The last few months have been full of amazing and joyous occasions on the Reiki teaching front with retreats and Solstice celebrations and some interesting and enjoyable classes. Our family journey with cancer has been wonderful from a spiritual growth perspective, but not perhaps from a personal one as it has been a challenging time and an emotional rollercoaster for all of us. My mother-in-law is still benefiting from the protocol we have been using, but it has become obvious that in her case, it is not going to be a permanent cure. We are therefore making the most of the time we have left with her and I will blog more about the highs and lows in the future. In the interim, I have been blessed on this journey to be contacted by many people who are interested in using Reiki with cancer patients or who have benefited from using it on their own personal path. My gratitude goes out to Emily Walsh for the following piece of editorial on using Reiki with Cancer Care. Emily is a fellow Reiki practitioner and freelance writer who is passionate about helping cancer patients discover holistic methods to alleviate the emotional and physical distress that accompanies a serious illness. There are some good educational resources in the links within her article.

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Reiki offers people from all walks of life relaxation and stress relief, and it may help strengthen the immune system and promote healing throughout the body. For cancer patients, Reiki offers these same benefits and can be used as a valuable complement to traditional medical treatments of cancer. Reiki can be performed on cancer patients at any stage, from diagnosis to treatment to recovery.

Reiki promotes positive thinking in patients’ minds and also induces relaxation in their bodies. Being diagnosed with cancer and then undergoing treatments can be an extremely stressful period of anyone’s life. This emotional stress and strain can negatively impact a patient’s health at a time when his or her immune system is already weakened. After a cancer diagnosis, Reiki treatments may help patients feel more relaxed by relieving stress and anxiety, and Reiki can help patients feel more in touch with their bodies.

In addition to the damage done to the body by cancerous cells, cancer treatments themselves can take a great toll on the body. Radiation and chemotherapy, though life-saving for many, come with side effects such as nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and aches and pains. Following Reiki sessions, many patients undergoing cancer treatments reported an increased sense of well-being and a reduction in treatment side effects like nausea, vomiting and pain.

Many of the scientific studies that attempt to evaluate Reiki’s benefits for cancer patients have flaws such as having too small a sample size or choosing a non-randomized sample. Some studies were not designed with rigorous enough standards, so the research must be carefully evaluated. According to the American Cancer Society current scientific evidence does not support any claims that Reiki could cure or help treat cancer. Reiki has not been shown to increase mesothelioma life expectancy, or life expectancies for other cancers. Nonetheless, anecdotal evidence suggests that Reiki can promote relaxation and a sense of well-being that is beneficial to patients suffering from mesothelioma or other cancers.

Reiki treatments have begun to be offered in many cancer treatment centers, hospitals, and even by hospice providers. The number of patient testimonials on Reiki’s healing effects have clearly made enough of an impact that it is now considered a complementary therapy that has particular benefits to cancer patients.

It is not advisable for patients to rely on Reiki as the sole method of treating cancer, but Reiki is conclusively considered to be safe for cancer patients, as it is on anyone. There is little to no chance of harm for patients who want to undergo Reiki as a complement to medical cancer treatments, and it may at the very least result in increased well-being and decreased stress and anxiety.

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Thanks again to Emily for her guest editorial slot and I will personally be back to blogging in the very near future.

Future events and workshops

Reiki Drum Practitioner – 3/4 September, 5/6 November

Reiki Drum Practitioner & Samhain Residential Retreat – 28-30 October

Reiki Share, Sawbridgeworth, 23rd September (Students only)

Reiki One(Shoden) – 16 /17 July, 1/2 October, 3/4 December

Reiki Two (Okuden) – 23/24 July, 22/23 October

Reiki Master Teacher (Shinpiden) 18-20 November

Karuna Reiki® – 5-7 August