Reiki Center Information

REIKI AND ISLAM

2011-06-01T00:08:00.000-07:00

The word Reiki consists of two words: Rei meaning of the Universe, and KI which means Energy or Chi or Prana in Sanskrit. So Reiki means the energy of the universe and is often also called the Divine Energy. REIKI comes from the tradition of Esoteric Ancient 8th century BC growing Asian region especially in TIBET. This energy is used ancient man of his time to protect his physical body from disease attack. This science is known and then disappear without reason, perhaps because of his teaching was not disseminated, and only taught among the monks alone

In the 18th century, Reiki was rediscovered by a physician of the Japanese, Mikao Usui, then developed into Hawaii by his grandson student named Ny.Hawayo Takata, a Japanese living in Hawaii - United States, this lady has been successfully cured of cancer and its complications have on-die ultimatum by his doctor. Next Reiki spread throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Autralia and back to Asia.
In Indonesia, the new Reiki is known around the mid 90s, in a limited circle, which later developed disseminated by the Masters who are dedicated to the public in this beloved country through a variety of legal container and non-legal.

Today Reiki continues to grow extensively in Indonesia, is used to heal yourself and others suffered from various diseases. Reiki also been studied by Muslims, because Reiki is claimed as a universal science that can be learned by anyone regardless of religion and belief. Only with our palms pressed into the body of the sick work REIKI. Yes, REIKI eventually spread worldwide and until now more and more Reiki practitioners who study and practice Reiki to solve problems of disease, whether physical, mental and emotional. With the principle of relaxed, resigned and we smile REIKI drain into the body of the sick.

In the tradition of Reiki humans have seven main Chakras, namely: the Crown Chakra, Ajna Chakra, or we call the Third Eye, Heart Chakra, Flexus Solar Chakra, Sex and the Chakra Base Chakra. With activated into seven main chakras through the process earlier attunemen and meditation routine will activate by itself chakra had to synergize with the energy of the Universe (Reiki). Human energy vibration will sync with the energy of the Universe

reiki6Untuk learn Reiki before participants must first be harmonized frequency energy body with the vibration frequency pattern of the universe. This process is called process attunemen given by a Reiki Master to a new participant in training. If frekensi energy body has been aligned with the energy of the universe then it is only with the intention of Reiki energy will be accessible immediately. This energy can be used for various things such as to cure diseases of the body's own or another person's body, to memperoteksi themselves and others from share a danger that threatens and so forth. Reiki energy gained by absorbing the energy of the universe and then distributed to heal the sick body part. In practice Reiki uses symbols to access and channel the energy of the universe. Symbols can be written on paper or written by hand chest or in the air.

In view of daily life among many Muslims who study and practice Reiki, the question arises whether Reiki does not conflict with Shari'a and Islamic teachings?. Given Reiki is the science and engineering to absorb energy of the universe that emerged long before Islam appeared, it is necessary to be aware of the element of the polytheists in the implementation of reiki. Reiki is a universal teaching that does not distinguish between the teachings of any religion and belief, everyone can learn it. In absorbing the energy of the universe would be trapped reiki feared players focus only on the universe and forget the God who created the universe and have it.

In the exercise or meditation performed Reiki actors only focus on absorbing energy from the mountain, sun, air and others, he forgot the God who makes all of that. Sometimes arise ujub nature and self-impressed with the ability of being able to absorb the energy of the universe and heal yourself and others from various diseases by using such energy. If this is sometimes more interested actors to perform Reiki reiki meditation rather than prayer or doing dhikr of Allah. Reiki Principals will grow far from carrying out the ritual prayer, reading the Koran or the dhikr of Allah. He felt that reiki meditation is more beneficial than doing the prayer, reading the Koran or the recollection of God. These are things that are not in line with Islam.

Islam and the Koran does not teach us to absorb the energy of the universe. Nature and all its contents are the creation of God. He is the owner of all that is the wild universe, if we want something ask him the ruler of the universe. God has commanded us to remember him by as much, always call his name wherever we are standing, sitting and lying down. Berdo'alah Him by calling asmaulhusna as mentioned in the letter Al A'raaf 180, not with imagined energy of the universe or make certain simbol2, it is the belief of the ancients relics (ancient esoteric) which was revived this dizaman.

Reiki Tummo

2011-06-01T00:06:00.000-07:00

"EFFECTIVE TECHNIQUE FOR HEALTHIER, CALM, PEACEFUL & BLESSED IN EVERYDAY LIFE"

Reiki comes from Japanese, Rei = universe, chi = energy, while Tummo comes from the Tibetan language, Tummo = fire inside = kundalini. So Tummo Reiki is a technique that manages both kinds of energy of the universe (which is accessible from the crown chakra) and kundalini energy. The energy of the universe, good for health and healing. The energy of the universe is also great for cleaning your energy body, which started cleaning from top to bottom. The kundalini energy is used to enhance consciousness, which begins cleanup from bottom to top. The combination of both this energy will cleanse your body very quickly. With the opening of the entire path sushumna (which are obtained from Tummo Reiki Level I), then all the nodes that are along the chakra sushumna in open, including the root node in the heart chakra Vishnu and Rudra knot at the root chakra ajna. So you have translucent sushumna ranging from base chakra to the crown chakra. A practitioner achieve an outcome that usually takes dozens to tens of years.

With the Reiki attunement level II Tummo will be raised before the kundalini and kundalini energy that expands from the rolls will be able to flow easily along sushumna to get out of the crown chakra. This kundalini energy will make continuous cleaning, scrape the dirt that are along the sushumna and dragging dirt over to removed from the crown chakra.

So with Tummo level II Reiki attunement you will gain real benefits of your kundalini rise up at once so that you begin to do these exercises kundalini to clean the energy channels and chakras safely so that your spiritual will increase, and also you will get a distribution technique useful energy to heal yourself and others from physical illnesses, mental and emotional.

There is one interesting thing that is learned in Reiki Tummo, which is about the heart. Liver is the key of our relationship to God, introduced since the workshop, provincial, and will be reviewed more thoroughly in the workshop-lokakrya next. The benefits are felt is the practitioner will be able to pray to better fit their respective religions, to use more care in daily life so that it can be more relaxed and calm in daily life.

All things about the Kundalini is discussed more deeply and reinforced through Kundalini Workshop, where after a Reiki workshop Tummo level 2 you already know you kundalini has been raised in a safe and instantaneous, and through this workshop your Kundalini will be made more active & speed up the cleaning process, to obtain maximum increase again for yourself.

Amid the proliferation of various schools and traditions in the world Rei Ki, Rei Ki Tummo ® grown rapidly and beautiful, like a lotus bloom in the middle of the lake life. Fragrant, bright and beautiful, and really different.

What makes Reiki different Tummo ® with various schools and traditions of other Reiki? Is not the tradition of Reiki is generally well-intentioned?

Many people who consider all the flow of Reiki is the same, because of the way and the symbols used are also generally the same. But Rei Ki equate all streams would not right. Especially between Tummo Reiki Reiki ® with various traditions which are generally berinduk the Usui tradition. Whether these differences?

In general, the difference between Tummo Reiki Rei-ki ® with other traditions we already know from the description in the book or in the workshops such as:

* Reiki Attunement Tummo ® open and clean the Crown Chakra exceed Rei Ki attunement other traditions. It can be seen clearly in a clairvoyant. Crown chakra results Tummo Reiki ® opens bigger and looks more clean.
* Reiki Attunement Tummo ® clean lines of our sushumna Plong, not seepage as in Rei Ki attunement other traditions.
* Cleanup sushumna when attunement starts from the Crown Chakra to Chakra base, Rei Ki attunement is different from other traditions which only reached the heart chakra.
* Pembangkitkan kundalini in a safe and through sushumna occur in Tummo ® Reiki level 2. No other Reiki traditions or other spiritual streams that can arouse the kundalini in real time, securely and directly through channels such as Reiki sushumna Tummo ®.

But really other than the differences mentioned above, there are differences that are very important and fundamental that we need to know, namely:

* Reiki Attunement Tummo ® instantly connects one with the Divine Light. What does all this mean? Key human relationship with the Creator is the Heart, then surely with Reiki Tummo ® hearts we are connected to the Creator through the light and His love. However, only when we open our hearts (at least when to use the liver) then Light Divine (God's blessing) to work properly. There are some simple steps that are very effective thing we can do to feel the things described above. Such steps are as follows:
1. Relax, the smile ..... touch hearts in the middle of the chest ..... close your eyes .. smile to the heart (intentions only) ...
2. If you can feel your heart bloom and tranquility / peace from your heart, then you can proceed to point 3 ... If not, perform the following steps to strengthen your heart:
Remember the more times the happiest moment in your life, or imagine the person you love most ... (and still do:) )..... taste happiness in your heart ....... When you feel the happiness in this heart, feel "something" that is good in your chest .... Repeat point 1)
3. With still close my eyes, relax and smile to the heart ..., pipe Rei Ki energy Tummo ® minimum 1 minute, then navigate both hands to the liver in the chest during MINIMAL 2-3 minutes. You can feel how blessings flow to your heart as light a light, beautiful and fun. The longer you distribute, will increasingly feel your heart becomes lighter, growing, beautiful and fun. Just do DURING / FREQUENTLY for your heart becomes big, light, beautiful and bright in life .. sehari2 course of your relationship to God also will be getting better.

Note:
For best results you should feel your heart ... and enjoy effortless .. ..
Although the level I was able to do this, usually the result more clearly perceived when you've been following Tummo Reiki ® level 2, because the crown chakra has opened bigger and better relationship.
For those of you who have attended a REI KI another tradition, you can try to differences that occur with meniatkan channel the energy of "REIKI X" for example ... Salurkanlah accordance with point 3 and would you feel if you should remain calm, but your heart did not bloom and grow brighter.
Try again to meniatkan for energy out into Rei Ki Tummo ® again and feel the difference, where in addition to your heart feel calm, feel your heart into bloom and bright.
Of course, all traditions of Reiki by Reiki Master diattune legitimate are very beneficial to health. Excess Tummo Reiki ® is just the heart to be more calm, peace and light in life sehari2nya .. and closer to God as well as the generation Kundalininya ..
* In Tummo ® Reiki, a person learns menjalurkan energy to be a healer, but it is not to be a good healer, but rather to alert practitioners that God's blessings are always abundant. By opening our hearts and surrender ourselves to God, a person can allow himself to be a channel thanks to God, so that the blessing of God can flow through her and give amazing results. Here we learn that the healer is always True God Almighty.
* In Reiki Tummo ®, while channeling the energy we also learn to realize that by submission to God, namely by allowing the blessing of God working through us to the maximum, we obtain better results. So that is the key factor in channeling Reiki energy Tummo ® is a submission to the Creator, not in engineering, or our business.

With the above explanation, we can be more clearly be a fundamental difference Tummo Reiki ® with other Reiki traditions, in which one learns Reiki ® Tummo indeed to realize that closeness to God is paramount. Reiki Tummo ® does not teach someone to study the sciences supernatural powers, but learn to be more aware that God Almighty, Mighty and loving and the best thing to God is berpasrah correctly to be closer to Him.

Because the goal of human life is to become closer to God Almighty, .... There are more important things other than to be closer to God?

But the Foundation Padmajaya not stop there ... Padmajaya Foundation also conducts other activities in addition to workshops Reiki Tummo ® 1, 2 and 3a are no less important to be learned such as: workshops Conscience useful to strengthen the heart and our conscience, more specifically, the workshop Useful Meditation helps us to calm the mind, Master Yoga workshops which are advanced techniques in our approach to God, as well as other activities such as Open Heart Prayer online through the Internet and many other activities that each has a specialty, but still aims to draw closer to God Almighty by practitioners rely on submission to Him.

Reiki Tummo ® are registered and obtain patent rights from the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Indonesia.

FIVE REASONS TO LEARN ® Reiki Tummo

* Not derived from Japanese and Tibetan, but the most complete of Reiki.
* It was introduced in Indonesia since 1998 and dimancanegara, except the African continent. Warmly received in the United States, Canada, Germany, Britain, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Portugal, Spain, Holland, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, Panama, Venezuela, Jamaica, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong etc ... ... this time Already, there are 30.000 Rei Ki Tummo ® alumni who are scattered throughout the world
* Only Reiki Kundalini Tummo ® that generates in real time, which is useful for health and spiritual progress
* Mempraktek use of the Heart, not just a theory about the heart, for happiness, health and spiritual

Dr. Mikao Usui

2008-09-06T00:33:00.002-07:00

The story according to Mrs. Hawayo Takata is:
Some of the students asked him one day, in the 1870's, if he believed in the miracles Jesus did (raising dead, etc.). Being a Christian Monk he answered "Yes". They asked if he knew how Jesus had done this, "No" he said. He realized that he must find out how Jesus healed. This immediately set him on a journey of many years. Studying, first at Christian schools in the US with no results. Someone suggested Buddhist writings since the Buddha had also healed. This meant more years at monasteries in the Orient. Nowhere could he find the answers. In Japan he toured all the monasteries there asking about how Jesus or the Buddha had healed. In one small monastery, he found some ancient Sanskrit writings. After a few more years of study, he felt he had come to an understanding and that to go further required serious meditation. He went to a nearby mountain declaring his intention to fast and meditate for 21 days and that if he did not come back they should come and get his body.

