Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/78617
technique CLASSROOM TO CLIENT | @WORK | ENERGY WORK | MYOFASCIAL TECHNIQUES Reiki for Sustainable Health Care By Pamela Miles The massage therapist on my table was in pain, but not physical pain. Tears flowed as she explained that she feels so drained after a day of providing oncology massage that she's forgotten why she ever thought she could help people with cancer. She feels confused and guilty about her loss of enthusiasm, and her conflict is spilling over to her work with other clients. Like so many health-care professionals—licensed, unlicensed, conventional, complementary, or alternative—my new client had not yet discovered that the care of the client begins with the care of the caregiver. Her generous heart reached out to help those in need, but she didn't have a daily self- care practice beyond brushing her teeth. Hoping to empower her self-care, I asked if she had ever thought of practicing reiki. She replied that she had trained as a reiki master last year, but only used it when a client specifically asked for energy work. "Actually," I said, "I was thinking of reiki self-practice. Do you ever give yourself a reiki treatment?" "No," she said. "I did for the first three weeks, as instructed, to help my body adjust to the new reiki energy, and then I stopped." I knew I had to choose my words carefully. The last thing she needed was to feel criticized or corrected, but I knew that reiki self-practice could bridge the disconnect between her heart's desire and her hopelessness. 110 massage & bodywork september/october 2012 Rick Giase Photography