Spa Executive_MARCH-2021-V3

TECHNOLOGY
NATURE HEALS
SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE
SUPPORTING THE USE OF
3 TOUCHLESS THERAPIES
More spas are offering touchless therapies to accommodate needs for physical
distancing. Here’s scientific evidence to support their use.
As we continue to navigate the COVID-19
pandemic, the spa, wellness and hospitality world
has been adopting touchless guest experiences.
Many people want to travel, enjoy self-care, and
take part in wellness without the traditional hightouch
element. Companies are rising to meet this
demand with contactless options for guests.
Among these are spa treatments and therapies,
and other wellness experiences that allow people
to keep their distance from others while enhancing
health and wellbeing.
These include reiki, vibrational sound healing,
and forest bathing, aka shinrin yoku. Guests
may be less familiar with these modalities than
more traditional touch therapies, like massage
and hands-on body work, but that doesn’t mean
they don’t work. Here is a roundup of scientific
evidence demonstrating the potential benefits of
three touchless therapies: reiki, sound healing, and
shinrin yoku.
1. REIKI
A form of energy healing that originated in Japan,
reiki is one of the best known touchless therapies.
It does not involve touch and is said to work
through the transfer of universal energy when the
practitioner holds their palms over the recipient.
The word comes from the Japanese
words “rei” (universal) and “ki” (life
energy) and stems from a phrase
meaning “mysterious atmosphere,
miraculous sign.” The belief is that
stagnant energy is associated with
physical illness and emotional pain
and reiki improves the energy flow,
improving relaxation, reducing pain,
speeding healing, and more.
Reiki has many advocates and
is increasing in popularity. Reiki
techniques include centering,
clearing, and extracting harmful
energies.
Scientific evidence
A review of available clinical studies
found “reasonably strong” evidence
that Reiki is more effective than
placebo.” The authors wrote, “Reiki
is a safe and gentle ‘complementary’
therapy that activates the
parasympathetic nervous system to
heal body and mind. It has potential
for broader use in management
of chronic health conditions, and
possibly in postoperative recovery.”
In a 2011 study, subjects who
received Reiki demonstrated greater
health and mood benefits than those
who did not. Separate research found
that participants with high anxiety
and/or depression who received six,
blind 30-minute sessions over a two
to eight weeks showed progressive
improvement in overall mood, while
no change was seen in the controls.
Another study found that reiki acutely
improved physical and psychological
symptoms associated with many
health conditions, including pain,
depression, anxiety, tiredness,
drowsiness, nausea, shortness of
breath, appetite, and overall wellbeing.
The authors wrote: “Reiki can
provide immediate relief for many
health conditions and is used for
this purpose inside and outside of the
hospital setting.”
2. SOUND HEALING
Sound healing is a practice that uses
voice or sacred instruments like gongs,
Tibetan singing bowls, and tuning forks
to create vibrational sounds believed
to alter brain waves, release energetic
blockages, and induce states of ease
and harmony. Advocates believe it
can relieve ailments like anxiety and
insomnia, synchronize brain waves,
and restore vibratory frequencies of
cells.
Gong Master Martha Collard of Red
Doors Studio told Destination Deluxe
that sound can shift frequencies “from
low energy of guilt and fear to higher
vibrations of love and joy.” Malbert Lee,
a Hong Kong-based Crystal Bowl and
Gong Master, explained, “The adult
body is 75% water, and water is a great
conductor for sound vibration.”
Scientific evidence
A 2017 study found that subjects who
participated in Tibetan singing bowl
meditation reported significantly lower
tension, anger, fatigue, and depressed
mood. Interestingly, “participants who
were previously naïve to this type of
meditation experienced a significantly
greater reduction in tension compared
with participants experienced in this
meditation.” Feelings of spiritual wellbeing
also significantly increased.
Another 2017 study found that the use
of low-frequency sound stimulation
resulted in a statistically and clinically
relevant improvement in Fibromyalgia
symptoms and that subjects showed
no adverse effects. Study author Lee
Bartel told the Globe and Mail that
the most appealing aspects of sound
therapy are that it’s low cost, can be
administered almost anywhere, and
doesn’t have the failure rates or side
effects of medications.
“It is something that people can
do easily,” he said. “In the future, if
we continue to see positive results,
the medical community may start
prescribing it.”
3. FOREST BATHING
(SHINRIN YOKU)
Like reiki, forest bathing originated
in Japan. It is the simple practice of
mindfully immersing oneself in nature.
“shinrin” means forest and “yoku”
means bath. It’s described as simply
being in nature and connecting with
nature through sight, hearing, taste,
smell and touch.
Scientific evidence
A review of 28 papers found that
forest bathing activities might
improve cardiovascular function and
blood pressure and have a positive
impact on metabolism, immunity and
inflammation. The research noted
significant enhancement of emotional
state and alleviation of anxiety and
depression, and concluded that forest
bathing may significantly improve
physical and psychological health.
Separate research found that middleaged
Tokyo office workers who walked
in a forest setting were significantly
less anxious, slept better, and slept
longer than when they walked in a nonforest
setting. Interestingly, afternoon
walks were more beneficial than
morning walks.
Finally, a study of 20,000 people found
that those who spent two hours a week
in green spaces were substantially
more likely to report good health and
psychological well-being than those
who did not. Two hours was the key.
The study found there were no benefits
for people who didn’t meet that
threshold.
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