He went to the mountain and settled in with 21 stones with which to count the days. On the 21st day nothing had come as yet, and he turned over the last stone saying "Well, this is it, either I get the answer today or I do not". At that moment on the horizon he could see a ball of light coming towards him. The first instinct was to get out of the way, but he realized this might just be what he was waiting for, so allowed it to hit him right in the face. As it struck him he was taken on a journey and shown bubbles of all the colors of the rainbow in which were the symbols of Reiki, the very same symbols in the writings he was studying but had been unable to understand. Now as he looked at them again, there was total understanding.
After returning from this experience he began back down the mountain and was, from this moment on, able to heal. This first day alone he healed an injured toe, his own starvation, an ailing tooth and the Abbots sickness, which was keeping him bedridden. These are known as the first four miracles.
He spent the next seven years in the beggar section of Kyoto, healing the poor and sick people there, assisting them with finding employment, and elevating them out of poverty. However after some time he noticed familiar faces, those of people whom he'd healed long ago who were back again. Asking them, they complained that life outside beggartown was too hard and that it was much simpler to beg for a living.
This threw Usui into a quandary and he returned to the monastery. From this he realized he hadn't taught gratitude along with the healing. That he'd focused on the physical ailments without dealing with the spiritual matters. The people had not understood the value of the gift he gave them. At this point, he developed the Reiki Principles.
Dr. Usui returned to the monastery for further reflection and planning. After some time in the monastery he came to a different strategy. In this new plan he would travel around the countryside from village to village. In each one he would stand in a public place during the day holding aloft a lit torch. When people would ask him why he's doing such a crazy thing, his answer was he was looking for the few who are interested in improving themselves. In this way he traveled around teaching and healing, working both with the spiritual healing as well as physical healing. In following with the Japanese norms of supporting their Master or teacher, they made a personal investment towards their improvement, instead of just accepting some healing.

History of Western Usui Reiki

2008-09-06T00:33:00.001-07:00

Reiki has a very unique history. Although the Reiki energy itself goes back over 2500 years, as evidenced in Sanskrit Sutras, and the writings of Tibetan Monks and Enlightened Masters, the history of Reiki at taught today is much more modern. It begins in the early 1900s. Evidence of Reiki from before World War II remained in Japan and has been rediscovered to the rest of the world very recently.
With roots in Japan prior to World War II, it is not surprising that some documentation was lost. Apparently the survivors of Dr. Hayashi lost to the war the resources allowing them to continue the clinic he founded, and many stopped practicing Reiki for fear of persecution for not 'supporting the war'. Others continued to practice and their students are still practicing today.

If it were not for Mrs. Takata learning Reiki and taking it to America, this healing technique would have been lost to the western world. The war brought with it the loss of valuable memories and knowledge that was present in the group who learned from Reiki's originator, Dr. Usui. Mrs. Takata had to modify the story of Reiki right after World War II to make it acceptable to the Christian, western mind. Hopefully, with an open mind, and with practice, study and intuition, we will bring back any lost knowledge.
The history presented here is primarily the story of Reiki according to Mrs. Takata, with some notations about information from one of Dr. Usui's teaching manual included.
Reiki is a Japanese word meaning "Universal Life-Force-Energy". The "Ki" part is the same word as Chi or Qi, the Chinese word for the energy which underlies everything. Reiki is a system for channeling that energy to someone for the purpose of healing. It was discovered by Dr. Usui in the late 1800's. He was born about 1865, and there are two accounts of his discovery of Reiki; one being that he was a Buddhist Monk and after a 28-year quest, he journeyed to Mount Kurama. The other account is that he was a teacher or perhaps dean of a Christian school in Kyoto, Japan.

The Reiki Timer

2008-09-06T00:30:00.000-07:00

Many Reiki practitioners around the world have discovered the value of those great CD's that have a tone built in at regular intervals to give them a sense of time in their practice. However, they limited the variety of music you could use - and did not allow you to change the interval or to use silence.

Now, there is a new tool available that allows you to have a wonderful tone at intervals YOU select, freeing you from the watch and the CD music, allowing you to focus on your Reiki session, your meditation, yoga, or therapy session while the melodious and serene gong helps you regulate the time without having to watch the clock. And the aesthetics of this tool are amazing! It adds relaxation and harmony to the atmosphere of the room you practice in, while the pyramidal shape brings its own stability and specific energy.
The Reiki Timer is built to the perfect proportions of the Kheops Pyramid of Gizah, which Feng Shui specialists consider a source of powerful energy, stability, and balance. It is a constructed of natural sycamore wood (base & electronics in black plastic) and one side has Reiki Symbol. This beautiful pyramid chimes a pure gong sound at regular intervals you select. The simple controls in the base of the timer make it easy to set the timer, start it, and turn your focus toward your session. It is 5.3 inches (13.5 cm) long at the base.

The sound of the Reiki Timer is that of a Tibetan "singing bowl" digitally recorded, which gives it a very pure quality. There are 2 volume control options. It is a digital recording of a Rin Gong Bowl and the high-quality speaker inside the natural wood housing produces an amazingly real tone

There are eight possible settings - time intervals especially adjusted to the practice of Reiki: every 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15 or 20 minutes for sessions up to 90 minutes. Of course, the Reiki Timer can be stopped at any moment by simply pressing the on/off button. Running on 4 AA Batteries (not included), you can use this amazing tool for outdoor sessions, without having to worry about power.

The Reiki Timer can also be used by other therapists who would appreciate a discreet and peaceful signal to regulate their sessions. It can also be used as a beautiful reminder of mindfulness at any moment of the day.

Relaxing Into Reiki

2008-09-01T22:31:00.001-07:00

REIKI TODAY
Reiki is an ancient healing art that has recently been re-discovered in Japan. With the resurrection of Reiki in this age of mass and almost instantaneous communication, word of its power is quickly gaining the attention of the mainstream world. The mode of transmission of Reiki energy from a Reiki practitioner to a recipient was originally believed, by those interested in this art, to be limited by physical proximity. The Reiki practitioner would place their hands gently on, or a few inches above the Reiki recipient’s body. Upon further exploration of the potential of Reiki, “sending” the energy to the recipient or situation has proven to be just as beneficial as Reiki “hands-on” sessions. In fact, those who are too busy to carve out the time for a Reiki session can now go about their business while receiving the energy. Reiki Masters, such as myself, have directed Reiki energy to boardrooms, pets, surgical procedures, courtrooms, business offices, plants and even sporting events. Reiki distance energy healing has become a viable option for those who would rather not have a “hands-on” session, are home bound, or simply don’t have the time for a session. After experimenting with this mode of transmission, I was utterly amazed at the results. One year of daily remote sessions to a seriously disabled arthritic friend ended up almost eliminating the crippling condition. Today this friend is not only employed, but is doing work that requires physical movement and stamina. As the power of Reiki spreads, individuals seeking sessions now have more options in incorporating it into their schedules and lifestyles.

ORIGIN OF REIKI ENERGY
The origin of this powerful healing energy is believed to be divine. It is the same energy that has been channeled by all the historically famous healing giants. Regardless of its source, or why it works, the results are always positive and directed toward the best outcomes. There is no danger of misuse or abuse. Reiki energy cannot be forced. An individual simply will not take in what it does not want. When Reiki energy is accepted, the highest good of all prevails. The recipient of Reiki need not study, understand or believe in its power and beauty. In fact, the recipient need not be awake while receiving the energy. Reiki energy always delivers the highest good. Considering the source, how could it do anything else? The only prerequisite is that the recipient, on a soul level, really wants to heal. The positive effects of Reiki energy could be quick and dramatic, or, take time to be noticed. The results are unpredictable and pleasantly surprising. One simply needs to trust in the intelligent nature of the source. An acute power of observation would be handy, only to affirm it's often subtle life changes and effects.

FOREIGN NAME - UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED ENERGY
One need not be mislead or intimidated by Reiki's foreign name. Reiki is called such because, as it happened, this old system of prayer and healing was again returned to mankind via a Japanese man called Dr. Usui. The name "Reiki" is Japanese because that was Dr. Usui's native language. This healing art was known and utilized long before it's resurgence under a Japanese name. The divine is not concerned with nationality. When utilizing Reiki energy, one is merely tapping into the magnanimous love of the divine (God, life force, universe, Christ force, etc). Famous ancient healers such as Jesus used the exact same source of energy as is used by "Reiki." Jesus once said that all he can do can be done by us and even more. The key ingredient is trust. As a Reiki Master, I have learned to trust in the goodness and intelligence of this energy.

APPLICATIONS & LIMITATIONS
The beauty of this divine love is that it does not discriminate between believers and skeptics. Its power has been utilized to positively impact a multitude of people and situations from NBA basketball games (calming potentially volatile players) to conservative institutions such as Wall Street. The healing power of Reiki can be directed toward individuals, pets, plants, living/working spaces, businesses, situations and even future events. This loving energy now called "Reiki” is incapable of hurting other individuals for personal gain. Extremely specific requests can be very limiting. One needs to reflect on the general desired outcome behind the request. An example would be to ask for the "growth of one's business." It would be more productive to ask what you would want from its growth. It may be better to ask for "financial freedom." This broader approach frees up the hands of the divine to send you your best outcome(s). Reiki always works toward the best outcomes. When my clients present me with a request, I will ask that the energy be utilized for the “highest and best” of the individual or situation. It is good to remember that one is only limited by their imagination and purity of your intent.

REIKI HEALING FACILITATOR - TRAINING AND LEVELS
An individual can receive Reiki from what is known as a "Reiki practitioner." The practitioner can lightly place their hands on various parts of the recipient’s clothed body or, the practitioner can remotely send the Reiki energy. In both distance and hands-on healing, the recipient's own body's innate wisdom actually draws the energy through the practitioner and directs it to it's highest good. The healing occurs on a soul determined priority basis. Healing can be physical, emotional or spiritual. I always find it interesting and amazing to witness how the healing unfolds. The practitioner is not responsible for making healing decisions for the recipient. The recipient is the actual healer. The Reiki practitioner merely acts as a conduit of the energy thus serving as a "healing facilitator."

Those who believe in a supreme intelligence can elect to believe the source to be divine, thus creating a cooperative union between one's inner knowing (the soul), and the source (God). My personal evaluation of its magnificent power places God/Universe/Source as the ultimate source of this energy, however, one's personal beliefs or lack thereof do not hinder nor enhance the results of a Reiki treatment.

Going through a special intensive training certifies a Reiki practitioner. The training is conducted by a Reiki Master/Teacher and includes a sacred ceremony called an "attunement." Only after being attuned, can one channel the Reiki energy.

Other healing modalities manipulate "Ki" or life energy. Examples include the martial arts, acupuncture, therapeutic touch, and other forms of "energy work." Reiki is different in that it is extremely focused and need not be guided by a special effort or entering an altered state. The energy destination is divinely directed.

There are different levels and abilities of a Reiki practitioner. To advance from one level to another, a perspective Reiki practitioner must receive an “attunement”. Generally, a person cannot channel Reiki energy without this ceremony. The first level is Reiki I. A Reiki I practitioner is empowered to channel Reiki energy by physically touching an individual with their hands. There must be physical proximity. A Reiki II practitioner is able to "send" the Reiki energy as well as giving hands-on treatments. Again, a special attunement is required to move to this advanced level. The Reiki II practitioner can direct Reiki energy to an individual, plant or animal or situation. When feasible, permission is required. In cases when granting permission is not possible, the Reiki practitioner can seek soul-approval. The next level is Reiki III. A Reiki III practitioner is known as a Reiki Master. In addition to the abilities of Reiki I and II, Reiki III practitioners are empowered with the ability to give attunements. A great deal of training by the master occurs prior to, and then after, the attunement.

Reiki False Beliefs Exposed for All Misinformation Kept Secret

2008-09-01T22:27:00.000-07:00

Think everything you were taught or read about Reiki is true? Think again! Controversial bestselling Reiki DVD producer and Reiki author Steve Murray exposes and explains the many false beliefs that perpetuate the teachings of Reiki. This book will upset Reiki Masters who know the truth of the numerous false beliefs exposed. Discover which beliefs and why they will be angry?

This Book is for: -The tens of thousands of Steve Murray's Reiki students worldwide -Reiki Healers to uncover false beliefs they may have that are holding them back from their maximum healing power. -Non-healers who are having or considering Reiki Treatments or becoming a Reiki Healer. This Book will help you discern Reiki misinformation and make informed decisions about Reiki. Plus discover which Reiki False beliefs have the potential for harm! Just a few of the Reiki False Beliefs Steve exposes and explains False Belief - Reiki is unique and different from other healing energy False Belief - Non-healers cannot use Reiki Symbols False Belief - Long Distance Attunements do not work False Belief - Reiki Symbols should be kept secret False Belief - Reiki Symbols have a power of their own False Belief - Reiki lineage is important False Belief - A Reiki Attunement is needed to become a Healer False Belief - Christians do not use Reiki False Belief - Hawayo Takata revived the dead False Belief - Reiki should not be used with pregnant women False Belief - Reiki has to be taught in person False Belief - Hui Yin and the Violet Breath are needed in Attunements False Belief - A Reiki Healer needs to have hot hands False Belief - It takes years to become a Reiki Master False Belief - Psychic abilities are not a part of Reiki False Belief - Reiki works on cars, computers, and appliances

Also Included - Over 100 Reiki Traditional and Non-Traditional Symbols are illustrated from various Reiki systems. - A Reiki Mandela for healing -Information on Reiki Grids Reiki Psychic Attunement step-by-step

Steve Murray is the author of the best-selling Reiki The Ultimate Guide trilogy. Steve also has a series of successful self-healing DVDs that includes the #1 selling Reiki DVDs in the world.

