reiki and surgery - kathie lipinski · the reiki session to let them experience the deep relaxation...

w w w. r e i k i . o r g • R E I K I N E W S M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 0 6 41

Research studies repeatedly showthat people who prepare for sur-gery are less anxious, have less

pain, fewer complications, and a fasterrecovery. Reiki as a healing modality pro-vides one of the easiest and most benefi-cial ways of doing this. The efficacy ofReiki is born out by the increasing numberof hospitals that offer Reiki to patientsundergoing surgery.

Portsmouth Regional Hospital in NewHampshire was a pioneer in making Reikiavailable to patients preparing for surgery.Patricia Alandydy RN, nurse manager of

the Operating Room, initiated this highlysuccessful program in 1995. The first pro-gram began as a hospital sponsored Reikiclinic, offering Reiki to the communitytwo times a week. In 1997, it expanded tothe pre-op area as a trial to see if it coulddecrease patients’ anxiety and stress. Theprogram was so successful that the optionof receiving Reiki before surgery wasincluded in the initial pre-op phone regis-tration. (See Spring 2004 issue of ReikiNews.) The Reiki program then expandedto every department of the hospital. Peo-ple having surgery began to request sur-

gery at Portsmouth because of the Reikiprogram! Neighboring Wentworth-Dou-glas Hospital in Dover, NH saw the popu-larity of the program and in 2000 began anIntegrative Therapies program, whichincluded Reiki.

In the early 1990s, Dr. Mehmet Oz,FACS, a renowned cardiovascular surgeonat Columbia Presbyterian Medical Centerin New York, (now Professor and ViceChairman of Surgery, as well as Director ofthe Cardiovascular Institute and ViceChairman, Cardiovascular Services),formed a center to do research and inform

Reiki and SurgeryB Y K A T H I E L I P I N S K I R N , M S N , C H

P H O T O S C O U R T E S Y O F C A S E Y D E M O R E E

Karen Pischke RN, (left) Reiki Master Teacher, giving Reiki to a patient before surgery.

42 R E I K I N E W S M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 0 6 • w w w. r e i k i . o r g

the public about alternative therapies. Hewas a pioneer in setting up a program thatcombined the best of Western medicinewith complementary therapies. The pro-gram offered touch therapies, hypnosis,guided imagery, chi gong, and othermodalities to patients undergoing radicallifesaving procedures such as coronarybypass surgery and heart or lung trans-plants. In his book, Healing from the Heart,Dr. Oz describes how complementarytherapies can alleviate pre-surgical anxi-ety and change fear into relaxed, positivemindsets that nurture the spirit and helpheal the heart.

Dr. Oz invited energy healer Julie Motzto be a member of his team. During sur-gery, Julie sat at the foot of the operatingtable and ran energy through the patient’sfeet. It was noted (among other beneficialoutcomes) that none of the heart trans-plant patients experienced the usual post-operative depression when Julie was pres-

during the surgery, and into the recoveryroom, a process that lasted over five hours.

That case opened up the doors forReiki and hypnotherapy to be offered forsurgical support at the North Shore Med-ical Centers (NSMC) in Salem, Lynn,Peabody, and Danvers MA. In 2003, uponpatient request, the Salem Hospital’sHeart & Wellness department beganoffering surgical support with Reiki andHypnotherapy. Reiki is currently offeredon a “fee for service” basis through theNSMC Wellness and Integrative Medi-cine department, both inpatient and out-patient, in the acute care and rehabilita-tion setting, and for surgical support(before, during, and after surgery). Reikiservices are also provided at no charge inthe NSMC cancer center during treat-ment, and by donation, through a Reikiclinic coordinated by Reiki Masters Flo-rence Whipple and Kristin Webb.

NSMC patients who receive Reikiprior to surgery are sent a follow up surveyto evaluate their response. Patients havereported decreased anxiety, decreased dis-comfort, an improved sense of calm beforeand after surgery, and a great deal of satis-faction. One patient wrote, “The Reikitook away all fear and apprehension andanxiety.” Another patient, having under-gone gastric bypass after preparation withReiki and hypnotherapy, wrote, “Myrecovery was so much faster and relativelypain free (compared to four other priormajor surgeries). The calmness and seren-ity I felt postoperative was amazing.”

Anesthesiologists, surgeons, and nurs-ing personnel have observed that thepatients utilizing these adjunctive thera-pies appear to require less sedation and

R E I K I A N D S U R G E R Y

ent during their surgery. She later movedto California and became an integral partof a similar program at Stanford Universi-ty Hospital and subsequently at other hos-pitals across the country.

