Ashley's Reiki story

As regular readers know, we've been inviting Reiki practitioners and clients to tell us their Reiki stories. Today we meet Ashley, an 18-year-old Ohio girl who suffers from Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, an extremely painful condition. Her Reiki practitioner tells us more:

My name is Julie Romanko and I would like to share this interesting true personal account about the power of Reiki.

Where I live in NW Ohio, it seems Reiki is either unheard of or misunderstood by the general public. I am a Reiki Master/Teacher and trying to get the good word out and to help enlighten people about the possibilities that exist for them through Reiki. I would like to help people understand more about our own power to heal on many levels, to understand the origins of disease, and to know that we have other options available to us. We are energy beings. When we have energy disturbances, we eventually manifest problems in our health and well being. Technically, Reiki is considered a relaxation technique. . .but through that relaxation, many benefits, seen and unseen, begin to take place within our cells, in our minds, and in our energy systems. Legally or technically, I cannot call that 'healing', but, nevertheless, what I have witnessed is nothing short of miracles. Miracles ARE possible and miracles are real.

Here is one example. In November 2006 I read an article in the newspaper telling about the plight of a local girl with her incurable disease called RSD (reflex sympathetic dystrophy). She has a chronic pain syndrome that left her with her whole right side paralyzed from pain. Even as much as a drop of water hitting her leg from the shower would cause horrific pain. She was in a wheelchair and could not attend school. She was 17 years old. In the newspaper article, the family was asking for donations. Rather than send money, I told them a little about Reiki and offered my services. About a month went by and then I finally got a call from her family asking to set up an appointment. They told me that they had no options left and would try anything at this point. We had our first session on Dec. 13, 2006. When I met Ashley that day I felt a bit intimidated. I didn't know that she would be in such bad shape physically. I thought that this would be a real challenge to say the least. Her leg and foot were bright red, inflamed, she had no shoe or sock on, and she could not move or touch these affected parts. Her toe nails were untrimmed and skin was peeling off her leg and foot. Her hand and arm were atrophied from lack of use. Somehow we managed to get her up on to the massage table and I explained a little about what we would do. We went through a brief relaxation period and then began the Reiki. I noticed that Ashley relaxed almost immediately. She looked so peaceful. I felt the energy flowing down my arms and through my hands as I held them above her. Two days after this session, I got a phone call from her Grandmother. She told me that she was amazed. Ashley was using her right hand and, in fact, was helping her Mom decorate Christmas cookies, and had plans to help wrap some Christmas presents! I saw Ashley again the following week and she told me how she had perspired so heavily. To me, that means a release of built up toxins and poisons in the cells. She was very optimistic as we had our second session. The new changes had prevailed and she was feeling better with each session. She was sleeping better, had less pain, and her digestive problems were stabilized. Her regular family doctor was surprised when she came for a visit and hopped up on the exam table unaided. He couldn't get over the changes he saw in her. He told her that it could only be attributed to Reiki as he hadn't done anything different for her. He told her to continue with the Reiki because it was obviously working. When Ashley saw the neurosurgeon who had treated her, he had the same observation. Previously he told her that there was "nothing else he could do" to help her and that she had a "miracle waiting somewhere". He was getting his first eye opener to the power of Reiki.

Shortly after this, Ashley had a revelation which she told me about. A reoccurring dream she had finally made sense. In this dream she could see a boulder in her path and each time she would try to climb over the big rock, she'd get halfway over and would be stopped. Then out of the sky, a letter came falling down. She grabbed the letter and tried to read it, but each time it was blank. . .no words. She came to the realization that the letter was the one written by me and might be the key to her getting her life back again. . .and successfully getting over this boulder in her path.

On Feb. 22, after our weekly Reiki session (we had a total of nine sessions thus far) Ashley took her first steps. . .out of the wheelchair. . .and without crutches! The inflammation is gone. The redness is gone. Her skin looks normal. She sleeps better at night. She wears her shoe and sock. Her outlook is so positive. She will graduate normally from high school where as before it was feared she wouldn't. She is actually ahead of her class now on studies. She has a total sunny outlook and disposition. She wants to help other people who have RSD and wants to become a Reiki Master this summer.

