Reiki at the End of Life

Article by Taryn Walker

When my grandfather started showing signs of being ready to leave this world I asked if he wanted a distant Reiki treatment. I wasn’t able to physically travel to where he was so it was a true blessing that Reiki has no boundaries.

There was a particular texture to this distant Reiki session that I’d never experienced before. It was more ethereal and otherworldly than usual and there was a profound feeling of peace and a joyfulness I’ll always remember. I felt a strong and unmistakeable connection to my grandpa and I could feel how relieved he was to be passing on out of the pain he’d experienced in his last years.

My grandmother, who was by his side as he received the distant treatment, reported that he was much calmer and more peaceful after the session than he’d been in the previous days.

The Tibetan yogis taught that the end of life is a special opportunity for self realisation. Many people, especially those who have not done much spiritual work in this life, become fearful of this realisation at the time of death, and miss the opportunity to merge with a higher consciousness. Based on this wisdom, I spoke telepathically to my grandfather during the session, and reassured him that it was safe to move towards the bright light of pure awareness. I guided him to recognise this light as his true essence. What a beautiful moment this was.

Reiki is perfect for this time as it so easily relaxes a person and allows for a deeper awareness of what we are beyond the physical body. I’m truly grateful to have had the opportunity to hold space for my grandpa to connect with Reiki at such a special time in his life.

Here are some guidelines based on the method I used for this distant Reiki session:

1) Set up a time that suits you and the receiver, making sure you have their permission to offer Reiki.
2) Create a sacred space for the session. Use sage and/or incense to clear the space, play relaxing music, light candles and so on.
3) Write the person’s name on a piece of paper along with the distance healing symbol.
4) Use the distance healing technique you were taught by your teacher and offer Reiki just as you would an ordinary session, with the same effort and sincerity.
5) Send positive thoughts and encouraging messages to the receiver about this special time of passing out of life.
6) After the session offer a grateful thought to the Divine Consciousness for the healing that has taken place. Remove yourself as the author of these actions and recognise the true source of healing. This is very important if you believe in karma.

This experience of sharing Reiki with my grandfather at the time of his death has helped me to accept death as an inevitable part of life. It has helped me to see death as a beautiful transition into another dimension and it has made me more conscious of creating a life that I will not regret at the time of my own death. What a beautiful gift this is.

Free eBook download: We’ve created an eBook with our best articles on this topic, and offer it for free to all our newsletter subscribers.

Taryn Walker is a traveling Reiki Master Teacher who wishes to inspire people to realise that they are miraculous! She believes that Reiki can reveal our natural ability to heal ourselves and this empowers us to take responsibility for our lives. She works a lot with distant Reiki and loves the way it allows people to experience the illusion of separation. Taryn is grateful for being able to connect with her Reiki clients even while traveling. She usually lives on a little island in Thailand, where she practices and teaches Reiki, but finds ‘home’ wherever she is. Taryn enjoys yoga, nature, creating art, cooking and finding magic in “ordinary” places. Follow her here: reiki-alchemy.com, and alchemyhealing.