Reiki Healing: Using the power of human touch.

2008-09-01T22:19:00.000-07:00

© By: Michael Van Kets
Reiki Healing: Using the power of human touch.

Reiki is a healing technique or therapy designed to reduce stress and promote relaxation and peace of mind. The word Reiki is made up of two Japanese words – “Rei” which means “Higher Power or Wisdom” and the word “Ki” which means “life force energy”. Everything around us is composed of this energy.

When our daily lives become stressful, this is a sign our energies are not balanced. Reiki healing therapy aims to bring our energies into balance and bring health and well-being to our emotional, physical and spiritual systems. It works on the assumption that we have natural healing abilities within our selves and it is the Reiki healing technique that stimulates this process. The role of the practitioner is to channel this “universal life energy” through to the recipient.

The founder of this technique was a Principle of a Christian seminary in the middle of the nineteenth century by the name of Mikao Usui. He offered a set of guidelines for a healthy and peaceful life as well as advocating this technique to redress any imbalances in our energy systems that result in physical illness or emotional upset or trauma.

Below are some of the benefits of Reiki healing:-

* stimulates natural self healing balances energies in the body

* gives strength to our immune system

* gives pain relief

* releases suppressed feelings

* treats the symptoms of illness

If you want to receive a Reiki healing treatment, here is what you can expect in a typical healing session. The healer or practitioner will hold her hands on you or above you while you are fully clothed and lying down on a couch. The healer moves their hands over your body channeling the energy to the required place to bring about healing. The healer is able to know where to go by allowing themselves to be spiritually guided to the relevant area of the body. The effect of this technique is a warm feeling or tingling sensation. It is generally a relaxing and soothing experience. A treatment can last up to an hour or more according to the type of healing required and will often involve the movement of the hands across the body using a number of standard hand positions and covering most of the body’s major organs.

Should you want to be able to use this simple technique yourself, you can attend a class where it is “transferred” rather than taught through an “attunement” given by a Reiki Master. Here the student is given the ability to tap into the “universal life energy” and to use it to improve one’s own health and wellbeing.

Reiki is a simple, safe and non-invasive therapy that everyone can learn to use and benefit from. It has been used to bring relief from a number of physical, emotional and spiritual problems. There is no particular religious philosophy behind its technique and therefore anybody can learn to give and receive Reiki healing. Indeed its holistic approach to healing means it can complement other medical and therapeutic techniques.
Whilst Reiki healing is a safe therapeutic technique, it is advisable that a trusted, reputable practitioner is sought to ensure the most comfortable experience and of course maximum benefits from healing.

Reiki in Hospice Care

2008-08-29T22:34:00.001-07:00

Miranda's Story

By John Mramor

Originally published in Massage & Bodywork magazine, February/March 2004.
Copyright 2003. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.

Miranda was a dying woman who served as a challenge and inspiration for me in the last months of her life. My experiences with her marked the true beginning of my realization of the importance of energy work in hospice-based massage. Since Miranda's death, I have come to fully accept and integrate energy work into my practice and I now routinely use it alongside other manual modalities. Working with her was a privilege for me. The opportunity to witness the spiritual transformation within the sacred space surrounding a person dying is always an awesome gift, but to do so while companioning them over a period of five months is a miracle. It simply changed my entire perspective concerning why I do what I do.

Furthermore, to recognize the fact that I was the only male caregiver -- in a sea of social workers, nurses, physicians, nurses aides, etc. -- who she allowed in her presence, the only male that she did not fire or shun, humbles me.

I look back on this time as perhaps one of the most profound of my career. Of course, it made me nervous at times, afraid and bewildered. But, by simply not giving up on her in those moments when I lost my grip, great things happened.

Patient Background
This case study spans a period of five months in the life of a young mother who accepted touch and energy to provide her with relief from pain and insomnia during her final months of life. It is an unusual case, primarily due to the intensity of the final sessions and use of reiki to resolve multidimensional pain.

Miranda was a 42-year-old, single mother of three. Her children ranged in age from 13 to 18 years, each with a different father. During Miranda's last six months of life, she sought adoption for her youngest child. Prior to her diagnosis, she worked as a waitress. A social worker later described her home environment and relationship with her children as highly dysfunctional.

In 1998, Miranda was treated for squamous cell anal carcinoma. She experienced a complete remission. However, in early 2002, she began to complain of severe pain in her upper right quadrant of her body. A massive hepatomegaly was found, practically replacing the left lobe of her liver.

Soon, Miranda began experiencing significant clinical depression with heightened anxiety. Her physician described her as emotionally fragile and withdrawn, with a substantial fear of dying. Miranda had terrible nightmares. A referral to hospice was made in June 2002, meaning she had less than six months to live. By September, it became difficult for her to remain at home, with her eldest child acting as her primary caregiver. At this time, her hospice team talked with her about moving to a residential hospice.

Miranda did move, but remained there for only approximately 60 hours, eventually discharging herself and returning home. While in residence, she found it unbearable to be around other people who were also dying. She identified a friend who would be willing to care for her, though upon her return home, she continued to accept hospice services. This arrangement did not last long, and once again it became imperative for Miranda to receive outside help. In October, she chose to return to the residential hospice.

Miranda was recognized by the staff as having changed drastically in physical appearance. Jaundice discolored her skin and ascites (accumulated fluid in the peritoneal cavity) made her appear nine months pregnant. Her nurse encouraged the use of music and massage therapies, especially for emotional support. Pain control was a significant challenge.

It soon became evident that Miranda did not trust men and had great difficulty opening up and relating to them in any way. Her affect was normally flat, and she disclosed little information to anyone, including her social worker, who indicated that she displayed little emotion during their sessions. It remained excruciatingly difficult to assess what Miranda was thinking or how she was reacting. Initially, she was quite reclusive, keeping the door to her room closed and rarely venturing out. Her primary complaints throughout her stay were of pain, nausea and insomnia.

My primary intention, as a massage therapist specializing in hospice, was to use massage, manual modalities and energy interventions as a natural and gentle complement to the traditional means of coping with the pain associated with terminal illness.

Initial Sessions, September 2002
Upon her first admittance, Miranda was informed that both music and massage therapies would be available to her. Her nurse encouraged Miranda to utilize them, especially for her anxiety and emotional instability.

After having been in residence for approximately 15 hours, Miranda requested that the caregiving staff call me in from home. Upon arrival, I learned that her primary complaint was left axillary and shoulder pain. The staff reported Miranda had been crying throughout the day. She rated her pain at an 8 out of 10, and described it as a non-referring, chronic, throbbing nuisance. Three doses of Roxanol dispensed at 30-minute intervals prior to the massage did not influence the pain. She was crying throughout the assessment and was most comfortable in a right, sidelying position. Palpation revealed no significant muscular involvement.

Miranda received slow stroke back massage blended with digital kneading and palmar compression, friction, reiki to the crown, spinal column and left shoulder (focusing on the thalamus-pituitary gland neural pathway for bio-opioid release), brushing and holding.

At the conclusion of the session, Miranda was sleeping. I placed a referral to music therapy and asked the staff to notify me with Miranda's perspective of the session when she awoke.

The next day I received another call indicating Miranda was asking for my assistance. Upon my arrival, she said the previous day's session decreased her pain and aided her sleep. When she awoke, the pain level was tolerable, as the day progressed, it worsened. Her pain medications were increased, but they were making her gaseous. I noticed that her affect seemed brighter, but her depression was observable.

I provided her with a session using the same techniques as the day before, but in a different pattern. She once again fell asleep during the session and remained so for several hours thereafter.

Miranda discharged herself from the hospice the next day.

Readmittance, October 2002, Attempt to Re-unify
Two days after Miranda's return, several attempts were made to reconnect with her. Most often, these attempts were of short duration and consisted mainly of female staff intervention on the behalf of the massage therapist. Miranda preferred to be alone. Silence and refusal continued in excess of one month.

Breakthrough, December 2002
Session 1: On this day, a caregiver suggested massage to Miranda as a method to relieve her pain after she experienced a morning of agony. Surprisingly, Miranda accepted.

She complained of extreme pain in the upper right quadrant that was referring around to her back. She also continued to experience left shoulder pain. Her ascites was pronounced, and it was uncomfortable for her to lie on her left side. She displayed jaundice, cachexia (wasting away) and weakness, but was still able to ambulate and venture around the building. Miranda's pain was multidimensional: The physical was compounding her emotional, social and spiritual suffering.

Since she was in such turmoil, I decided upon a modality that I had minimally utilized in our first few sessions together -- reiki. The comforting nature of passive touch coupled with the awesome energy involved could be of great benefit. I explained to Miranda what I would be doing and with her approval, proceeded.

While performing a bio-opioid release on her parietal region, access to her thalamus-pituitary gland pathway required intense focus, more than I was able to perform. Eventually, my left hand broke through the barrier, but only briefly. I could visualize the region, but not on a cellular level. While at her shoulder, the opposite was true: A magnetic draw toward her heart was experienced. The first, in what was to become a striking series of visualizations later in our work together, occurred here. A thick wall, encasing her heart, was seen. I did not believe that the energy made a significant impact on this wall as it was quite old and strong. The other positions felt unsuccessful as well. Miranda offered no comment as to the outcome of the session.

Session 2: When she passed me in the hallway 11 days later, Miranda turned around and asked me to visit her that day. I decided to see her immediately.

I began attacking Miranda's pain on several levels and provided her with a session that integrated many modalities in a rhythmic interchange that was seamless and full of continuity. I was conscious not to overwhelm her system and developed a strategy to emphasize only crucial points. While she remained in a right fetal position, I performed reflexology to her liver, reiki directly to the liver region and to pain control centers, therapeutic touch, brushing, acupressure along her shoulder and cervical region, slow stroke back massage and light, highly repetitive Swedish to the left aspect of her back and shoulder.

Miranda allowed herself to fall asleep intermittently during the session.

Session 3: Three days later, Miranda asked for me to visit her once again, requesting massage for pain relief.

An energy assessment revealed the following: Cluttered static acting as a barrier surrounding her head, a void over her heart with cold darkness, and a liver region loaded with heaviness.

This session resembled the last in structure, but included a greater degree of Swedish massage. I was able to access her heart and began filling it with energy, but her brain remained difficult to penetrate, accepting very little.

For the first time, she said "thanks" when I left her room.

Opening of Heart and Mind, December 2002-January 2003
Session 1: While I was studying clinical charts in the office, Miranda approached the doorway and secured my attention. She requested a session. I was stunned, as were my colleagues, by her behavior -- this was not the Miranda that came to us in late October. Several of the staff mentioned to me that they had witnessed her coming out of her room more, eating at the common dining table and entering the smoking porch to talk with fellow residents. Her appetite had increased and they noticed a decrease in her reliance upon pain meds.

I continued to use a blending of modalities in order to confront her pain on various levels. However, the reiki portion began taking precedence. This marked the first session during which intense visualizations occurred, guiding me in my work.

During the initial placement of my hands upon her head in order to secure the bio-opioid release centers, I began to experience a deep, meditative-like level of consciousness. I could see Miranda, twirling in a turbulent sea of air. She had a fearful expression on her face and was very confused. She was unable to stop her body from being tossed about in the wind. Later, while my hands were over her heart, I visualized something completely different. Miranda was clothed in light and appeared as an angel. Light was beginning to fill the space she was standing in, and she smiled at me. An angel approached her, took her hand and began walking with her toward a pinpoint of light in the distance.

My immediate impression while experiencing these two images led me to believe that Miranda was experiencing a rift between her heart and mind and was in need of healing so that the two could be as one. I provided her with the initial treatment to connect her heart energy with her mind, using a connective hand position to shift energy from the heart center to the crown.

Miranda was sleeping peacefully at the conclusion of our session.

Session 2: Miranda requested this session. I was advised that her insomnia continued to be problematic and that her ascites was increasing.

The session was a variation of the usual treatment. I initiated a lotioned cervical massage that, up to this time, I had not felt comfortable applying due to the intimacy of contact that it connotes. Miranda accepted it.

During the energy portion of the session, I was again able to visualize her status mentally and found that she had progressed. She was sitting in a chair solemnly, and light was beginning to shine down upon her. Miranda enabled me to further the process of healing and I found the treatment successful.

While in session, Miranda fell into a deep sleep. So as not to disturb her, I remained by her side once I was finished, offering prayer and therapeutic presence.

Session 3: This remarkable session occurred 10 days later. Upon my arrival to work, Miranda caught me as I entered the house and requested a session.

I began by brushing through her energy field, mainly in order to prepare it for alteration and infusion. Thereafter, I provided her with full body stroking, with much repetition, in order to calm her on a more profound physical level and to prepare her for touch. Once complete, I slowly transformed that into slow stroke back massage. At this point, I considered her ready for reiki.

