Hot Hands

One of the key indicators of someone with energy healing abilities is that the palms of their hands become quite warm when they are doing their healings. This isn’t just true for Reiki practitioners, but also massage therapists, day care providers, and other people involved in healing. Before I learned Reiki, I had been working with Pranic energy healing. Though my hands would tingle, they never became noticeably hot.  In fact, I’ve always been a cold hand kind of person, until I received Reiki I training and attunement. Now they become warm quite often, most noticably in my palms whenever I do any of the following:

• meditate in the Gassho position
• perform Reiki or Pranic Healing techniques on myself or others
• read about Reiki
• write about reiki
• draw or paint
• worry about anything
• receive an email for healing
• do distance healing
• think about my loved ones
• am with someone who needs reiki

…just about anything that needs Reiki healing energy that happens in my life triggers the hot hand response in my palms. I can intentionally turn on my hands by invoking the spirit of healing whenever I intend to give Reiki as well. The hot hands do pass when the Reiki work that is needed is complete. And in case you are wondering, my palms are hot and sweaty even as I write this.

But are hot hands required for healing to take place? Absolutely not. Some people never feel that sensation yet are wonderful Reiki practitioners or healers. While working with energy may result in physical sensations such as hot hands, tingling, prickling or any number of other sensations, it’s not required for it to work. I know of one long-time practicing pagan who took a Reiki I & II class and wondered what the big deal was about. Since she had worked with  energy so often during rituals over the years, when she experienced the gentle touch of Reiki, she didn’t even notice it, while others in the class were deeply moved by the sensations they were feeling for the first time.

For me it’s become more important to continue in my practice than to always feel the energy in a physical way. We all come from different backgrounds and experiences, and ultimately, the energy that unifies and heals us all is the same, though our perception of it differs. That’s part of what makes our individuality so interesting, we each get to tell our stories and inspire one another.