Dear Reader,

Welcome to Reiki, a simple, accessible spiritual healing practice that can relieve your pain and suffering; help you live with greater clarity, joy, and satisfaction; enhance your spiritual engagement; and empower you on a very practical level to take good care of yourself and those you love.

When I began practicing Reiki in 1986, I had already been a student of meditation and yoga for 25 years and was a meditation teacher. That immersion in Asian philosophy and culture profoundly informed my understanding of Reiki practice. It also helped me recognize that even though people usually begin experiencing benefits from Reiki practice very quickly, the greatest benefit comes with daily Reiki self practice over time. I ask my students to commit to daily self practice for at least six months to evaluate the difference Reiki self care can make. Six months is enough time to see how gently yet dramatically daily Reiki self practice can improve their lives. Students experience benefits from their first Reiki self treatment about an hour into our 3-session training, but the deeper benefits of daily self-healing take longer to appreciate.

I have been actively teaching people to practice Reiki since becoming a Reiki master in 1990. I teach the same simple and profound Reiki practice taught by Hawayo Takata, who brought the practice from Japan in the 1930s. That’s the practice I learned in 1986, without any of the embellishments that have been added. You may find my perspective different from what you have encountered elsewhere. Because there are no agreed-upon standards for Reiki practice and education, there is enormous diversity in the global community, and the approaches of Reiki practitioners vary enormously.

I welcome you warmly, and encourage you to read carefully, contemplate, take what is of value to you, and leave the rest.

To read the first article, “What is Reiki and How Can it Help Me?” Click here

With warm regards,

Pamela Miles

The World Health Organization recognizes “health is not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Health is a dynamic, resilient state of well-being. A healthy person has the capacity to weather reasonable stress and return to balance.

Conventional medicine focuses on the detection and treatment of disease and has no explicit model for health beyond the absence of disease or infirmity. Complementary and alternative medical therapies usually approach the patient from a holistic, whole-person, perspective that extends beyond pathophysiology. Such therapies follow the advice of Hippocrates that it is more important to know the person having the disease than to know the disease the person has, and these approaches typically seek to engage the person in self-care as a vital contribution to well-being.

This person-centered perspective has been largely set aside by conventional medicine’s increased dependence on technology and the impact of healthcare insurance on medical care. As patients and professionals alike recognize that conventional medicine alone will not return patients to well-being, they increasingly create an integrative approach to health care, choosing appropriate interventions from both therapies based on science and those rooted in tradition (a few of which, such as acupuncture, have also been studied scientifically). Integrative healthcare involves an open-minded, clear-headed combination of therapies and lifestyle changes that suit the individual’s needs on every level, physically, emotionally, socially, financially, and in terms of values and beliefs (Astin, 1998). But it is not simply an integration of techniques that characterizes an integrative approach to healthcare; it is also the integration of the person into the healthcare team. At its most comprehensive level of functioning, integrative health care rests on the foundation of the patient’s engagement in healing and self-care.

Integrative health care underscores the need to integrate disease management, curative treatment, and healing. Although conventional medicine retains its primary focus on treatment of disease, there is an increasing acknowledgement of the wider needs of patients. Overview courses in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are currently taught in most American medical schools, and a variety of clinical settings from academic clinics to hospitals to private practices have begun incorporating CAM techniques and referring to CAM professionals. In spite of the limitations in the evidence base for CAM, medical professionals are increasingly comfortable with low-risk CAM practices used by their patients. Reiki practice seems to be a safe and effective way to help the body regain balance and reduce stress which can be accessed by patients at home, and which is especially popular among healthcare professionals and the mainstream public. Patients can safely combine Reiki practice with any other conventional or CAM technique. Additionally, it can be used by healthy people to support continued well-being (Miles and True, 2003).

Astin JA. Why patients use alternative medicine: results of a national survey. Journal of the American Medical Association, 1998;279(19):1548-1553.

Miles P, True G. Reiki-Review of a Biofield Therapy: History, Theory, Practice, and Research. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 2003;9(2):62-72.

Self Care

At home or in hospital, the care of the patient begins with the care of the caregiver.

People with chronic disease understand the importance of self-care. Diabetics must monitor blood levels, self-administer medications, and watch their legs and feet for ulcers and other signs of decreased circulation. People with less threatening conditions need to take their medications reliably to avoid medical complications. Others use diet and exercise to prevent disease and enhance health. That is the extent of self care for many in our postmodern culture.

Indigenous medical wisdom views well-being very differently. Ayurveda, the traditional medical system of India, sees the maintenance of well-being as its highest priority; disease management comes second. Maintenance of well-being is interwoven through all facets of life; physical, mental emotional, and spiritual. How would adopting this value change your life?

Physicians often say that 80 percent of the conditions their patients bring to them would resolve on their own if the patient simply rested, allowed the body to heal, and used preventive medicine strategies.

The scientific documentation that stress undermines health and well-being is unassailable. Relaxation and stress reduction strategies are not a luxury; they are medical necessities. Relaxation shifts our nervous system out of the stress response, improving our biochemistry and reversing the degenerative internal environment created by prolonged stress. Yet many people, even those with chronic illness, don’t develop relaxation skills to protect their well-being. Instead, they place control of their health solely in the hands of their physicians. An approach to health care without the active participation of patients is similar to pouring water into a leaking bucket. Ultimately, how effective can it be?

Patients who support their conventional medical care with stress reduction get the most from their healthcare dollars and may have better medical outcomes. Stress reduction is easily accessible through techniques such as self-hypnosis and visualization. Spiritual practices such as Reiki, meditation, and yoga reduce stress while also connecting people to their inner resources. All those practices are easily learned even by people who think they can’t learn them, especially if you take the time to find a good teacher. Look for a professional who is not only well trained but who also actually practices what he/she teaches. Health-promoting practices are further supported by simple lifestyle tweaks such as taking time to eat slowly, staying in touch with friends, and not watching the news before bed.

