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Category/Tag Archives: "Reiki"
May 31, 2018
In April 2017, I was undergoing my final round of chemo treatments for Triple Negative Breast Cancer. I had two infusions down in my second round of treatments and was facing two more. To say I was struggling, is an understatement. To this point, my cancer journey was filled with unexpected medical issues such as bilateral pneumonia, bilateral pulmonary embolisms, sepsis, and even an internal bleed that filled my chest cavity. I now had to give myself two shots a day, of Lovenox, a blood thinner. I spent a total of 37 days in the hospital. After my second treatment I decided that I was done. I had had enough. I made up my mind that I was done with pain and sickness. The nausea was intense and the bone pain was debilitating. I made the decision to stop my chemotherapy treatments. I was going to refuse the last two treatments that could potentially save my life.
Later that night, I talked with my family. I told them that I could no longer endure the pain. The look of fear and worriedness on my boyfriend’s face is a look that I’ll never forget. My daughter cried. I felt like a “failure” that just left my biggest support system down. I prayed for the answer as to what I should do. I scoured the internet for things to try. I remembered a reiki appointment that I had had a few years ago and how it made me feel afterwards. Reiki? I asked myself. Could Reiki help? I decided that it was worth a try. I was desperate. I reached out to my dear friend Rickie Freedman, owner of ReikiSpace and asked if she could schedule an appointment for me after my next chemo appointment. I was nervous and very apprehensive because I knew what was coming after that appointment. The nausea, the pain. But I committed to giving it a try. Not just for my family but for myself.
I had my reiki appointment within a day or two after my third appointment. Days 3-6 were always the worst days after chemo. I was skeptical and anxiously waited for the bone pain to set in. Around day 3, I could feel an achiness start to creep into my bones and I could feel the nausea start to settle in my belly. I cried, as I knew what was coming. I just laid there and waited for it. Day 4 came and still no intense bone pain, no severe nausea. My symptoms were all still so very manageable with the meds that were prescribed. Day 5 then day 6 and I was through the days that I knew should be my worst. We did it! We made it through treatment number 3, of this last round, with little to almost no bone pain and nausea. Was it a coincidence? Could it be the reiki? I wasn’t sure but it gave me the courage to try to make it through my fourth and final chemo treatment. I reached out to Rickie once again to set up another appointment after my last treatment. We scheduled the appointment for a day or two after the final infusion. Again, I waited and tried to mentally prepare myself for the worst and again, it didn’t come. I made it through that final treatment the same way I made it through my third appointment, with minimal bone pain and manageable nausea. No way was this a coincidence. It was the Reiki. This may sound extreme but, Reiki contributed to possibly saving my life. I was ready to stop my last two treatments, but out of desperation, I tried Reiki. It worked. Reiki helped me manage my unbearable symptoms. Reiki helped me finish my treatments. It not only helped me physically, but mentally as well. It moved me spiritually. It gave me hope for the future. Reiki helped make me a Survivor!
Kim Sheaffer
Triple Negative Breast Cancer Survivor
March 19, 2018
The Reiki Healing Principles are the “how to” manual of LIVING Reiki. They are an invitation to love life………… and to live a life of love.
The Principles are ingredients to the” Reiki recipe”, naked and simple, yet food for a lifetime. As the layers of my life are revealed, the personal relevance of the principles shift. The buffet is always open, I honor my appetite and it’s needs.
Each principle offers a unique tool for this purpose. My current working principle is “Just for today, I release all worry”. Since childhood I shouldered all of the darkness, isolation, anger and pain that came with worry and the desire to control others, letting it define and crush me. About two years ago, I learned through the gift of crisis that worry is nothing more than a leak in my energy field, a waste of precious time, and left unchecked, ultimately lethal………………But only if I choose to engage it.
