What are the principles of Distant Healing?

Here’s the latest discussion topic we’ve been asked about!

Q. What are the principles of Distant Healing?

A. There’s quite a bit of talk about this at times.

In modern Reiki practices it is common for people to ask for distant healing and, therefore, for others to ‘send’ it. Basically, distant healing is where someone who is not present receives a Reiki treatment.

Yet, if you look at the structure of universal energy (Reiki) then distance doesn’t exist – even some quantum physicists today will tell you this (perhaps food for another blog). The term distant healing is therefore probably inappropriate but it is the commonly used terminology so we will also use it here.

When you work with Reiki on someone who is not present the recipient needs to be open to the healing. Generally practitioners ask the recipient to hold in their minds something like this: I want to heal myself. I am willing to receive whatever it is that I may need at this moment in my life.

The practitioner then performs the technique that he or she has been taught. This technique will vary according to the teacher and/or branch that the practitioner has studied with.

From a traditional Japanese perspective distant healing works in this way…

An energetic connection is developed during this technique between the practitioner and the recipient. The practitioner remembers his or her own connection to Oneness. This experiential understanding of Oneness supports the flow of energy between the practitioner and recipient. The effectiveness of the technique depends upon the practitioner’s ability to remember this connection as well as the recipient’s openness to healing. This is not unlike an in-person Reiki treatment.

Initially, a Reiki practitioner understands that we are all universal energy and yet to truly understand this, the practitioner must have first-hand experience of this wholeness or Oneness. This comes with time and practice.

Although everyone is universal energy, we experience it energetically at different levels depending upon our connectedness to the universe. Humanity in general exists in a largely disconnected state with just glimpses of Oneness. This is why we practice the system of Reiki which supports our personal growth; the remembrance that we are universal energy. This remembrance in other practises is often called becoming fully conscious.

On Usui Mikao’s memorial stone it is written:

He suddenly felt One Great Reiki over his head and attained enlightenment and he obtained Reiki Ryôhô.

Notice the order of what is attained? First Usui Mikao attained enlightenment through his practice and then, ONLY then, did he attain Reiki Ryôhô. In other words, enlightenment comes first and then comes the complete experiential understanding of Reiki; universal energy.

Reiki treatments – whether in person or ‘distant’ – are for healing of the mind, body or spirit. Read this book for more information:

Your Reiki Treatment 

And as with all Reiki treatments it is best practice to focus healing intent on the wholeness of the recipient rather than a specific area. An imbalance may be linked to an imbalance elsewhere that may not be obvious to the recipient or practitioner. Everything is interconnected. This however does not mean that hand positions should be done away with. Ritual, such as this, is extremely helpful for practitioners and recipients alike.

People all over the world work with these practices, resulting in benefits being experienced by many!

Bronwen and Frans Stiene

Bronwen and Frans Stiene are the co-founders of the International House of Reiki and co-authors of The Reiki Sourcebook, The Japanese Art of Reiki, Your Reiki Treatment, The A-Z of Reiki Pocketbook and the Reiki Techniques Card Deck. Bronwen and Frans teach in the USA, Europe and Australia. Visit the Courses page to find a course near you.