Beside such commonsense measures, there are many low-risk interventions that people can use to keep bringing their bodies back to balance in the face of the unavoidable stress of contemporary living. We each have different levels of sensitivities to different stressors. Knowing ourselves is the first step in strengthening our well-being. Although there is no conventional medical explanation for how becoming cold might make you sick, for many people, getting chilled precipitates an unbalanced state that leaves them more vulnerable to pathogens. If you have noticed that you are one of these people, simple measures such as preparing yourself for a cold weather outing by covering the neck and head, and warming yourself with hot ginger tea when you have gotten a chill can make a difference.

Self care is always advisable, but it becomes even more important in times of increased stress. In the days immediately following September 11, 2001, I wrote an article to encourage and empower people to make taking care of themselves part of their trauma response. The perspectives and information in the article remain valuable.
Simple Steps for Self Healing

Prevention

Early detection and treatment are valuable. However, they do not replace prevention. Maintaining a balanced state of well-being is always preferable, and much easier, than trying to regain lost balance. Whereas conventional medicine focuses on disease management, traditional medicine seeks first to strengthen and maintain existing well-being.

Traditional medical approaches such as Chinese medicine, Tibetan medicine and Ayurveda view the person as an ecological whole, like a garden. Adept gardeners know that if a plant isn’t thriving, one cannot simply add fertilizer. If in fact fertilizer is what’s needed, it’s necessary to add the right kind of fertilizer in the right amount. Before making any intervention, the gardener carefully considers the entire situation—light, temperature, moisture, pH of the soil, appropriateness of the plant to the existing conditions, etc. If something is attacking the plant, the gardener knows the situation must be managed skillfully so as not to create more problems, appreciating any toxins introduced to kill the attacker might also kill friendly organisms.

Although ecology is a scientific discipline, its principles have not yet been utilized in health care. The refinements of prevention and maintaining balance are complex and subtle. The high technology favored by conventional medicine for early detection may not be useful in prevention.

Traditional medical systems address not only the physical body, but also the subtle components of health. Traditional healers use highly refined intuitive skills to identify imbalance at subtle levels, beyond the reach of technology, where it’s easiest to recover balance. Ayurveda, for example, recognizes six levels of disease. Conventional medicine can detect pathology only at the final, grossest level, the proverbial tip of the iceberg, supported by many layers of invisible yet discernible imbalance. Palliation is still possible at the final stage of disease, and the progress of disease may be slowed, but complete reversal, including both cure of the disease and overall rebalancing and restoration of health, is considered at best to be difficult to accomplish.

Stress is unavoidable. Reiki practice supports the system to rebalance itself, evoking a profound self-healing response from deep within the individual, potentially returning the various systems of the body to harmonious, efficient functioning. There’s no way to measure the preventive benefits that might accrue through regular Reiki treatment or daily Reiki self practice. Each person must gauge the value of Reiki practice from considering what is known about the degenerative effects of stress, the effectiveness of Reiki practice to help the system rebalance and reduce stress, and his or her own experience and intuition.

Medical Intuition

What is medical intuition and can it help me?

Medical intuition can be an invaluable support to well-being if the intuitive is clear and credible, and if the information is used with intelligence and common sense. Medical intuition helps you identify often subjective areas where you can strengthen your wellness, creating your own highly personalized care which physicians have historically extended their patients, but which has been largely lost as the practice of medicine became increasingly involved in technology.

Patients with serious medical conditions may feel simultaneously grateful for state-of-the-art conventional medical care and disempowered by the process of receiving that care. The seemingly exclusive focus on the wizardry of high technology in conventional care supports a reductionist view of the human body as a machine. Patients can become overwhelmed and passive as they feel themselves shifting from being a person to being a collection of parts. Passivity on the part of the patient makes it easy for hopelessness and depression to take hold, which does not bode well for medical outcomes. Patients need to support their healing between medical visits, and physicians need to acknowledge the value of engaging the patient in the processes of both curing disease and regaining health and well-being.

Medical intuition can help patients regain a sense of control by bringing attention to areas of well-being and lifestyle where they can become active partners in their health care. Such information is rarely offered in conventional health care. For example, a medical intuitive may sense a particular change in eating or social patterns that would support healing, or help the patient identify ways to self-nourish. Although a medical intuitive does not diagnose in the medical sense, the intuitive may bring awareness to a significant aspect of the condition or an obstacle to healing that is not receiving attention.

Often patients have to decide among various treatment plans recommended by several equally respected medical specialists. In such a scenario, a medical intuitive may help the client connect with his or her own intuition. This might happen when the intuitive mirrors the client’s own intuitive sense, but even a contrary opinion can be useful if it galvanizes the client’s preference and helps him or her commit to a course of treatment.

When considering the use of medical intuition, it is important to find an intuitive who is credible and reasonable, one who has clear boundaries and understands he/she is offering perspective only, that ultimately patients need to make the healthcare choices that are meaningful to them. Such a professional appreciates that his/her role is supportive rather than authoritative. Beware of intuitives who are too sure of themselves or aggressive in sharing their perspectives. I practiced for years before I felt comfortable sharing intuition with my clients (again, I would like to draw a clear distinction between practicing Reiki and serving as an intuitive consultant, a distinction too often ignored.). As in the use of any consultant, the client should never turn over responsibility for decision-making. An intuitive consultation can support the decision-making process by bringing insight into larger issues and raising meaningful questions which the patient must answer for himself.

