Caring and Healing to the Marginalized

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest in your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11: 28-30)

I had an opportunity to learn Reiki healing from Sr. Mary Ellen Brody, RSM with other massage practitioners at the Care Through Touch Institute (CTI) in early October. It’s a valuable experience for me. Since then, I try to integrate Reiki into my care through touch (massage) work and to offer Reiki treatments for myself and others, both hands-on full body and distant Reiki. Although Reiki seemed somewhat mysterious at first, I was told in the workshop that all we need is caring hands, a loving heart, and the intention for Reiki energy to flow. Thus, although I am new to Reiki, I try to offer treatments to various friends and clients, attempting to learn through practice.

A few weeks ago, through Mary Ann, the director of CTI, I knew a friend from CTI was sick and had been in the hospital. After he was discharged, he was still in pain, feeling uncomfortable and tired. So I offered to give him a distant Reiki treatment. The next day he said he had slept very well but still had pain. I offered two more treatments that week. Each time after the treatment, he told me that he felt much better and appreciated that someone was thinking and caring about him. I think caring and making connection is exactly the spirit of Reiki, and also the spirit of CTI.

Each treatment is also a time of pray and contemplation for me, a time to remember a friend in need and put my intention into action, a time to be an instrument of God’s healing for another person, and a time to strengthen connection and deepen relationship among God, the Reiki receiver and myself. When talking with the recipients about their needs before the Reiki session, I feel gratitude that they are willing to share their stories, their challenges and difficulties with me. They in turn feel supported by having someone listen to them and address their problems through this hands-on modality. I have started understanding and experiencing Reiki treatment as “a concrete way to allow God’s healing light, divine love and holy energy to bring about deep healing.”

During the Reiki sessions, I have some spiritual guides who are very powerful and helpful for me. One of them is Jesus the comforter who tells us, “come to me, all you who labor and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.” All of us are overburdened in different ways, physically, mentally, and emotionally. We need to take a deep rest and be healed so that we can be in peace again. Reiki affords one that opportunity.

For me, practicing Reiki also makes me more mindful of keeping a healthy life through eating healthy food, doing exercises, giving self-treatment and having meditation regularly, and always have the sense of gratitude. This is a benefit for my own well-being.