Some of my favorite messages are from students reporting their successful Reiki endeavors. Often they include the words “you’re not going to believe this, but…”. I have never once doubted the validity of their accounts despite the wild and creative applications they’ve been inspired to try.

Most people think of Reiki as a holistic technique that reduces stress and promotes the body’s innate healing capacity. That’s absolutely true, but is only part of the story! Reiki is a spiritual energy, and as such can be used to align oneself with inner wisdom and power, as well as one’s life purpose and the means to achieve it. It helps to remove resistance, stuck and suppressed emotions, limiting beliefs and outdated coping mechanisms. These blockages prevent us from expressing our Trues Selves and enjoying optimal health, happiness, freedom and creativity.

Today’s edition of the Reiki report comes from a woman in my 6-month Reiki Master Teacher training. A few months ago she was distressed that a developer had bought the neighboring property and was planning to cut down several trees. These weren’t just any trees. They were trees with which she had developed a personal relationship during her healing and spiritual practices.

I suggested that she Reiki the situation because I’m a Reiki teacher and that’s the kind of thing we say. (I’ve certainly heard my teacher say it to me about a gazillion times! And yes, we use “Reiki” as a verb too.) We can apply Reiki to situations intending for the highest good of all concerned to emerge. Of course it won’t override anyone’s free will or produce an outcome that is detrimental to another.

But come on. Trees! I felt confident that the odds were in her favor.

The story I tell myself is that the developer had never considered the impact the extraction would have on the neighbors, and her consistent efforts had opened his awareness, perhaps his sense of generosity and eco-consciousnesses and inspired him to knock on her door one day.

Now I doubt this precise application is relatable to most people. It’s certainly not something I ever imagined retelling! My goal in doing so is to point out the limitless ways Reiki can be used to enhance maximum collaboration with the universe for wellness on all levels.

If you’re a Reiki practitioner, can you expand your application to be more inclusive of ALL your goals? If you’re not a Reiki practitioner, you can easily become one. I’m planning an online beginners class for the fall. Contact me if you’re interested and we can get some dates on the calendar!