Advisory – I have seen much confusion about medical intuition among Reiki practitioners, who may mistakenly think that Reiki treatment includes giving their feedback. This puts the client in the position of receiving unsolicited “information,” often delivered without skill or sensitivity to the client’s deeply relaxed post-treatment state. Before I learned to practice Reiki, I was already a professional healthcare consultant. I provided mind/body consultations and training, lifestyle guidance, and medical intuition. Reiki treatment and medical intuition are two distinct skills. Reiki treatment is safe and non-invasive. If you are receiving Reiki treatment from a new practitioner, ask whether or not he/she routinely gives feedback after treatment and decide for yourself if this is something you want.

Intensive Healing Retreats

Retreat is a time-honored approach for creating profound life changes. Withdrawing from the busyness of contemporary lifestyle for a period of time to deepen our inner engagement is an investment that yields powerful dividends. Retreat can be as simple as an evening or morning spent in silence and contemplation and without ringing phones, or it can be something longer and more structured.

An intensive healing retreat can be a catalyst for inner transformation. Each intensive is a co-creation with the client designed to meet the individual’s needs and goals. The client elects to stay alone for a predetermined period of time (usually 7 to 10 days) in a setting free from distractions and outside communication. During the retreat, clients receive daily Reiki treatment and individualized training in meditation and self-inquiry, Reiki self-treatment, and hatha yoga. Other practitioners and therapies are included as suits the retreatant’s needs and goals. Each client remains alone except for visits from practitioners, using the abundant solitude to practice the skills being learned, and for journaling, contemplation, and artistic self-expression.

The goal of the intensive healing retreat is profound inner immersion. From the perspective of ever deepening self-awareness, the client reviews important life choices, identifying and re-evaluating the values that have shaped those choices. At the same time, clients learn spiritual practices that will support them to continue creating well-being as they re-gather the threads of their lives after the retreat.

The inspiration for these intensives arose from the wisdom of indigenous medicine and the retreat traditions of various spiritual paths. All spiritual practices included in the retreats are non-sectarian and can be comfortably used regardless one’s religious affiliation or lack thereof. Clients integrate personal or religious images or themes as they feel inclined.

Why is Reiki practice considered so safe? Reiki touch is light and non-manipulative. When necessary, as in the case of burns or sensitive IV sites, Reiki can be practiced just off the body.  While there is no time when Reiki practice is deemed dangerous, even low-risk, non-invasive treatments should be used with common sense. Patients whose lives depend on pharmaceuticals or procedures require consistent monitoring. It’s possible that the self-healing fostered by Reiki practice might lessen the need for these interventions. Patients receiving Reiki treatment often require less pain medication, an advantage at any time, but particularly at end of life for those who want to maintain mental clarity through the dying process.

Reiki practice does not target disease in the way conventional medicine does. Rather, it supports the person experiencing the disease by gently encouraging his or her system toward its unique state of balance, optimizing the system’s self-healing mechanisms. Given that so much in of contemporary living pulls us off kilter, the self-healing response to Reiki practice can be useful at any time. The balancing effect of Reiki practice can be particularly valuable while people are undergoing necessary, but invasive, medical treatments, at which time patients typically find Reiki treatment comforting and relaxing. By encouraging the patient’s system toward balance and engaging self-healing, Reiki treatment can lighten the distress of side effects and increase tolerance to arduous medical treatments.

Science and Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)

The field of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is receiving increased attention in conventional medical environments. Research has shown that by 1997, nearly half the American public was using some form of CAM, and usage continues to rise (Eisenberg 1993, 1998). These studies and others done since indicate that many patients supplement their conventional medical care with CAM on their own, without involving their physicians. Another study found that people seek CAM not out of dissatisfaction with conventional medicine, but because CAM more deeply reflects their values and beliefs. Energy medicine is particularly popular, and is largely regarded as non-invasive and low risk.

The National Institutes of Health created the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) to study diverse medical and healthcare systems, practices, and products not considered as part of conventional evidence-based medicine. With few exceptions, such as the unapproved use of pharmaceuticals, healthcare practices that aren’t part of conventional medicine didn’t develop within the scientific paradigm. Most CAM practices trace their roots to traditional, indigenous medical systems such as Ayurveda (India), Chinese medicine, Tibetan medicine, African medicine and Native American medicine, which developed through observation and predated science as we know it. The foundations of traditional medical systems cannot be defined by scientific parameters, and it is interesting to note that their developments build on rather than refute earlier knowledge. One can, for example, practice rudimentary but sound acupuncture on the basis of the first acupuncture text, the Nei Ching Emporer (Yellow Emporer’s Inner Classic), which was recorded 2000 years ago from an oral tradition twice as old.

Although a scientific understanding of CAM is needed, respected researchers question whether reductionist techniques can adequately investigate holistic systems. The design of the randomized controlled trial used to test the linear effects of pharmaceuticals doesn’t fit the multifactorial therapeutics used by traditional medical systems. A valid scientific understanding of CAM can only be built on the profound understanding of foundational CAM principles.

Research data accumulates slowly at best, and the complications of CAM research have slowed the process considerably. Meanwhile, patients are availing themselves of the array of techniques available outside mainstream medicine. Either for fear of alienating their physicians, or because they understandably don’t trust their doctors’ knowledge in this area, or for lack of time, patients don’t usually discuss their extra-medical activities with their physicians. Although there may be legitimate concern for certain drug-herb interactions, notably when a patient is taking blood-thinners, CAM interventions are generally low risk. Empirical understanding of CAM mechanisms might not be available any time soon. Nonetheless, we can investigate the impact of CAMs on patients’ subjective markers such as anxiety, depression and pain. There is already adequate evidence that subjective states precipitate physiological changes that can influence medical outcomes.

