Reiki Healing Congestive Heart Failure & Anxiety

Reiki master Ellen Gregg helped organize my recent Communicating Reiki Mainstream talk in Portland Maine. I was concerned when she suddenly went off the grid. Now she’s back home recovering, and sharing her Reiki story with us.

Reiki master Ellen GreggReiki Healing for Me and My Heart
by Ellen Gregg

My Reiki self-healing

Eighteen months ago, and over a year after completing Reiki master certification, Pamela Miles inspired my commitment to placing hands every day for Reiki self-practice. Recent events have magnified my appreciation of its value and importance beyond measure.

A week ago today, I walked into my local emergency room, exhausted and out of breath.

I began feeling “off” five days earlier, and my symptoms grew progressively worse. I was fatigued and short of breath. My lungs were heavy. My appetite was out of whack. I occasionally felt mild chest discomfort.

After a couple hours of testing — x-rays, CAT scans, etc. — it was determined I was in congestive heart failure. Preliminary blood work pointed to an unknown virus, possibly Lyme disease, as the culprit.

I was pumped full of saline and steroids, and admitted to the ICU.

Reiki master calm

“You’re so calm.” Those three words were a common refrain during my five-day hospital stay. Equally common was my response: “I’m a Reiki master.”

Of course, being calm and being a Reiki master don’t automatically walk hand-in-hand. When, however, you’re a daily self-practicing Reiki master, the combination is winning.

Amidst all the turmoil, the vitals checks, the out-of-control and erratic heart rate, and the lack of sleep, I was deeply calm. Every chance I had, I placed my hands on myself: chest, abdomen, arms – any part of me I could access past wires and tubes.

Reiki practice observed

During a particularly intense episode, my heart rate spiked from 64 to 181 in a span of a few seconds and stayed there. I placed my left hand on my heart. My ICU nurse watched as my heart rate return to a sedate 64.

She looked at me, eyebrows raised.

I said, “Reiki practice.”

She said, “Keep it up.”

Reiki practice advantage

In addition to practicing Reiki, I practice energy work. While I have recognized huge differences between the two, I made an important discovery while in the hospital.

When practicing Reiki, all that is required is to place my hands. It’s that simple and that profound.

With energy work, some of which I attempted in an effort to strengthen the healing process, I realized there is actual physical effort required that I had not noticed before. I had to stop the energy work because I could feel an actual “draw” on what little reserve of strength remained in my body.

Reiki practice: my daily dose of wellness

When I mention my daily Reiki self-practice, people are often dumbfounded, and ask, “You mean you can practice Reiki on yourself?”

I’m so grateful to be able to say, “Yes.”

If not for my Reiki self-practice, I don’t think I’d be sitting here at home a week after being admitted, typing this blog post. Even at a time when I was so challenged to rest among the busy-ness of the cardiac ICU, my Reiki self-practice kept bringing me back to balance so my body could heal.

Now, back to placing my hands.

_____________________

Please signup for my ReikiUpdates so we can stay in touch.

9 Shares

13 thoughts on “Reiki Healing Congestive Heart Failure & Anxiety”

  1. Deborrah M. Tatum

    I am so glad that your Reiki practice has been instrumental in your recovery and I wish you continued health and happiness. Thank you for sharing your story. You are an inspiration!

  2. Ellen,

    Thank you for sharing your beautiful and inspiring story of self-healing (through self-practice) with Reiki!

    I had undergone outpatient surgery last year, and prior to surgery and afterward in the recovery room, I kept my hands on the area where the surgery had been performed. I recall coming out of anesthesia, being surprisingly alert and aware that the older man in the bed next to me was in acute pain. Instinctively, I almost sat up in order to see if I could help him, and then realized that I was not in any position to do much other than be present and send good thoughts. 🙂 But I must have been in a better position than most post-surgery if my first instinct was to offer Reiki to someone else in pain.

    Wishing you well in your ongoing healing!

    1. Ellen M. Gregg

      What a fantastic share, Dana! The woman in the room before mine in ICU was in a similar situation to that gentleman. I wasn’t in a position to help her, either, but would have liked to.

      Thank you kindly. 🙂

  3. very interesting post. in a few days I will start the first of three Provenge treatments with a four hour session. During that time one thing I will do to help “pass the time”….is of course Reiki.

  4. Dear Ellen,
    I’m so happy to hear of your recovery. Thank you for sharing your beautiful and personal healing story of Reiki selfcare. I believe. Wishing you continued good health and blessings in your life. Jo Ann

  5. Beautiful share! Thanks so much for taking the time out to write this. I hope you are back and kicking real soon 🙂

    On another note – we use distance healing on others. I keep wondering if we can use it on ourselves with equal benefit. One of my students was paralyzed due to a stroke, and he kept on doing the absentee treatment on himself almost all the time he was conscious. The doctors were shocked to see him regain some motor ability in four days. He regained nearly 90% of his motor skills in around two months, though he mentions a slight tingling sensation in his arms if he starts getting tired, and some damage to the facial muscles.

    My question – is self-healing with touch the same as self-healing using the no-touch methods of the Second Degree? I find them to be equally effective, but looking for some validation as well as different perspectives 🙂

    1. Ellen M. Gregg

      Thank you for your kind words, Suneil. I’m healing. 🙂

      I’ve practiced remote Reiki on myself, as well, and found it very effective.

    2. Suneil – I gave myself Reiki in the hospital after surgery without being able to move my arms. I didn’t use the distance symbol, but was aware of the Reiki entering my crown and flowing throughout my body. I had no complications and was released early, so I’m calling it a success!

      1. Sandy, it’s wonderful that you had a positive outcome, but why do you say you were aware of “the Reiki entering my crown…”

        People have these experiences without practicing Reiki. What makes you so sure it was “the Reiki” rather than a natural flow of subtle bioenergy? Or do you refer to all subtle bioenergy as “the Reiki?”

      2. Pamela, thanks for your thoughtful question. For me, Reiki has a different “feel” to it than other types of energetic healing or bioenergy. The only reason it entered my crown instead of some other way is that I visualized it happening that way, and so that’s how I experienced it.

    3. Eileen Anderson

      I am a Reiki level 2 practitioner and a Critical Care Nurse in a busy CCU in a YNHH Heart Center. I Practice Reiki on my patients, and I notice a difference in Vital signs and how they improve following Reiki Practice. Also peoples level of anxiety decreases following practice

      1. Ellen M. Gregg

        How wonderful that you can see the results of Reiki practice in a hospital setting first-hand, Eileen.

Leave a Reply to Ellen M. Gregg Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top