Worry is predicated on a false voice, that tells me that I can control what happens in the future, that I know what is best for others, and furthermore can convince them of the right action. I know now that this is wholly false. When I forget and slip into that place, I need only remind myself and I am transported back to a place of light. I am a very practical person, so there is no more worry because it cannot coexist with my belief in its impotence. Yes, there is sadness, grief, love, happiness and all that life brings……but there is little or short- lived worry.
Now that I know what NOT to do, I am currently meditating on the positive/action/sister statement to this principle, “Just for today, I choose faith”. So………………. it turns out that just leaving others to their own devices is not quite enough! That step gave me peace and respite, but then what? I wanted proof that this would bring good results!
This is when trusting the universe became part of my journey. I have been shown time and time again through synchronicities that the path is unfolding as it is meant to – I know now that life is a series of challenges, victories, disappointments, change, love, death, ……….and you never “get there”, to some permanent state of painless bliss.
I can’t know in the moment why a challenge or tragedy is part of my story. But I have a deep faith that although I may not understand how a set of circumstances will fit into the tapestry of my life, there will come a time when I will look back and reflect on its intricate wholeness.
This process of faith in the Universal plan has also taught me that healing is contagious It truly emanates out and touches other souls, often without words. And the healing energy radiating from another’s light is available to me. A soul connection built on this concept is like no other, the embodiment of peace.
Recognizing and understanding faith and synchronicity has brought such peace, happiness, night time messages from my guides, love laughter, beautiful friends……..…….. And the more I listen, the more I receive. I am learning a new appreciation for detail, and to hear what my soul is saying. I am seeing healing around me, the awakening of sleeping souls in the absence of advice, recommendations, control.
Just for today………..I CHOOSE FAITH.
Melissa Nuschke is a Reiki Master, and holds certifications in Reiki Sound and Reiki Voice. She is also a Registered Nurse. Melissa has been on a spiritual journey all of her life….and discovering the Reiki way of living feels like “coming home” at last! Finding her authenticity through Reiki has deepened and expanded Melissa’s voice and her lifelong writing passions, which she now feels called to share with others.
In addition to Reiki, Melissa loves nature, animals, music and piano.
Spring is almost upon us – a great time to refresh and renew! With this in mind, let’s revisit the 5 Reiki Precepts, or Healing Principles. Fundamental and foundational, as a Practitioner I ruminate on each of them daily. I believe that anyone can use these, Reiki or not, as positive guiding principles. With any sort of sort of growth, there is a learning curve ~ with practice they really do become second nature! Here are the precepts, along with my ways of incorporating them, simply, into my daily life:
Just for today, I release all worry
Just for today, I release all anger
Just for today, I earn my living with integrity
Just for today, I honor every living thing
Just for today, I show gratitude for all my many blessings
“What If” – UP
We all “what if” ourselves when thinking about something new, or as a means to deny ourselves an opportunity that we are too scared to leap towards. However – what if you what if UP? When you find yourself asking things like “what if I fail,” “what if they don’t like me,” “what if I end up lonely and afraid?” – force yourself to what if UP instead. “What if I succeed,” “what if I am accepted just as I am,” “what if I realize that I am enough, and I am fierce?”
“Just for today, I release all worry”
3 Deep Breaths
I start every Reiki session with this statement and actually use this myself quite liberally throughout the day. If I am stressed over a situation or deadline, I think and do – “3 deep breaths” and consciously release the anxious feelings and am able to re-center. With that last exhale – whew! – I am usually ready to tackle the next challenge, but if I am not, I do it again. This activity takes mere moments, but the positive effects last much longer.
“Just for today, I release all anger”
Working in Integrity
How many folks can say they love all of their co-workers and everyone gets along great in a happy and productive environment? Some lucky people, for sure, but regardless of workplace we have complete control over our own integrity. This concept has proven to be a guiding principle, and a real centering point in my traditional work day. If I feel slighted and desire to fire off an email to the perceived offender, taking them to task for (real or imagined) injustice, I ask myself, “how will this serve me and does it validate my working in integrity?” It is akin to hitting a self-pause button. It is incredibly important to take a moment, reflect, and continue on in your path of awesomeness, integrity intact. You are worth it!!