The goals of CAM treatment are primarily to return the system to balance, to strengthen—or in auto-immune disorders, balance—immune function and to support continued well-being. Measures to destroy pathogens may be used as part of a comprehensive care program. Rather than being passively done to the patient, CAM treatment generally involves the patient, empowering him or her to tap inner resources for healing.

Eisenberg DM, Kessler RC, Foster C, et al. Unconventional medicine in the United States-Prevalence, costs, and patterns of use. NEJM 328(4): 246-252 1993.

Eisenberg DM, Kessler RC, Foster C, et al. Unconventional medicine in the United States-Prevalence, costs, and patterns of use. NEJM 328(4): 246-252 1993.

Reiki Research

No large randomized controlled trials (RCTs) focused on the clinical effects of Reiki treatment have been published at this time, and the appropriateness of linear model of RCTs to measure the multifaceted effects of therapies such as Reiki is being debated (Block 2004). While a number of small studies have reported interesting data, we don’t yet have an evidence base for Reiki practice. That might remain the case given that the paucity of research funds.

Studies looking at various biological markers have yielded preliminary evidence that Reiki treatment influences the body toward relaxation and enhanced immune response (Wardell and Engebretson 2001; MacKay, Hansen, McFarlane 2004). Two studies have shown Reiki practice can be blinded, which opens the door for more rigorous investigations. One feasibility study demonstrated the possibility of single blinding (Mansour 1999). For our NIH-funded study of Reiki and stroke, I designed the training so Reiki treatments were double blinded (Shiflett 2002). A program evaluation of a hospital-based HIV First degree Reiki classes showed significant reduction in anxiety and pain after 20 minutes of Reiki treatment. Self-treatment was as effective as treatment received from another student (Miles 2003). Other studies support the usefulness of Reiki practice to reduce pain, anxiety, and fatigue and improve quality of life (Olson and Hanson 1997; Olson, Hanson, Michaud 2003; Vitale and O’Connor 2006; Tsang and Carlson 2007). Reiki practice can help people with depression improve their symptoms and maintain that. improvement over time (Shore 2004). Clearly more research is needed.

Professionals and patients who have seen Reiki practice successfully support conventional medical treatment are encouraged to write case reports. Well documented accounts are instructive to those who want to include Reiki treatment in a comprehensive health care regime aimed at either maintaining well-being or managing disease. (Guidelines for writing a medically credible case report are given in “The Bridge to Conventional Medicine: A Call for Reiki Case Reports.”

Ultimately it may be foolish at best to make patients who are suffering wait for rigorous research of a low risk, low cost practice that is already supported by modest research evidence and significant anecdotal evidence (Miles 2007) and which supports the delivery of conventional medical care.

The Reiki & Medicine Intensive trains people who practice Reiki at home or professionally to discuss Reiki practice meaningfully and collaborate with conventional medical providers as a professional or a patient.

Click here for an in-depth review of the medical literature on Reiki, “Reiki–Review of a biofield therapy: history, theory, practice, and research” by Pamela Miles and Gala True, PhD, and other peer-reviewed medical papers discussing Reiki practice.

Miles P. Reiki for Support of Cancer Patients, Advances in Mind-Body Medicine. Fall 2007;22(2):20-26.

Block KI, Cohen AJ, Dobs AS, Ornish D, Tripathy D. The challenges of randomized trials in integrative cancer care. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 2004 Jun;3(2):112-27.

Mansour AA, Beuche M, Laing G, Leis A. A study to test the effectiveness of placebo Reiki standardization procedures developed for planned Reiki efficacy study. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 1999;5(2):153-164.

Miles P. Preliminary report on the use of Reiki for HIV-related pain and anxiety. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. 2003;9(2):36.

Miles P. Reiki for Mind, Body and Spirit Support of Cancer Patients. Advances in Mind-Body Medicine. 2007 Fall;22(2): 20-26.

Olson K, Hanson J. Using Reiki to manage pain: a preliminary report. Cancer Prevention Control. 1997 Jun;1(2):108-13.

Olson K, Hanson J, Michaud M. A phase II trial for the management of pain in advanced cancer patients. Journal of Pain Symptom Management 26(5):990-997, 2003.

Shiflett SC, Nayak S, Bid C, Miles P, Agnostinelli S. Effect of Reiki Treatments on Functional Recovery in Patients in Post-Stroke Rehabilitation: A Pilot Study. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2002 Dec;8(6):755-63.

Shore AG. Long-term effects of energetic healing on symptoms of psychological depression and self-perceived stress. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. 2004 May-Jun;10(3):42-8.

Tsang K, Carlson L. Pilot Crossover Trial of Reiki Versus Rest for Treating Cancer-Related Fatigue. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 6.1 (2007): 25-35.

Vitale A, O’Connor PC. The effect of Reiki on pain and anxiety in women with abdominal hysterectomies: A quasi-
experimental pilot study. Holistic Nursing Practice. 20(6):263-272, 2006.

Wardell DW, Engebretson J. Biological correlates of Reiki touch healing. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 2001;33(4):439-45).

Clinical Applications of Reiki in Conventional Health Care Settings

Reiki practice treats the patient rather than addressing the condition or disease directly. The response to Reiki practice is rapid and patients typically experience a sense of relief within minutes. Because Reiki practice evokes the person’s self-healing response, a Reiki session can potentially benefit anyone who is suffering. It can also support the well-being of those who are healthy.

Reiki treatment is offered in a wide range of medical settings in the United States and abroad, including obstetrics and neo-natal care, surgery, emergency rooms, psychiatric units, oncology, infectious disease clinics, rehabilitation, organ transplantation units, hospice and palliative care centers. Whereas hospital Reiki programs can disappear with staff and funding changes, a number of well known hospitals have established Reiki programs including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and New York-Presbyterian/Columbia Hospital (NYC), Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (Boston), Yale-New Haven Hospital (New Haven), Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System (Baltimore), M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (Houston), George Washington University Hospital (Washington, DC), California Pacific Medical Center (San Francisco) and Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center (Philadelphia).

