Reiki Roundup

I was sorting through the to-be-recycled pile last week when I happened across a pleasant surprise: there on page 258 of the September 2008 issue of Better Homes and Gardens was a brief mention of Reiki. Yes, it was in an article headlined "Massage as Medicine," and yes, it was illustrated with a photo of a naked client receiving a massage (not Reiki), but other than that, it was accurate, and most welcome -- especially considering the fact that BH&G has a circulation of more than 7 million readers! Not that all 7 million would have read all the way to page 258, but still. . . .

The article isn't available online, and the September issue is no longer on newsstands, so we hope BH&G won't mind if we quote a brief excerpt:

"Practitioners of this therapy rest their hands lightly on various parts of the head, on the front and back of the torso, and the limbs, according to Pamela Miles. . . Clients receive Reiki treatments fully clothed on a treatment table or sometimes seated comfortably in a chair. . . May help with pain and anxiety, along with relief of tension. Also can help clear your mind and make you feel more invigorated."

And Washington, D.C.-area Reiki teacher Olga Rasmussen alerted us to a September 15 Washington Post article on alternative medicine -- "Alternatives Enter the Mainstream" -- with quite a few mentions of Reiki. The article comes with an encouraging bonus: a sidebar listing the local hospitals where alternative treatments, including Reiki, are available.

Beyond English: This week, we read about Reiki in Romanian. And you don't need to understand the words to spot a common error: the photo illustrating the article shows a recipient of a massage, dressed in nothing but towels. Anybody know how to say "fully clothed" in Romanian?