“Just for today, I earn my living with integrity”
Practice Kindness Everyday
A simple “thinking of you” text to a friend you have not talked with in a while; a short email to a co-worker, thanking them for changing out the water in the cooler; a genuine, heart-felt smile delivered to a complete stranger – these are incredibly meaningful gestures that take so little time and give so much pleasure to others. “The best things in life are free,” so what does it cost to share these small acts of kindness? A moment of your time equals an impact that is immeasurable. Think about how these acts, if treated upon you, would make you feel – and treat others to that feeling!
“Just for today, I honor every living thing”
Finding Silver Linings
There is a famous saying along the lines of “there is always, always something for which to be grateful.” Additionally, an attitude of gratitude has really become popular, and isn’t that a wonderful thing ~ when something healthy and helpful is also in style? I am working on material to conduct a Gratitude Journaling workshop, and I know several folks that offer these already. But isn’t it so difficult to be grateful all the time?? Sometimes, the challenges we face can feel overwhelming. Looking for the silver linings and turning it around, even in small amounts, is key. After the pain comes the lesson and eventually, the growth. The journey we are on can have severe curves – by practicing finding silver linings (not just looking for them), your ability to locate the positives becomes easier, even second nature, and then it becomes so easy to appreciate your blessings.
“Just for today, I show gratitude for all my many blessings”
These are all active practices that require some effort, and a little time. I can say without reservation that these guiding principles make life so much less complicated! After practice becomes second-nature, it is a matter of remembering to use the tools that we pick up along the way to live our best life! I wish for you an open heart and open mind, for your greatest good and highest joy!!
Nancy Hogan Depew is a Reiki Master-Teacher, proudly practicing at ReikiSpace! Catch her there for heart-centered services including Reiki sessions, classes & attunements and workshops! More information and future blog entries can be found on her website, www.ReikiWithNan.com.
February 18, 2018
I am the mother of two adopted boys. I was Blessed for them to come into my life only 11 weeks apart from one another. I went from experiencing years of infertility, to having a 4 day old and an 11 week old at the same time! I was never happier.
My oldest boy, Ryan, was later diagnosed as bipolar schizophrenic, and after trying desperately to find his identity, and seeking inner peace and Love, he made the choice to leave this world at 20 years old. I was literally heartbroken.
I had learned Reiki and created a Reiki practice several years prior. I had no choice but to return to work quickly, as I had my other son, Ron, to care for. My clients knew me very well, and knew what had happened, and I cried through many sessions as the Reiki flowed through and helped to heal me each time.
I very distinctly remember walking into my Reiki room the first time still very sad, and struggling just to keep putting one foot in front of the other. As I entered the room, the Reiki Healing Principles literally came right in front of my face and spoke to me. They said ” Are these just words, or are you really going to Choose to live by this”. I KNEW in that moment I had choice to really LIVE or just exist as a victim. Those Reiki Healing Principles saved my life!
I also received the guidance that I would be sharing a workshop called “From Grief to Gratitude”. It took me 5 years to be ready to share Ryan’s story. It has helped heal many others, and helps heal me more and more every time I do.
December 2, 2017
In alignment with the Reiki Healing Principles, here are my wishes for you throughout the Holidays and into the upcoming New Year:
May you REMEMBER what you Love, what Sparks you, and brings you endless, timeless Joy. May you Consciously Create more time for these things in your life.
May you Forgive yourself and others for the sake of Peace.
May you remember that we are ALL doing the Best that we can with the Knowledge, Wisdom and Experiences we bring to this moment. This will allow you to see with the eyes of Compassion.
May you know how precious your Energy is, and Choose Loving and Peaceful words, thoughts and attitudes every day. May you attract the same.
May you remember that life’s challenging people and situations are a GIFT helping you learn and grow in ways that you wouldn’t/couldn’t have chosen on your own.