Placing one hand directly over her crown and the other upon the side of her head and face, I felt an immediate connection. I was amazed to meet Miranda in a field, dancing joyfully, the atmosphere surrounding her filled with a white glowing light. She spoke to me, telling me she was happy deep within and ready for what may lie ahead. With this information, I thought that the best I could do was offer her energy to support her in the journey. Soon thereafter, I witnessed sparkles of golden snowflakes showering down upon her. She lifted her arms in response to these and danced among them. I then disengaged and assessed her heart.

I was amazed to find nothing there. It was peaceful. I continued the session by giving Miranda Swedish massage, very lightly, upon her left shoulder where she had complained of pain in the past. It was gentle, slow and compassionate. Then, I proceeded to her feet where I initiated a long session of lotioned anti-anxiety massage to induce sleep. I also incorporated reflexology. At the point that I felt the session was virtually complete, I again engaged her in reiki, but at the feet. My visualization here confirmed previous findings -- the area where her heart center should have been was gone and her mind was joyful. I centered the energy physically to initiate release of bio-opioids, shield the liver and decrease pain stimulus transmission through the spinal cord.

At the end of the session, Miranda was sleeping soundly, deeply. I blanketed her and left the room.

Session 4: Upon arrival, the caregiver informed me that Miranda had been experiencing severe pain since approximately 7 p.m. the day before. Many medications had been given with limited results. Miranda sought out massage.

She informed me that her pain was centered in her abdomen, radiating around to her low back. I assisted in positioning her on her right side and began the treatment, which included digital pressure, palmar kneading, reflexology, manual lymph drainage (this mainly for its pain-reducing qualities) and reiki.

During the reiki sequence, I was stunned by another interesting visualization. Miranda was walking hand in hand with an angel toward a distant light. I felt something was wrong, however. Miranda did not seem as happy as she had been the day before. A black ring surrounded the light and the angel glowed with light in an odd manner, it did not seem to be coming from within him, but around him. With further concentration, and intense focus, I saw that the light was coming from the ground. The angel had a black face hiding under light and its body was dark under the garments. I quickly prayed that the bond between Miranda and this false angel be broken and shielded her with reiki energy. I asked for light to surround me, as well. With much help, the angel returned to the ground and the hole was sealed, with Miranda left alone, frightened. I again shielded her with light and instructed her to find the white light, to trust only her guardian angel. I did not have the strength to do any more, so I ended the session. Miranda was in a deep sleep when I finished, so I left her quietly.

Later that day, I was advised that Miranda had fallen, striking her head against a chair. She suffered a laceration that did not require stitches.

Final Sessions, January 2003
Session 1: Two days after her injury, Miranda was very weak. She required assistance in all activities and began to accept aide to do so for the very first time. Our relationship progressed to the level where she desired to see me whenever I was available.

This session was significant for the provision of a lotioned back, shoulder, neck and foot massage -- a big step in trust and openness for Miranda. Reiki was provided to her heart and mind. I had great difficulty connecting with her mind, but with the calling of her name, she appeared in two ways: Sitting in a chair and floating above a field. She was resistive to accepting energy, fearful of trusting and hesitant. Her heart was distant and required intense concentration. Once connected, I saw only light in an open space. I focused on providing strength, healing and balance to these areas.

Session 2: Miranda's hospice nurse stated that Miranda would likely develop terminal restlessness. I found her pain controlled much better than in weeks past. She informed me that sleeping was easier and that her pain level was lower.

I provided her with our usual session, although modified to her tissue loss. The reiki session was difficult. At the level of her heart, there was a blinding light that was incredibly intense and almost impossible for me to look into. I made out Miranda's form within this light, heading deeper into it and away from me. She stopped her movement to listen to me. I asked her not to go until she had connected this heart energy with her mind -- to use this light as a way to resolve her problems in this life. It was quite difficult to counsel her, as she was being drawn away from me by a force that was overwhelming. I finally had to release from it because it was too difficult to stay within it -- too much energy and heat. At the level of her head, I found her swirling in turbulence. She would not connect with me. I had to become very firm and insistent and finally she stopped and listened to me. I felt unsuccessful and weary. I concluded the session by diverting heart energy to her mind.

Session 3: Two days prior to this session, Miranda informed the staff that she was afraid to die. Even though she was close to death, Miranda continued to care for herself. The staff witnessed increased congestion and apnea. Restlessness became increasingly evident. Miranda experienced difficulty finding a comfortable position. It was time to discontinue all modalities except those based in energy and passive touch. I worked only at the level of her mind, to give her most troublesome area a final try.

With much perseverance, I was able to visualize Miranda. She was in a column of intense, concentrated light heading upward. She was being drawn through it, much as a piece of metal toward a magnet. Within this column there were wonderful colors -- primarily rose and white with sparkles of yellow and orange. The atmosphere within this column was quite thick, almost like a gel, and very warm. After a few moments, I realized I was actually inside of this as well, not observing her from without. At this time, I felt pulled up along with her and began to hear bells and faint singing -- it was beautiful, but without a tune really, and it was faint as if far in the distance. At this point, I attempted to speak to Miranda, but immediately received the sensation it was unnecessary to do so and also that I did not belong there, so I allowed myself to disengage. I witnessed Miranda floating away within it, higher and higher. I was so glad that she finally allowed her heart energy to resolve her mental struggle.

Session 4: Three days later, Miranda was actively dying. At the request of the staff, I approached Miranda to offer comfort through touch.

Initially, Miranda displayed only slight signs of terminal restlessness. After a reiki session to her feet, she was extremely calm with no visible attempts at movement of any kind.

I engaged her in a format that I usually reserve for the final days of life: The Hand/Heart Connection (HHC). After conducting an assessment, and finding a significantly weak human energy field with no energy at all palpated from the heart to the feet, I knew from experience that her time was near. I did not try to do visualization, for I did not wish to interfere with her natural process (it is thought that the spirit leaves through the head and to interfere with it at this time would be unnecessarily binding). So, with this in mind, I offered her support through the HHC, focusing on energy for peace, love and healing. It was at this time that I bid her farewell, thanked her for allowing me into her life and let her know that she was loved.

Miranda died later that day.

The Lessons
Since these experiences with Miranda, I have found reiki to be an extremely effective modality for use within the hospice population. Combined with standard massage therapy modalities and manual therapies, it is an excellent choice for those suffering with anxiety and other issues surrounding death and dying. I have found few contraindications to its use and encourage its application especially with people who are difficult to engage otherwise. The visualizations experienced in this study were deeper than I had experienced previously and are not typical of all reiki interventions that I conduct. With excellent nursing, caregiving, social work and music therapy interventions, Miranda also used massage and reiki as an appropriate tool to assist her in overcoming her fears, anger and loneliness.

John Mramor, MA, LMT, CMLDT, CR, NCTMB, is the massage therapist for the hospice division of the Visiting Nurse Association in Cleveland, Ohio. He is also the staff massage therapist for Malachi House, a non-profit residential facility for people who are indigent or without an available caregiver and with six months or less to live. He co-authored, along with his wife, Karla, the grant proposal that won Malachi House a three-year start-up grant from The Cleveland Foundation, with which he created the therapy program. Mramor is certified in both manual lymph drainage and reflexology, and is a member of various hospice organizations.

Reiki Feels the Love

2008-08-29T22:33:00.000-07:00

By Lara Evans Bracciante

Originally published in Massage & Bodywork magazine, June/July 2003.
Copyright 2003. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.
Several pages were devoted to an overview and case study of reiki in the March/April 2003 issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. Pamela Miles and Gala True, Ph.D., recorded the extensive origins, evolution and research behind this modality, noting that reiki has now been incorporated into more than 20 mainstream hospitals and community-based programs across the country.

The journal closed with a case study of the significant role reiki played in the life of a 62-year-old man with AIDS. The subject entered a multidisciplinary HIV treatment program in January 1998 and was diagnosed with cocaine dependence and depression. After successfully completing a three-month drug treatment program, the subject began seeing a psychotherapist who recommended the hospital-based reiki training. He received reiki level 1 training and began giving himself hour-long treatments daily as well as receiving one-hour treatments weekly from clinic volunteers. In May 1998, his physician initiated highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). The subject has since made a remarkable recovery: He continues reiki self-treatment daily along with the HAART protocol, his most serious physical ailment last reported was a chronic sinus infection, his cocaine abstinence continues, he is working part-time, and he offers reiki treatment at a local community-based organization serving people living with AIDS. While his treatment is multidisciplinary, the subject believes that reiki self-treatment is the single greatest factor in his turn-around.

Moving Energy Forward in the Scientific Realm

2008-08-29T22:32:00.000-07:00

By Shirley Vanderbilt

Originally published in Massage & Bodywork magazine, February/March 2004.
Copyright 2003. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.

With its simplicity and gentleness, reiki is capturing the attention of the traditional medical field as a practical, effective component of integrative care. Not all complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches are without contraindications, and some not so easily adapted to administration during procedures such as in acute trauma situations or surgery. Reiki, a subtle energy therapy, can be applied with or without actual touch and only requires the presence of the practitioner. It can also be of value in continuing self-care for patients who have been educated in its use, enhancing not only their health but sense of empowerment.

Reiki master Pamela Miles, founding director of the Institute for the Advancement of Complementary Studies in New York, N.Y., has been instrumental in the implementation of reiki within major hospital settings as well as having participated in reiki clinical trials. Her most recently published research (Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, March/April 2003) involves utilizing an educational program to train HIV/AIDS patients in reiki self-care.

"Reiki has a fast response time, certainly within five minutes," she says. "It can be learned so easily. It has no medical contraindications. The delivery is very flexible. You can do a full treatment, but also just resting your hand on someone during the (medical) exam process is effective."

Miles defines reiki as primordial consciousness, like primordial chi. "It's different from chi that's being manipulated in acupuncture and shiatsu." The term "reiki" refers both to the subtle healing pulsation itself and the process of accessing it. Through vibration, reiki balances the biofield and enhances the body's ability to heal itself. Although typically applied with light touch, it can also be administered from a distance.

"Because reiki isn't limited to being given as full treatment, it can be included during other care," Miles says. It can be introduced without being physically intrusive, whether during a rape exam or during surgery while the patient is under anesthesia. "Anecdotally, surgeons comment that the patient is recovering faster (with reiki)." In fact, Miles notes she repeatedly hears the comment that healing is occurring three times as fast as expected.

Practitioners and Research
An important concern in reiki research is practitioner qualification. The core of reiki training is "initiation," a process that honors the tradition and lineage of this healing practice. Speaking of the initiation, Miles says, "You can think of it like a subtle chiropractic manipulation -- creating an alignment within our vibrational body such that access to primordial consciousness is ever present." Once the initiation takes place, the connection is always there, but it can be expanded upon. "The initiation is like a very potent blessing or treatment in classic Asian tradition," Miles says. "You can't just pick up a book and learn how to do it. You have to have a teacher who is proficient in that practice to initiate you.

"When it comes to people's own practice, if we're talking about hospital practice, there is a point at which we owe it to the patients to ascertain that something is happening here, even if we don't completely understand the mechanism of action." As one who has been involved with reiki for more than 17 years, Miles expresses concern that some practitioners in the field have not respected the traditions. "What we can hope is that the medical profession is so conservative by nature that practitioners who are not adequately trained cannot present themselves in a form the medical field would find palatable." Miles suggests practitioners trained in first degree reiki continue their practice for at least a few months before entering second degree, and at least several years before training as a reiki master.

Research Review
As with many CAM therapies, literature on reiki research contains too few and mostly flawed randomized controlled trials (RTC), along with observational and descriptive studies, and exploratory studies of physiological changes. In an overview of reiki in the same issue of ATHM, Miles and associate Gale True, Ph.D., provide a summarization of the current state of this research, pointing to the usefulness of a more inclusive criteria -- one that also embraces qualitative and mixed methodological design. Noting that patient-centered outcomes can be as meaningful as clinical ones, they state, "Randomized, controlled trials may not be the ideal strategy in cases where the outcomes being measured are related to chronic disease with uncertain trajectory, or where the treatment being investigated is not easily standardized or consists of multiple components."1 Nevertheless, there will continue to be a demand for RTCs in this field, and this need must be addressed.

