“It’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to.”

It dates me, I know, to admit I danced to this song when it became a Pop hit in 1963. The vocalist, Lesley Gore, is crying over a lost love, but, as we all know, there can be myriad reasons for crying.

I grew up in a family that valued stoicism over emotional display, and I was the family member who found it impossible to adhere to that creed. I cried. My tears

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Dewey and the Difference We Make

Dewey interrupted my thoughts and said, more cogently than I had heard him speak in some time, “Your coming in here makes half the difference. Maybe all the difference.” I thanked him for telling me, and silently promised, “Okay, Dewey, I’m with you until the end.”

On June 16, 2011 I began weekly Reiki sessions for a client who resided in an assisted living group home, his body and mind impaired by Parkinson’s and Lewy

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Sound Reiki: Using Reiki to Ease the Burden of Grief

In the early light of a clear, cold Lynnwood morning, I stepped gingerly onto my balcony, seeking a moment’s respite from cabin fever as I entered the fourth week of homebound recovery from surgery.

A deep sense of peace flowed through my body as I breathed in the crisp air, smiled at the sparkle of sun on heavy frost, took in the skeletal beauty

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Sound Reiki: Can Reiki Impact Cancer Remission?

A chance encounter and an inspiring Reiki story.

I had the good fortune of receiving a total ankle replacement on November 27 at Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center, one of the premier facilities in the country for treatment of trauma and injury. Self-treatment and distant Reiki from my students and colleagues created a deep sense of calm and peace as time approached for the procedure. After the surgery my pain level was easily managed with minimum medication and Reiki.

When the shift changed on the second morning of my hospitalization, the morning nurse asked me about a report from the night nurse: “Michael tells me you are managing pain with some kind of meditation?” I responded that I was giving myself Reiki to control pain. Her eyes widened and her face lit up. “I believe in that!” she exclaimed. Then she told me this story:

Several years ago a young woman on this unit of the hospital was dying of cancer. She was given comfort care, as she was expected to live no longer than a few days. A Reiki practitioner came to give her Reiki, and her vital signs improved enough that she was able to return home. Hospital staff felt she would be more at ease spending her last days in familiar surroundings. Two years later, to the astonishment of the nursing staff, she walked into the unit and greeted her former care team.

I have no idea what the intervening years were like for this young woman, whether she continued to receive Reiki daily, intermittently, or not at all, or what other therapy or treatment she may have undergone. There is no way of knowing all of the contributing factors in her cancer remission. However, what I do believe is that Reiki played a part in turning the tide for her at a critical moment.

In my own work with cancer patients, I have found that Reiki can reduce pain, mitigate the side effects of chemotherapy, assist patients in coming to terms with their illness, and bring greater peace, no matter the ultimate outcome of the condition.

How does distant Reiki work?

What Can Reiki Heal?

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© 2017 Marianne Streich, Reiki for Living. All rights reserved. For reposting permission, contact Marianne.

Marianne is a Seattle-Area

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Sound Reiki: Fall Into Good Habits

Fall into good habits for increasing your Reiki time and harvest the benefits.

Even a few minutes of Reiki can make a difference in your sense of well-being and help bring balance to a busy day. Committed, consistent Reiki over time can result in significant improvements in overall health, according to a 2010 survey of more than 500 practitioners

Habits to cultivate:

  1. Begin your day with a brief self-treatment before getting out of bed. Morning Reiki helps me wake fully, feel centered and better prepared to start my day.
  2. Treat yourself before going to sleep at night for a more restful night’s sleep. If you are wakeful during the night, use Reiki to ease back into sleep.
  3. Quietly place a hand(s) inconspicuously on your body at odd times during the workday—during a break or a meeting, for instance—and allow Reiki to flow. This can reduce stress and aid in re-centering when you feel out of balance.
  4. If you have a formal Reiki practice, or a dedicated Reiki area in your home, prepare the space just as you would to receive a client; get on the table and treat yourself to the session you give clients. These are the best sessions I give myself. Afterwards I feel deeply rested and refreshed.
  5. Exchange sessions with another practitioner(s) on a regular basis. Working with a committed exchange partner(s) consistently over time can be life changing. It has been for me!
  6. Attend Reiki Circles/Shares. The brief treatments received and given during a Circle can bring about significant shifts for participants.
  7. Schedule a hands-on or distant session with me. Longer sessions (2 hours for a hands-on session and 1 hour for a distant session) help to facilitate the deepest healing on all levels—mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual.

I invite you to share ways you work Reiki into your self-care regimen. Thank you for your comments!

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©2017 Marianne Streich, Reiki for Living. All rights reserved. For reposting permission, contact Marianne.

Marianne is a Seattle-Area Reiki teacher and practitioner. She is the author of 

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