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My First Reiki Session

I don't pretend to know much about Reiki. What I knew before going into this session was that it was a form of energy healing of Eastern origin, based on the body's chakra system. Throughout my injury, I've done every kind of hands-on treatment I could think of or read about, but it occurred to me that there was another source of healing I hadn't tapped into: energy medicine. Actually, my aunt Pattie is the person who suggested Reiki early on in my injury when I posted about it on Facebook. Only later did it occur to me that I had a friend who was a Reiki master and practitioner. So I asked her if she'd be able to give me a session. She happily obliged, and we set a date.

I had my session a couple of hours ago, and this is what my experience was like:

  1. First, it was a casual meeting, as Melissa and I had known each other for years, and we met in my office and closed the door.
  2. She sat across from me and put her hands up, palms facing my body, and pretty much said, "I'm doing Reiki right now," and then further explained the principle behind it.
  3. I was surprised that I felt anything at all (as much as I try to believe in alternative medicine, I'm hardwired to believe in methods of manipulation I can see and touch, like pills). What I think I felt was a very slight warm buzz in my legs--nothing I probably would have noticed if I weren't paying attention.
  4. We continued our casual chit-chat, and she suddenly said, "I feel like I need to do Thai yoga massage on your shoulders." It was an unexpected statement, but I don't turn down anyone who says the need to do [any form of] massage on me--especially my shoulders, which are always a trouble spot.
  5. So I swiveled around in my chair and she came behind me and gently pressed into the tops of my shoulders and found the knots that were on either side. (She jokingly referred to these as English Department knots, because probably most everyone in the department--students, faculty, staff--has them.)
  6. The faint buzzing continued, now throughout the rest of my body and my hands; although, my hands might have been falling asleep, as I hadn't moved them from my lap in 20 minutes or so. They do that. But there was a sensation nonetheless, and it was certainly not unpleasant.
  7. After the massage, she took her hands away and explained that she was now doing Reiki on my shoulders. I was very much at peace at this point. I had my eyes closed and just tried to picture her healing hands doing their Reiki thing.
  8. And then, she announced she was done. So turned around, thanked her, hugged her, and gave her a donation, as she didn't charge for her services (bless her).
The timing of this session was perhaps not the best for looking for results, as I'm well on my way to healing anyway, but I wanted the experience nonetheless. And as Melissa and I discussed during the session, energy medicine doesn't come with negative side effects, so it doesn't hurt to try it. Plus, it's just good for the soul to have a warm, positive, and caring person directing healing vibes and comforting touches your way.
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