May you find the Perfect Balance of Quiet Introspection, Service, Connection, Laughter and PLAY.
May you Receive your Heart’s Desire, and most importantly, may you KNOW that you are Worthy and Deserving of Receiving.
May you continue to be of Loving Purposeful Service Always.
May you keep things in Perspective and Remember to BREATHE.
May you Feel the Peace, Contentment and Joy Within You.
May you remember that we NEED each other. Allow yourself to be Vulnerable and Receive, for this allows others the Joy of Sharing too.
With Love, Rickie Meryl Freedman
March 14, 2017
Dolphins and Diamonds
“Reiki (pronounced Ray-Kee) is a gentle, holistic, hands-on energy healing technique for stress management and deep relaxation” – Reiki by Rickie
This year I have a standing monthly appointment for a one-hour session. No two Reiki treatments are ever the same. I might feel tingling inside my body, or an extra third hand on my body. The time might be spent in a blissful nap, or it might seem that the hour could not possibly have been more than 30 minutes.
Last night, the background music included sounds of dolphins calling. My limbs jerked a few times, as if I had been slightly startled out of a sleep, as I settled into that space of peace. In a short time, I became one with those dolphins.
I laid flat as I was on the table and floated under water. The blingy rhinestones on my shirt were the same navy color as the shirt, and they sparkled under the water as if they were diamonds that the sun shined on.
My thought drifted to the fireman who died tragically, hit by an impaired driver as he was leaving a funeral and en route to assist at another fire, where a child died. The tragedy fills my eyes with tears and I can only imagine the devastation for his wife, children, family and his fire brethren. And I think that he was a diamond in life, living and giving selflessly. His will surely be a funeral where the masses will come to pay their respects in lines that wrap around the building. He sparkled like a diamond, like my underwater rhinestones, throughout his life and then his life as we know it ended, and his body lay in wait at the morgue, and he will be buried or kept atop a mantle, and his sparkle will remain. His Soul, everlasting, maintains its shimmer and brilliance and it doesn’t matter about his human body. His Light will never go out.
A human-like dolphin-faced creature makes itself known as a Spirit Guide of mine. I ask for its name and that was humorous to it – the human need for labels and names. “I am Grolfin,” he telepathically messages to me, enjoying the play on the word “fin.”
He shows me that the sparkly blue rhinestones are like the Soul. If I sunk to the bottom of the water, the sun’s rays would still reach down and reflect light on the many jeweled Souls, and their reflections would illuminate up to the air. Our Light, our Soul, never diminishes, Grolfin tells me.
After the calming Reiki session, I wait at the side of the road as a fireman’s procession transports the expired body from the hospital to the funeral home where it will be prepared for its final resting place. Ladders are crossed over intersections and non-military fire personnel salute him. They still see his Light.
In perfect timing, I watched the sun set for ten minutes as I drove alongside the river. Then the sky turned darker and darker, waiting to unleash millions of snowflakes upon us. And I could feel the sun’s Light was still there, waiting for reemergence in twelve hours. The Light may have been unseen, but it was still there for someone. As it set in the west, it was rising in the east and those who witnessed it, were seeing its glimmer like a diamond.
And the snowflakes began falling.
March 3, 2017
I would like to personally congratulate you as your blog Reiki by Rickie has been selected by our panelist as one of the Top 25 Reiki Blogs on the web.
http://blog.feedspot.com/reiki_blogs/
I personally give you a high-five and want to thank you for your contribution to this world. This is the most comprehensive list of Top 25 Reiki Blogs on the internet and I’m honored to have you as part of this!
February 1, 2017
The validity of Reiki has been challenged by academic and medical studies and has been found to have some useful benefits for mesothelioma and cancer patients. Proponents of reiki have never claimed that it will cure any illness or that it can replace traditional medicine, but they do say that this healing art can be a complementary technique that helps cancer patients and others find peace, relaxation, and healing.
What is Reiki?
