My Reiki Experience

Bright candescent light, the scent of jasmine, lemon, and eucalyptus fills my nostrils as I rise up to what felt like a superficial high. A high higher than Mount Everest. A heavenly high, I walked with the Gods--

“Man, my G, what are you talking about? I would love a heavenly high like that. I’m just saying all the weed and Perc's can't get me on that level. Shit, and if I am ever there, I fall asleep. Girly, I need what you had.” Bolstering, as he looks across the room, a light smirk spreads across his chestnut cheeks. Twiddling his fingers, he asks me in a serious monotone,

“Ren, fa real, I need to escape some of this pain that I have been going through. It's like I have to stay at a particular level of consciousness to evade some of my life decisions.”

“Bro, what are you trying to say?” I ask, left eye squinted up, lip protruding to the same direction towards the bright blue light of the sky out the window. I turned back to him, and I looked up to this hazel eyed, auburn haired, square-faced Abraham Lincoln look alike. An ebony man. My cousin Pete, the one that could get you whatever it is that you need. Family knows that Pete had a troubled childhood into his early twenties. With that being said, I knew that he was telling the truth. His soul has been troubled for years, hence the reason why he had to self-medicate for so long, using a plethora of different drugs, analogs, alcohol, sex with different women--the common signs of a troubled soul. Now, he’s fidgeting waiting for my reply. I calmly state, “Reiki, Pete.”

“What the who, Raq-he?”

I chuckle at the annunciation with which he pronounced. “Reiki cousin; it’s a Japanese word that means energy healing, I guess. I can look up the actual definition and tell you more, but I think it really sums it up for real for real.”

“Alright Cuz that sounds like some Voodoo. Or something but I know you said it comes from Japan or somewhere. What else do you know about it? I’m curious, like for real. Can this stuff help me to fight these demons better because it's taking a toll on my life, and I can't deal with it, no more. I need way more than what this life has been giving me. Ren, tell me how you know that this is going to help me. I know you are smart and you stick to yourself, but I need help, Cuz.”

I cut him off as if he were talking too much. I then went into almost a hypnosis-like state. I looked him straight into the eye. “Cousin you feeling too sorry for yourself. You are more than likely focusing on the trauma that you have endured. I'll tell you what she did to help me get over my dirty bags of laundry because I had darks, whites, and light colors all combined in the same bag. All that shit had to go. My whites turned pink, and my lights got darker. Like Kevin Hart said, ‘that I had to make an executive decision, and someone had to go.’”

Walking out of his bedroom towards the front door I pondered the trance that I was just in. I then regained my thought to where I was within the session that took place with Sam.

In my cousin’s house, gold black and white sneakers were thrown and scattered on the floor. “Damn Pete, why haven't you cleaned up?” I kindly scolded him. “Cuz fuck the dumb shit what's up where we going?” We were walking briskly toward North and 5th Street... Walking down the street I am remembering the actual event.

--The light turned green and I laid on my back on a massage bed. Heavy eye mask, weighted blanket and grounding rocks in each palm. She then began to touch my temples.--

“Cuz, you keep saying she and why the fuck is she touching you.”

“Be quiet Pete and let me finish.” I cut him with such a grimacing look. “I remembered the session as if I were still there. Hands to my side and feet cold as ice under a weighted blanket, ready and nervous to begin, smelling the jasmine relaxed my overly tense, rigid feet. Warmth began to creep in as I focused on my breathing. I looked up to the lids of my eyes, seeing black and almost orange hues, feeling like every cell in my body was touched by the oxygen that came slowly and steady though my nostrils. I felt the air reach every cell in my body. Then I exhaled all of the toxins, bad thoughts, and negativity. I did that for an hour or so. Lemon zest and the sound of wind chimes entered into the atmosphere. Serene, soft, smooth voice tells me to release and add positivity. As those actions are going on, I think about my phone and wonder has anyone called me. A soft voice asks me to pay attention to how my life's relationships have been and to release negativity, (I think about what I want to eat). Soft Native American chanting is going on. I can't feel my feet, my legs. I have no sense of taste. Where am I? I’m a bear running and transforming into a wolf. Where am I? I am a wolf slowly shedding fur and legs turning into an eagle’s wings. Where am I? I am an eagle cascading through the light blue warmth of the sky. Wind is brushing across my face. Now I am soaring into the wind above pine, Cypress trees, and seeing a mountain top, looking for prey. Free. No worries. Now I’m a Buddhist monk. I have on a red velvety, almost silky tarmac that’s baggy, almost three sizes too big; it covers my body from my neck to my pink painted toes. HMMMM, AAaHH, HMMM, AAAHH, HMMMM. We are in a circle, sitting crossed legged, eight to ten feet apart. Humming. Legs flat against the tan colored temple floors engraved with red and black linear designs. Hands resting upon my inner thighs pointed towards the sky forefinger and thumb touching, making an OK sign. Humming still. I felt a shift of coldness down my neck. A brief whew encapsulates my ears. Energy encapsulating my body. A white light turns into a purple orb. Now I am an infant crying in a crib, wearing pink and yellow on a cloth bodysuit. Bald, no hair. Red from excessive screaming and hearing my mother and father making words I could not understand, ignoring me. My older self comes and gently lays eyes upon my infant face, making clear concise eye contact with me. I as an infant instantly stop crying. The older me then gently kisses my forehead. Wraps the blanket towards my chest, wraps the right side to my left, tucks it in, then to the left side wrapping it sincerely around my fragile infant body. She then scoops me up gingerly with love holding me tight rocking me to sleep.” I said out loud.

