Real-Life Reiki - Part 2: Reiki In Action
Last week I shared many of my Reiki practices I use every day, so in this post I'll give examples of how I have actually used Reiki to help people in all stages of life from birth to death.
I started with self-practice after my first Reiki training, then began practicing occasionally on family and friends when the opportunity arose, or even with strangers in random situations, as in some of the stories below.
As I became more serious about my Reiki Path in life, I started to barter for my Reiki services, and then to charge. It was a small amount, rather embarrassing now, but I have also been diligently studying best business practices over the last several years, along with studying and practicing Reiki further. I gradually increased my rate, based on my increased experience and training, specific offerings and what I can help my students and clients to achieve, and the fact that I am deeply dedicated to this Path, profession and practice as my primary way of life.
I also offered to volunteer with several organizations around the time I became more serious as a professional provider, being just so excited to share Reiki with the world, and especially to support professional caregivers, and not only their clients and patients. I have started a nonprofit project so I could bring Reiki and other wellness practices to populations who would otherwise not be able to access these programs, and to hire other Reiki and wellness providers in the community to share their skills and caring.
I'll share more of my personal journey along my ever-unfolding Reiki Path in life in another post, but for now I'd like to tell some of my favorite stories of Reiki in action.
Confidentiality is a crucial part of Reiki ethics as well as many of the organizations I work with, and my own business guidelines, so I have had to limit or slightly adjust some of the details in these stories, but they are all completely based in fact and my actual experience.
Imagine entering the world as a newborn baby and being cradled in hands that are radiating loving healing energy that welcomes you into this incarnation with peace, joy and deep gratitude for the miracle of life. Imagine being a new mom, exhausted from endless hours of labor and the greatest pain you've ever endured, then holding your newly arrived infant contentedly in your arms while you feel a gentle, powerful radiance from helping, healing hands on your head and shoulders, sending peace streaming through your body, releasing physical, mental and emotional fatigue and helping you to feel confident and worthy of this great, tiny miracle that has just emerged from your body. Imagine being a dad with several children already, holding this soft, fragile being and feeling like it's completely new all over again, the joy, the insecurity, the concern, the hope, and also feeling someone literally has your back, with hands that ease tension and allow you to relax and enjoy this precious, fleeting moment.
These memories still bring tears to my eyes, and I hope to be able to return to the birthing center someday when it's safe to do so, because I know how powerful an hour or even a few minutes of Reiki can be when people have just gone through one of the most beautiful and terrifying experiences of their lives, and are just beginning this profound adventure with a new child. Those moments of peace are usually unexpected yet so deeply appreciated. What an incredible introduction to the remarkable healing art of Reiki.
These stories include more than one hospital and I won't name them, just for further anonymity, but here are a couple other stories of the power of Reiki.
I was surprized by the deep power of a particular moment in one hospital where I was accompanying a friend who had surgery scheduled. We were in her private room before the operation and there was a lull between the medical staff coming in and briefing her about what to expect. We had shared Reiki previously, so I offered to help her pass the time and relax while waiting and she agreed. Her husband took her hand, and while he would not identify himself as an energy healer, I could sense the power of their connection and how it contributed to the healing energy. When I was sitting at her feet, just finishing the session, the surgeon appeared at the open door - but did not enter. He was walking briskly but stopped cold as though he had hit a wall when he suddenly sensed the energy of the room. It was astounding. He paused, seemed to recognize what we were doing and felt the powerful energy, and he actually asked if it was okay to come in. I felt so honored and humbled. It was his hospital, his patient! And I wasn't even there as a Reiki practitioner of that hospital, but just as a friend. I would have welcomed him in, of course, in any case, but it just happened to be the absolute perfect timing, just at the end of the session. The surgery went well and my friend has since recovered completely, with further help from Reiki during her recovery.
Sometimes people aren't quite so aware of the subtle energy of Reiki, and may think they're not feeling it all, when healing is actually happening, or perhaps it's just hard to believe. One gentleman in the hospital where I regularly offer Reiki was understandably grumpy due to a painful injury as well as troubling life circumstances. He doubted the validity of Reiki but finally agreed to give it a try when I told him it can't hurt, he didn't have to do anything and he could even leave the tv on and ignore me for a few minutes. I said we can give it a try and then you can decide. About ten minutes later I'd been feeling the energy flowing strongly around the injured area and he was still watching tv, but had visibly relaxed. Not having to talk, or do anything, is one of the gifts of Reiki. I'm quite comfortable sitting in silence and just offering the energy, so I sensed that he appreciated not having to answer to me or really even understand exactly what was going on, and I wasn't going to pester him. The nurse came in then and approvingly acknowledged what we were doing, and when the patient started to claim he didn't know if anything was happening the nurse exclaimed, "That's the first time I've ever seen you smile!" He did admit that he felt better and appreciated the visit.
I have helped many people with post-operative pain and recovery, including from major abdominal surgery and knee surgery as well as stroke, psychotic episodes, amputation, broken bones. There is no limit to the ways Reiki can help, though we never guarantee a cure or any specific results. I love that it continues to surprize me!
I've also used Reiki in public, rather surreptitiously even. The evening after the last presidential election, I was in training at a program center for domestic and sexual violence, preparing to volunteer there as an advocate and Reiki provider, and the people in the training with me were quite shaken and deeply concerned. We continued with the training anyway, knowing that our work would be even more important than ever under an administration led by someone who publicly declares his abuse of women. During the whole class I sat with my hands open in my lap, nestled together, as I often do when I want to open to Reiki energy without making it obvious, and I just opened to the flow of healing and calming energy. I felt its effects on myself throughout the evening, and when we concluded the session, the woman next to me turned to me and told me she felt so much better. I hadn't said anything about what I was doing, but she knew I practiced Reiki, and she understood what was happening enough to mention it to me. I was grateful to be able to support her in that tough moment, just by opening to Reiki myself and letting it radiate around me.
Working with hospice patients is one of the greatest opportunities to practice Reiki because it so deeply instills the understanding that we're not here to cure anyone, just to support their greatest wellbeing in any moment, even if they're diagnosed with a terminal illness or actively dying. I have experienced some of the most profound moments of peace, joy and Divine presence while offering Reiki to someone who wasn't even able to communicate with me, but clearly seemed to relax and enjoy our sessions. I was with her the day of the evening she passed, and her family later assured me that my work with her was a help and a comfort to her as well as to them.
These are just a few examples of the amazing power of Reiki I've experienced while helping people around me. You can hear more on the recording of yesterday's Reiki Roundtable, in the 21-Day Reiki Revival Facebook Group. In that recording I share about a tragic accident scene I witnessed, being with our beloved dog as he passed, and even calming down bees! What are your amazing experiences with Reiki?
