Reiki for autism and ADHD can offer a calming, sensory-aware approach when other methods feel overwhelming. All autistic people are as different as the spectrum is vast, but there are some common struggles that we share. Some of us find it hard to relax and become very tense, even anxious. Some of us become depressed. To make things more complicated, some of us have ADHD traits such as racing thoughts, negative thinking or difficulty sitting still. We all need services tailored to us, and approaching neurotypical providers can often leave us feeling misunderstood and more stressed than before.
How can we relax when all we want to do is keep moving? How can we switch off when our brains are constantly bubbling up worries or tasks? What about the trauma we carry around? Many of us struggled as children, coping with sensory or emotional distress. Being undiagnosed for years can have a lasting impact. Neurodivergent people are at higher risk of assault and trauma.
Research shows that trauma can be helped by meditation. But with both ADHD and autism, meditation can feel impossible. I was encouraged to try, but found that Tai Chi or Chi Gung worked better because they allowed me to move. Even though meditation helps heal trauma, being told to empty my mind didn’t help. My thoughts would race, often with negativity or upsetting memories, and staying still felt unbearable.
In my experience, Reiki feels like guided meditation. I was trained to use visual and sensory tools to help myself and others focus. Reiki gave me:
You might think chakras sound like hippy nonsense. I wasn’t convinced at first either. It has always been hard to prove they are important or that chi exists. Many autistic people are very logical thinkers, and that’s fair.
Reiki masters believe we are all made of energy, and that energy can get stuck when chakras are blocked. Reiki helps free that energy. New research is now being done to show how energy may move from the hands of healers. For example, the Rhine Research Center has studied whether healers emit more photons during practice than at rest.
When I receive Reiki, I often feel a sense of electricity or warmth flowing through me. It is very relaxing, like a good massage, but with less physical contact. I hope to share what I have learned with other autistic people and ADHDrs, to help them find peace and make life more manageable.
We could all use relaxation and support.
We could all use understanding.
Thank you for reading. Hope to see you soon.
If you’d like to try Reiki for autism and ADHD, I’d be happy to help. I offer gentle, sensory-aware sessions with the option of no touch. You can book by sending a message through my profile.
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