Hospital programs vary enormously in terms of approach and availability of treatment. At Portsmouth Regional Hospital in New Hampshire, one of the first hospitals to offer Reiki treatment to patients, Reiki sessions are available throughout the hospital. In other hospitals, Reiki treatment is offered only in some departments (Miles and True, 2003). Some hospitals sponsor community-based Reiki clinics open to the public. Whereas some physicians invite practitioners to offer Reiki treatment on site, others refer patients to local practitioners for treatment or training.

Reiki practice can be safely offered along with any needed medical intervention. The self-healing response to Reiki treatment can soothe dental and surgical anxiety and improve recovery; reduce side effects of pharmaceuticals, radiation and chemotherapy; improve sleep; strengthen sobriety; relieve anxiety; lessen pain; and support recovery from trauma. The benefits of Reiki treatment can be dramatic for patients awaiting emergency medical treatment.

Some patients who wanted to reduce their dependence on pharmaceutical treatment for depression, anxiety, pain, sleep and diabetes have worked with their doctors and found Reiki self practice helpful in doing so. Adjustments in prescribed medication must be done with the physician’s oversight. One of the patients I treated during heart transplantation surgery and recovery felt his Reiki treatments kept him from needing any pain medication after awakening post-op.

Reiki treatment can be combined with any complementary or alternative therapies such as acupuncture, chiropractic, or homeopathy. Because Reiki treatment optimizes the receiver’s own self-healing mechanisms, it will enhance the effectiveness of other approaches without creating interference.

Miles P, True G. Reiki-Review of a Biofield Therapy: History, Theory, Practice, and Research. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 2003;9(2):62-72.

Case Report:

Enhancing the Treatment of HIV/AIDS with Reiki Training and Treatment

Background

Since the introduction of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) in 1996, the rate of death from AIDS in the US and Europe has decreased more than 50 Quality of life and productivity for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWA) have significantly improved. However, HAART regimens are complicated and must be followed strictly to remain effective.

PLWA have a higher frequency of psychiatric distress, substance abuse and disruptions in social support networks, making adherence to the demanding HAART protocols even more difficult. PLWA often need healing beyond their medications. A comprehensive approach to care is required.

This case report describes how one PLWA successfully used a hospital-based Reiki treatment and training program as part of a comprehensive approach to address depression, anxiety and substance abuse, to support adherence to HAART, and return to work.

Case history

In January 1998, a sixty-two year-old man came to a large multi-disciplinary HIV treatment program seeking primary medical care. He had been diagnosed with HIV in 1985 and had used HAART inconsistently in 1996-97. By January 1998 he had not used HAART for seven months and was diagnosed with AIDS based on his CD4 count of 170 (normal range is 800-1200, below 200 meets the criterion for AIDS). Viral load in his blood measured 504,000. He complained of fatigue, body-ache, and psoriasis.

Prior to coming to the HIV treatment center, he experienced significant psychological distress. He had struggled with substance abuse his entire adult life. After his lover of seventeen years died of AIDS in 1995, his cocaine use accelerated to a daily habit of approximately two grams per day, limiting his professional accomplishments and satisfaction with personal relationships. His physician referred him to a psychiatrist who diagnosed major depression and cocaine dependence. By January 1998, his financial reserves were exhausted and he was at risk of losing his apartment. Through the help of the social work department, he was enrolled in a public assistance program and referred to an outpatient drug treatment program.

After successfully completing the three month program, he initiated weekly psychotherapy, during which he described an interest in natural healing, meditation, and spirituality. Concomitantly, he declined psychotropic medication. His psychotherapist referred him to the hospital-based Reiki training program where he was initiated to Reiki Level I. He began receiving weekly, one-hour Reiki treatments from clinic volunteers, and reported giving himself daily one-hour Reiki treatments at home. He told his physician and his psychotherapist that he found Reiki self-treatment extremely relaxing and enjoyable, and that it helped him to maintain his sobriety and work through his depression.

His physician initiated HAART in May 1998, two months after his Reiki initiation. He has maintained adherence to HAART and other prophylactic medications since that time, and reports he continues daily Reiki self-treatment. His CD4 count has increased to 340, and his viral load has decreased to 4,000. In his most recent medical exam, he was treated for a chronic sinus infection. He continues to report improved mood and energy level and his psoriasis has resolved. He discontinued psychotherapy in July 2000 and reports on-going abstinence from cocaine use. He recently started working part-time, and offers Reiki treatment at a local community-based organization serving PLWA.

Discussion

This case report describes an example of someone who has integrated Reiki training and treatment into his multi-disciplinary, hospital-based HIV treatment plan. This patient’s ability to successfully address his psychiatric/substance abuse problems has enabled him to successfully utilize HAART and develop a social and financial support system.

Many factors other than Reiki contribute to this patient’s treatment success (e.g. psychotherapy, substance abuse treatment, HAART, social work services). It is not possible to describe any direct medical benefits Reiki has provided this patient as he also uses a sophisticated combination of HAART and other prophylactic medications. However, both the patient’s physician and former psychotherapist have repeatedly described the patient¹s belief that Reiki self-treatment is the single greatest factor contributing to his successful behavior change.

Although the CD4 count and viral load improved, the viral load remains detectable. Nonetheless, the patient is thriving according to quality of life and productivity assessments. This case demonstrates the potential value of integrating Reiki into conventional medical practice and points to the need for further discussion and research.

