Many years later I met another mother who placed her hands on my son every time he fell down at a little league baseball game. His bruises went away in minutes, not weeks. Two years later I found myself on the top of a mountain in a Native American ceremony asking for help for a tumor that was growing in my abdomen. I saw light shining out of my hands and when I came down from the mountain, I met a woman in a falling down cook shack. She knew that mother who had helped my son and told me the healing work was called Reiki. I sat down and cried.

The events continued happening and still are to this day. These surprises have become such a natural part of my life that when they don’t happen, I believe I am off my path.

It seems as if each person’s story about this first encounter with Reiki is as unique as the person. Does this tendency continue in the actual ongoing practice of Reiki? I mean, do you find each session to be unique? Of course, especially when I get out of the way and let Reiki establish its relationship with the person to whom I am offering my hands.

As Reiki practitioners, we have experienced being a conduit for Reiki, that universal energy IS a natural part of life as you explain. As a conduit what are some of our responsibilities? I’ve found over the years that it is very important not to make any promises to clients. This is really misleading and sets them up for disappointments. I don’t even tell stories any more of what happened to someone else. This sets up comparisons. I only tend to say that they could experience a level of relaxation that is refreshing. So, it is that I believe a major responsibility is to stand in as much of my center as possible and allow Reiki to do what it will do.

Is it possible to work with, say an adorable, and very sick child - and remain unattached to the outcome? And could you share a story with us about your experience with this element of the practice of Reiki?

Aaah. You’ve read my book. I have an essay in Reiki in Everyday Living which speaks to this. Needless to say, this is hard to do for anyone whether it is an adorable child or a loved one. I’ve had to dig deeply into my experience and observation and understanding of the aspects of healing to come to grips with this. It is so very hard to remain unattached, because we want the very best for the ones we work with. We want them not to hurt anymore, we want them to return to the life they had before their accident or their illness. We can almost take it as a personal affront when things don’t work that way.

I’ve learned the hard way that attachment to outcome is a part of my own ego and the ego I place on Reiki. I have to remember to stay in the moment and just be a channel. This is the only way I can be because when I decided to have Reiki in my life, that’s all I was asked to do. I was only asked to be a channel, nothing else. If I do anything else, then I get caught in the loop of doubt that Reiki didn’t do anything, when actually Reiki didn’t do what I wanted or what I expected. I forget that Reiki will do what’s needed.

If I am attached, I actually take on the client’s karma. I get in the way and can be affected negatively, because I have put too much of myself into the treatment. I don’t need the pain and suffering when I don’t have boundaries. Then I won’t be able to continue my work as a channel.

We have been conducting research on Reiki moving into the popular consciousness. Have you seen this happening and what do you see as the future for Reiki in CAM? There is more and more movement in nursing practice to bring in energy medicine. Where 20 years ago, I was not allowed to talk about Reiki to patients in our rural health center, now we have massage therapists, acupuncturists, and herbal medicine. I can openly talk about Reiki to staff and they listen. Because I do not have a license in Reiki therapy, because there is not one that is a state certified, I cannot practice at the health center, but do take referrals when they are sent to me. I was invited to contribute (which is now completed and published) a chapter on Reiki in "Principles and Practice of Manual Therapeutics". This is a workbook for medical providers and was published by Churchill/Livingston, a reputable agency producing books for medical schools and such. I truly believe there is a change happening primarily in nursing practice. It is changing, however slowly, not so much in the medical field as it is in the general population. Individuals are searching for something else besides pills and more pills.

This is Feminine Energy month. How does Reiki practice relate to feminine energy? I believe Reiki relates to feminine energy in a special way. Something I learned through my involvement with Native American philosophy and culture is that there is a male and feminine part in each of us and in everything. This is also true of prayer. When we ask our prayer either aloud or in our hearts, it is the male action of pushing our question out into the universe. The feminine part of prayer is our process of being open to receiving the answer or the guidance. This is the aspect of Reiki that I believe is the most healing. It also makes the asking to take the class and asking for the treatment becomes so important. That is the first step that has to be in place. The being open for the learning and for the treatment is the actual passage of energy through our beings.

In you book, you say, "If worry is the internalization of fear, then anger is the externalization of it. Do you recommend a specific approach to dealing with fear and anger.. and what is it? Fear and anger, I’ve found, take me away from living in the present. Because I realize I prefer the sense of oneness I feel when I am taking each moment, each feeling, each sight and sound and smell, as it comes, I am more apt to just let fear be released from my personal senses. I have a bit more trouble with anger, and usually can realize that it’s just a response to someone doing something that has bruised my ego. I let go of my attachment to their doing something the way I think it needs to be done, and move one. I also practice the ‘Reiki Bubble’ more and more with situations that I fear or to which I’ve attached my anger. It feels better to send Reiki than to hash and rehash my response and retorts in my mind.

How has your Reiki practice evolved over the years? I used to be a busy body about Reiki and couldn’t be quiet about it. Now I let Reiki do its work. It’s uncanny how people are drawn to me for their own reasons and that I’ve had no advertising or active bush beating to bring them for a session. I’m also very clear about not pushing anyone into having a Reiki session if they have any doubts about it. I also believe that if I stand in any space, which tries to push any kind of healing, or change on a person through Reiki, that I take on the karma of that disease or need. Now I depend strictly on referral and no direct advertising.