Among the reports to date, a number have studied reiki together with other energy therapies, "confounding the ability to evaluate the separate effects of those therapies."2 Wirth et al. conducted a series of small studies throughout the 1990s focused primarily on measurable physiological reactions, all fraught with limitations but indicating some promising results. In a 1996 report on hematological measures, the team documented significant effects of reduced pain and blood urea nitrogen (kidney function), as well as a trend toward normalizing blood glucose following reiki.3

In a study to determine if blinding in reiki research is possible, Mansour et al. (1999) reported participants were unable to distinguish reiki practitioners from placebo practitioners. Despite the subjects' personal evaluation of therapist status (reiki or placebo), it was noted in participants' self-report that the most intense sensations of tingling and warmth were experienced during reiki sessions versus placebo.4

Shiflett et al., evaluating effectiveness of reiki for subacute stroke patients (2002), concluded, "Reiki did not have any clinically useful effect on stroke recovery in subacute hospitalized patients receiving standard-of-care rehabilitation therapy."5 Although there was no short-term benefit for depression and function, researchers did note some limited effect on mood and energy.6

Included in this study was an assessment of double-blinding in training procedures for reiki practitioners. The team found no reported difference between blinded practitioners of reiki and sham (sham being those trained in reiki technique who only went through the motions) in ability to feel energy flowing through the hands.7

In exploratory studies of physiological changes attributed to reiki, researchers have documented increased oxygen-carrying capability in the blood (Wetzel 1989), biochemical markers indicating increased relaxation and immune response (Wardell and Engebretson 2001), and changes in electrical skin resistance at sites corresponding to acupuncture meridians, with accompanying relaxation and reduction of pain in chronically ill subjects (Brewitt et al. 1997). Additional observational and descriptive studies have indicated multiple benefits of reiki, including pain reduction (Olson and Hansen 1997), and profound relaxation and sense of well-being (Chapman and Milton 2002).8

The HIV/AIDS Project
In Miles' feasibility study on reiki education for HIV/AIDS patients, 30 volunteers from an inner-city, outpatient clinic received first degree reiki training in four-hour sessions over four consecutive days. To assess the benefits of reiki in reducing pain and anxiety, pre- and post-treatment measurements were taken on days three and four through student self-report using the State Trait Anxiety Inventory and Visual Analog Scale.9

On evaluation, decreases in rating were noted for both values: mean anxiety rating down from 32.6 to 22.8 (20-80=range of possible responses), and average pain down from 2.73 to 1.83 (11-point scale). In her preliminary report, Miles states, "There was no significant difference in pain or anxiety reduction as a function of whether the reiki was self-administered or administered by another."10

"As part of the class, there are sessions in which we practice on ourselves and on each other. Actually, students start practicing informally in the first class session. In the second session, they learn a protocol which they practice in the class and at home."

During student training, Miles used absentee (distant) initiation rather than hands-on. While all subjects in the room had the same outer experience, only half received initiation (the remaining half were initiated at conclusion of the study). Therefore, during the treatment process only those subjects specifically initiated were actually administering reiki to themselves or others in the class.

Just as some individuals have a better sense in discerning color than others, Miles notes, some students sense energy vibration more easily than others. Whether a matter of comfort level or talent, with practice their confidence will grow, she says.

Given the challenges HIV/AIDS patients are facing, both the results and the high completion rate in this project are encouraging. "Across the board there's a high dropout rate in this population," Miles says. "People with HIV/AIDS are frequently not feeling well and have to overcome a lot of obstacles to take care of themselves." In addition to the cost-effectiveness of such an approach, reiki offers patients an empowering tool for self-help, both to support biomedical treatment and to ease disease-associated symptoms.11

Gleaning from Research
I think that in terms of science," Miles says, "the fact that we're seeing different research studies indicating that reiki may be helpful with pain and anxiety is encouraging. It may make some physicians and hospitals more comfortable in instituting a reiki program or to increase interest in research." She notes these results may also encourage lay people to consider reiki as an option in their healthcare, especially to learn first degree self-treatment.

While reiki research, with proper attention to fulfilling the scientific model, can certainly be adapted to the gold standard of RTCs, there is also value in continuing qualitative, observational studies. "Having more focus on what is the patient's experience certainly seems important," Miles says. "We can't study reiki directly, but we can certainly study the impact it has on people. More and more doctors are accepting that we cannot bring traditional knowledge into the conventional medical model without understanding the difference in paradigms and involving the practitioners of traditional healing practices in every aspect of the design and implementation of research studies. With low-risk practices such as reiki, it makes sense to focus on the way reiki improves quality of life rather than getting bogged down in inappropriate and clinically meaningless studies."

Overall, Miles points out, another important direction for research is a careful examination of the healing process itself. "There is so much for us to understand about what is generalizable. It appears that one major happening in all of these CAM approaches -- the nonscientific interventions -- is they give patients stress reduction. When you think of well-being as a state of dynamic balance and resilience, if people are so stressed their capacity to heal is maxed out, it sets the stage for disease.

"Maybe we don't need to show that each of these interventions has a positive effect on the immune system. If we know they are giving stress reduction and that enhances immunity, why do we have to prove all these different modalities individually? We need to focus on the commonalities and also develop greater understanding of the process of healing."

Shirley Vanderbilt is a staff writer for Massage & Bodywork magazine.

Reiki and the Healing Drum

2008-08-23T04:47:00.000-07:00

by Michael Baird

Many of us were silenced in childhood, “children should be seen and not heard”. However, today we are remembering that sound is our participation in life’s symphony, music plays all around and within us.

Several years ago on a sunny spring day the seeds of freedom to be one with healing sound were planted within me. I quietly followed and watched as two 14 month old children explored their world. They laughed, gurgled, touched everything and even cried. I saw two people living in enthusiasm, experiencing their feelings, two people affecting and being affected by everything in their world. Most of all I heard, all their many sounds unsilenced, freely expressing their joy. I was the silenced and quiet observer, separated from the awareness of living by the restrictions of my long gone caregivers; restrictions that I still maintained. Standing there watching the joy and life of those two children, I saw my choices, remembered my enthusiasm and the joy of being in this world.

Years later I bought a drum for a friend’s birthday, which was several weeks away. For many days I walked past it and even picked it up a few times, yet never played it. Then one night while I was home by myself, I picked up that instrument and very slowly began to explore the sounds it and I could make. I released the expectations of what the sound should be, and abandoned fear of disapproval. I, like those children, just explored. I imagined that I was a child; a child feeling sound flowing from my interactions with the drum. Enthusiasm, joy and even sadness flowed from me through that beautiful drum. We sang, we danced and I cried tears of reunion with what I had silenced years before, and what I had stilled to be good in the eyes of others. That night I remembered . . .the joy of healing sound.

Since that time I have been inspired to incorporate Reiki and other energies with drumming. This combination has produced powerful vibrational frequencies and deep healings. At the end of this article I share a basic Reiki Drumming^(TM)healing technique that is designed to work with a basic shaman’s drum.

Many things in your world can become a drum, a healing tool that emits a sound with each stroke of your hands. Imagine yourself as a young child discovering the world. Remember your enthusiasm as you touch and hear each responding sound. Remember your joy as you interact with the world around you. Hear the song, conducted by your heart, and feel the Reiki energy rise from the silence. Remember the child laughing and know this is you. Celebrate your presence with sound. Feel your heart beat with each stroke of the drum. Know you have rhythm . . . your very existence is a rhythm. Awaken to your presence and hear the song of everything around you.

The Basic Reiki Drumming^(TM) Technique

Focusing Intention:

Dialogue with your client to determine the issue they intend to heal. Ask them to focus on the issue and on their willingness to heal and release it. Ask them to confirm that they are willing to make any changes in their habits, behavior, or thought processes that may be necessary to complete this healing.

State their healing request in the prayer of sacred intention . . . give thanks that this healing is for the highest good, and that your personality and ego stand aside. This will help Reiki flow clearly and freely through you and your drum. Call on your guides, angels and the healing spirit of your drum.

Preparation of Self and Setting Sacred Space:

Draw all the Reiki symbols that you know over your drum, and with each symbol, channel the energy into the drum. Hold the intention that the essence of the symbols will flow out with the sound.

Draw or visualize a large Usui power symbol over your entire body, and also on each chakra starting at the base and moving toward the crown. Intend that your chakras are aligned, clear and open to the full power of the Reiki healing energy. Hold the intention that your light is being strengthened, and that any denser energies which are released during this session will be healed and not absorbed by your energy system.

Draw an Usui power symbol in all 7 directions, NSEW as well as the Sky, the Earth and the Center.

Preparation of Client:

With your drum mallet, or your hand draw a large Usui power symbol, (or Master chakra balancing symbol), over the client starting above the crown to the base. This is to align the client’s chakras, open them to the healing, and to invoke the recipient’s higher self’s assistance.

The Session

Draw any Reiki symbol(s) you are guided to use over your drum. Slowly scan the client’s body with the drum, and begin drumming over the area your drum is drawn to. Let Reiki and your drum guide you. Drum for 2-5 minutes 12-24 inches above the physical body, letting the drum glide over the client’s energy field.

Note: Drum higher above the person and softer from the heart chakra to the crown. This is to protect the client’s hearing and the subtle energies of the upper chakras.

Closing the Session

When you feel guided to stop, give a prayer of thanks for the healing, and draw an Usui power symbol over the client to seal the healing with love and light.

The Distant Healing Symbol

2008-08-23T04:46:00.000-07:00

by Kathie Lipinski

In my first article on the Reiki symbols, I wrote about the power and the mental emotional symbol and the many ways they could be used. Now I would like to write about my favorite Usui Reiki symbol—the distant healing, or absentee healing symbol. Although many find it a challenge to memorize or draw, once you are attuned to the symbol, it works even if drawn incorrectly, as long as you do your best. Your intent is 99% of the work.

One thing to remember is that you don’t have to draw the symbol when you use it. You can visualize it as a whole. Or just say its name 3 times. That invocation gets the energy flowing.

Another thing to remember is that the distant healing symbol is made from Japanese kanji characters: words from the Japanese language. This accounts for some of the different ways it is drawn. One of the beliefs is that when Mrs. Takata taught her original 22 masters, she varied the strokes as she drew them depending on the person’s individual vibration and what she was intuitively guided to do. Another reason for the variations in this symbol is that she did not allow the original 22 to take notes or to keep the paper that the symbols were drawn on. They had to memorize them. So perhaps over time, their “memory” of the symbols changed.

The strokes have a flow to them and can be broken into parts to help you memorize them.

The symbol I use has 22 strokes. I am a visual person and learn best by “seeing” images. I will try to describe how to separate the parts to make it easier to visualize and work with (If you would like a copy of the Reiki symbols Click Here)

Break the distant healing symbol up this way to learn its parts. Do strokes 1-5, 6-10 followed by 11 and 12, then 13-15, 16-18, then 19-22

Here are some visuals to help you picture it.
Strokes 1 through 5 - looks like a cross on the roof of a church.
Strokes 6 through 10 - 6 makes a foundation or floor and 7 slides down to the left (like skiing).
Strokes 8, 9, and 10 build a little house.
Stroke 11 is inside and is the handle or door opener.
Stroke 12 is the floor of the house.
Then you make an F.
Stroke 12 is the top of the F.
Stroke 13, 14, and 15 are parallel to 13 (and smaller)
Then a mustache: Stroke 16 to the left and 17 to the right.
Stroke 18 is the mouth underneath them.
A large fancy 7
A smile and 21 & 22—twinkling eyes of Reiki

See if this helps you visualize and memorize it better.

If you still have difficulty drawing this symbol, you might want to consider working with its essence—the building of a bridge to connect the Reiki energy to the person not physically present. What I like to do when I send Reiki to people or to situations, is to imagine the symbol laying down and acting like a golden, or rainbow colored bridge, that allows the Reiki to come in through me and travel across the symbol (the bridge) to the other person, place, or situation.

One time, when I was attending an ART class and we were meditating on the symbols, I saw the distant healing symbol laying down in front of me, and as I walked across it, I saw myself as a 7 year old, a 14 year old, a 21 year old, etc. As the meditation continued, I traveled back in time and brought that 7, 14, 21 etc. year old back with me to present time, to reclaim those aspects of myself, to heal issues around those ages, and to make myself whole. Needless to say, it was a very powerful meditation!!

The distant healing symbol can be translated to mean, “The Buddha in me reaches out to the Buddha in you to promote enlightenment and peace.” I have also seen it translated as “The Christ in me reaches out to the Christ in you to promote enlightenment and peace.”

Both speak to coming from the best part of ourselves (some say higher self) and connecting (through Reiki) to the best part (or higher self) of others.

The distant healing symbol is basically used to send Reiki at a distance. It bridges time and space. It can be used to send Reiki to the past, the present, or the future. The distant healing symbol can be used to send Reiki anywhere in the world!!

When we send Reiki to the past, we are not looking to change it. We cannot. Instead, we are looking to heal the damage, the emotions, or the pain that remains today. We are attempting to reframe the experience so that we can consider any difficult situation as part of our path and a learning experience. We send Reiki so that we can release the pain and move on with our lives. Reiki offers new choices and actions.

If you want to heal a past situation, you can get a picture that represents that time in your life (the people, the situation), draw the distant healing symbol over it, and beam Reiki to it. Or, you can hold the picture between your hands and send Reiki that way. You could also write the name of the person, or describe the situation, on a piece of paper, draw the distant healing symbol over it, and send Reiki by beaming or holding it between your hands. This can be done on a daily basis.

This can also be done with goals. Since a goal is usually something in the future, you can use the distant healing symbol to help you achieve your goal. What I have found is that if you send Reiki to your goal, you will find that you might just “be in the right place at the right time”, information may come to you easily, the right people that can help you appear, or achieving the goal is a lot easier than you thought.

To send Reiki to your goal, you can use an index card and just state your goal or write a description of it. Draw the distant healing symbol over it, and, like above, you can beam it Reiki or hold the index card between your hands and let the Reiki flow.

For people that are trying to eliminate unhealthy habits, this can help every time you get a craving. If you take out the index card, do Reiki, just the action breaks the chain and helps you to overcome the craving. Do this for at least 21 days. Some say that it takes 21 days to break a habit or develop a new one.

If, after awhile, you notice that achieving your goal seems to be blocked, it may just mean that there are more layers to heal before your goal can be achieved. Or, that your goal might not be in your best interest. Sometimes better things than we asked for are coming so we can’t limit ourselves to only one outcome. When working with goals I usually say, “this, or something better” and then I release it to Divine wisdom and Divine timing.

