16 Aug Reiki Bringing Comfort and Peace

Reiki Bringing Comfort and Peace by Fran Freeman

     In January 1993, living in Boca Raton, Florida, I received word that my mother, who lived in Massachusetts, had lung cancer.  Without hesitation my husband Don said, “Well, you have to be with her.”  I took a leave of absence from my work in the schools and drove to my parents’ home to be with them and assist as I could.  

     At the time, Mom was highly anxious because she and my dad did not have a will.  She was dealing with her illness, which was diagnosed as stage 4, sorting out what to do about their estate, and caring for my father, who had dementia. 

She had chemotherapy treatments from January 1993 until July; these were usually extremely debilitating with a raft of highly uncomfortable side effects at that time, so this was another concern.  How could she do all that needed to be done with these challenges?  

     Besides the practical things like making meals, cleaning, etc., I was grateful that I had reiki to offer her and began daily sessions with her immediately.  During the six months she was given chemotherapy, she was comfortable and did not experience pain or any of the side effects that were expected.  Because she was sensitive to heat and my hands were hot when I treated her, I would give her a back rub until she went to sleep, and then do reiki for her. Her snoring, always a family joke, was a sign to me that she had a deep and comfortable sleep.  

     Over the course of those months, she became more peaceful and was able to be clear and make the arrangements necessary to deal with their will.  This seemed to happen on a wing and a prayer, with the help of a wonderful attorney, because the state regulations about timing could have made this impossible.  

     Of course we were hoping, even though the chances were small, that the chemo would save her life.  I also wished and prayed that Reiki would heal her.  As time went on, it became obvious that she was not going to recover and that we all had to face the inevitable, that the center of our family universe was going to be gone.    

     I was blessed to be with her for all that time and it was only during her last week she needed medication for her discomfort.

     It was very special to be with her at the time of her passing because again, instead of standing by feeling like I wanted to do something but couldn’t, I was able to offer her reiki, especially in her last moments.  This helped her to be in a state of peace, complete and ready to transition.

     From this I came to understand that while reiki did not cure her body, it healed her life.  She was able to leave with what appeared to be a sense of joy, ready for her transition.

     Three years later, I was privileged to be with my dad at the time of his passing and offer him reiki.  This brought him to a tranquil state, diminishing pain, releasing emotional baggage from the war and allowed him to gently pass on.

     I became a Hospice volunteer to be able to offer reiki to clients, in person or distantly, and my experience is that reiki served them in many ways, depending on their need, be it physical, mental, emotional or spiritual.

     My wish is for other volunteers to have this healing art in their volunteer toolkit if they choose, so I am offering classes for volunteers at a reduced fee with a portion of the proceedings going to Hospice.    ~Fran 

Trainings

Fee for Hospice Volunteers:     First Degree $150 (usually $200); Second Degree $500.