Distance Healing: Bypassing Or Science?

SENDING LOVE AND LIGHT (cringe, gag, yack)

Living Our Intentions

I found myself on my yoga mat this past month, as I often am, ready to teach a vinyasa class. I’d prepared a flow and theme, and when I went to speak on the theme (“transition”), it felt…hollow. Foolish. News was breaking not only about the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, but also about racism and segregation affecting Black refugees trying to flee the Ukraine. I didn’t want to ignore the situation and palpable sadness in the room. But, I also felt like a total idiot trying to somehow appropriately honor the collective suffering and trauma occurring worldwide in the context of a 1-hour yoga class.

Yet, there are ways that I (we! YOU!) can help others during their suffering, like donating to valid charities and becoming more informed. And, I can use my training as an energy worker and Reiki practitioner by sending distance Reiki to anywhere in the world with the intention of helping reduce suffering.

That concept, “distance Reiki,” is rightfully eyebrow-raising at first. How can someone experience the benefits of loving energy over distance? Does it really work, and how? Is this just another spiritual bypassing “love and light” situation?

Yes, distance Reiki works.

(And as a positive effect of the pandemic, many people recently shifted to distance sessions when in-person wasn’t available).

Not only are us humans made of energy - vibrating molecules - but everything carries a vibrational energy. <Insert obligatory Einstein quote here: “Everything is energy.”> (Note: He likely never actually said this, but his Theory of Relativity resulted in being popularized with these words.)

Maybe you’ve felt the energy of a place, like the beach - it’s palpable due to the amount of salt, air, and movement of the ocean. A pet, a plant, a meal: it all has its own energy. Think of a loved one you don’t see every day. You may be able to feel their love from far away, even though you can’t see their physical form. Their love for you carries an energy, and when you resonate on that affection, it’s real. 

A Reiki practitioner is not only trained and practiced in reading energy in the physical sense, but also meditates on symbols and mantras to understand that there is “no separation, everything is interconnected, or, at an even deeper level, Oneness” (Stiene).

This “Oneness” is also defined by the Hermetic Law of Similarity, which states that “we are all energy matter - a part of a larger whole - and we are all connected. We are more than just our physical bodies; we have emotions, thoughts, and spirit - other levels of energy - that exist both separately and in tandem with our physical self. To simplify things, we have an energy body, too. Our energy body is made up of an energetic field (Aura) that surrounds the energy centers (Chakras) and pathways (Meridians). And like our physical body, our energy body requires nourishment to maintain a balance in function” (Naziru). Author and scientist Gregg Braden calls this connective energy “The Divine Matrix.”

In a distance Reiki session, the practitioner is connected to this universal Oneness, and they can read energy over space and time to conduct the session.

This connection also applies to channeling Reiki to a specific location or group in need. Reiki and its balancing energy travel over distance to effect change on physical, emotional, and mental levels, and exciting studies support this.

When sending healing energy (“love,” “light,” Reiki, or even “thoughts and prayers”) to a group or location, the intention is to raise the vibrational energy of that location to aid in its rebalancing and healing. Dr. David Hawkins, author, scientist, and physician, coined the phrase “consciousness calibration,” a related term to gauge the consciousness of a given thing, person, group, or location. Hawkins’ work helps us understand the tangible vibration (“consciousness”) related to groups and organizations.

And this does not replace additional, committed action to help people in need.

If you hear the cringe-worthy, potentially bypass-y “sending thoughts and prayers,” or “love and light,” gauge the intention behind the statement. Is the person ignoring the severity of the situation, or are they working to send supportive, balancing energy through practiced, studied methods?

Reflection: How am I currently of service to others? To my self?

Alignment: What additional inspired action can I take to support others? Myself?