Wings of Forgiveness - Reiki Healing Moment

One evening during a NYC Reiki Meditation & Relaxation Circle, a regular circle attendee brought a friend in to join for the evening.  This was the first reiki healing experience for the friend, and she naturally came in with no idea of what to expect other than some meditation and perhaps some idea of what the reiki share portion looks like with a gentle hands-on touch.

Spring Blossoms

At the beginning of the circle, I ask everyone to set a healing intention for themselves that the group will honor together.  The friend's expressed intention was around healing her feelings of anger.  Nothing more was said, and nothing more needed to be said.

We do some deep breathing work, then a guided meditation, and then ask anyone who would like to receive a reiki hands-on treatment to pair up with one of the reiki practitioners in the circle.  This particular evening, we were just focusing on doing some intensive work on shoulders, where people tend to carry a lot of stress and responsibility.

I happen to be paired up with the friend who expressed her healing intention for her feelings of anger, and as I begin the reiki treatment, the energy first moved into the shoulders very deeply, pulling my hands into the shoulders, but after about 5 minutes, I start to feel the energy lifting upward and my hands begin to hover above the shoulders instead of on the shoulders.  In the middle of this, I start to feel what feels like feathers under my hands, so I look down and wonder if it might be a sweater she's wearing, but she's just wearing a regular knit shirt, so the light feeling of feathers is unusual and I debate whether I'll say anything about it afterward.  In my mind, I hear the message "I've got this" as if there's an angel here between me and her.  I debate whether or not to say anything because this is her very first time in a reiki circle and I have no idea how she might respond to something like this.

We close the reiki hands-on treatment time and I invite everyone to share any sensations, memories, or visualizations that came up for them during the session.  This sharing opportunity allows people to get validation of their experiences and to share anything that they have questions about.

When the circle gets around to the friend, she shares a very touching experience...
"It felt like my daughter who died was with me, giving me a big hug.  I felt like she was asking me to forgive myself and let go.  I feel like that's where a lot of my anger has come from, not forgiving myself."

Wow.  What a powerful healing experience to have for her first time in the reiki circle!

After hearing her experience, I decided it was OK to share my experience of the feeling of feathers, as if there was a layer between me and her, and as if it was an angelic presence saying "I've got this".  She takes it in and nods with understanding, as if to say that was her daughter, and she knows she needs to release what she's been carrying.

Everyone in the room lets out a collective deep breath of release after hearing her express her healing moment.  It was so humbling to witness a moment of grace like that, and all we had to do was show up for each other.  I am always so surprised by how truly and deeply reiki can reach into our healing needs, even when we've never had a previous experience with it.

Have you ever attended or hosted a community reiki circle?  Have you witnessed any profound moments of healing grace?  Please share in the comments, I'd love to read about them.

Anne Ruthmann, Certified Reiki III Master Practioner, www.abundantsphere.com
*Please know that reiki healing moments are unique to individual sessions and are not intended to suggest what will happen during other sessions or with other practitioners. 

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