Healing Woo

As I’ve said in the past I am a retired RN.
About 25 years ago, I had a very stressful management job, that I loved, but it still took a toll on me.
One of my nursing friends, Linda, asked me if I would ride with her to learn a healing and relaxing technique taught by a Maryknoll Nun.
My friend Linda had no clue what it was but the “relaxing” part appealed to to me...
The healing part had us both mystified😄 but we looked at it as an adventure...
The class was taught in a Unitarian Church.
When we got there the church was full of people with medical degrees and state licenses ( a doctor, other nurses, physical therapy and massage therapist).
I was embarrassed to realize that Linda and I were the only ones who had no clue what we were getting into...
Down the aisles of the church were massage tables and we were going to be taught some kind of way to touch people and pass energy from a “universal source” to help them feel better and to handle illness or discomfort.
I wanted to leave immediately because I couldn’t see where science had anything to do with what was being taught...But I had to stay. I came with Linda and when I looked at her, she was fascinated.
So I was polite, I listened and held everything at arms length.
When the time came for me to sit in a chair and be “aligned”, I declined. I was very uncomfortable...
Everyone else was having a lot of fun giving “ treatments” to each other. They talked me into lying on one of the tables so they could practice on me...
I was a little creeped out, but since I didn’t have to take any clothes off, I agreed.
It was different.. when ever they put their hands over a spot that I had discomfort, my stomach, and mid back, there was incredible heat.
I didn’t say anything and decided to concentrate on the purple light that was coming through the stained glass windows.
When I stood up I had to admit I felt better...no lie. And then I noticed there were no stained glass windows.
Still, I was pretty sure I was just caught up in the other people’s good time.
Later, away from this group I talked to the very pleasant nun, who assured me there was no harm in being aligned, but I didn’t want every one watching...
I giggled through the whole procedure... I saw myself as having gone over the deep end. Thanks Linda...
Later when I finally got home, exhausted, I told my laughing husband what I had done.
He decided that he should be my first victim...haha
Whatever...
His back had been hurting so I gave him this new “treatment” I had learned.
My hands got very hot right over where he said was bothering him.He went sound asleep....
But the weirdest thing with no explanation was when I tried to open the bedroom door, the doorknob was so ice cold I had to use my shirt to get out...
So, in my opinion, there is something to it... a possible placebo effect?
Mind over body?
So I developed the opinion that so long as there was no harm done, if a patient wanted Reiki (yes that’s what it all was) I would do Reiki...
I was very tuned into the woo woo aspects of it too...
NEVER would I do Reiki in the place of scientifically researched medical care. But as an assist to the patient to cope with their illness I had no problem. I did no advertising, but word of mouth brought me more and more people wanting Reiki.
The people who worked in my office would ask for Reiki all the time...a bunch of Reiki junkies.
They bartered with little errands for me, or a cup of coffee when I wanted it...😄
To the patients, I would give a stamped envelope with the address of a local animal rescue that they could add a check for them as my payment.
I told them they if they didn’t want to send the animal rescue a check that it was okay... my stamp... it still was a little woo woo...
Over the years I’ve become a Reiki teacher, because so many wanted to learn how to do it.
I emphasized bartering rather than outright payment, because it really galled me to see people expecting money for what is an unprovable treatment.
I did not teach anyone I thought was in it for the money.
I brought one nurse friend up to Reiki Master Teacher, and she opened a Reiki clinic at the request of the VA.
I rarely do formal Reiki anymore... just a brief touch of comfort to friends and animals, and I don’t announce that I’m doing Reiki... Although I still get asked for Reiki treatments.
If Reiki is woo, so what... it, in itself doesn’t hurt anyone. It’s the abandonment of proper medical care that is bad.