If you feel that you are blocked, you can draw or visualize, the distant healing symbol over yourself, and say…”I now send Reiki to the part of myself that needs to heal in order for me to achieve_________.” Give yourself Reiki, and be open and listen and watch for answers.

Reiki can be sent to future events. Remember that Reiki will not work to control people or situations: it works to bring about the best outcome for all concerned.

You can send Reiki ahead for doctor’s appointments, dentist’s appointments, surgery, interviews, important discussions, clients on their way to you, making a presentation, students in your class, the weather, workshops, traveling, tests, etc.…the list is endless.

Some people say that sending Reiki ahead is like call waiting: it is there waiting for you.

My favorite way of sending Reiki is when I travel. When I am sitting on the airplane, preparing for takeoff, I visualize the distant healing symbol laying down in front of the plane on the runway. It becomes a golden bridge. Reiki flows from the symbol in front of and under the plane, guiding its flight. Then I visualize the power symbol at the nose of the airplane, and imagine the spiral part of it coming down over the plane, including the wings, and tail, surrounding the entire plane creating a cocoon of safety (this can be done for travel by car as well.). I also send Reiki to the entire“trip” so that my luggage gets transferred correctly and arrives with me; I find the place I am going easily, etc.

When I travel to teach, I send Reiki to the entire workshop, all the people that are coming, the place where the class is held, etc. I have a flyer for all my classes so I just hold that in my hands and send Reiki. I also do this for any presentation that I do. When I am attending a lecture or workshop, I send Reiki to the teacher or lecturer. I visualize the distant healing symbol, and beam Reiki towards the person, as a way of saying thanks for the wisdom they are sharing.

When I send Reiki for surgery (for myself or anyone else) I visualize the operating room and see it filled with Reiki (like a white mist in the room.) I see the surgeon’s hand surrounded with Reiki so that he/she will operate with skill. I see the anesthesiologists, the nurses, and anyone else in the room, also surrounded by Reiki. Sometimes it looks like angels are all around the person.

You can generally write down the date, time, and event on and index card, and send Reiki that way. Or, you can visualize the situation, and see it surrounded in a Reiki cocoon of energy. There are no right or wrong ways to send Reiki. Have fun. Be creative.

People often ask me if you have to have the permission of the person to send Reiki. I usually do because the person has requested it. However, those who can’t ask (people in a coma, people in an ambulance), I usually just say a prayer asking for permission to send it. Usually I get a warm feeling that means its okay. Sometimes when a person comes into my awareness, it is my belief that they are in my consciousness for a reason. So I stop, say the prayer, and send Reiki. I ask that if they don’t want it or won’t accept it, that it goes somewhere that it is needed. I also send Reiki when I see reports of disasters on the news (I beam the TV), I pass an ambulance, or I see an accident on the road. I also send Reiki to mother earth to thank her and help her heal. I also send Reiki to Dr. Usui, Dr. Hayashi, and Mrs. Takata to thank them for bringing Reiki to us.

One important point about sending Reiki is that it cannot be used to change people or their behaviors. That is their choice and their decision. What Reiki is sent for is the best possible outcome. So what happens is not up to us. The wisdom of Reiki knows what is best for the person and acts accordingly.

There are many, many ways to send Reiki using the distant healing symbol. Enjoy the journey. Be creative. Have fun. Remember that Reiki is “…the secret art of inviting happiness…”

Reiki New Moon Meditation

2008-08-23T04:45:00.000-07:00

Components of the Reiki new moon meditation

Sacred Intention ... The spoken or written word that describes goals for healing or visions for creation offered with love and for the highest good of all.

Prayer ... An act of giving thanks for sacred intentions that have been stated and offered to the Divine for manifestation. A statement of faith and knowingness that the intention is fulfilled as it can be for the highest good.

Reiki . . . Spiritually guided life force energy, which never causes harm. True Reiki is channeled without interference from the ego, nor controlled by the personality. Reiki is totally guided by the infinite wisdom of the Divine. Reiki links sacred intention, prayer, moon energies and the ascended spiritual masters together as one powerful force for manifestation in the highest form.

Soul Linking . . . the act of conscious, energetic soul connections which take place between willing individuals to fulfill a specific portion of the Divine plan.

Moon Energies

The moon emanates distinctly different energies during the full cycle from new moon to full moon. Each of the eight cycles facilitates the process of creation and manifestation. The eight phases each have a duration of approximately 28 days. An example and definitition follow:

Day 1-3^1/2 New moon energy is for creating a vision

Day 3^1/2-6 Crescent moon energy if for organizing resources needed to accomplish the vision

Day 6-9^1/2First quarter moon is using resources gathered to take action toward fulfilling the vision

Day 10-13^1/2 Gibbous moon energy helps us fine tune our goals, gather opinions from others and make revisions to the plan.

Day 13^3/4-17^1/2 The light of the full moon brings about manifestation of, or progress toward our goals. We can see where we are in the process of realization of the plan.

Day 17^1/2-21 The disseminating moon helps us distribute and share what we have learned, or to have a clearer understanding of what to do next.

Day 21-24^1/2In the third quarter of the moon we are in a completion and review phase, or following up on and refining the resources we gathered during the crescent moon. Re-evaluation takes place during this time to determine what is needed as a next step to move forward with the goal.

Day 24^1/2-282Under the balsamic moon it is time to be alone, meditate, retreat, and release attachment to outcome. It is time to rest and be introspective. During this time vision clears and we are ready to begin again with the next new moon.

Ascended Spiritual Beings

These can be well known Masters like Jesus, Buddha, Kwan Yin, Mother Mary, Maha Chohan, Hillarion, Lady Master Nada, etc. They can also be members of the angelic hierarchy, or highly evolved beings that we have yet to learn of.

Sacred intention

In working with these aspects with the Reiki New Moon Meditation we can focus on intentions such as personal goals for our work, family, relationships, health, finances, home, or any of the aspects of our earthly existence. We can intend to stay focused on our spiritual path, or ask for assistance in understanding or transmuting our karma.

We can also focus on world issues, like ample organic food for the world, peace among nations, humanity living in harmony with the earth, nurturing home environments for everyone, healthy relationships, a world where diversity is embraced as a strength, etc. Notice that we are not focusing on hunger, homelessness, war, etc. We are focusing on what we are creating, not on what we want to change, or are afraid of. The sacred intention is powerful when the vision is created in the highest form that you can imagine, but left up for manifestation by the Divine in the most perfect way.

Steps in the Reiki New Moon Meditation

1. Pray by giving thanks that you are clear and open channel for Reiki to flow through and that your personality and ego stand aside, so the Reiki will flow in its clearest and truest form. Give thanks that you are open to receive the guidance of angels and masters who have come forth to assist you.

2. Prepare you energy field by strengthening your light. To do this draw a large Usui power symbol in front of you and move the energy into you etheric field. Draw small power symbols over each of your charkas beginning at the base. Pause and beam Reiki into your energy field and toward your solar plexus and heart.

3. Call on the Divine, and the ascended spiritual masters and beings. Welcome them, and give thanks for their presence. Give them permission to assist you in creating your sacred intention, and helping you manifestation your visions.

4. Invoke the Usui mental/emotional symbol. Write down your sacred intention for this meditation. Include your personal goals, and also your intention for world service. It can also be helpful to draw something that represents your vision. A new moon journal is very helpful. Channel the mental/emotional Reiki energies into your written intention, and state your intention.

5. Invoke the Usui distant healing symbol imagining that you are creating a bridge of light from your heart to the hearts of all the spiritual beings who are assisting you, and all the other people who are joining in this group meditation around the world. Allow yourself to feel each soul linking with yours, and to feel the illusion of separation melt away, and you recognize the Oneness of all creation. Remember that Reiki transcends time and space. (note: if you are attuned to the Reiki Master or Karuna Reiki^® symbols you can add them to the meditation)

6. Meditate and transmit Reiki for as long as you feel comfortable.

7. Give a prayer of thanks.

8. Draw a large power symbol over your body with the intention of disconnecting from the meditative process, and knowing that each person is disconnecting also and returning to their individual life expressions with clarity and aligned with their soul purpose.

The first few times you do this you may wish to refer to the above notes about the various aspects of the moon cycles to see where you are in the process. It is intriguing how often we find ourselves in full momentum and taking action on our goals and we check in with the moon cycle to find that we are in the first quarter phase; or we may realize that we are feeling withdrawn and introspective and then become aware that we are under the influence of the balsamic moon.

If you would like to join in a worldwide Reiki New Moon Meditation, please join with us. We meditate monthly on the second day of the new moon phase, as the new moon energies are growing in strength. I personally meditate at 6 a.m. mountain time, but I also time-capsule the meditation to link with all others who are participating anytime during that day. At each new moon I hold a vision of a world at peace, where humanity honors the earth and every person is living life as their higher self in every moment. Please join me to uphold this vision and allow the energy to empower your personal goals and world vision as well.

In the Light of the Creator . . . We See Only Love

Japanese Reiki Techniques

2008-08-13T23:49:00.001-07:00

by Frank Arjava Petter (1999)

Three years ago, before the publication of my first book, a fellow Reiki teacher and author, Walter Lübeck predicted that “Reiki Fire” would have a powerful effect on the Reiki community. He felt at first it would create controversy but within a few years would help to bring the international Reiki community closer together. This was one of my reasons for writing the book in the first place, to bring Reiki people from all lineages and organizations into greater harmony. After all we do work with the same energy.

I did not believe that my Reiki research in Japan would be difficult for Reiki practitioners to accept. I had thought that every Reiki lover on Earth was just as thrilled about our findings as we were. Finally we had some tangible and provable facts on Dr. Usui instead of the old fairy tales. But Walter was right in both instances. Some people found these new ideas difficult to accept at first, but now that people have had time to think about them, the value of factual information about Dr. Usui and the history of Reiki is being more widely accepted and appreciated. This new information, based on written records and interviews with members of the Japanese Reiki community has given Western Reiki a solid historical foundation and as a result, is helping bring greater harmony to the global Reiki community.

Also, during this time the international Reiki movement experienced a wake-up call when one individual attempted to trademark the Reiki names worldwide and use legal power to define Reiki for everyone and control how it is used. Those of us who did not agree to this preposterous idea were motivated to join together to prevent it and in so doing, got to know each other better. Now that the trademark attempt has failed, we can start over fresh, working together to create a strong international Reiki community based on harmony and cooperation.

We live in interesting times for the Reiki community and now find ourselves at an important turning point. It is now possible for us to grow into a place of loving acceptance of each other, develop a deeper understanding of our roots and create a stronger connection to the Reiki energy.

In the past several years, more information on Dr. Usui, his life and work in Japan has come to light and new facts and information continue to bubble up every day. Many of us in the West had been told that Reiki was an “oral tradition” and that nothing was to be placed in writing. I do not understand how this idea could have gotten started because it is now known that Dr. Usui had a handbook he gave to all his students. It contained crystal clear instructions as to how and when to use Reiki. In addition, every president of the Reiki organization started by Dr. Usui, the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, also created handbooks they passed out to their students. Out of these handbooks, and additional information given to us by Mr. F. Ogawa, whose father, K. Ogawa was a close friend and associate of Dr. Usui and the leader of the Shizuoka branch of the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai in Shizuoka, we learned an array of wonderful Japanese Reiki techniques that have so far been unknown in the Western world.

Bending Time with Reiki

2008-08-13T23:48:00.001-07:00

By Philip Chan, M.D.

During my second degree Reiki training, my first Reiki master explained that Reiki could be sent back in time. I was naturally skeptical.

I tested the concept for the first time with a friend in a two-story apartment. We synchronized watches, and I told her I would send Reiki to her from another room for 10 minutes, beginning sometime between 8:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. When she felt the Reiki, she would look at her watch and note the time.

At 8:30 she lay down comfortably on a sofa and I was sitting quietly in a chair at the other end of the same room. At 8:45 I walked upstairs. At 9:00 I began to send distant Reiki back in time with the intention of my friend's receiving it at 8:40. After ten minutes, I discontinued sending distant Reiki, walked downstairs, and inquired what she had experienced.

She reported that after first feeling some faint sensations, she had been confident that she was receiving the Reiki at 8:42, the time which she noted from her watch and which she had recorded on a piece of paper. An intriguing detail was that I had been downstairs until 8:45.

The second experiment was conducted with a patient who experienced distant and beaming Reiki as a profound and pleasant heaviness in her head and chest. She agreed to participate in an informal test and I instructed her that I would send distant Reiki for her to receive at either 9:00, 10:00, or 11:00 a.m. the next morning. She was to lie quietly in her hospital bed at all three times, paying attention to body sensations.

Two days later, she reported that she had forgotten to lie in her bed at 09:00 on the appointed morning. As planned, she was lying quietly beginning shortly before 10:00, felt the unmistakable heaviness in her head and chest associated with her receiving Reiki, and fell into a deep sleep until 11:40 a.m. I had sent Reiki backward in time with the intention of its arriving at 10:00 a.m., but I had not started until 12:30 p.m. (two and a half hours later).

These observations give credence to theories that time as we think we know it is an illusion and that Reiki transcends the boundaries of time.

