Torsten Lange - 4 Sept

First published and distributed in the United Kingdom by:
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Text Torsten A. Lange, 2015

The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or otherwise be copied for public or private use, other than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews, without prior written permission of the publisher.

The information given in this book should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice; always consult a medical practitioner. Any use of information in this book is at the readers discretion and risk. Neither the author nor the publisher can be held responsible for any loss, claim or damage arising out of the use, or misuse, of the suggestions made, the failure to take medical advice or for any material on third party websites.

This book was previously published as Reiki (Hay House
Basics series); ISBN: 978-1-78180-555-8

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Some names in this book have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.

ISBN 978-1-78817-247-9 in print
ISBN 978-1-78817-267-7 in ebook format

Interior illustrations: 26, 27, 34, 7677, 9395, 119, 128, 168, 169 Alexa Garside/www.brightonillustrators.co.uk; 37, 159, 162, 165, 181, 229 Torsten A. Lange; All other images canstockphoto.com

For Dad,
who almost died the day before
I started to write this book.
The doctors called his recovery a miracle.
But the miracle had a name: Reiki.

Ten years ago I didnt believe in Reiki. In fact, I didnt believe in anything that I would classify as esoteric, spiritual or even alternative. I preferred to keep my feet firmly on the ground. That is, until the ground suddenly disappeared.

After a career as a successful entrepreneur, with businesses in Germany and the UK, a flagship store on Londons Regent Street and an export venture to the USA, I found my life falling apart almost overnight. I was made bankrupt and homeless, and after years of struggle was on the brink of ending my life.

Reiki pieced it back together. In fact, my circumstances started to improve the very day it came into my life. Luckily, it doesnt matter whether you believe in Reiki or not: it still works. I found a new job, was given the opportunity to become a Reiki Master and eventually founded the Reiki Academy London. It is certainly no exaggeration to say that Reiki has been the most amazing discovery of my life.

But when our life crashes, it tends to affect others as well. Dad was among those who felt it most. After all, it wasnt just my own home that was lost, but the family home in Hamburg as well. And yet he was the way hed always been towards me: loving and supportive. How I wished I could give him something in return!

With Reiki putting my life slowly back on track, this became more feasible. Dad and his wife came on holiday to the UK and we spent some lovely days together by the sea.

I had so many plans for the future and then a phone call came out of the blue: Dad had gone into hospital for minor surgery and it had revealed a rare infection: necrotizing fasciitis. He might not survive the night.

All I could do was give him Reiki. Of course I was nowhere near him, but little problems like that dont matter with Reiki it can be sent over any distance, no matter how far.

When using Reiki, we tend to feel a physical sensation in our hands, but Id only felt this particular way once before: when Id sent Reiki to a cancer patient in the final stages of the disease. He had died the following day. There was no doubt that Dad was in a life-or-death struggle too. When I went to bed, I asked for Reiki to carry on being sent through the night and fell asleep feeling my hands beaming healing energy across the continent.

Dad had a second operation the following evening, a Friday. Throughout the day, my entire family was sending Reiki, fuelled by the distressing information a Google search had provided on the illness: chances of survival were slim, treatment difficult, lasting impairment almost guaranteed.

Over the weekend, though, Dads condition started to improve, and by the time I finally arrived at his bedside on Sunday, it was clear that he would survive. He wouldnt even lose his leg, as some of the doctors had expected. My sister arrived, we gave him Reiki treatments together, and what we saw was a miracle happening before our very eyes: his complexion was becoming fresher by the hour and he was eating and talking and even joking. The next day, he walked a few steps on crutches. Five doctors were watching in awe. None of them had anticipated such a speedy recovery. Or possibly any recovery.

Two more operations followed to remove the affected tissue and two weeks later Dad left hospital. Today there is nothing left but a very long scar and we can still hardly believe our luck. We are just as amazed as the doctors. But this is what miracles do: the impossible.

Having trained hundreds of students now at the Reiki Academy London, I witness Reiki bringing miracles on an almost daily basis. Few things are more exciting for me than watching the expression of disbelief in the students eyes when they use their healing hands for the first time. It works!

And yet even miracles dont always turn out to be exactly what we hoped for. Im certain that Dads recovery was the result of receiving Reiki. But this doesnt lead to the automatic conclusion that Reiki works like that all the time.

What would I have done if Dad had died? Would I still have finished this book? Im glad this question is rhetorical! But it needs to be answered nevertheless. Yes, I would have finished this book. Because healing doesnt always mean curing. An illness may even be good for us, helping us to learn and change. And, after all, death isnt the end.

Reiki has much to say about this. In fact, its only through questions like this that it can be properly understood. It is a complementary therapy, but it goes beyond that. Far, far beyond.

This story, of course, is rather personal and pretty intense. But it feels right to share it, because Reiki is always personal. And always intense. If youre already practising Reiki or have had a Reiki treatment, Im certain youll agree. If youre about to learn Reiki, I can pretty much guarantee that youll soon be having the most incredible experiences. Because Reiki is neither an esoteric discourse nor an antiseptic theory. Its personal, practical and experiential. Warm, loving and life-changing. And incredibly deep.