Robert Schmehr, CSW was the Director of Complementary Therapy at the HIV Center of St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in New York City. Mr. Schmehr is also a psychotherapist in private practice and a Second Degree Reiki practitioner.

Reiki training teaches you how to practice Reiki on yourself, family, friends and pets. Once your Reiki master teaches you how to practice, you’ll continue to benefit through your observed, contemplated daily self practice. The more you practice, the deeper your understanding, respect, and love for this gentle, effective spiritual practice will become.

Reiki is an almost technique-less practice, yet there is a subtle art to it. It takes discipline at first to self practice daily, but soon the obvious benefits will motivate you to continue your daily Reiki self care. Unlike in other endeavors, in which a lot of effort might be needed, Reiki practice invites us to do less, to merely place hands mindfully, and then enjoy.

Students gain the courage to do less as they see the wide-ranging benefits Reiki practice brings on its own, and your conviction in the effectiveness of your Reiki practice will grow as you continue practicing daily over a period of time. The simplicity of Reiki practice makes it easy to practice even in the busiest of times, and the support you feel from even a few minutes of Reiki practice as you wake up can significantly improve your day.

When nothing is done, nothing is left undone – Lao Tzu, Tao te Ching.

Reiki founder Mikao Usui organized Reiki practice into 3 distinct levels, called degrees. Each degree practice functions in a specific way:

First degree – hands-on healing (or just off the body, as needed)

Second degree – distant non-touch healing

Reiki master – initiation and training of students to practice Reiki

Traditionally, First and Second degree training is given in group meetings with approximately 10 hours of class time. Reiki master training is an apprenticeship of a year or longer, according to the individual student’s needs. It’s advisable to practice First degree Reiki on oneself daily for a minimum of 6 months before learning Second degree, and to practice Reiki 3-10 years before becoming a Reiki master.

Who can learn Reiki?

Anyone who wants to can learn First degree Reiki, regardless their state of health, intelligence or education. Children aged three or four can also learn to practice, depending on their interest and the skill of the teacher.

I’ve trained people with serious or chronic conditions such as cancer, HIV, Lyme, pneumonia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Crohn’s Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, injuries and post-operative healing, heart disease, arthritis, chronic pain syndromes, insomnia, headache disorders, infertility, back pain, mild and severe emotional instabilities, various women’s disorders, allergies, asthma, and auto-immune diseases. When invasive treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery are needed, Reiki self-practice provides profound emotional and physical comfort, lessens side effects, and speeds the natural process of healing. Training students in unusual or challenging situations is best done by a seasoned Reiki master who is flexible enough to work within limitations while remaining true to the system of Reiki practice.

Initiation

Initiation is a gentle, time-honored way that master teachers empower students in various practices. Reiki initiations are the core of Reiki training and the source of the defining characteristics of Reiki practice—ease, safety, and effectiveness of self-practice. I’ve trained many First Degree Reiki students who were so debilitated with AIDS or cancer or both that they doubted they could sit through the training. Each one experienced benefit during the first class. Initiations are sometimes called empowerments or attunements. Takata gave four initiations in the First degree training, one for Second degree, and one for master level.

Since the value of initiation and practice is not well understood in Western culture, students often approach the trainings with a consumerist more-is-better mentality, assuming that since the initiations take only moments to enact, they can be crammed into short sessions. It takes moments to become pregnant, but months for the fetus to develop before it can be born. And still, the baby must be well cared for over a long period of time if he is to develop healthfully. So it is with initiation. It can happen in a moment, but the fruits take time to develop, and require on-going practice to blossom into maturity.

First Degree Reiki

First degree is the entry to Reiki practice, in which students are empowered to offer Reiki by gently placing hands. First degree Reiki is easily learned, and suitable for people of any age and at any level of emotional or physical health who have the interest. Hawayo Takata famously said, “First yourself.” Reiki training starts with self-treatment, and self-treatment remains foundational to the continuing development of a Reiki practitioner at every level, including professionals.

Takata gave four initiations in First degree training. In the First degree classes, students are introduced to the concepts of subtle healing, trained in both abbreviated and full treatments, and given the history and the Precepts. Students begin practicing Reiki on themselves in the first meeting.

Precepts of Mikao Usui

Today only

Do not anger

Do not worry

With thankfulness

Work diligently

Be kind to others

The precepts were a vital part of Usui’s system, and he advised his students to recite them during Reiki practice. The precepts offer non-dogmatic contemplations to guide outer behavior and inner intention. Usui called them “the secret of inviting happiness through many blessings, the spiritual medicine for all illness.” Like the great teachings of all true paths, the precepts are timeless, as conducive to well-being in today’s world as they were in Usui’s time. Reciting the precepts at the beginning and end of each day, continually contemplating their meaning, and expressing them through one’s conduct creates a powerful structure to support one’s Reiki practice.

Even people with life-threatening illness can learn First Degree Reiki practice and benefit greatly from daily Reiki practice. It’s far more beneficial to practice First Degree Reiki daily than to take Second Degree training and use it occasionally. Daily self-treatment for at least six months is recommended before studying Second Degree.

Hand Positions

The traditional placement of hands for Reiki treatment follows the location of the glands and organs, treating the head and front and back of the torso to affect healing throughout the system. In addition, hands can be placed anywhere there is pain or injury, but this may be unnecessary after the core Reiki placements.

Second Degree Reiki

Second Degree training enables students to practice Reiki mentally when touch is impossible or inappropriate. This is referred to as distant or remote practice. The Second Degree technique uses symbols in a way similar to how Taoist healers traditionally use talismanic healing images.

Second Degree extends your ability to practice Reiki beyond First Degree touch or proximity. Second Degree can be used to offer distant healing to individuals, as well as to heal relationships, enhance problem-solving, uplift tense situations, defuse enmity, inspire collaboration, and empower spiritual self-inquiry. As with First Degree practice, Second Degree cannot be used to create specific results. At all levels of Reiki practice, the practitioner can only offer, never direct the practice to accomplish specific goals.