“Ren sorry, what are you talking about? How can you tell me you went through this stuff? What is the joke here because it all seems unreal and supernatural,” My cousin confusingly states.

We are sitting on a bench now at the 5th Street Park in the cool night air, green grass and patches of dirt under our feet. I approach his comment very gently.

“Pete, that was me as an infant abandoned by my parents. I as an adult gave my infant self-love and generous attention. I then at the very point found the true essence of my pain that I have harbored throughout my life.”

Walking back to my cousin’s home he asked me now if we can google the subject of Reiki healing. Sure, I tell him, which in turns gets him excited.

Google tells us that the definition of Reiki is “A healing technique based on the principle that the therapist can channel energy into the patient by means of touch, to activate the natural healing processes of the patient's body and restore physical and emotional well-being.” It’s a Japanese form of alternative medicine called energy healing. It could be used in everyday thoughts by: recognizing and releasing angry feelings, by saying things like, “I release angry thoughts;” recognizing and letting go of worry, practicing gratitude, recognizing your own consciousness and practicing kindness. We weeded through a couple of websites and read that “Reiki” means “mysterious atmosphere, miraculous sign.” Rei in Japanese means universal, Ki means life energy.

“Okay, Arendia” he says, all playful. “I want to try this little scenario and see what I can turn into.” Laughing, thinking that it will literally transform him into some kind of superhero. “Lil cousin, I’m just saying that I want to hit up whoever you talked to.”

“Pete she is not in the office right now so...”

“Naw, call her right now, leave a voicemail. Well, I can leave the voicemail I guess.” Pete grabs his cell phone and then repeats the number that I give him.

Sam’s cadence over the voicemail gives the impression to ask as many questions as possible--oh, and did Pete certainly do that! He had about ten or so questions that he quickly blurted out to the static of the machine: “Can you give me your definition of Reiki? What does Reiki heal? How does Reiki Heal? How long have you practiced Reiki? On yourself, on others?”

The voicemail cuts him off--You have reached the end of this recording. Please press one to send the recording, Press two to delete and or cancel the recording. Click. Pete hangs up the phone.

Two days later, he receives a voicemail that goes like this: “Hello Pete, I would like to schedule a time for you to come in. I have an appointment today at 5pm if that is possible for you?

Pete, filled with excitement, “Yo, Ren! She called me back. I’m going to go and see her and ask her everything.” Pete was elated by the information that she recited to him. He stated that her definition was similar to Google’s, but he understood hers so much more.

“Cuz, Sam's definition of Reiki is ‘life force energy and relaxes and calms the nervous system, which transports us into rest and relax mode, allowing time for the mind and the body to be renewed.’ She also said that “Reiki really is healing both the emotional and energetic body, but in particular, the nervous system which, for most people in today’s modern world, is trapped in the sympathetic, or fight or flight. So, we can get the body back into the parasympathetic, then it really balances and allows us to heal and is, of course, great for depression and anxiety.”

“I asked her what she used.” Pete continued. “She told me aromatherapy, light healing touch, loving care and she said a peaceful environment.”

“Oh okay, well did she give you her history? Like what she does or how long?” I asked.

“Yes, about three years, one on herself and two on others.”

Pete went on to receive Sam’s treatment in Reiki. He did well. He was afraid of medicine and also speaking to someone who would prescribe it. The mere phrase, “As above, so below,” truly summed up Pete’s experience with Reiki. He needed to feel the change for himself, rather than just thinking he needed it.

Reiki healing has the power to absolutely transform the lives of those who choose to practice it. Reiki as a whole has helped others to truly live their authentic selves because healing happened in certain areas to better them. Soul searching, healing your energetic field, or trauma from your past could be done with Reiki. Would you consider Reiki for emotional healing?