Article by Deborah Lloyd, Reiki Master
Grief is one of the most powerful emotions a person can experience. When someone you love dies, your heart fills with sadness and pain, as the realization you will not have that person in your life continues to surprise, again and again, throughout the following weeks and months. Reiki can bring comfort and peace during this long journey, in many different ways.
Reiki brings a calming perspective to a person’s being. Susan was the primary caregiver for her husband who died from pancreatic cancer. She was exhausted and remained overwhelmed with feelings of guilt and inadequacy, although she provided excellent care to him. She wondered what she would do with the long days ahead, with no essential caregiving tasks to be completed. The healing power of Reiki can give Susan, truly an unsung hero, much-needed rest and reassurance.
Image by James Jordan
Attending to normal life activities became increasingly difficult during her grieving process. Completing regular chores like buying groceries, cooking and cleaning the house challenged her. Through a friend’s encouragement, Susan scheduled a Reiki session. She slept almost the entire hour and felt refreshed afterwards. The world seemed a little brighter that day.
Reiki can bring a feeling of equilibrium back into someone’s life, and often it begins with a good sleep. Often, grieving people have a hard time falling asleep, awaken frequently throughout the night, and generally feel unrested in the morning. Sleep deprivation greatly affects physical and emotional energies, delaying the grieving process. Reiki can help to restore a regular sleeping pattern, positively affecting all areas of a person’s life.
Reiki also serves to remind us that each of us is connected to Divine Healing Energy and other spiritual realities. Through practicing Reiki, many of us have developed a stronger understanding of all the spiritual support that is available to us.
After another session, Susan realized she felt less lonely and felt the presence of her husband around the house. Our loved ones and our ancestors continue to be a part of our lives. They communicate with us in dreams and inspirational thoughts. They provide protection and support during difficult times. They give us signs and orchestrate synchronicities to remind us they are watching over us. While this was part of Susan’s belief system, his presence became a reality to her.
If a grieving client doubts this possibility, gently encourage him look into it further. There are numerous television and radio programs, dozens and dozens of books, blogs, websites, etc., that a person can investigate. What a difference it makes when a grieving person truly believes the deceased one has only departed physically, and is still alive and well, aware of happenings on earth.
Reiki is not a quick fix technique, simply taking away the hurt. Rather, it is a gentle, loving modality helping us to remember we are never alone. As Reiki practitioners, we are called to share this loving gift with grieving persons. We become a reminding vehicle that Divine Love exists. Each of us will have grief in our lives. Let us use Reiki, for others and ourselves, to support us through this difficult – and life-enriching – process.
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Deborah Lloyd is a Usui and Karuna Reiki® Master and certified holistic therapy practitioner, providing Distant Reiki sessions and training in Asheville, NC. Deborah is the author of two books, 22 Messages from the Archangels; and, Believe and it is True: A Story of Healing and Life Lessons. She is also one of the co-authors of Reiki 101: 101 Answers for Your Reiki Questions. Reach Deborah at [email protected] and on Facebook at Deb Lloyd Healing.
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