The story about that dear puppy that was saved from those horrific witchcraft practices moved me. I'm upset that anyone would want to hurt an innocent animal and in the process attempt to harm another person. I’m so glad he’s safe now and being cared for.

Today a lot of people are experimenting with different metaphysical and holistic practices. I felt I should say that not all energy work is negative. I’ve been a Reiki master teacher for 10 years and it’s a practice based on positive energy that can benefit someone on a physical, mental, and spiritual level. One has to request Reiki. A reputable practitioner does not enforce their will on others. I also don't believe anyone has the right to psychically attack others or try to control them. People who do that will ultimately have a huge karmic debt to pay.

On the plus side, working with energy is fun. When I'm giving Reiki to someone, a strong energetic connection is established between me and the other person that soothing and peaceful. I should also say there is NO sexual element involved in this practice and it is not massage. It's a light placement of the practitioner's hands on someone's head, eyes, shoulders, knees, feet, etc. I usually start to feel the energy flowing through my hands within a minute or so. I can also sense when the person receiving energy starts to relax. That usually means the energy connection is strong. I allow the Reiki flow to guide me. Sometimes I also get intuitive images and feelings about people which I share with them. Some images deal with the present and some deal with the past or karmic issues. When a person has received the amount of energy he or she needs, the energy flow tends to automatically stop. I usually don't have to time a session.

I've heard some people say they don't "believe" in Reiki, so it probably won't work for them. Actually, a person’s belief is not required and neither is mine. We are surrounded by energy and we're capable of tapping into that flow and using it. We don't have to believe in it for that to happen. To take a simplistic example, if your home is wired for electricity, when you flip a switch the light will go on. You don't have to "believe" in electricity for the light to come on. It exists. You also don't have to "believe" in Reiki, or that it's possible for the energy to work for you.

There's also no religious connotation to Reiki. Reiki is a holistic practice - not a religious practice - and it's not meant to infringe on anyone's religious beliefs. It's neutral - just like meditation or yoga, for example. It may seem strange to some people but, to paraphrase Shakespeare, "There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in (our) philosophy..."