In one incident, a cancer patient was told to stop receiving Reiki healing from a voluntary Reiki Practitioner by his oncologist when he shared his Reiki experience with the latter. This doctor does not have any knowledge about Reiki and was skeptical about its healing benefits.

I strongly feel that doctors should adopt a fair attitude by allowing the patients to make their choice of healing unless they are certain that Reiki is harmful. In the book, Chelation Therapy, the author made the following remark:

"Likewise, if a person were to ask me about acupuncture, I would say I do not know because I have no experience in that area. I would not mislead my patients with negative or positive advice."

Some priests and nuns have also learned Reiki as written in the book Reiki Energy Medicine.

From my experience, many local Christians do not accept Reiki healing for some reasons. In one incident, a nurse approached me to give free Reiki healing to a chronically sick patient in a local hospital. When I arrived, I realized that the patient is a Christian but she was more than willing to experience Reiki healing to ease her constipation problem. She had good experiences with Reiki energy and shared it with her church friends. Sadly, she was reprimanded for receiving it and decided to give it up. I respected her decision and closed her case. Anyway this was not an isolated case.

A voluntary Reiki Practitioner who is a Catholic shared her experience with me. She offered to give free Reiki healing to the sick in some non-profit organizations but was told that they do not endorse Reiki. Finally she managed to find an AIDS organization that accepted her voluntary service. She is now using Reiki energy to help AIDS patients.

If only patients are given the opportunity to make their own choice of receiving Reiki healing, they may have better quality of life instead of leaving it to the discretion of the administrators in hospices and nursing homes.

In the book, Reiki Energy Medicine, it wrote that a hospice medical director learned Reiki in order to have something to offer his hospice patients when there was nothing else to do. It gave him a way to actualize his desire to continue the relationship with the patient, offering excellent care even when the end of life was imminent. "I find myself going to my patients' houses to hold their hands when they die. I've come to learn Reiki so I'll be more effective when I'm holding their hands".

Some patients and caregivers had expressed their doubts about Reiki. Frankly, I also had doubts about it. However, through giving Reiki healing to some people, I witnessed the healing benefits. Since then, I learned to accept that Reiki happens beyond the grasp of the intellect. Interestingly, I read the following remark made by a doctor in a Reiki class that was attended by a group of healthcare practitioners :

"There is no need to know. We do not know how certain medications work, yet we prescribe them regularly because of their results. The same can be said of Reiki."

The secret art of inviting happiness

The miraculous medicine of all diseases

Just for today, do not anger
Do not worry and be filled with gratitude
Devote yourself to your work and be kind to people

Every morning and evening join your hands in prayer, pray these words to your heart and chant these words with your mouth

Usui Reiki Treatment for the improvement of body and mind

The logo was designed with the help from Mr Loy Chye Chuan, a veteran artist. The Yin-Yang symbol was used for the following reasons :

• I perceived the balancing of yin and yang qi in the body is the basis of energy work and the key to good health on all levels, not just the physical.
  
  
• Reiki Energy is also seen as a life-force. The Chinese identified this energy as qi, the Indians called it prana, and the Japanese knew it as ki. At one glance, the logo will only appeal to people who believe in life-force energy within the human body.
  

In May 2007, a web surfer insisted that I share her lousy experience with Reiki. She claimed that Reiki has wrecked her health - bringing about abnormal breathing after receiving Reiki Level I attunement. She also claimed that her doctors and TCM practitioner failed to treat her condition and blamed it on Reiki.

She learned Reiki to cope with her depression after her mother's death about five years ago. She insisted that Reiki has wrecked her life causing her to lose her health, career and a relationship. In my capacity as a voluntary Reiki healer, I reassured her that Reiki is not the root of her health problem and advise her to seek counselling and second opinion from another doctor.

"There is no reason for me to lie at all about the dangers of Reiki and how badly it affected me. All I want now is to get my life back! If I were your relative, you would weep too."

"And since you are a Reiki Master, it is of course not surprising that you would defend your trade. After all, sharing my story would affect your livelihood. Have a heart!"

"If you are my relative I will urge you to reassess your present health condition rationally. I feel sorry for you if you remain "trapped" - blaming Reiki. Surely you want to get well. Reiki is not the root of your problem. Please seek medical help - it is the only way that you will get well. Counseling will also be useful.

You might like to know that a relative of mine suffered severe headaches for 20 years. Sadly, her doctors were unable to detect the underlying cause. Last year, they diagnosed that she got dementia and finally confirmed it to be brain tumour. Many more patients are caught in the similar situation like you where doctors cannot pin-point the cause.

Please note that I do not make a living as a Reiki Master. By professional, I am a qualified accountant.

I learned Reiki to help patients who believe in it. Hence you have jumped into the wrong conclusion that I am defending my trade. I always give free Reiki healing and have not made a single cent from it. It is done in the spirit of caring and sharing."

She succeeded in getting me to account for this unpleasant encounter.

If you read my articles posted at http://www.cancerstory.com/servlets/reiki_sharingrevised.jsp you will realize that I have always given a fair view on Reiki. As it clearly indicated - For patients and/or their caregivers who do not believe in Reiki, it is best for them to keep away from it.

My advice to Reiki Teachers :

After this incident, I would advise Reiki teachers to reject students who are going through emotional crisis or having some kinds of mental disorder.

For Reiki teachers and others who are keen to help this group of people, I suggest you sign up for workshop on Mental First Aid conducted by Alive Community Education Centre. Contact No. 6323 5393 or email learning@alivecommunity.net