Philip Chan, M.D., Teaching Reiki Master, Columbus, GA Family Communication

Art and the Reiki Way

2008-08-13T23:44:00.000-07:00

by Tara Moorman

When I took Reiki I and II in the spring of 1998 I did not anticipate the changes that have occurred in my life and work. I wanted to learn self-healing techniques to heal some personal issues but I never dreamed Reiki would become such an integral part of my work as a watercolor artist. Reiki self-healing indeed helped me heal and totally changed the direction of my art career. After learning Reiki I was directed to use the energy with the painting process. Now I approach a painting session as a healing session.

Subsequent to painting I activate my hands with the Reiki I and II symbols and ask Reiki to flow freely into the painting, filling it with healing love and light. I ask for inspiration from my angels and guides. I state my intention to co-create an image that needs to be birthed into the Third Dimension at this time. At this point I will spend a few minutes in quiet meditation visualizing myself as an empty vessel being filled and expanded with the creative, white light energy of the universe. I see that white light infusing the art supplies and my entire studio. I acknowledge that the healing love and light will continue so when people view the art they can feel the energy or see it with their third eye. I give thanks and ask for a special blessing to attract the person that needs this healing by invoking the distant healing symbol.

As I started using Reiki in the creative process a dramatic shift occurred in my commission work. I started getting stories, messages and visual soul readings for the people who had commissioned the work. I did not consider myself psychic and was not sure what to do with this information. I decided to just pass it on with the art and see what happened. Much to my delight the recipients were thrilled with the information and the visual representations of their soul essence.

In the spring of 1999 an individual was referred to me that asked me to do a soul essence painting for a friend's birthday. I had never met the recipient but agreed to meditate on her and asked the guides to help me create a painting of her soul essence. The image that came was of a white Lilly on a field of cobalt and turquoise. When I presented them with the image and story they said it was a perfect match and could not believe I had never met the recipient. At that point it seemed clear that Reiki self-healing was awakening my intuitive and psychic side.

The artist Piet Mondrian has said 'The artist is humble. He is essentially a channel.' Reiki combined with pure intent enables me to channel spiritual energy, the most powerful and creative energy in the universe. The art becomes a visual bridge, or representation, of one's soul essence. Symbolically it connects us with our light bodies. The art creates a personal healing that is brought into the physical self through the third eye and optic nerve. I have seen this healing increase personal joy, faith and trust.

Now it is clear to me why I was led to Reiki. The ability to integrate Reiki into every facet of our lives, including our work, compounds the healing and transformation that is taking place in ourselves and our planet. Through art I have learned to look for every opportunity to incorporate Reiki into my everyday life and urge you to do the same. Together, we are touching many lives and impacting the future of our beloved planet.

Tara Moorman is a Reiki Master and owner of Healing Images, an art and publishing company in Cedar Rapids, IA. You can learn more about her work or contact her at her web site,

Grounding Or Shielding In Reiki

2008-07-30T00:38:00.000-07:00

Grounding or shielding is important especially for a practitioner who uses energy healing on others. It is important to be grounded while giving healing. When you heal a person, you make yourself vulnerable to the patient's energy field. So you need to shield yourself, in order to protect and prevent your body, from taking the patient's unwanted energy like physical symptoms. Shielding works both ways it protects the practitioner and the patient from each other's unwanted energy. The shield us permeable and hence allows the healing energy to pass through and the healing process can continue unhindered. The grounding process works like a strainer removing only the unwanted energy debris. After Reiki energy therapy "seal" the client's aura and ask God to remove any "footprints" from aura of both the client and yourself. Ask God to return the "footprints' to where they belong or transform them into positive energy. A practitioner should always ground and shield one's self in situations where his energy system may be vulnerable.

To ground or shield yourself, imagine you have developed roots that grow from your base chakra deep into the earth. Allow your awareness to drop down to the ground with the roots till you feel physically heavier. Feel you are rooted to the center of the earth. If you feel like releasing your negative energy do so through your roots. The earth will transform it. If you need extra energy, draw it from the earth. Let the earth's energy come up through the roots into your body. Imagine the energy coming out of the top of your head and showering back again. Awareness should always be grounded on the earth even when you imagine energy going up your body.

After doing healing or meditation it is good to close your chakras, as you may be vulnerable and open to negative energy. Imagine that your charkas, both front and back are closing. Use any imagery you want like closing doors, shutting window or closing eyelids. Cross your arms across your chest and reassure yourself that now your boundaries are strong.

Doing various physical activities can ground and shield you as well. Here are a few ways of grounding or shielding yourself:

Tapping the crown of your head.
Tapping the soles of your feet.
Putting your head to the ground.
Even eating something can help.
You can apply Reiki to your feet by placing your hands near your ankles.
Apply Reiki to the root chakra, as this chakra is our connection to the earth.
Walk barefoot.

You can shield yourself every morning before you leave your home and this will protect you. Grounding will give practitioners peace and power before beginning a session.

Reiki Treatment

2008-07-30T00:35:00.000-07:00

Reiki can heal anything as it works at the fundamental level of reality. The only thing that limits Reiki treatment is the client's attitude. If the client is unwilling to accept Reiki then he is creating a block for himself. Humans and animals are not physical beings. Other than our physical body, we have three other bodies. These invisible, non-physical bodies are made up of energy that consists of 'Chi', which controls and affects the physical body. Conventional medicine only treats the physical body. Reiki treats all the four bodies. Medical science deals with only the symptoms whereas Reiki not only heals the symptoms but also the root cause of the symptoms. Reiki operates in the energy structure that underlies the physical matter. According to Reiki practitioners, Reiki works at a level where anything can be changed as in the energy structure everything can be changed. Therefore Reiki can heal both physical and emotional aliments.

Reiki's healing energy has an intelligence that is beyond human consciousness and will move in the direction it is needed irrespective of the hand position. The only thing that seems to limit the healing energy of Reiki is the client's willingness to give up old habits and patterns and to accept change and healing. Healing in Reiki is not curing the physical symptoms and the root cause of the illness, but it also means returning the individual to complete state of mental and physical well being.

Should Christians Practice Reiki?

2008-06-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

Three recent conversations have convinced me that many Christians are drawn to Reiki but are unsure that Reiki should become part of their lives. One of my students spent several months deciding whether to enter a Reiki workshop. I was not aware of the how intense her struggles had been until she observed in class, "If my parents knew I am here, they would cheerfully burn me at the stake." She was respectful of her parents' version of Christianity, but she was totally convinced that she was called by God to become a healer. Her parents' denomination offered no healer training. She had finally decided that she must accept God's calling and the spiritual gift of healing and believes that Reiki offers the way.

During another conversation with one of the pastors of my church, I asked his opinion of Reiki. He casually observed that he had heard about a Reiki Master who had somehow abused his students, so he didn't think much of the practice. I mentioned the tragic experiences in the Catholic Church with priests sexually abusing children which had not caused people to change their opinion of Christianity nor to stop going to church. Apparently he rethought his opinion. Later the same day, he asked me to speak to a man recently diagnosed with brain cancers about arranging some Reiki treatments.

Another friend had slipped and fallen on the ice after leaving a store. He came to a meeting at church and told the group about his experience. He was obviously in pain as he sat through the meeting. Afterwards, one of my students and I offered to give him Reiki which he accepted, though he didn't think it would do much good. He had fallen a couple of times previously, landing on the base of his spine, and he was aware from experience of the pain and soreness that he could expect the next day. Later in the week he emailed me to say that he had felt just fine the next day and decided there was something to Reiki and wanted to explore it further. He attended a healing service at the church and participated in the laying on of hands after communion. While he seemed affected by the service, he has not come again nor asked for any more Reiki treatments. This week, he told me why. He is a thoughtful introspective seeker, but after some thought he decided that he might not have felt any pain anyway after his fall. Further he wasn't interested in the community that forms as people work together to heal others.

Each of these individuals approached Reiki from different perspectives. One felt a spiritual calling and responded despite opposition. One did not have a good understanding of Reiki and had not thought of it fairly, and one had other explanations and interests. Of these, the first two are the reason for this article.

As the practice of Reiki has spread round the world in a 30-year period and is rapidly entering public awareness, Christians have approached its use in a variety of ways. More and more Christians view Reiki as a practice that provides an opportunity to follow more closely the teachings and examples of Jesus healing the sick. Others are concerned that Reiki has an Eastern origin and are searching for more information and experiences before deciding how to respond. Thoughtful, committed Christians seek accurate information and pray for guidance as part of deciding whether to adopt the practice of Reiki into their lives.

Each new idea or change in our world challenges us to adjust to the new knowledge and experience. Sometimes new knowledge has bearing on our religious values and beliefs. Those who take their spiritual lives seriously will often take time to gather information on the new subject, think about it and pray for guidance. After this process, a decision can be made about if or how those new thoughts or practices might be incorporated into their daily lives. This is a spiritually mature way to deal with things of this nature. During the time of research, people will benefit by making sure they make use of information that is accurate and gives an honest and fair description of the subject they are exploring. By reading, seeking those who have given or experienced Reiki, and praying for insight and guidance, Christians can make decisions about how Reiki might play a role in their lives. It's important to keep in mind that while many Christians have found Reiki to be a spiritually fulfilling practice, it is not necessarily for everyone.
Christian churches have a long tradition of adopting practices that enhance the spiritual life of its members based on examples of Jesus' actions described in the Bible. Some churches use music and liturgy; others use silence and inspired prayer; some worship on Saturday (7th Day Adventists) and others on Sunday; some use dance and others sit throughout much of the service; some baptize by emersion and others by sprinkling water on the head; some honor saints and seek their help while others seek angelic experiences. In Christian worship, the cross is used as a focus of worship complemented by candles, music, prayer beads, bells, incense, and other ritual items. These many and varied practices indicate the range of methods that different Christian groups incorporate to follow the teachings of the Bible and to come closer to God. While they are different, they all fall within the definition of Christianity.

As Christians seek ways to increase and strengthen their spiritual moments, many have adopted practices to develop the "Gifts of the Spirit." In I Corinthians 12:4-12, Paul speaks of the gifts to including speaking wisdom and knowledge and the power to heal. Also Paul describes people within the church having roles as apostles, prophets, teachers, those who perform miracles, those who heal, those who direct others and those who speak in strange tongues (I Corinthians 12:28-31).

Because one of the spiritual gifts is healing, devoted Christians who take direction from the above scripture have looked into the laying on of hands and more recently, the practice of Reiki. In addition, many Christian seekers have found John 14:12 an important source of guidance as well as reassurance that becoming healers it is not only possible, but also something we as Christians should develop if we feel spiritually guided to do so: "I am telling you the truth: whoever believes in me will do what I do-yes, he will do even greater things because I am going to the Father" (TEV)

Within that quotation is both instruction and challenge. As Christians search for ways to follow more fully Jesus' teachings and examples in order to draw closer to God, it is important to be aware of the examples Jesus set for us. Many of these focused on healing others (Matt: 14:14, Mark 3:10, Luke 4:38-39). And much of his healing was done by laying on hands. Here are a few examples: In Matthew 8:14-15, Jesus uses touch to heal Peter's mother-in-law of a fever. In Mark 1:40-42 Jesus uses his hands to heal a man with leprosy. This is also mentioned in Luke 5:12-13. Matthew 20:29-34 describes how Jesus healed two blind men by touching their eyes and in Mark 8:22-25 Jesus uses his hands to heal another blind man. In Mark 7:32 35 he uses touch to heal a man who is deaf and can't speak. In Luke 7:12-15, Jesus raises a dead man by touching his coffin and in Luke 8:49-55 Jesus uses touch to return a dead girl to life.

Scripture clearly indicates that healing is something appropriate for Christians to be involved with. Christians who have a solid foundation in their faith know that God will always protect and guide them. Those Christians who practice Reiki do so within the guidance and protection of God secure in the belief that they have been guided to follow Jesus' example to be a healer.

Have you been called by God and the Holy Spirit to practice the gift of healing? If the answer is yes, is Reiki right for you? After careful investigation and gaining a clear understanding of what Reiki is, the best way for you to decide if you should take up the practice of Reiki can be best answered through prayer.

Reiki and the Family

2008-01-17T00:19:00.001-08:00

by Kathie Lipinski

Reiki is a gift that we give ourselves and it increases for us when we can share it as a family. Not just the typical mother and father and children, but also significant others, and the many people we often consider family.

My first "students" that I attuned as a new Reiki Master in 1995 were my husband Bob and son Johnnie (7). Although they didn't fully understand what Reiki was all about and what I was about to do, they were willing to support me in my journey as a teacher. I cannot begin to tell you the joy that I felt as I prepared them to receive this gift. Tears flowed from my eyes as I attuned them. I felt the joy and the coming together as a spiritual family. The remembering of who we are at our soul level and why we come together in a family was the gift of their attunements.

Later that year, when I attended a Karuna Reiki® workshop, I was told during a meditation that my son Matthew, at 4 years of age, was ready to receive his attunement as well. He has brought much insight ever since (and many laughs) about how to use Reiki.

How we use Reiki as a family is that we pick a time and share Reiki with each other. The boys are much quicker in their giving and receiving since they are pure channels. They feel the energy come in and out. So a typical sharing can last just an hour. We usually scan each other to find the areas in need and then allow the Reiki to flow there.

Whenever I am teaching, someone always gives me Reiki before class. It helps me to be a more clear channel and for things to flow smoothly.

If there is an illness or injury, whoever is available at the time will give Reiki. If we are all available, we give the person as much Reiki as they want. This has worked well with the kids and sports injuries and fevers and colds. We have found that the illness works through the process quicker and injuries heal faster.