Karen Pischke, an RN and Reiki Mas-ter Teacher based in Massachusetts, hasbeen employed as Reiki practitioner forthe Heart and Wellness department atNorth Shore Medical Centers (NSMC) inSalem, MA since 1999. In 2000 she beganto teach Reiki at the hospital and in 2001began the hypnotherapy program there,offering Reiki alone and in combinationwith hypnotherapy for behavior modifica-tion and cardiac risk factor reduction.

In 2001 Karen began offering Reikiand hypnotherapy for surgical and hospi-tal support through her private practice.In 2003 she supported a patient through aneedle-guided breast biopsy, accompany-ing the patient throughout the processfrom radiology, to the pre-op holding area,

Patients who have received Reiki priorto surgery have reported an improvedsense of calm both before and after.


pain medicine, ambulate sooner and morecomfortably, have decreased lengths ofstay, and appear to do better as comparedwith patients who did not utilize theseservices. NSMC surgeon Dr. FrederickBuckley Jr. commented, “It has been avery positive experience. Because of theseobservations, we have planned a pilotstudy to further determine the efficacy ofusing Reiki and hypnotherapy to preparefor gastric bypass surgery.”

George Washington University Hospi-tal (Washington, D.C.) conducted a six-month pilot program from December2003 to June 2004 in which Reiki wasgiven before patients underwent a cardiaccatherization procedure. Even though theresponse group was small, they found thatpatients reported increased confidencegoing into the surgery and reduced anxi-ety. Very important factors for successfuloutcome and healing!

I have given Reiki training to nurseanesthetists and anesthesiologists (MDs),and know others, who give Reiki whilethey are administering anesthesia. Theyhave found that it is easier for the personto go under; often less anesthesia isrequired, and the patient wakes up moreeasily and has a better postoperative expe-rience—less pain and less nausea andvomiting. This can be easily explainedbecause Reiki induces the relaxationresponse. As a person relaxes, their mus-cles relax and their breathing improves,making it easier for them to receive theanesthesia. Recovery room nurses andaides have also noticed that patients whoreceive Reiki before and/or during surgeryhave an easier time releasing the anesthe-sia and also have less postoperative pain.

Years ago, a friend’s father was havingprostate surgery. The surgery was beingdone in a Veterans Hospital and his sur-geon had done thousands of these opera-tions. My friend, who is also a Reiki prac-titioner, gave him Reiki as often as she


Healing Images and Statements

• My body is healthy and strong.

• I am divinely protected before, during, and after the surgery.

• I know all will go well during my surgery/procedure.

• My body is completely relaxed throughout the procedure.

• Any medication, injections or tubings that are needed during the surgery arereceived easily before, during, and after the surgery.

• My body easily and safely receives and processes the anesthesia.

• The surgeon will perform masterfully and expertly, bringing me the best out-come.

• After the surgery, the anesthesia is easily cleared from my body.

• When I awake from surgery, I will feel comfortable and will heal very well.

• I thank my body for undergoing this surgery so that my health is restored.

• All will go well.

• I see myself fully recovered and restored to health.

Imagery during sessionGive Reiki for 15 -20 minutes to help person relax. Then begin to speak the fol-

lowing words to client……..pause 15-20 seconds between each statement. Bring inReiki symbols when guided.

“See yourself a few hours and moments before the surgery………. See yourselfbreathing easily and relaxing deeply………. A pleasant calm comes over you andyou relax even more……… As you relax even more, you know you are being takencare of… By the time you enter surgery, you are deeply relaxed……………. The sur-geons are experts and extremely capable……….. You are just fine, you are justfine………… The surgery goes very well……….. Now imagine yourself in recoveryand just opening your eyes…………… You feel relaxed. ……..You feel comfortableand relaxed…………. ALL IS WELL.”

“Imagine yourself a short time into the future, your successful surgery is behindyou……….. Every day you feel stronger and stronger…….You continue to regainyour strength ………….. You are getting back to your every day routine……….. Youfeel great!.............. See yourself doing what you enjoy, being with friends and fami-ly, and feeling strong and energized…………… Each day you get better and better,stronger and stronger…………. You are healing well.” n


surgical experience. I then share myexperiences with other clients who havedone well with Reiki. I also tell themabout books, CDs, and other relevantresources. (See Resources.) I then beginthe Reiki session to let them experiencethe deep relaxation and peace that Reikibrings. I may start the session with aHealing Attunement (as taught by theInternational Center for Reiki Training)to help open their energy field and cre-ate a more receptive state, or an AuraBalancing technique (also taught byICRT) to prepare their body for a deephealing, removing any blockages thatmay exist. This is followed by a completeReiki session.

