Reiki’s Effectiveness: More Anecdotal Evidence

stone-black-and-whiteAs promised a few weeks ago, I am sharing some more stories that demonstrate the effectiveness and application of Reiki. I hope you find these stories helpful in understanding how Reiki works and its practical application as a complementary practice in your health care toolkit. (In the stories below, the clients’ names have been changed to maintain anonymity.)

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Lisa, a 55-year-old woman who had recently completed radiation and chemotherapy treatment for cancer, came to my office for a Reiki session seeking more energy in her day-to-day life. When I asked her at the beginning of the session what more energy would look like for her, she said that it would be reading a book in her comfy chair in the living room after dinner and not falling asleep right away. So we set our minds on this image and I offered Reiki to her through a regular one-hour session.

The following week, Lisa returned for another Reiki session. She said she had more physical energy after receiving Reiki, was able to read in the evening without falling asleep right away, and was even able to work in the garden for more than an hour at a time.  She went on to receive a series of four sessions and relished the increase in her physical energy and how it improved the quality of her life.

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Renee, a breast cancer patient, was experiencing peripheral neuropathy in her feet and hands as a side effect of her chemotherapy. The neuropathy in her feet was almost constant and it was impacting her sense of balance. She often felt as if she would fall when she was standing and stairs were particularly challenging for her. The unpredictability of the neuropathy also caused her anxiety about when she might be feeling off balance. This caused her to stay close to home and to keep close to walls when she was walking.

After her first Reiki session, she sat up from the massage table and smiled, saying, “The tingling is gone!” She was so pleased with the return to normal sensation in her hands and feet! Over the next several months, Renee received weekly one-hour Reiki sessions. She found that the frequency of the bouts of neuropathy decreased and her balance improved. In addition, she was looking forward to practicing Tai Chi again as she felt more balanced and strong.  Renee credited the Reiki with helping to complete her recovery from chemotherapy.

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The anectodal evidence presented here, and elsewhere in this blog, will hopefully help you to understand how Reiki can be used to help your body heal.

I’d love to hear your stories about receiving or offering Reiki.  Please share them in the comments below.

How effective is Reiki?

Reiki sessionPeople come to Reiki sessions for a variety of reasons. Some people come with a strong belief in the practice and no doubt in their minds. However, others arrive wondering why they’re there and how effective Reiki will be for their particular ailment. For those who are doubting the practice, I say to them that people find Reiki very relaxing. When the body is relaxed it heals faster. When the mind is relaxed, it thinks more clearly and creatively. When the spirit is relaxed, it makes stronger connections to others.

If you’re looking for quantifiable evidence about the efficacy of Reiki, I don’t have that information. However, I do have years of experience in practicing this hands-on healing modality on myself and others. From my experience as both a recipient and a practitioner, I know Reiki works. To demonstrate this, I’ll share some anecdotal evidence through the stories below. (All names have been changed to maintain anonymity.)

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Carole, a breast cancer patient, arrived for a Reiki session with a cold. She had never had Reiki before and was quite distressed because she thought the severity of her cold was great enough that her mastectomy may have to be rescheduled. She indicated that her family thought she was crazy to try Reiki and she was quite doubtful too. I told her that it was fine to be doubtful and that the state of relaxation that would be brought about by the Reiki is very healing. She settled into the session and left the office feeling relaxed.  A few weeks later Carole contacted me for another session. When she arrived at my office she reported that the surgery had gone well and according to schedule. She said, “You cured my cold!”* and went on to report that her medical team was in awe with the minimal amount of pain medication that she needed post-surgery. She also went home one day earlier than had been scheduled and had found out that no additional chemotherapy was needed at this time. Carole credited all these positive outcomes to Reiki.

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Norma, a working mom, had heard about Reiki from a friend. She was seeking relief for a variety of symptoms including anxiety and fibromyalgia that caused acute pain in her hands and jaw. She regularly saw her doctor who helped to manage her symptoms and she was seeking to avoid surgery for a side effect from the fibromyalgia. In addition to conventional medicine, Norma also went for massage therapy and acupuncture. She saw Reiki as complementary with all the other things she was using to manage her health.  When I asked her what she wanted most from the session, she indicated that she wanted to be calm and peaceful. She was distressed by the amount of anxiety she experienced at work and how impatient she was with her husband and daughter. After the session, Norma reported feeling very relaxed. Two weeks later she came back for another session and said that the relaxation from the Reiki lasted for a full week. Over the next few months, Norma came for a one-hour Reiki session every other week. She said that the Reiki kept her steady and calm and her doctor’s most recent recommendation was that surgery was not required at this time.

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Over the next few weeks, I’ll share more anecdotes from my Reiki practice. I hope that you find them helpful in understanding the effectiveness and application of Reiki.

 

 

* Please note: I don’t cure colds, but the Reiki provided a pathway for Carole’s body to heal her cold.