Book excerpt: An illuminating guide to one of the fastest-growing spiritual healing practices in the world and an essential tool for anyone ready to bring healing into his or her life. Perhaps the gentlest healing therapy in the world, Reiki originated in early twentieth-century Japan. In this indispensable guide to Reiki, one of the foremost experts traces the origin and development of the practice, detailing how and why it restores and renews the human body in ways we've only begun to understand. A pioneer in bringing Reiki into mainstream medical practice, Miles draws on her unique background to explain how this therapeutic technique, which involves a gentle laying on of the hands, complements conventional medical treatments and can hasten recovery from invasive surgical procedures, as well as ease the symptoms of cancer, insomnia, depression, anxiety, and other conditions. With compassion, wisdom, and the accumulated experience that comes from nearly twenty years as a Reiki practitioner, Pamela Miles empowers readers by showing how simple it is to take.