to ground herself, Somers begins at the head, the crown chakra and works her way down to the feet, the root chakra. Her chanting-like breathing and hand gestures pass over the patient, as she moves from one chakra area to the next, working her hands at the chakra points to release the stress and open them. The patient falls such a relaxed state that many fall asleep. When she is finished with that side, she has the patient turn over so she may work of the back side of the chakras. The session is finished with a glass of water, slowly getting up from the table, and a little discussion of how the patient is feeling after the Reiki. Somers is a Reiki Master, but emphasizes that anyone can learn Reiki. There are four levels of Reiki. The first is self healing; the second, is working with Reiki on other people; the third involves an increase of knowledge and energy used; final level is Master: passing skills on to students. Reiki, like acupuncture, is not covered by insurance. Sessions can be scheduled at 973-579-5152.