Reiki for Folks Dealing with Domestic Violence
/Last week we participated in the third annual Service Fair for people dealing with domestic violence put on by the Chicago Police Department. It’s an excellent way to connect with and support women and families having a tough time at home.
The event includes a number of groups offering information, direction to support services, flu shots, and spa services such as hair styling and makeup.
We were able to offer reiki to a number of women from the Pilsen community. And any trip to Pilsen is another opportunity to practice our Spanish.
We also worked with several of the dental students at the booth across from us. Their team leader received some reiki, then asked if reiki would be a good fit for dental offices, where patients are often anxious about their procedures. “Yes!” She asked about offering demos for the local branch of their professional association. “A thousand times, yes!”
From the moment he walked in, this little guy couldn’t take his eyes off us. He said to his mom, “I wanna do that!” But she had other plans for their visit, and put him off. A while later he repeated, “Mom, I wanna try that.” She still wasn’t game. He ran around yelling and playing with some other kids, then asked a third time. Finally she relented. First she sent his older sister over to scout us out, then signed her young son up for a reiki demo and sat in my chair herself. “I don’t think he’ll sit still,” she told me. But he did. Here’s Edit’s account of working with this young reiki fan:
I think the image on the banner was calling to him. He ran to me and pointed to the banner saying, that was what he wanted. He sat down, put his hands into prayer position, and told me his sister said it was magic.
I explained that it feels like magic because we are taught to forget about our energetic and spiritual nature, but it should be natural. We have to keep remembering that we are not just our body or our mind but we are Spirit. He was very happy to hear that.
Halfway through I asked him how he was doing. He opened his eyes and responded with a huge smile. He is such a kind soul! I’m glad he had this experience because he will remember it as a reference point, and be less likely to get “lost.”
Thanks to the Chicago PD, and to volunteers Edit and Jen. Jen is the owner of Journey to Wellness in the northwest suburbs. Give her a shout if you’re looking for a wonderful reiki practitioner/massage therapist near Addison.
Subscribe to this blog by clicking the icon above and/or follow our FB page or Twitter feed for a steady stream of good vibes.
And feel free to share your experiences in reiki outreach with us—we love to hear from our counterparts around the country!
Here's to raising awareness and availability of the benefits of reiki!
If you'd like us to visit your workplace, please get in touch.
If you're a reiki channel who would like to join us in our outreach efforts, we'd love to meet you!
Complete the application linked to our web page to get the process started.