Dana Young | 
02 15th, 2011| 
Over the past few years, I’ve had a number of people contact me, wanting to know if Reiki will cure them of their ailment or issue. I am careful never to make any claims about Reiki other than that it is indicated for relaxation, stress relief and energy balancing. This is for ethical and professional reasons. However, I do understand the very real desire to be free of an illness or condition that is adversely influencing someone’s quality of life. I’ve certainly been in that place before (and even now) and know what it feels like to be in pain, to have to take medications and supplements, undergo surgery or go to the doctor over and over looking for relief and answers.
The goal of Reiki treatment is to help the body restore its natural energetic balance. Reiki practitioners believe that when the body’s energy is in balance, it promotes healing and a state of wellness. “Healing” and “wellness” are rather subjective terms, and I’ve often seen “healing” and “curing” used interchangeably (or there is an assumption that when someone says they want to be “healed”, they really mean “cured.”) They are not the same thing, and it’s important to understand the distinction.
Healing is the process by which the body repairs itself. Curing is when someone is freed completely from illness or injury. When we are in a state of healing, that process may take a long time and there may or may not be an end state where the body is completely cured. It depends on a number of factors: the duration and nature of the illness or injury, age, environmental conditions and emotional state. Even medical doctors have to be mindful about stating whether or not a course of treatment will cure someone, but they can make some determinations based on what has been observed in clinical practice.
Healing is not the same as curing, and there are many people out there who are not “cured” who do feel they are living a full, meaningful life within the boundaries of their illness or condition. The journey to wellness is both a process and a mindset. To facilitate healing, we have to find and commit to the practices, treatments and supportive measures needed to create favorable conditions for improvement. We also need to maintain an open, engaged and positive approach. A negative mindset can actually impair the healing process, because the mind ultimately controls what we experience physically, emotionally and mentally.
This isn’t to say that curing a disease or condition can’t happen over time, or even spontaneously, through therapeutic treatment. It sometimes does happen (and I am witness to this) but why that happens isn’t so easily understood. It could be due to a combination of approaches that finally kick healing into high gear, or that the body was already on the healing path and whatever new thing was added in completed the process. However, expecting to be cured can become a painful and frustrating process when options are being exhausted without experiencing the desired outcome. I advocate for reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life, because both of those give people the energy and motivation to maintain a positive mindset, which will also influence the healing process and may lead to experiencing a curative effect.
In my own life since practicing Reiki, I have experienced both curing and healing. The curing didn’t happen spontaneously; I was already healing and the combination of Reiki and very mindful life changes brought about a result consistent with being cured (complete cessation of symptoms for an extended period of time.) Yet, I still live with a couple of chronic conditions that, while improved in many ways, are not cured. Some of that is functional and some of it is due to the fact that as our bodies age, they change physically and chemically. Approaches that were effective a few years ago may need to be refined or changed and I have to figure out what works now so that I can have an improved state of wellness.
I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that there is no magic pill I can take or treatment I receive that will make these conditions vanish forever. (Although I will never give up hope of being cured altogether. You never know – it could happen!) I take responsibility for things I can do in order to reduce the frequency of or alleviate symptoms. I’m grateful that Reiki has and continues to provide me with a way to maintain balance, remain positive and continue down the path of wellness. Reiki – in treatment and in practice – helps us reconnect to our natural state of wholeness, regardless of symptoms or circumstances.
(Photo credit: Piano Piano! on Flickr)
