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Reiki Magazine
The Online Publication of the Reiki University

Ask The Reiki Master
by Ellen Louise Kahne, Reiki Master

Permission for Alternative Healing

Dear Reiki Master Ellen,
I am a Reiki Master who was asked by the wife of a terminally ill cancer patient to do Reiki on her husband. I found that he was very “blocked” to the Reiki spiritual healing energy. At the request of his wife, I called a physician who spent considerable time giving specific advice about alternative care for this man. Later, the husband rejected the Reiki and any advice which I had received. I am perplexed about this, since the husband said at first that the Reiki made him feel better. I don’t feel I should return to do Reiki on this man. Can you explain this?

Perplexed in Peoria

Dear Perplexed,

Confusion is the first step to clarity. Often this is how we learn from our mistakes and grow as non-traditional healers.

You expended a great deal of effort to connect with the alternative doctor in seeking to help this man (I’ll call him “Brian”), but in the end Brian rejected your efforts and those of the doctor. You need not take this rejection personally.

What you did, with the best of intentions, was to serve the needs of Brian’s wife ("Susan"), who wanted healing for her husband. Susan's agenda was not the same as Brian’s need. Brian has chosen to accept the terminal sentence as pronounced by his doctor, and Susan is determined to “save” him.

The Sacred Healing Contract
How a person chooses to use healing energy defines a sacred contract between that person and the universal life force energy field. As a Reiki Master, you are the bridge between the energy field and the recipient.

A more thoughtful way to approach Brian would have clarified his needs for you at the outset. You could have asked him to tell you his expectations, and explained how Reiki could help him. You could have asked his permission to speak to the alternative doctor on his behalf. You could have explained to Brian that Reiki has helped people heal into living or prepared and empowered them for resolved, peaceful healing into dying.

Honor The Person: True Healing Is Rooted In Empowerment
Perhaps if you hadn’t gone “over his head” without his agreement or permission, Brian might not have rejected your efforts. A person has a right not to heal or to reject any particular healing modality. To "honor the person" is the highest calling of any healer. This principle has been rooted in Reiki since the inception of this hands-on healing art in 19th century Japan.

My sense is that Brian is tired, stripped of hope through his doctor’s diagnosis, and sees no option other than dying. Under the circumstances, he has closed the door to anyone trying to exercise an agenda to bring him back. Although he felt better after his Reiki treatment, he was turned off or frightened by the agenda which seemingly accompanied your efforts.

The “blocks” which you read in Brian’s energetic field are there for him to work through (and it is very hard work at that).

The greatest favor one can do for Brian is to be present for him, to respect his wishes and to work without any agenda, not even his wife's. This means letting go of the loving energy which flows through you without even the slightest resentment or attachment to results, even if he rejects Reiki, alternative healing and/or all your efforts. When physical recovery from illness is not possible, profound healing may be engendered on many levels and energetic balance is especially significant for seriously ill and terminally ill people.

Most people will accept Reiki and/or prayers with no strings attached if they are empowered to make their own decisions. Unfortunately, there is very little empowerment coupled with serious illness. As Reiki healers, we are guardians of empowerment, which is transmitted through us energetically at all times for ourselves and for others.

Reiki is spiritual energy and although it is not a specific religious belief system, all spiritual paths can lead to it. We are always given a choice -- freedom to embrace help and healing and freedom to reject it -- although help is always nearby just for the asking. It is the asking which must be done, in order to activate spiritually guided help. Often the energy of agenda will be rejected or blocked. This can be perceived intuitively as a disruption or cessation of the energy flow.

When people are told they must die, this is what they begin to do. If they were convinced that survival were possible, this is exactly what many would aspire to do. In healing, attitude is everything.

Susan is under great stress and since she has sought your help, she may readily give permission for her personal healing using Reiki. Balancing healing energy will support her and facilitate the acceptance of her husband’s situation while she is helped to honor Brian’s decisions by letting go of agenda.

I think you were given a lesson, but only you can know how profound this lesson must be.

With peace and blessings,

Reiki Master Ellen

Reiki Healing for Addictions

Dear Reiki Master Ellen,
Can Reiki spiritual energy healing help my friend’s addictions? He has had a hard time with substance abuse. I hope he will let me work with him through Reiki to help heal some deep hurts he has.

It is a beautiful thing to be present for a friend's healing without agenda or attachment to results. In healing addictions, the addiction is only the symptom (for example, smoke pouring from an open window is not the problem; the fire within is the house's problem). The issues need deep and vast heart healing.