Many psychiatrists and psychotherapists recognize touch is outside their scope of practice, and use the Second Degree to augment the power of healing available during their sessions. Second Degree can be particularly useful for professionals serving the mentally ill or rape or trauma victims who may prefer not to be touched.

Reiki Master Training

There is great diversity of opinion regarding all Reiki training, but particularly at the master level. Many students seek the master initiation for their own purposes, without any intention to teach, motivated by the misunderstanding that an “advanced” initiation is a fast path to higher attainment. It may be clarifying to liken the process of Reiki training to that of gardening. Initiations break ground within our being, sowing seeds whose germination is shaped by both the qualities of the inner landscape at the time of initiation (rocky, sandy, acidic, hard, etc.) and by the loving effort by which the seed is tended. In Reiki practice, that effort is daily self-practice, which is in turn supported by contemplation and mindfulness of the Reiki precepts.

Becoming a Reiki master is a choice to commit oneself to being a custodian of this practice. The Reiki master’s calling is specifically to initiate others into Reiki practice, to teach them to practice and to support their development. Therefore Reiki master training is best given through an apprenticeship, an extended relationship between the initiating Reiki master and the candidate, rather than a one-and-done class.

Reiki masters who initiate master students with only a few hours of training clearly have a different understanding of being a Reiki master than those who train as apprentices. Reiki master candidates, and indeed Reiki students at all levels, must decide for themselves which approach seems reasonable and best reflects their values and goals. The accessibility of First Degree practice was designed to encourage self-treatment. It was never intended as a foundation for instant mastership.

Professional Practice

All three levels of Reiki training provide instruction in Reiki practice only; they do not prepare students for professional clinical practice. There are many aspects to professional Reiki practice that aren’t part of home Reiki practice. For example, given that Reiki professionals are small business owners, you need business skills, such as bookkeeping, time-management, and marketing (getting the word out about your business). Plumbers, accountants and doctors don’t have to explain to people what they do; those are well established services that people understand the need for. The mainstream public, however, is largely unaware of Reiki practice and usually not interested in the New Age jargon that is often wrapped around it. To appeal to the mainstream public, Reiki professionals need to describe Reiki practice in clear, credible language which may not be how they were taught. Practicing Reiki is easy; communicating Reiki is an entirely different skill.

The clinical skills of creating, nurturing and honoring a therapeutic relationship with a client must be acquired outside the parameters of traditional Reiki training. Those who wish to collaborate with licensed medical professionals in conventional settings can prepare themselves by learning the scientific paradigm, and medical culture and protocols, such as writing case notes.

At all levels of practice, Reiki develops through self-practice. As we continue our practice, our Reiki hands continue to teach us. We also learn from receiving and offering treatment to others. Many practitioners have Reiki buddies with whom they share treatments, or return for treatment from their Reiki master as desired.

A Reiki treatment gently encourages your system to restore itself to a more balanced state. The treatment experience tends to be pleasant, soothing, and relaxing. People often report feeling centered and sometimes comforted afterward a Reiki session. You might also feel gently energized after a Reiki session, especially if you’ve been suffering fatigue.

The response to Reiki practice is always balancing, and follows the need of the receiver, not the intention of the practitioner. Besides immediate stress-reduction and symptomatic relief, there are other subtle and profound effects that unfold over time and accumulate with continued treatment, either self practice or treatment received from a family member, friend, or professional.

Reiki practice evokes a self-healing response from deep within the system, where imbalance begins. The body’s innate healing potential is unlocked as the system returns to a balanced state. We all know how much better we feel when we’re balanced, but the details of balance are different at different times, and the experience of a Reiki treatment varies from person to person and from session to session for the same person. While we can never promise specific results, Reiki can be a valuable addition to any treatment plan or well-being program. Because Reiki is balancing and extremely gentle, it is appropriate in any situation. It will not interfere with any medical interventions being used, and will provide comfort and relief from their side effects.

It is often suggested that those who seek Reiki during chronic or serious illness have at least four treatments, on consecutive days if possible, before evaluating the benefit Reiki may bring. The effect of Reiki treatment is cumulative, and although treatment is generally relaxing, there are often distinct differences in the experience of different treatments and an overall deepening of the experience over repeated sessions.

There is enormous diversity among Reiki practitioners and no standards, so if you’re seeking professional treatment, be sure to ask questions about that person’s training, experience and approach. You can also learn First Degree Reiki. Then you’ll be able to practice on yourself and share treatment informally with family, friends and pets.

A Reiki practitioner at any level of practice—First Degree, Second Degree or Reiki master—can give hands-on treatment. A Second Degree practitioner or Reiki master can also offer distant (or remote) treatment. Only a qualified Reiki master can initiate and train a student to practice Reiki. When looking for a Reiki professional or teacher, keep in mind there are no standards for Reiki education or practice, so you need to look into each person’s approach.

The Reiki Alliance is an international professional organization of Reiki masters who stay close to the teachings of Hawayo Takato, the Reiki master who brought Reiki practice from Japan to the United States in the 1930s. If the Alliance doesn’t list a Reiki master in your immediate area, contact the nearest Reiki master and ask if he/she has a student near you who offers Reiki treatment.

Many compassionate, responsible Reiki masters are not affiliated with the Reiki Alliance and do not adhere to Takata’s teachings, but might still be a good fit for you. Ask around. Reputable practitioners of traditional healing modalities such as acupuncture or massage might know a credible Reiki professional. Look in businesses that are health-related, such as yoga centers or health food stores. After you have identified possible practitioners, interview them to find one with whom you would like to work. It’s worth the effort to find someone you are comfortable with who meets your standards.

