Need Help with Your Anxiety? Gain Access to tools for Anxiety Relief
- Elevated Vibrations
- Jul 21
- 4 min read
By Jess Smith, Reiki Master, Chief Energy Alchemist/Owner at Elevated Vibrations Collective LLC
July 21, 2025
In our fast-paced world, anxiety and panic attacks can feel like unwelcome companions, often appearing when we least expect them. As someone who has personally experienced anxiety for many years, I have found that incorporating mindfulness techniques and living a Reiki lifestyle have greatly helped me manage these episodes. By practicing these methods regularly, I have gained access to tools that allow me to quickly alleviate anxious feelings and significantly reduce my anxiety over time.
"By fostering a secure environment within ourselves, we can more easily access a state of calm and resilience."

The book Anchored by Deb Dana offers valuable insights into how understanding and regulating our nervous system can enhance the effectiveness of mindfulness practices. Dana emphasizes the importance of cultivating a sense of safety and connection, which aligns with the principles of mindfulness and techniques like Joshin Kokyu Ho and self-Reiki. By fostering a secure environment within ourselves, we can more easily access a state of calm and resilience.
The Importance of Regular Practice
When anxiety strikes, our ability to recall and implement learned techniques can be compromised if we haven't practiced them regularly. Just like any skill, whether it's playing a musical instrument or speaking a new language, mindfulness requires consistent practice to become ingrained in our daily lives. Regular practice helps transform these techniques into reliable tools that we can access with ease during anxious episodes.
Dana explains that our nervous system is constantly scanning for cues of safety or danger, impacting our emotional and mental states (Dana, 2021). Mindfulness practices, such as those described in this article, help signal safety to our nervous system, promoting a shift from a state of anxiety to calmness. This insight reinforces the need for regular mindfulness practice, which conditions our bodies to recognize and respond to these cues more effectively.
Joshin Kokyu Ho ... can be particularly beneficial for calming anxiety."

Joshin Kokyu Ho: A Tool for Tranquility
Joshin Kokyu Ho is a breathing technique that is part of living a Reiki lifestyle. This practice can be particularly beneficial for calming anxiety. The technique involves deep, mindful breathing, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system, shifting our bodies into a state of "rest and digest."
This state counteracts the "fight or flight" response that often accompanies anxiety, helping to reduce and even prevent anxious episodes. Having practiced this technique extensively, I can now activate it almost instinctively during anxious moments.
Anchored also explores the polyvagal theory, which highlights the role of the vagus nerve in regulating our nervous system. Techniques like Joshin Kokyu Ho activate the parasympathetic nervous system, specifically through the vagus nerve, facilitating a state of “rest and digest” (Dana, 2021). This physiological basis supports the claim that mindfulness practices can counteract the “fight or flight” response, reducing anxiety and fostering emotional regulation.
"Engaging in self-Reiki not only calms the nervous system but also provides a tactile focus by placing your hands on your body."

Expanding the Reiki Lifestyle: Daily Self-Reiki Practice
Practicing daily self-Reiki is another integral aspect of living a Reiki lifestyle. Whether you have been attuned to Reiki or not, self-Reiki can be incorporated into your routine. If you have received attunements, you can connect to Reiki energy from the source.
Alternatively, if you have not received attunements, you can connect to the Reiki energy within you, as all living beings contain Reiki, the universal life force energy. Setting the intention to connect to Reiki allows you to tap into this calming force.
With regular practice, your brain can easily access this comforting sensation during times of need, and you may instinctively place your hands over your heart without conscious thought at the unset of anxiety.
Engaging in self-Reiki not only calms the nervous system but also provides a tactile focus by placing your hands on your body. This simple action acts as a grounding technique, drawing your attention away from anxious thoughts and into your body. Anxiety often resides in your mind, so bringing focus to your physical being helps shift awareness from mental turmoil to bodily presence.
Dana suggests that connection to others and ourselves is vital for maintaining a balanced nervous system (Dana, 2021). Engaging in self-Reiki, as described, not only calms the nervous system through tactile grounding but also fosters a sense of self-connection. This internal connection, as proposed by Dana, serves as a foundation for resilience, allowing us to navigate anxiety with greater ease.
Benefits Beyond Anxiety
The benefits of practicing mindfulness techniques like Joshin Kokyu Ho and self- Reiki extend beyond managing anxiety. They also promote overall well-being by enhancing our ability to focus, improving mood, and fostering a sense of inner peace. Moreover, engaging in these practices can lead to long-term changes in the brain that support emotional regulation and resilience (Davidson & McEwen, 2012).
Making Mindfulness a Habit
To make mindfulness a habit, consider setting aside a specific time each day for practice. Whether it’s first thing in the morning, during a lunch break, or before bed, consistency is key. Over time, these practices will become a natural part of your daily routine, and you’ll find yourself reaching for them instinctively when anxiety arises.
Conclusion
Mindfulness techniques, when practiced regularly, provide a powerful toolkit for managing anxiety and panic attacks. By incorporating practices like Joshin Kokyu Ho and self-Reiki into our daily lives, we can cultivate a state of calm and resilience, ready to face whatever challenges come our way.
Remember, the journey to mindfulness is a personal one, and each step you take brings you closer to a more peaceful and grounded existence. Having personally experienced the transformative power of these techniques, I can attest that they have significantly reduced my anxiety and provided a sanctuary in times of distress.
Works Cited
Davidson, R. J., & McEwen, B. S. (2012). Social influences on neuroplasticity: Stress and interventions to promote well-being. Nature Neuroscience, 15(5), 689-695.
Dana, D. (2021). Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory.
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