During the second session, I may havethem imagine that they are in theirfavorite place or a place they imagine ashealing and relaxing. As they relax moreinto the Reiki session, I begin repeatingaloud their healing statements. If I can, Irecord the statements before they come ortape them (with their permission) as weare going through the session. Someclients want to repeat the statements afterme. Hearing one’s own voice is very pow-erful, and often very moving. If they havea relaxation CD or tape for preparing forsurgery, I may play that or put headphoneson them so they can listen to it as I givethem Reiki. This includes relaxation tapesas well as self-hypnosis or guided imagerytapes. (See Resources.)

As part of the preparation for surgery, Iencourage and assist my clients in talkingto the body part that is going to beremoved, cut, or explored. One of thethings that is not often talked about insurgery is how unprepared the body is forwhat is going to happen to it. One doesn’toften think about preparing a body partthat is about to be removed, cut, ormanipulated. We don’t often think aboutthanking the body for what it is about toundergo during surgery. It is important to


ery Room, Oncology (cancer) or painmanagement departments may have staffwho can provide Reiki. You can also askyour physician if there are complementarytherapies available, and if he or she doesnot know, ask who might. As more andmore patients ask, the interest in provid-ing Reiki as a routine service will rise!And if no one is available, you have theoption of asking a Reiki practitioner tovisit you in the hospital before or after sur-gery. Many Reiki practitioners alreadyvisit their client/patients in the hospitalsetting, and their doing so has increasedstaff awareness of Reiki. It has also peakedthe interest of staff to learn Reiki as theysee the response of the patients.

For a summary of Reiki programsoffered in hospitals, see: “Reiki: Review ofa Biofield Therapy; History, Theory, Prac-tice and Research,” in Alternative Thera-pies, March/April 2003, by Pamela Miles,founder of the Institute for the Advance-ment of Complementary Therapies.

Preparing for Surgery Protocol and Guidelines

In my private practice of Reiki andhypnotherapy, I have found that the idealtime to prepare for surgery is four to sixweeks prior to the event. If that is not pos-sible, any time is a good time! I suggestweekly sessions and perhaps two sessionsthe week before surgery.

When I first meet with the client, Iask them to tell me about their upcom-ing surgery. From this conversation, Iassist them in developing healing state-ments, which they can repeat in prepara-tion for surgery and in anticipation of apositive experience. (See HealingImages and Statements). I then discussReiki and other healing modalities to letthem know what is available. I explainthat Reiki is a relaxation technique,which balances body, mind, and spirit,and that it can help them have a better

could and brought him to me the daybefore surgery, so that we could give him atreatment together. The surgery was a suc-cess, and afterwards, the surgeon told herthat in all the years he had performedprostate surgery, her father had lost theleast amount of blood of any patient hehad ever operated on! If you think of theblood as the carrier of the life forcethrough the body (as well as oxygen andnutrients), and knowing that Reiki is aform of healing life force energy, it makessense that blood would respond positivelyto Reiki!

Surgeons can perform operations.That is the technical part. However, theydon’t have the power to heal the tissuesthat have been injured. That is up to thepatient and the body’s natural ability toheal itself. This is where Reiki and otherhealing modalities come in. Complemen-tary therapies help the person harness thehealing power of the human body and thehuman spirit. They empower patients tobe partners in their own healing process.They acknowledge the mind-body con-nection that is so important in the heal-ing process.

If you, or someone you know is facingsurgery, seek out hospitals or private prac-titioners who can support the healingprocess through Reiki. A hospital may nothave an Integrative or Complementarytherapy department per se, but many havenurses, volunteers, or other staff availablefor Reiki sessions. A Reiki Master I knowhad to have emergency surgery. As she waslying in the Emergency Room waiting tobe taken to the OR, she called out, “Isthere anyone here who does Reiki?” Sev-eral nurses rushed to her side and begantreating her.

You can begin by calling the hospitalwhere you will be having surgery. If theperson you are speaking to does not know,ask to speak to the Nursing Department orthe Volunteer Department. Some Recov-


help the person dialogue with their body –to thank it for its courage and its strengthand stamina. This will help to make thesurgical experience less traumatic.

I start the session by activating thefirst Karuna Reiki® symbol that acts as aspiritual anesthetic and prepares one fordeep healing. Another choice would be toactivate the distant healing symbol as aform of preparation. The DH symboladdresses the past, present and future, soit would send Reiki to all aspects of theupcoming surgery. When I reach the areaof concern, I put my Reiki hands over thebody part or let the client touch the areaas they are talking to it. I often use thesecond Karuna symbol here to visualize astrong beaming light. Like a laser, it canhelp break up pockets of energy and fillthe area with a focused beam of light orhealing energy. The power symbol workswell here also as it increases and focusesthe Reiki energy. Sometimes I visualizethe energy coming out of my hands, gen-tly spreading like a spiral throughout thearea underneath my hand. While the per-son is dialoguing with the body part, I letthe energy flow, sending love and healingto the area, and reinforcing their healingstatements. This works for a diseased areaas well. I may then bring in the powersymbol to increase and focus the flow ofReiki to the area. I may also bring in themental emotional symbol to help releaseand heal thoughts or emotions related tothis body part. (You may bring in any ofthe symbols in any order you are comfort-able with or guided to use. There is nowrong way to use the symbols. They workby intention and intuition and often tellyou when to bring them in.)

