Reiki practitioners often fulfill requests to administer the Japanese technique of energy awareness and stress reduction to recipients in nursing homes, but now there are Reiki sessions, perhaps the first of their kind, where residents become the practitioners. On November 6, a Reiki Celebration was held at the Jewish Home for the Elderly in Fairfield for 21 residents—one 100 years old—who completed Reiki I and/or Reiki II trainings. In May 2011, Shelley Berman, Coordinator, Community Relations at the Jewish Home, met with Directors/ Reiki Teachers Jeannette Stellato and James Landers of ReikiOvertones LLC. Their plan: to develop a morning workshop for residents to experience Reiki and/or participate in their own ReikiShare, and an afternoon workshop where residents learn and practice Reiki and apply it to their daily lives. Reiki is also administered to residents who request private Reiki sessions. The next phase will be an autonomous program where residents, assisted by volunteers, practice Reiki and hold their own workshops. Resident Helen Downs is the Workshop Coordinator. Volunteers Jessica and Jim Hunter are the morning workshop leaders.

If you would like to volunteer in the Reiki program, please contact Jeannette or Jim at [email protected], or call 203.254.3958.