Aruna agreed for Reiki

On 19th July this year, as I sat at my desk in an effort to finish off some work, my neighbor Vasudha called to speak to me. I was a bit surprised as I wasn’t close to her and she had never called me. She mentioned about Aruna Ni, a relative to her friend who had cancer and had refused to meet anyone. She just wanted to be left alone. It was sheer chance, that Vasudha happened to somehow speak about a lady (she didn’t mention my name) who could help Aruna with reiki therapy. Vasudha said, as her friend spoke to her about Aruna, something in her heart said to her about asking her for reiki.

Now, Aruna’s relative Shashi asked her if she would like to try it out and Aruna agreed to her surprise. That’s the reason Vasudha had called me, requesting me to go to Aruna’s house to give her a healing session. Since I was already at work, I suggested going there the next day.

Healing Aruna 

Aruna Ni a fourth stage cancer patient who had moved from India to Kenya didn’t have any friends here and her closest link was with the family of her husband’s relatives and the doctors in Nairobi. 

I first met her on 20th July, just a few days after the doctor had informed her about the inevitable: that her life span was nearly over and she had about 6 months left. The cancer had spread from the lung to the bones. 

I was amazed at this woman’s straightforward attitude and she had no regret, no fear of death. She said she hadn’t slept well since months and the cough keeps bothering her. She had a fairly large pillow that was equally stout so her head stays elevated and I wondered how uncomfortable it must be for her. Having explained a bit about what Reiki is and my process of therapy I started off with the session whilst Shashi and Vasudha sat in another room chanting some prayers for her well being.

The moment I placed my hands on her crown chakra she fell asleep and thoroughly enjoyed the session that lasted 80 minutes. 

She sent me a message the next day sharing her sleep chart and she mentioned “ Maybe because of the healing, I slept very well yesterday night”. Her sleep score on the app showed 88% of sleep improvement.

After that I went to her a few times and gave her reiki therapy but then once I had a cough and cold, I had to discontinue visiting her as I didn’t want to pass it on to her. As general consideration we must always be aware that Cancer patients have a compromised immune system ,thus need to be protected from any infections. Then I traveled twice and again resisted visiting her after my return as I had flu symptoms. 

Meanwhile I was still communicating with her and sending her distance reiki every day. Her condition had started to deteriorate and sleep was erratic September onwards. She had developed pain in her left shoulder and upper arm and it worsened by the day. She was literally living in pain 24/7. By now the Sleep Score had shown 8 days of good sleep in the month which according to her was still much better than early June and before that. She felt the Reiki had given her lot of solace, good sleep and energy to cope with the Chemo sessions. Each time she went for a Chemo, she would inform me a couple of days before that so my healing group members could collectively send her energy.

I had informed her that every Wednesday when our LHSG members send out dedicated healing to Cancer patients, she would be receiving it as well and on Thursdays when we had group meetings she would be receiving the group energy healing. She religiously lay down in bed every Wednesday and Thursday from 10am to 11am Kenya time to access the healing wholeheartedly.

Sometimes, I would feel at odd times of the day or even middle of the night that she needed help and I would just start sending reiki towards Aruna. It was a strange bond that I had developed with this patient whom I hadn’t known at all till a few months ago.

Letting Go…

Then on 11th November Vasudha informed me that Aruna is having difficulty in breathing and doctors have refused to keep her at hospital saying there was nothing more they could do for her. She was on painkillers and oxygen. 

I rushed within an hour of the call and went to give her reiki therapy with her permission. It is significant and I felt privileged that she allowed me to be with her when in past few days she had refused any visitors at all. 

She was neither happy or excited nor annoyed at seeing me. She was expressionless. I started with the therapy and then she spoke to me about her family, particularly her husband who doesn’t want to give up on her and was trying to put her on a ventilator. I found Aruna to be very practical and in acceptance of her fate. She even posed for a picture that I wished to click with her and the nurse obliged us for the same.

She said she didn’t want the suffering any more and wanted to be released from her body. The pain in the body was unbearable but she still had her appetite and could eat well.

She pleaded to me to help her with her release and then instantly I gave her a hug and told her that I love her. I went up on her bed and spoke to her about Ho’oponopono and how it was important to first clear our karmic connections with those around us and whilst asking their forgiveness we also grant them our forgiveness. 

She understood and together we spoke out the Ho’oponopono sentences thinking about her immediate family. Then I told her to visualize giving them ( her husband, children and anyone else) her hugs, kisses, love that she had missed doing during her illness and then finally visualize her goodbyes to them. 

She asked forgiveness from me saying that she had caused me trouble so many times to climb stairs (her house was on the second floor and the building doesn’t have a lift) and to go to give her healing. I too asked for forgiveness from her for her suffering. All this was done in the presence of her nurse who was constantly with us in the room. 

Aruna confirmed with me that she had been practicing Ho’oponopono through her WhatsApp message. I taught her relative Shashi to help Aruna by doing her silent Ho’oponopono with her and to advise the same to her husband and children. Initially they had refused but finally agreed and started doing it every day. That practice of Ho’oponopono , the forgiveness technique by Aruna and those around her made a tremendous difference as they had all at a mental and emotional level started letting go on their hold of each other.

Her Release

On the 17th November I had put up a request for her ‘ease in release’ and healing for her highest good at the Thursday healing meeting. Every Thursday we meet as members of Lotus Healing Seva Group and send out reiki energy towards a lot of global causes as well as to the patients that are under our care. More about the healing group can be found at http://www.kamaltolia.com

As soon as our meeting was over I was informed by her relative that she was breathing with difficulty and I started sending healing again for her highest good and within 10 minutes I got the news of her passing away. 

I am in gratitude that this pious soul had given me the opportunity to be of seva to her and taught me an important lesson about letting go on life with detachment from all relationships. Her death was inevitable as the doctors too had suggested the same but with the healing energy and Ho’oponopono it became slightly easier on her passage to the other shore.

After Her Release

Her relative Shashi mentioned to me that the family was in acceptance of what had happened and that Aruna appeared to have gone in peace. She shared a few pictures of her last journey with me and I actually found that ultimate calm and relief on her face. She was free from all disease but still the healer in me, had duties to accomplish.

Together with my group members at LHSG we continued to send Grief Trauma Reiki to her family, her close relatives and the maids who had looked after her so well for an entire month.

Monica Gokaldas