As a parent, one of our jobs is to help our children identify, understand, navigate, and manage their emotions. This is an ongoing journey of self-mastery that never ends, even in adulthood. All behavior and corresponding emotions occur for a reason. Reiki provides a holistic way for kids to find balance and understand emotions on an energetic level. 

One form of communication that everyone has experienced is temper tantrums. For young children ages 1 to 4, tantrums are the way they let out strong emotions, such as anger and frustration that they don’t know how to express. According to Dr. Michael Potegal, Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota, about “85 percent of 2- and 3-year-olds have tantrums.” In adolescence, moodiness and meltdowns occur due to the biology of the brain. The prefrontal cortex, which influences attention and impulse inhibition, isn’t fully developed until adulthood. Regardless of the scientific reasoning behind temper tantrums, these emotional times should be viewed as an opportunity for personal growth and not merely as a disruption to daily life.

On a scale of 1 being “mild” to 5 being “pushing you to insanity,” one day, my 3-year-old daughter was experiencing a “Level 4” tantrum. Instead of defaulting to my usual tactics to calm her, I carried her into the bedroom and laid her on the bed. Then, I sat in front of her and channeled a quick burst of reiki to her. After placing my hand on her heart chakra, she calmed down in less than a minute. Conversely, as the parent, I have found that when I approach a tantrum from a reiki state of calmness and centeredness, I handle temper tantrums better and with less stress. Often my peaceful, reiki-filled demeanor extinguishes flaring emotions quicker and without disrupting my inner state of balance.

From toddlers to teens, reiki can also help children learn to manage their own energy, which can be accomplished when children receive reiki sessions – and more powerfully when they learn how to perform reiki on themselves. While all children can benefit from reiki, some children are highly intuitive and more connected to the energetic world. As a reiki master for more than 20 years, Barbara McKell has taught reiki to numerous children. She explains that “managing their personal energy has been a challenge for awake and aware children since they arrived into a world that is dense, full of deceit, and hate. It can be very confusing to a sensitive person.” 

When teaching children reiki, they become the teacher, expanding our knowledge about this healing modality. Barbara explains the process, “I have received reiki from children and I have offered reiki to many children. I do whatever is comfortable for the child. I let them lead and refrain from imposing any preconceived ideas about how a session should go.”

As Maureen Healy, reiki master and author of “The Emotionally Healthy Child” states, 

Reiki empowers children to manage their emotions, heal their own pains, help others, and support their natural propensity for working with and understanding universal energy.

Reiki offers benefits for children of all ages, allowing them to learn to self-regulate their energy and their emotions, empowering them to find balance in a turbulent world. While it’s fair to say temper tantrums and teen angst won’t end anytime soon, reiki provides an outlet for emotions that can sometimes feel too big to manage.