Most Reiki books focus on, well, the subject of Reiki itself: what Reiki is, the history, how you use it – Keyes goes down a completely different path with her book.
The Healing Power of Reiki is an extremely heartfelt illustration of Keye’s work as a Reiki Master. It is filled not only with numerous amazing accounts of Keye’s experience with her clients, but also includes guided meditations peppered throughout the book. As the first Reiki Master to practice in the operating room of no other than the famed Dr Oz, and working alongside other healers down at Ground Zero for a whole eight months, Keyes sure has many unique and moving Reiki healing stories to share with her readers.
With just the first chapter dedicated to what Reiki is to Keyes, the rest of the eight chapters of the book are based on her experiences with clients in different settings and situations. Keyes shares heartwarming, and sometimes tear-jerking stories of supporting clients through harrowing surgeries, working with injured athletes, giving comfort through Reiki healing to distressed firefighters and other rescue workers on Ground Zero. Her candid and detailed narration of events give the reader a very in-depth view of what it is like for both the recipient and the practitioner during a session – which gives the reader something to take away, whether he is a practitioner or someone who is keen to try Reiki for himself. I personally appreciate Keye’s equally candid recounting of her own experience of PSTD (post-traumatic stress disorder) after volunteering at Ground Zero and how she dealt with it – not only is it a refreshing change from the often misleading message that Reiki Teachers are -always- Zen, by showing her own vulnerability, she is in turn encouraging readers who may be suffering from PSTD to seek help.
Many Reiki practitioners/teachers have gifts that are separate from Reiki in itself, which they may use in conjunction with Reiki with their clients. Keyes has some lovely gifts of her own – her accounts often mention angels, messages from spirit world, shamanic messages. While they give a different dimension of what a healing session can be like for Reiki practitioners with these gifts, do remember that Reiki is just what it is, Reiki – so don’t be too worried if you aren’t getting messages from a parallel universe in your Reiki healing sessions!
