Using Reiki to Help You in Times of Grief

This article topic is one I have listed as a future article topic for a while, purely due to the fact that it is something many people I have helped have said it is something Reiki has helped them with, and in many cases, it has been the main reason they came to Reiki in the first place. I thought it would be timely to write this article now on a personal note, as a few months ago now my Dad passed away after a long illness, so this has been written not just from my observations, but also from my experience. I have helped many people experiencing grief over the years, be the loss of pets, parents, siblings, and children. In fact just today, the day I planned to write this article someone I have been helping over recent months informed me of such a loss in their life.

So how can Reiki help people experiencing grief? The most common route to Reiki is with people who are struggling emotionally, have recently experienced a loss who look to try Reiki treatments with the aim of it helping them feel a bit better and cope/ function with all their life responsibilities that continue, such as supporting other family members or children who are struggling, in addition to other commitments such as work, etc.

Reiki is well known now for its positive effect and its use in supporting emotional well-being. Our view of grief as Reiki practitioners is more that of something to work through, to process, to come to a point of peace with, rather than an emotional experience to suppress, deny, avoid, or remove. It is viewed as a natural process, a part of life. I find grief tends to be more problematic if it is just suppressed or buried for years and not processed effectively. Reiki tends to have a soothing, supporting effect on people at such times. Helping us move towards an internal state of greater peace, whilst soothing emotions, helping us let go, with love, and releasing feelings of sadness, loss, regret, guilt, anger, fear, or any other emotions we might be feeling. Below are a couple of experiences of people I have helped with Reiki treatments experiencing grief, these kinds of results with Reiki are usual to experience:

"I started seeing Shaun for Reiki treatments when my husband was terminally ill. I believe it made me feel calmer and reduced my stress levels whilst looking after him. I have continued to receive Reiki treatments from Shaun since his death and this has helped me to sleep better and deal with the symptoms of bereavement" 

"I have had regular Jikiden Reiki treatments from Shaun for a number of years. They have helped me release grief and emotional issues and enabled me to relax in periods of high anxiety. I credit his treatments by enabling me to continue working when I felt I could no longer do so.”

In addition to receiving Reiki treatments, which we could class as a more passive experience as we are simply receiving Reiki treatments, as helpful as that can be an additional level of support is available for us as we journey through grief. This is available for those who have been trained in Reiki and really ‘live Reiki’ if you like. To start with Reiki training we receive what is called Reiju (in the West sometimes termed attunements) that in conjunction with receiving Reiki treatments and performing regular Reiki self-treatments (as most Reiki-trained people do), all go to further help clear congestion in our thinking and keep our connection to our core nature clear, all allowing us to be closer to our true natural state along with greater clarity in thinking as well as greater peace in our hearts, which can be helpful at such times.

In addition, if a lot of self-growth and healing work has been done prior to such events, as we come into such life events we tend (generalization) to be quite clear in thought, calm, and reasonably at peace to begin with, which can have a huge effect on our reactions and feelings during such times, and in preparation for future loss.

By living Reiki we also have the Gokai, the guiding life principles we live by. In living in such a way, when such events come along Reiki trained people tend to be more practiced in letting go of fear, anger, or worry as they are more habitually trained to observe the blessings in life and are living with active gratitude throughout every day. So by default tend to move through such events in a smoother way. I think of all these points as pumping air into our own ‘life’ raft. The waves of life are not any smaller, but you are able to go with the waves and stay afloat easier. There are guiding principles of life in other cultures and spiritual practices, many have similarities, what I observe is living by such principles can be very helpful at such times. 

What I believe is one of the biggest factors that I have observed in relation to Reiki helping people with grief, is that as Reiki-trained people we learn about Japanese culture, for example, the Japanese view of life. Reiki itself means ‘soul energy’ with the healing taking place at a soul level. Soul, or tamashi in Japanese, is the idea of an eternal part of us that endures beyond a single lifetime, that we live on, rather than the idea that this life is more than a ‘one-off’ gig. This concept in itself is not unique to Reiki, variations on this idea are also seen in other cultures, and many other spiritual practices and regions. Any way you look at it - a personal view or belief that death is not the end, or not so final in itself can be very powerful in finding peace as we journey through these life experiences.

I have heard of many in professions such as nursing where they deal with people going through the death of a loved one or dealing with their own mortality on a regular basis report seeing a more peaceful view than many in such situations with those they might term as ‘spiritual’ in their life view. Specifically, with Reiki, I have observed people who experience grief that comes to me for help with Reiki treatments, who I later trained in Reiki, who then experience grief again at a later date, yet move through such times differently after Reiki training. There are various ways Reiki might support you through grief, both in receiving Reiki treatments as well as learning Reiki. If you have not tried Reiki, it might be something to consider to support you. Find out more about Jikiden Reiki treatments or take a look at my Reiki Courses page.

---

I am mainly known nowadays for my work with Reiki, as a specialist in authentic Japanese Reiki. I am an experienced, Reiki teacher and practitioner with a proven track record of results. I offer Jikiden Reiki training courses, promoting authentic Japanese Reiki teachings. I am based in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, in the UK. I have a background in coaching and training in the areas of exercise coaching, holistic lifestyle, fitness, and performance coaching. I also have a BSc.(Hons) degree in Sport and Exercise Science, for more information visit: www.shaunmckeown.com

---

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article. Shaun Mckeown, disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article.