Depending on how much time wehave before the surgery, I may teach themabout healing energy. I explain howeveryone is born with the ability to bringin healing energy. It starts with desire andintention. Healing comes from the inten-

ing. I have them talk to the area, thank itfor what it is about to undergo and releaseit with love and gratitude.

If a person is interested, I may givethem the Reiki I attunement with the soleintention of their using it to treat them-selves. I give them basic informationabout Reiki, and explain how they can useit every day for self-healing. Many havecome back after their surgery to take aReiki class and share it with their friendsand families.

I encourage my clients to have a Reikisession as close to the day of surgery aspossible.

On the day of surgery, I send Reikiusing the distant healing symbol. I imag-ine the operating room filled with a beau-tiful white light or mist, which representsthe Reiki energy. I imagine that the sur-geon, all the nurses, anesthesiologists,and assistants are strong and skillful. Iimagine a pair of Reiki energy gloves onthe surgeon’s hands, so that they areskilled and masterful. I imagine all equip-ment in the room being bathed andblessed by the energy. (You don’t have toimagine this in detail; you can simply fillthe room with Reiki energy, blessing andguiding all those in it!). If possible, I visitthe person in the hospital after surgery orwhen they get home. I continue to sendthem Reiki and encourage them toreceive Reiki for the next few weeks after-wards. This “protocol” has brought aboutmany successful and less upsetting surgi-cal experiences.

The surgical experience need not befilled with fear and anxiety. The use ofReiki and other complementary therapieshas been shown to be a positive factor in asuccessful post surgical outcome. Empow-er yourself and your clients to harness thepower of mind and spirit. Reiki is anexcellent way to strengthen and balancethe body, mind, and spirit in the prepara-tion for, and healing after, surgery.


tion to help someone, or decrease the suf-fering of another, including oneself. Iexplain how to open the heart for healingby focusing on love and compassion, thenallow energy to come out of the heart,travel the length of the arm down theheart line or meridian (energy track) andinto the hands. I then have them placetheir hands on the area that will be oper-ated on with the intention of sendinghealing energy there.

When people do not understand thisconcept, I just tell them to “love on it” byfocusing on that area and sending love,and/or white light or any healing colorthere. Tears often fall, and I support thatrelease with the mental emotional symbol.Releasing the energy of the emotion inthat area is often in itself a powerful heal-

BooksPrepare for Surgery, Heal Faster By Peggy Huddleston

CDsWords that Heal—Hypnosis for Pre and Post Surgery By Julie Griffin1-800-497-1807 (TWT Publishers)Email: [email protected]

Getting Ready: Preparing for Surgery,Chemotherapy and other treatments(Information and meditations)By Bernie Siegel M.D.

Preparing for Surgery: Guided Imagery Exercises for Relaxation and Accelerated HealingBy Martin Rossman, M.D

Belleruth NaparstekGuided Imagery Serieswww.Healthjourneys.com

Preparing for SurgeryResources

Day of Surgery: Send Reiki before andduring the surgery.

Optional Hospital Visit: Visit them theday of surgery or day after to give Reiki.

Home Visit: Day of or after surgery orwhen discharged.

Post-op: Once a week for several weeksafter surgery to support the healingprocess. 1—Kathie can be reached by email [email protected]

Summary1st Session: Reiki session to introduce

them to mind/body work & deep relax-ation; can start Reiki session with HealingAttunement or Aura Balancing to deepenexperience. Give information aboutbooks, relaxation tapes, and other avail-able resources. Develop healing state-ments, affirmations, and healing images.(See Healing Images.)

2nd Session: Healing Attunement fol-lowed by Reiki session for deep relaxationand strengthening the body and theimmune system. Give Reiki for 15-20


minutes then begin repeating healingstatements while continuing the session,or put head phones on client and playCD/tape.

3rd and Subsequent Sessions: Same asabove; can also teach client how to givethemselves healing energy by placing theirhands on area to be operated upon andfocusing energy there.

Optional: Initiate them into 1st degreeReiki so they can treat themselves.(Can also do at second session if time islimited.)


reiki and surgery - kathie lipinski · the reiki session to let them experience the deep relaxation...

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