Reiki when a loved one is passing

Reiki for the dying
In recent weeks my father has been making the transition between life and death. In this transition I have been using a Reiki technique developed by myself and Dr. Harold Bob of Season’s Hospice to ease his pain, and to make his passing more comfortable and less fearful for him.
The technique used is slightly different from the Reiki used on people who are not in the active dying phase. When someone is transitioning, most of the energy below the waist begins to shut down and no longer functions. Normally Reiki is used to regain this function and get the energy flowing and aligned properly. In this case there is no attempt to align the energy or re-establish its flow. Instead what is worked on is the upper body where the energy is still flowing, mostly around the head area, and sometimes the throat and heart. Eventually the only place left flowing with any energy is the head. It is suspected that when one finally does depart it is through the head area where the energy was the last to shut down.
The idea of this sort of Reiki is to help acceptance of this transition, and to allay fear and anxiety, along with pain which may be present in the individual. Breath work along with focus on the Bodi tree brings forward a very healing and supportive energy that assists in the dying process bringing peace and equanimity to the one in transition. The Bodi tree signifies a time when leaves are falling from the tree. There is a type of death or dying, yet there is no fear in this process. As the leaves fall the branches appear to open wide, leaving it naked to the elements. There is a calm and acceptance in this process, and in fact one knows that even as leaves are shed, in the spring the tree will once again bud in the spring and bring forth new life. To me this is a promise that we live on long after we shed our physical bodies, and focusing on this energy seems to bring much needed calm, and a purity of peace and light.
Not only has this process helped my father, but it has also helped me. I have actively been able to not only ease his suffering, but as well to ease my own pain and grief. I have been in the moment as I have worked on him. In this place there is no past, no present, only that moment. There is a sense of connection, peace, and a purity that seems to present itself as I work with him. I have seen his face wracked with pain, and then ease as I work on him. I have seen him drift off to sleep as I work with a smile on his face. At one point he almost seemed to glow with contentment and the beauty of this brought tears to my eyes. I am both humbled and honored to have been part of his process, and I know that when he finally does let go I would have had a small part in his passing in peace and comfort.

Robin Littlefeather Hannon