An addicted person has to be well-motivated on his own behalf to seek healing. It can't come from the well-meaning agenda of a family member or friend. Your love needs to be very unconditional (that is, you need to be non-judgmental).

If your friend wants help for addiction, the Reiki energy will help him to resolve what he needs to resolve so that the addictive behaviors can heal when the underlying issues have been addressed. Best of all, the Reiki energy will go exactly where it is needed because Reiki is “smart” spiritual energy which is directed by the intelligence of the universe; you don’t have to program it. The Reiki knows just where to go, whether you do laying on of hands or distant Reiki healing.

Also, please remember that Reiki is not a substitute for professional help (although it will work with professional help of all types in the most wonderful and beneficial ways). Psychologists, counselors and healing professionals in all medical and medical support fields have learned Reiki and integrated this 19th century Japanese laying on of hands healing art into their practices. There are even books about integrating Reiki into traditional allopathic and alternative medicine (a good one is Reiki Energy Medicine by Libby Barnett and Maggie Chambers).

One of my Reiki colleagues had three addicted children when she began her studies. After a couple years of doing Reiki, the children healed into productive, healthy and happy adults. She told me that Reiki was the key for her to give up "control," and totally turn over the situation to God for healing.

Look for rays of sunshine penetrating the clouds as you watch and listen closely to the wisdom the universe teaches you through Reiki.

As you are present for your friend think of the expression of your Reiki as focused prayer on his behalf. Your deepening understanding of the spiritual nature of Reiki will heal you at the same time you are helping your friend.

With peace and blessings,
Reiki Master Ellen

Reiki for Children

Dear Reiki Master Ellen,
Do you know of any classes that teach Reiki to children? I have heard from some Reiki Masters that it is inadvisable to teach Reiki to young children. What do you think is a good age to start a child on his or her path to Reiki Master?

Thanks,
L

Dear L,

I teach Reiki to children ages 5 through 12, along with a Reiki empowered parent. I have found that most children younger than age 5 have too short an attention span to sit through a two-and-a-half-hour modified Reiki Level I course. In Reiki Level I, children are taught to use Reiki to do self-healing and to apply their hands to help their family and friends.

Also, with the permission of a child and his or her parents, Reiki has been used to benefit and comfort children of all ages through the hands of loving Reiki trained parents, relatives, friends of the family and Reiki Masters.

Mrs. Hawayo Takata, who brought Reiki laying on of hands spiritual healing from Japan to the Western Hemisphere in the 1930s, is reputed to have attuned (initiated or empowered) her granddaughter with Reiki Level I at the age of 7.

For the path of mastery, a “child” can only make the decision to study this level when he is of an age to accept Master level responsibility. This requires wisdom and maturity. Mastery entails detailed explanation, teaching skills and practice in how to empower others to do Reiki. For this the "child" needs to grow to adult level.

Children can be empowered for their own healing, balance and protection with the loving energy of Reiki. When a child is cognitively ready, she can progress to Level II Reiki initiation and training, which concerns activating particular frequencies of Reiki subtle energy by using signed symbols or commands to increase the power and strength of the Reiki for mental and emotional healing, balance and clarity; and for sending Reiki distant subtle energy healing for treatment in absentia. Second level Reiki is a great help to students for studying and retention of school work and for relieving the stress of test taking.

How Early Can Children Be Empowered by Reiki Energy?
When a pregnant woman receives an attunement, the baby in utero receives the energy as well. When a Reiki session is done on a pregnant woman, the baby swims upwards towards the energy and the hands of the Reiki practitioner or Master. Reiki has been used to facilitate labor and delivery by Reiki-trained expectant mothers, their partners, nurses, doctors, and childbirth coaches.

Before I began to teach children, a Reiki Master related a story to me about a 3-year-old whom she empowered to practice Level I Reiki at the request of a close relative because the little one lived in an abusive home situation. Now, many years later, the family situation is healed, thanks to this child.

Whenever anyone in her household was out of balance, this wise and empowered child would come to the person and ask, “Do you want some angels?” She had been told by the Reiki Master that there would always be angels on her fingertips, there to help herself and others.

One 6-year-old student used her Reiki training to help her father after he had been severely injured in a car accident and required numerous surgeries. This powerful little Reiki healer was instrumental in her father’s recovery.

Very serious and important healing has been and is being done by Reiki-trained children. In their innocence, they lead us and teach us even as we guide them.

With love and encouragement,
Reiki Master Ellen

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Reiki Master Ellen welcomes your questions on Reiki and healing at HealNet@aol.com. Selections for future articles will be based on general interest and may be edited for length and content.
Copyright 1999 Ellen Louise Kahne