On a 90-degree summer afternoon, radiant heat can be seen rising up in waves from a sidewalk. The dancing glow of the Aurora Borealis over the Alaskan sky, or Aurora Australius across that continental sky, also paints ever-changing, glowing portraits.

Those images are similar to the energy fields felt or seen around a human being by practitioners of bioenergy therapy, therapeutic massage or Quantum Reiki, an ancient Japanese healing art based on Eastern philosophy.

“Reiki is a natural healing method I can do on my family and friends, myself and on pets and kids,” said Nancy James, a registered nurse.

James grew up in Iowa, attending nursing school in Kansas. Her first job was at Bartlesville, then she worked in Talihina before moving to Hulbert and opening the Clear Creek Wellness Center.

James explained how she first learned Reiki could heal pets after she helped a friend’s dog that had been attacked by two larger dogs. She also worked on her own little dog after a bale of hay fell on it.

“I found a hummingbird that hit the window and held it between my hands and concentrated energy into it. After a minute, it flew away,” she said.

James describes it as “healing energy from God.”

“Using our head, heart and hands, energy flows into and out of you,” James said. “As a nurse, I’ve seen organs in surgery and know where they are. I know anatomy and how the body works. And our thoughts have a lot to do with what goes on in our bodies.”

The American Institute of Holistic Theology defines “Reiki” (pronounced “RAKE-ee”) as is a technique for stress reduction and relaxation, achieved by drawing on the unlimited supply of “life force energy” to improve health and enhance quality of life by treating the whole person –body, mind and spirit.

Feelings of peace, well-being and security result from Reiki energy treatments, which are a form of spiritual healing and self-empowerment.

Light is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum surrounding us, as explained at the Celestial Lights.com Web site. Light frequencies are perceived and recognized as color through the eyes and brain.

White light reflecting through a prism creates a rainbow with seven colors and frequencies. The human body, in turn, has seven main energy vortices, or chakras, that vibrate harmoniously with the seven color frequencies of a rainbow.

Practitioners believe applying the correct light or sound frequency can clear and restore blockages in the chakras and return the area to its proper functioning frequency. This electromagnetic energy field directly corresponds to the quality of a person’s health.

The health care community is beginning to better understand how Reiki and other energies work helps to bolster the immune system and aid in detoxification. All humans have the ability to use these energies, and many health practitioners – like Japanese doctor Mikao Ushi – believe firmly in its benefits. Ushi uses a process he calls “attunement.”

The traditional system uses the laying on of hands to provide comfort, and directs energy through the hands. The technique is passed from master to student through the attunement process, and while there are many “kinds” of Reiki being practiced today, most believe that ultimately Reiki is simply “universal, unconditional love.”