To be a Reiki practitioner is to be a channel for healing energy which is drawn in by the client. The Reiki Master is a conduit and the client is ultimately responsible for bringing this energy to themselves! As a Reiki practitioner, I have witness other miracles as a result of using Universal Life Force Energy. I have witnessed spontaneous healings of animals. To me, that is PROOF that Reiki is real. Many people are skeptical and have tried to dissuade me to think that it is only the people's own minds that were doing the healing (as in a placebo effect). A dog has no belief system. He is not 'trying' to heal. He is not thinking anything about Reiki. He only 'receives'. This is all the proof I needed that it is a real energy and it works. Ashley and I are here to give hope and to teach others about the beauty and possibility of miracles through Reiki.

Thanks for reading my story. Good health and many blessings to all.

And Ashley tells the story in her own words:

I'm a believer in Reiki!

In the beginning of my problem, I didn’t think there was anybody that could help me. I have RSD (reflex sympathetic dystrophy). I lost my whole rightside of my body. I couldn’t use it because of pain and the burning feeling. I’vebeen to alot of doctors and tried different surgeries, therapies, and medications with no luck. The surgeries actually made my RSD worse and spread it. The medicines caused me even more problems. Finally the doctors said they couldn’t help me and that I had a miracle waiting 'somewhere'.

I was 15 when my problem started. After a year I was wheelchair bound and had to depend on others to help me. I'm 18 now. What a way to spend your teen years. Then one day my Mom received a letter in the mail from Julie Romanko, a Reiki Master. She had seen an article in the newspaper about me and decided to write to us and offer her help. My Mom researched Reiki on the computer. We still weren’t sure of it, but we thought “what did we have to lose”? We didn’t have many options left, so my Mom made the appointment. That first appointment was Dec. 13, 2006. The day came and we went to my appointment. The Reiki Master asked me to lay on a massage table and take deep breaths and relax. She put some relaxing music on. My Mom watched from the next room. She said she couldn’t believe what she was seeing…the fact that I was so relaxed and didn’t have a care in the world when normally I would be very tense and scared about the pain. The Reiki Master was holding her hands above me but didn’t touch me. I felt this warm feeling come into my body and it was so relaxing. The master did this for about an hour. Then when it was done, the Reiki Master woke me up and asked me how I felt. I said I felt different. I knew something happened but didn’t know how to explain it. My Mom made another appointment for the next week and we left. That night I slept a little better. But the next morning I woke up andI was wringing wet in sweat and I also had to use the bathroom a lot. The Reiki Master told me I would, because it's the toxins coming out of my body. Do you know that 2 to 3 days after my appointment, I got my right hand back. I started to use it and my hand didn’t hurt as bad. It was amazing, and I couldn’t wait until my next appointment. The next appointment came and we went. I still sweated alot. The color of my right foot used to be bright red and it was inflamed but now it was starting to look normal. My doctors were amazed at how different I looked. They also liked that I was more positive (that’s one of the keys to Reiki, the positive attitude along with the healing energy). My mom told the doctors what it was that I was doing different, which was the Reiki sessions. The doctors told me to continue because it’s working, so we did. I went to see Julie and had a Reiki session once each week. Each time I went felt a little better. My foot looks better each time. And after a couple of months now I have my leg and foot back. On Feb. 22, 2007, I took my first steps. I am now walking again. My pain level is down. I will continue appointments for Reiki and I'm feeling great! I am so glad I kept going! Reiki is amazing! It’s like someone up above us is healing you through the Reiki Master. I have better spirits about life. I'm glad I had continued with Reiki sessions. They are wonderful. This coming summer I want to learn how to do Reiki myself. Thank you Reiki Master, for giving me my life back.

Ashley has since gone on to study Reiki and is now a Level 2 practitioner.

Thanks to Ashley and Julie for sharing this Reiki story.

What's your Reiki Story? Tell us by emailing it to editor@thereikidigest.com.