December 11, 2010

As the holidays approach, college students are preparing for final exams and stress levels are running high. For those students looking for an edge, the correct level of stress can have a beneficial effect on performance and efficiency.* Studies show that stress can help the mind focus, however, according to medical research, problems arise when the body’s stress response is not accompanied by an equal level of relaxation. In other words, stress can be damaging if not managed well, and for college students the damage may extend past simple physical discomfort.

According to the American College Health Association’s (ACHA) National College Health Assessment in spring 2010, students reported that stress was the number one factor affecting individual academic performance. The ACHA defined the consequences as: “received a lower grade on an exam, or an important project; received a lower grade in a course; received an incomplete or dropped the course; or experienced a significant disruption in thesis, dissertation, research, or practicum work.”

Reiki is a form of energy work that provides harmony among body, mind, and spirit, and research supports that reiki relaxes the body. For students who experience stress, reiki can supply a certain measure of relief. SPARK volunteers have provided free reiki to students at LaGuardia Community College in Queens, and responses were very positive as the students experienced a degree of relaxation almost immediately. In the Bronx, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine offers workshops that include reiki in conjunction with other stress-relieving activities such as meditation, yoga and tai chi, to help the medical students handle stress more effectively or to help them in teaching future patients how to manage stress. This month during exam time on December 13 and 14, the State University of New York at Oswego will include reiki sessions to students together with massage and stress-release counseling.

College students, like most people, are usually very aware when their bodies are experiencing stress but may be unsure about how to relax in their new surroundings. Reiki is non-invasive, and a typical session can be performed without touching and without speaking. When provided within a college environment, reiki can provide an effective tool for relaxation.

*Yerkes, R. M., & Dodson, J. D. (1908) The relation of strength of stimulus to rapidity of habit-formation. Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology, 18, 459-482.

Dave Gorczynski is president of SPARK, a non-profit organization that has provided free energy work sessions and workshops across New York City since 2002. He writes a regular column about energy work and meditation for the Compact News in New York City's Chinatown. E-mail him at dave@sparkenergy.org.