A personal account
Personal stories shared with The Halls of Reiki. These accounts reflect individual experiences and beliefs, and are not medical advice or a substitute for professional care.
How did you get involved in Reiki?
Kevin’s bicycle accident
A twelve-year-old boy named Kevin was riding his bike in the street in front of my house with friends one summer when he collided with another boy. The pedal made a small gash near his ankle. After cleaning around the wound with a wet washcloth, I cupped his foot in my hands for four or five minutes. Kevin said, ‘Your hands feel cold,’ then reported feeling better and returned to his bike. When I saw him the next day, it looked like a small scrape with no visible bruising.
A long-distance session from Virginia to Utah
A woman in Utah called after wrenching her back and spending several days resting in pain. I was living in Virginia and offered a twenty-minute long-distance Reiki session. About thirty-five minutes later, she called to describe feeling warmth and tingling beginning at her head and moving down her body. She said she became very relaxed and later felt more comfortable.
Letters from Bimini, June 1998
Bimini, a Reiki 2 practitioner, wrote about working with an English teacher who had a migraine and lower-back spasms. She reported intense heat in her hands and said the teacher’s discomfort eased after the session. In another letter, she described a French teacher who became emotional during a session, then said she felt calmer afterward.
Bimini’s own treatment, June 1998
In a third letter, Bimini described receiving a session herself. She wrote that the healer left her hands over the chest area for a long time, creating a strong sensation of heat. The experience felt intense and briefly frightening to her, but she said she felt more comfortable afterward.
Reiki through a child’s eyes, November 1998
Tiang Ting Ling wrote about her nine-year-old son, who had recently been attuned to Reiki I while she was attuned to Reiki II. During her distance practice, he described energy that ‘would go up and down,’ ‘bounce like a ball,’ appear blue or orange, spin around and leave the room. He also described a pillar of light and an angel. She concluded simply: ‘I see Reiki through the eyes of my son.’
Son’s accident and Reiki, June 1999
Martha of Escondido, California wrote after her eighteen-year-old son had a serious motorcycle accident. She described the medical care he received and said that, with his agreement, she also offered Reiki while he rested. She wrote that he fell asleep and later appeared more comfortable. Her account is shared as her personal experience, alongside the medical treatment he received.
A deer at the roadside, June 1999
Julie Hutchison-Smith wrote about finding an injured deer after a roadside accident in New Hampshire. After checking that the people nearby were physically safe, she knelt beside the deer and placed her hands on it. An ambulance crew later arrived, and another Reiki practitioner joined her. Julie wrote that the deer eventually stood and ran into the trees. She remembered the experience as a profound moment of compassion, love and connection.
Donna’s Reiki class, October 1999
Donna Phillips wrote about persistent foot pain following Achilles-tendon surgery. She described learning hands-on healing exercises, reading Reiki books and later attending a Reiki class. During a practice session with another student, she said she felt more comfortable walking afterward. Donna went on to study further and described Reiki as meaningful to her.
A practitioner’s reflections, November 2000
Jeanne, a practitioner and teacher, wrote about giving Reiki to a friend with a longstanding knee concern during a skiing trip. She recalled her hands vibrating during the session and said her friend felt more comfortable the next day. Jeanne also shared an emotional account of offering a session to a young friend recovering from a childhood head injury. She described seeing an angel in her mind’s eye and feeling a strong sense of peace.
First Reiki experience, October 2001
Sharon wrote about trying Reiki for the first time at the ‘Kindred Spirits on the Edge: Integrating Psychology & Spirituality’ conference, where it was offered alongside massage and other self-care techniques. During the session, which included aromatherapy, she described seeing spirals and shimmers of light, symbols, a vortex of light and a golden temple. She wrote that she felt profoundly relaxed and remembered the experience as unusual, peaceful and lasting.