If you don’t find a local teacher who is a comfortable fit, I bring 30+ years of teaching experience to offer Reiki Self Care training in small group, live, interactive videoconference series.

Choosing a Reiki Master or Practitioner

People often ask how to choose when there are several masters or practitioners available. First of all, be clear what your needs are. If you want to learn to practice Reiki, you need a Reiki master to teach you. However, you can receive treatment from any level practitioner, either a friend or a professional.

If you wish to learn Reiki, the choice of teacher matters at every level, even First Degree. Reiki masters have different perspectives, experience, training, and personalities. The Reiki master creates the context in which you start your practice. Choose someone qualified with whom you feel an affinity.

Who is qualified? Look for a Reiki master who has spent considerable time being trained and who either has extensive experience or who is being mentored by a Reiki master with years of experience. Ask if the Reiki master practices daily self-treatment and how many initiations she gives in the First degree class (Takata gave four). How does the Reiki master describe his/her approach? If the Reiki master does not have a website or brochure, these questions can be addressed in a brief phone conversation. If the Reiki master is not available to address your questions in any format—website, brochure, email or phone—you might want to look elsewhere.

Although the Reiki Alliance is a good place to look for a Reiki master, the Alliance does not guarantee that members honor the commitments they made when joining the Alliance, such as commitments to give adequate time in training students, with long pauses between training at the various levels during which students practice consistently. It’s important to look carefully into each master you’re considering. And remember many non-Alliance Reiki masters have thoughtful, disciplined approaches to practice.

Mikao Usui (1865-1926) was a lifelong spiritual aspirant and family man who created a system of practices for spiritual self-development from which Reiki practice as we know it today developed. Those who sought Usui’s help first received Reiki treatment through light touch. They were then taught his techniques for spiritual development and healing, and expected to practice diligently. Usui is said to have had little patience for those who were not prepared to make self-effort. Usui emphasized the importance of principled lifestyle, and offered his students Precepts to guide their behavior and demeanor.

Toward the end of his life, it seems Usui was approached by one of the Reiki masters he trained, Chujiro Hayashi (1878-1940), who wanted to develop the healing techniques separately for those not interested to engage in stringent spiritual practice. Usui, perhaps curious to explore the effectiveness of the healing techniques outside the context of spiritual practices, agreed, and asked Hayashi to write a handbook. This collaboration led to the practice of Reiki as it is known throughout the world today, including the foundational hand positions later taught by Hayashi’s student Hawayo Takata.

Five years after Usui’s death, Hayashi adapted the techniques further from the context of spiritual practice and more in the direction of a spiritual healing intervention. Although Usui had sometimes used the term Reiki, it is likely Hayashi who started using the term consistently. Hayashi had a small eight treatment table clinic in Tokyo where his students offered Reiki treatment in pairs.

Hawayo Takata (1900-1980) came to Hayashi’s clinic in the 1930s with serious respiratory and abdominal complaints. Takata was first-generation Japanese-American, a young widow with two small daughters. She was healed after three weeks of treatment, and petitioned to be trained in Reiki. Hayashi agreed, a radical and courageous decision to accept an American as a student at a time when only Japanese were trained. Takata learned First and Second degree Reiki from Hayashi. She offered Reiki in the clinic in the mornings and made housecalls in the afternoon. By the time she returned home to Hawaii in the summer of 1936, Takata had extensive experience both receiving and offering Reiki treatment, and had spent considerable time with her Reiki master, Chujiro Hayashi. Hayashi’s Reiki master, Mikao Usui, had made a point of sharing the beginning teachings openly with the public, which ran counter to Japanese tradition. Hayashi took this a step further, telling Takata to bring Reiki practice to America, and promising to support her efforts with a visit.

Takata accepted a profound challenge when she agreed to carry Reiki practice from the supportive womb of Japanese culture into 20th century isolationist America. In the subsequent decades, she distilled the essence of Reiki practice and organized it in a way Americans (and eventually the rest of the world) could grasp and practice, a form that combined American pragmatism with the potential offered by initiated practice, a potential that can only be actualized with disciplined, consistent practice over time.

As part of the transition from Japan to the United States, Takata developed a teaching story of Reiki’s origins that was palatable to American cultural and political sensibilities (this was just before World War II, and anti-Japanese sentiment was already strong in the US), a story in which Mikao Usui appeared as a Christian minister. Takata used the story as a teaching tool to illustrate various points about Reiki practice and illustrate traditional Japanese spiritual values.

As promised, Hayashi and his daughter came to Hawaii and spent 6 months with Takata. On February 21, 1938, Hayashi made a public announcement and signed a certificate acknowledging Takata as a fully credentialed Reiki master, the first woman Reiki master, and at the time, the only Reiki master outside Japan.

Takata made Reiki practice and teaching her life’s work. She shared Reiki practice in Hawaii and began visiting the US mainland frequently starting in 1973. Takata died in December 1980, having initiated 22 Reiki masters. The Reiki Alliance is an international organization of Reiki masters committed to an ethical, disciplined practice of Reiki as the legacy of Hawayo Takata.

As a direct consequence of Takata’s courage, her trust in Reiki practice and in her Reiki master, and her personal insight, discipline and skill, the practice of Reiki rapidly encircled the globe. In the process of this rapid expansion, however, many practitioners abandoned Takata’s standards for Reiki education and practice. Traditionally, a Reiki student would have substantial practice, as Takata did, before teaching. It is not uncommon today for students to take a weekend training, view themselves as Reiki masters, and begin teaching immediately. If you are interested to receive Reiki treatment or learn to practice Reiki, it is always important to inquire into a Reiki master’s experience and education.