Health
It's soothing, but it doesn't work miracles.
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“Reiki is administered by laying on hands, and is based on the idea that an unseen life force energy flows through us,” practitioner Jasmine Irons Anokute tells Bustle. There’s some evidence that doing reiki can be helpful, but its benefits are likely because of psychology, not energy.
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Small studies have suggested that reiki might help manage anxiety when combined with traditional counseling. But there’s not enough evidence to suggest it could be helpful for everyone — and if being touched makes you anxious, it definitely won’t help.