Reiki is a type of complementary and alternative medicine that has its roots in Japan in the 1920s. It was developed to provide stress reduction, relaxation, and healing for participants. It is often classified as a type of mind-body therapy in that it aims to create a balance between the body, mind, and soul and to heal on a physical, mental, and spiritual level.
The practice of Reiki is based on energy thought to flow in all living things and referred to as ‘Ki’ in Japan and ‘Chi’ in China. Someone who practices Reiki balances and manipulates this energy in a patient using his or her hands. One session of Reiki may last an hour or more with the patient lying on something like a massage table or sitting in a comfortable chair. The practitioner may actually touch the patient, but much of the work is done with the hands over, but not touching the body.
Reiki is not a type of massage and it is not part of any religious practice. It was only developed during the last century, but is based on thousands of years of belief in energy work used in traditional Eastern medicine. Although there are some proven healing and health benefits of Reiki, as reported by participants and as seen in some research studies, it is not considered to be a replacement for traditional medical treatments, especially for cancer.
Why People Use Reiki
There are many reasons why people turn to Reiki practitioners, but some of the biggest ones are for relaxation and reduction of stress. Some also use Reiki to improve overall health and general wellness, without specific needs. Practitioners claim that while Reiki is not something that cures illnesses, it does promote and facilitate healing and makes a useful complement to traditional medicine for this reason.
Cancer patients in particular may turn to Reiki to reduce stress and promote relaxation, but also to help them cope with the general difficulties of living with cancer. They may also turn to Reiki as a way to reduce pain and other physical symptoms of cancer and the side effects of treatments like chemotherapy.
Reiki in Cancer Research
There is no harm in using Reiki as a complement to traditional treatments for patients with mesothelioma and other types of cancer. If it helps individuals to feel better, then it is worthwhile. There is, though, some important evidence from research that Reiki really does improve some of the symptoms of cancer, and that it does actually reduce stress and help patients feel more relaxed and at peace with being sick.
In one study, researchers surveyed and measured the results of Reiki sessions on over 200 cancer patients. The quantitative measurements evaluated the patients’ distress, while the surveys asked for self-reported evaluations of each patient’s depression, anxiety, fatigue, and pain. The results determined that the patients experienced significant reductions in all of these and that they enjoyed the sessions and wanted to continue with them in the future.
Self-reporting studies can be problematic, but other studies have taken a more quantitative approach to evaluating the effects of Reiki on cancer patients. In one study, the researchers compared the effects of Reiki sessions to sessions that involved rest only as a restorative technique. This study found that the patients experienced significant reductions in fatigue and that all reported better quality of life after Reiki sessions.
Another study looked at pain in cancer patients and how Reiki impacted pain and the use of opioid painkillers to manage pain. The patients that were given Reiki sessions experienced less pain, but did not use any less of their painkillers. One hypothesis for how Reiki affects pain is that it changes a person’s perception of pain. Because there is no physical touch or manipulation of muscles, it is difficult to explain the results. It may simply be that the power of suggestion helps people feel as if they are experiencing less pain.
Reiki in Hospitals
There is enough evidence from research and from patient reports of experiences with Reiki that hospitals are beginning to offer this complementary service on their premises. Hospitals and doctors providing care for patients with mesothelioma and other types of cancer recognize that there is healing power in Reiki and other complementary strategies. If you are living with mesothelioma, ask your medical team about Reiki and other complementary practices that you may have access to in your hospital or medical center.
Reiki has many followers and practitioners who believe in the power of healing energy. It has come to be evaluated as a worthwhile complementary strategy, and while it cannot serve as a substitute for treatment, it is clear that Reiki practitioners may be able to help you feel better and cope better with having mesothelioma. Make sure that you work only with a trained and experienced practitioner and that you feel comfortable during your sessions. With the right expert, Reiki may help you enjoy a better quality of life while you fight cancer.
https://mesothelioma.net/reiki-mesothelioma-patients/