Thankful for Reiki

by Jeff Baird

I am so thankful for Reiki. This amazing gift entered my life at a time when I was in tremendous pain. The pain left as Reiki made it’s subtle yet grand entrance. Thankfully, my life will never be the same. When pain leaves, lives are transformed.

In January of 2012, I took a Reiki Level I class and received an attunement which gave me the ability to use Reiki for self-healing, as well as helping others to heal. At the time, I thought that this was where my understanding of Reiki would remain. After the attunement, the intense pain in my hands left almost immediately. I canceled my scheduled hand surgeries, and I no longer needed to wear hand splints during the day or wrap my hands in ice packs at night.

In addition to the physical pain I had experienced, the emotional drain was exhausting. Now, it was gone – just like that! Before taking the class, I was skeptical but running out of options for pain relief. I had tried just about everything to ease the pain, but nothing worked. Now, I was a believer in the healing power of Reiki, but had a limited understanding and could not have imagined what amazing experiences lie ahead for me.

My Reiki Master had told me that Reiki heals physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. At the time, I did not know what that meant, but now I was experiencing it firsthand. The physical pain was gone, and I felt so much lighter–a heavy burden lifted from me. I felt stronger, more focused, and excited about the possibilities that life offered me. I wanted to share this amazing gift and started giving Reiki to those closest to me.

I had no intentions of taking a Reiki Level II class, as I just did not see the need. My pain was gone, and I felt terrific. What more could there be? Then, as I discussed Reiki with others, I started hearing about the Reiki symbols. I was utterly content as a Reiki Level I recipient and still did not see the need to learn about the symbols. For me, the simpler things are, the better. I did not want to complicate things.

Then, I heard about distant healing. It seemed a little far-fetched to me. How could you heal someone from a distance? I had a difficult time wrapping my head around this concept. My conclusion was that some of these Reiki people were a little far out there for me. I was perfectly content as I went about my business with no pain and periodically shared Reiki with others who were experiencing pain. It was like a novelty for me. I was a traveling salesman who had discovered something pretty cool, and I just left it at that.

Then, as I was getting a massage at a Colorado resort, my massage therapist told me how she used the symbols to help others heal who were far away. Something clicked with me, and I thought about my mom who lived in Arizona and was suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. In June of 2012, I took a Reiki Level II class, learned about the symbols and received another attunement. Afterwards, my wife commented on how much stronger the energy was that was coming from my hands. Everything does indeed expand, and this was my first real understanding of this concept.

I was still a little intimidated by the distant healing idea, yet, I started experimenting with it. People told me they could feel the energy from a distance. Wow! Really? I continued using the symbols and always received encouraging feedback after a distance session. All of this amazed me. I learned all I could about Reiki and continued using it throughout the day. I felt so strong and had a love affair with this new thing that was becoming a more significant part of my life. During the Level II class, my Reiki Master had said, “We become Reiki.” At the time, I had no idea what that meant, but, I was beginning to learn as Reiki expanded and continued to amaze. I could not ignore the endless possibilities any longer.

I became a Reiki Master in November of 2014. Reiki has allowed me to heal countless people with just about every ailment you can imagine. Today, I firmly believe Reiki has no limitations. Why would I think otherwise after helping others heal from fibromyalgia, cancer, migraine headaches, retinitis pigmentosa, insomnia, depression, broken bones, kidney infections, nightmares, emotional trauma, allergies, chronic pain, stress and just about every ache and pain you can think of – physical and emotional?

Instead of masking the pain and burying it deeper inside of a person, we bring the pain out into the light. Then, we release it. Dr. Mikao Usui, Reiki’s founder, called Reiki, “The secret art of inviting happiness” and “The miraculous medicine of all diseases...” Truer words were never spoken. If you are in any pain, please try Reiki. Take it from one who knows - Reiki works wonders in people’s lives.