Reiki: Helping Parents Connect with
And Support their Infants and Children

By Meg Siddheshwari Sullivan

"Reiki" is the Japanese word for the Life Force within us all, which allows the sun to shine, plants to grow, and allows us to walk and breathe. As a form of healing it was developed in Japan in the late 1800s by Dr. Mikao Usui and brought to the United States in the 1930s. With Reiki, the hands simply rest on the body, and the Life Force flows to the areas most needed by the recipient.

Reiki can heal direction, highlight other aspects to support healing, and help a person be at peace with her condition. Here are some examples of how Reiki has helped parents to help their children with Reiki.

John was 6 months old when his parents brought him to the Reiki Center. One kidney did not work at all; the other had 10% function. I gave him weekly Reiki treatments, and his parents learned Reiki and gave him daily treatments. In three months, he was healthy and big enough for a kidney transplant. In addition, the doctor was amazed at how good he seemed. Every time I started a Reiki treatment with John, he became very quiet, still, and peaceful.

Jean took a Reiki class with me and practiced on her 9-year-old son, Bill. During the first treatment, Jean had a strong urge to put her hands on her son's leg, which had broken and fully healed several years before. Immediately, they both felt a rush of energy. The next day, she gave Bill another treatment. She put her hands on the same leg but felt nothing; a few moments later, Bill said, "That's OK, mom; the memory is gone."

As a parent, I was thrilled to have something literally at my fingertips to help our daughter. Always a difficult sleeper, with Reiki, she would drift off gently in ten minutes. Further, a year of those nightly treatments also seemed to help her immune system. When she got sick, I'd just hold her and let the Reiki flow. Instead of being out for a week, she was back to herself in two days.

Besides healing in the present, Reiki can be sent back in time to mitigate the effects of difficult situations.

Born 4 weeks premature, and necessarily separated from my mother much of the time, I have had some emotional challenges—a tendency to feel overwhelmed and to give up easily. Recently, I sent Reiki to those early weeks of my life and found an inner sense of being comforted, nurtured, and supported. Now, I find that I don't give up so easily; I simply look for the way that will work. I also feel closer to my mother and appreciate her in ways that I never did before.

In short, whether from a professional or a parent, Reiki helps the whole family physically and emotionally. In addition, it can deepen the love and connection between parents and their children.

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