Should I feel Others’ Pain During Reiki Treatments?

Bronwen and Frans StieneArticles, English 10 Comments

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Here’s a question we recently received through our website.

Q: While working on my husband I have been able to “feel” his pain, and also feel weird sensations when I was doing his ears (he has Tinnitus). While scanning my daughter I felt a tickle in my throat,asked her if she had a sore throat-as I spoke my throat was getting croakier, she said yes!

It’s good that I can feel these things as I can detect a problem but I don’t like carrying them around after. Is it possible that these left over pain/feelings could affect my health?

A: Feeling others’ pain and discomfort during a Reiki teatment is interesting but what do we do with it?

We might think it is great to feel the client’s discomfort as it confirms very strongly to ourselves that something is happening during the treatment. But as you say you do not want the client’s pain and discomfort, therefore you need to find another way of working energetically.

At its simplest level, all you really need is that you ask your husband and daughter to tell you where their discomfort is as they know better than anyone else about their bodies. A good communication between the client and the practitioner is very important. You can obviously ask the client – where is your pain, discomfort etc..?

It is possible that you can make this change as it is your intent during a treatment that allows you to experience the process in your current way.

So overall it is much better not to hold onto their pain and discomfort and also unnecessary.

Sensing energy through your own body cannot hurt unless you intend to take it that far – which would be most unlikely.

You might want to do more healing and meditation on yourself to strengthen your own energy and in order to support you in setting your personal intent. A good Japanese Reiki meditation is Hatsurei-ho.

You may also set your intent to feel the energetic sensations on the client’s body rather than your own as well.

For general interest… sensations felt on the client’s body by the practitioner may indicate something about the person’s health but a practitioner may never diagnose. A practitioner merely takes these energetic signals to indicate that energy is moving and that the treatment should continue but a practitioner should never lay claim to understanding the client’s state of health (unless the practitioner is trained in a different modality to Reiki that does diagnose and the practitioner has informed the client that this extra training will be utilised during the teatment).

Enjoy your Reiki Treatments!

If you would like to know more about Reiki treatments then order our book – Your Reiki Treatment.

Comments 10

  1. Avatar of Virginia MacDonald

    I have felt pain in parts of my body and I would ask the client questions about it. It has never lingered however. Once I felt some intense energy in a clients abdomen like nothing I had felt before. I had a bad feeling about it. Told her she should go see her doctor about it. Turns out her intestines were deteriorating and if she hadn’t done what I said she wouldn’t be here anymore. These feelings can be so helpful.

  2. Avatar of Bernadette Doran, RMT

    Please give your students this very simple piece of advice. Al you need to do is think “It is my intention NOT to feel any of my client;s physical or emotional pain.” Intention is the most powerful tool we have, and this intention will completely prevent you from ever feeling any client pain again.

    1. Avatar of Theresa Badilla
  3. Avatar of Theresa Badilla

    My mother is on hospice and had horseness in her throat After I did Reiki on her, later that evening I got a sore throat. Is this a normal reaction?

    1. Avatar of Frans Stiene

      Hi Theresa,
      Sometimes we “sympathise” too much with a client, especially if it is a family member. This is why we have to just do the hands on healing in a very open state of mind, without any attachments whatsoever.
      Make sure you stay grounded and centred.
      Love
      Frans

      1. Avatar of Theresa Badilla

        Dear Fran Thank You for your quick response. It is a difficult time and with Gods help and Reiki and meditation I can keep grounded and balanced. Blessings Theresa

  4. Avatar of Laureen Picard

    Hello,
    2 questions come up to my mind, the 1st is that I have heard many times tthat the Univers doesn’t know about “negative” refering to the intention of NOT feeling the clients pain.. Should we turn the intention around or is this ok for you Frans?
    2nd question, how do I help in taking knowledge of a desease or issue if I don’t indicate what i have felt in my own body. How can we possibly feel if it’s not in ours?
    Exemple : I felt a strong pain in my breast and the client had breast cancer..Can I just feel something in my hands related to that part of her body?
    Thank you for your replies.

    1. Avatar of Frans Stiene

      Hi Laureen,
      Most important is not to get distracted by what you feel and sense. Just notice without getting distracted by it or worried about it.
      If we get distracted or worried about it means that we need to do more work on ourselves, especially grounding and centring.
      When we perform hands on healing on others we also “receive” healing and energy and therefore we can also experience things but best way is to let things come and go, like a wave.
      Love
      Frans

      1. Avatar of Laureen Picard

        Ok j’entends, ne pas se laisser distraire par le mental, encore et toujours 😉
        Faire confiance au Reiki sans tenter de contrôler ou maitriser quoi que ce soit?
        Merci pour cet éclairage.

        1. Avatar of Frans Stiene

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