A friend of John's recently broke her wrist. He went to her house and gave her Reiki. He is usually shy about sharing it (he's a teenager now) so I was quite happy when he told me what he did! He said she felt the heat and the energy and enjoyed the "treatment."

When one of the boys has an exam in school, we make time to send Reiki to them. We send the mental/emotional symbol for relaxation and clear thinking. A few weeks ago, when John was taking his Math Regents exam, Bob and I stopped what we were doing and sent Reiki 5 minutes before the exam began. John told us later that he felt this energy come over him and he felt really good taking the test. I also send the boys Reiki when they are into sibling rivalry and fighting. Again, I use the mental/emotional symbol to help heal the relationship and ask for the best outcome.

We also send Reiki as a family to other family members in difficult times. When my cousin died this year at 46 years of age, it was a difficult time for the entire family. The boys and I prepared them emotionally and asked that we give ourselves Reiki for a few minutes before we went in. I also asked them to bring Reiki in, fill themselves up with it, and then let it flow from them to our relatives and friends who needed it.

We also send Reiki to anyone in the family who is sick or in distress. We just stop what we are doing, invoke the distant healing symbol, and think of the person or situation and let the Reiki flow. We always ask for the best outcome and let Reiki do what needs to be done.

When Bob has important business meetings, or travels, the boys and I send Reiki for a successful outcome or safety. When I travel to teach, they send me Reiki as well.

What I have found is that the use of Reiki in the family helps us all to be more understanding and accepting and compassionate with each other. It helps us really focus on the love we feel for each other.

An interesting family experience was when I gave my niece a Reiki session (she is 30) and she loved it! I explained what Reiki is and that we all do it. She then said, "I always knew there was something special and different about your family!" That was one of the best compliments I ever had! We have since had many interesting conversations and it brought our relationship to a different and more enjoyable level.

One very special family use of Reiki was by two of my students from New England. They took the Master class in December 1997, and their gift to their family for Christmas was the gift of Reiki. On Christmas Eve, they gathered their family together (mom and dad and sisters), talked about Reiki, and then gave them their first degree attunement. Even the cat joined in! That was their sharing of their love for their family. They have shared it ever since.

Some other ways families can use Reiki is if someone is terminally ill or going through radiation or chemotherapy. The family members learn Reiki and are able to give their loved ones Reiki to support their process. They also have Reiki for themselves to replenish their energy and help them keep on keeping on. It is also useful for someone who has surgery. Giving Reiki before and after helps the healing process and strengthens the connection between family members.

Some women also study Reiki so that they can give themselves and their baby Reiki during their pregnancy. What a gift that baby has receiving Reiki even before it's born!

Reiki is good for all aspects of loving and living together. It helps us to be the people we are truly meant to be. It helps us to remember to be compassionate and understanding and tolerant of those we love and live with.

How do you share Reiki with your family and friends?

Peace On Earth

2008-01-17T00:18:00.001-08:00

by William Lee Rand

Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one. -John Lennon

Is our planet becoming a safer place to live? The events of September 11 and those that followed may not make it seem like it is. But, if we take a broader look at world events, it can be easily seen that the planet is getting safer.

Those who grew up in the 60's and also those who experienced the 70's and 80's can recall a time when we lived with the fact that the destruction of most of the planet could have taken place in half an hour or so. During the cold war tens of thousands of nuclear warheads were aimed at all the major cities in the US, the Soviet Union and many other countries around the world. They were ready to be fired at a moments notice and either a real or imagined threat or a glitch in the system could have triggered them.

People everywhere, both young and old had nightmares concerning the horrors a global nuclear war would bring. The rivalry between the US and the Soviet Union was so great and the arms race advancing so quickly that it was difficult to see how we would ever solve the problem. Many wondered if the planet had a future and the fear of such an unimaginable horror affected everything we did.

And yet, we survived. The planet was not destroyed. Things changed. The Soviet government came to an end and the countries that took its place are now our friends and getting friendlier all the time. This is an amazing and tremendously positive shift in the global situation.

Uniting global spiritual consciousness is the next step in creating world peace.

Since that time, there have been other crisis situation but all have been less serious than the cold war. Most have been dealt with quickly and while some have led to other difficulties, most of the challenges they presented were either resolved or reduced in a significant way.

We can see how this happened with the Gulf war and the problems in Kosovo and other areas. And now we are in the midst of another threat to global security. The issue of international terrorism was brought into sharp focus by the events of September 11 and this developed quickly into a war on terrorism that could have far reaching effects. This is indeed a very difficult problem of global proportions and yet, as we can see, more difficult problems than this have been solved in the past.

The current challenges to world peace are really more like healing crisis situations. The energies and issues that drive them have always been present, but are only now coming to the surface and demanding attention. If we are to have a real and lasting peace, we must be willing to acknowledge them and heal the political and religious rivalries they represent. Rather than being challenges to peace, they are actually part of the process that can bring peace.

There is a Chinese character for crisis called Wei Ji. The first part of the character means danger, and the second part means opportunity. So it is with every crisis there is also opportunity, the opportunity to learn, to heal and to grow. There have been many opportunities from the events of September 11 that have already created benefits. One of the most important is the fact that as soon as spiritual people heard of the events, they immediately began sending healing and praying. This united the largest group of spiritual people in history to join together and work as one to bring healing to the planet. Any boundaries that may have existed in the past were blown away allowing our hearts to open completely. This oneness of consciousness, acting like a magnet, attracted Reiki energy and other healing energies far stronger and of a far higher vibration than has ever been experienced on the planet before. This uniting of global spiritual consciousness is actually the beginning of an important next step for world peace. It is making possible personal as well as global healing on a level never previously experienced.

The effects this increase in healing energy is having can already be seen. The US and the Russians as well as many other nations, are become better partners. The fact that the Taliban have been removed from power in Afghanistan has made it much safer for women and children there. This is raising the consciousness of people in other countries where woman have been abused, increasing the likelihood that woman's rights will be promoted more successfully all over the planet.

On a global scale, awareness of ourselves, our potential and what we need to survive and prosper is increasing.
As the pace of events on the planet increases, not only does it create an increasing number of new and unique challenges for us to solve, it also increases the speed at which we are able to learn about how the world works. In other words, on a global scale, awareness of ourselves, our potential and what we need to survive and prosper is increasing. This is allowing a greater number of people to understand on an ever-deeper level what our ultimate purpose is and is also motivating us to achieve it.

Buckminster Fuller, a practical futurist popular in the 60's and 70's, came up with an idea that is especially meaningful for us now. He took systems theory and mathematics and applied it to the global situation. He came to the conclusion that as the pace of life on earth quickens, it can lead to only one of two conclusions. It will bring about our total destruction or it will lead to a world of complete peace and harmony.

This principle can be seen in the flywheel. When a flywheel is rotating slowly, any imbalances it may have are not noticed. As it increases in speed, the imbalances become more and more obvious and will begin to create vibrations. These vibrations will become stronger and place greater and greater stress on the flywheel as it increases in speed. If it continues to increase in speed, at some point the vibrations will be come so destructive that the flywheel will explode. On the other hand, if the flywheel can be progressively balanced as it's speed increases, it can reach a very high rate of speed and provide all the benefits it was designed to provide in an efficient and harmonious way.

The same is true for our planet. As the pace of life increases on our planet, new issues come up. As we work to balance them, not only does it help the people affected by the issues, but also, because of our interconnectedness it contributes to the harmony between people everywhere.

Looking at world conditions from the 60's to the present, we see that the threat of total global destruction has passed and we are now faced with smaller challenges and while they are more numerous, we are also dealing with them more quickly. This is creating a learning curve that appears to be increasing faster than the challenges that would destroy us. From this we see that a world of peace and harmony is within our reach.
While the basis for world peace is a strong possibility and there are many conscious and unconscious forces at work to create it, it will not happen on its own. If we are to achieve it, we must focus on aligning with global peace in an ever-increasing way.

The global economy has been a reality for some time. This has worked to create a greater level of friendly cooperation between nations. The next step toward world peace must take place on a spiritual level. What we need now is a global spiritual community. If this is to take place, then all religious and spiritual groups need to honor and respect each other. This needs to be done with wisdom and be based on the idea that each person has the right to practice the religious or spiritual path of their choice or none at all as long as it does not interfere with the right of others to do the same. Once this awareness has reached global proportions, the spiritual consciousness of the planet will have achieved an amazing new level. The prayers and spiritual practices of all groups will have a synergistic effect on each other. The spiritual power this produces will activate the awareness in each person that all are one and world peace will soon follow.

People from all spiritual and religious backgrounds practice Reiki in every country on the planet. Because of this, the practice of Reiki is providing a meaningful contribution to the creation of a global spiritual community. Now more than ever it is important to send Reiki to heal global situations. The synergy created by doing this is greatly multiplying the good it does and will bring world peace much more quickly.

On January 24, 2002 an important meeting will take place that is a clear indication that consciousness is moving in the direction of a global spiritual community.

Representatives from all religions have been invited by Pope John Paul II to come to Assisi to pray for world peace. This extraordinary event will help ground in a practical way what has been developing spiritually. Also, on this day, people all over the planet from all religious and spiritual backgrounds are being asked to pray for world peace. I encourage you to mark your calendars and set aside time on this day to send as much Reiki as you can for world peace. This will be a great blessing for the planet and for everyone who takes part.

Creating Prosperity with Reiki

2008-01-17T00:17:00.000-08:00

By Laurelle Shanti Gaia

"Prosperity and abundance are my Divine birthright." How long has it been since you have made that statement? Has it been a month, a year, a decade…or never? Maybe intellectually you know that you live in an abundant universe, but do you FEEL it to be true?

Have you noticed the power of the collective creative consciousness recently? How many reports of troubled economic times have you heard since September 11th? How are such reports affecting you? Are you fearful that you may lose your job, or that your clients will stop coming, or that you will need to work harder and will no longer have time for spiritual practice, exercise or your family? If you have worried or felt fear, let me remind you of something a great man once said; "Just for today…do not worry and be filled with gratitude."

There is a reason Usui Sensei used those words in the Reiki principles, which are a foundation for all Reiki practitioners and teachers to blossom from. He recognized the power of our thoughts and our words. We often forget powerful statements like "thoughts are things" or "where the thoughts go, the energy flows". However, they are so very true. Whenever we create anything in our life, we must first have the thought of it. So it is very important to be aware of what we are thinking at all times. If we allow our thoughts to be those of fear and worry, we are empowering the very things we are concerned about to manifest in our life.

As Reiki practitioners we can accept the responsibility of using what we have learned to help the United States and the world to heal any sense of lack that is pervading the collective consciousness so that we all become the prosperous beings and nations that we truly are.

The basics of thought discipline are one factor in prosperity consciousness, but this becomes even more important once we are attuned to Reiki. Reiki has the ability to help us empower our thoughts, unite the mind with the heart, and transmute our words into pure light, and they become even stronger than the mere thoughts themselves.

I invite you to explore just exactly what prosperity and abundance mean to you. They take so many forms. The first thought that usually comes to people is money, or material things; but we know that loving relationships, spiritual practices, and doing work that we enjoy are also among the elements of prosperity and abundance.

Take a few moments and jot down keywords that describe what prosperity and abundance mean to you. When you have your list, take a moment and "tune in" to each word, one at a time. I suggest that you use the Reiki distant symbol to connect to the consciousness each word holds, and the mental/emotional symbol to help you discern how your thoughts and feelings respond.

For example, take that "M" word … money. How do you FEEL when you tune into the energy of money? What do you THINK about money? Do you feel and think … "YES…bring it on, I deserve to have all the money I need to live in a way that is comfortable for me, and that allows me to share with others." Try saying that. How do you feel, and where in your body do you feel the response to that thought? Is there any uneasiness? If so, where does it come from? Do you hear echoes of "money is the root of all evil" … "spiritual people should work for free" …"only special people have money", etc.

Try the same process with all the words on your list. Here are some phrases you might use. "I love my work", "I have a happy and loving marriage", "My children love and respect me", and "I am worthy of the time needed to nurture myself".

Those things that represent prosperity and abundance are available to all of us, not just special people. We each have within us all the answers, skills, and talents needed to create unlimited prosperity on all levels of our being.

We are each blessed with the creative power of the Divine heart-mind connection, and we can learn to work with Reiki to tap into the unlimited abundance that is our birthright. When we develop prosperity consciousness, everything we need to fulfill our highest purpose comes to us with ease.

We can attract anything we want into our life and truly realize our heart's desire.

Money, love, peace, and joy are all simply energy. We usually think of them only as we know them in the manifest plane i.e. what most people believe is reality. However, all things reside in all planes of existence and in all realms of consciousness. Thus, reality is actually multi-dimensional. What we often believe to be reality is simply a projection of how we are currently working with our hearts, minds and energy. We have power and ability to change anything we have created.

There are universal spiritual laws that govern abundance. Within the essence of these laws is the wisdom that that there is an ebb and flow to all aspects of our life. We can also learn that it is as important to receive as it is to give, and to recognize that we are limitless beings. The importance of holding pure intention that we are attracting those things that serve the highest good is also part of the wisdom. We can only experience prosperity if we have the things in our life that are meaningful to us personally, those things that hold the essence of the quality we want in our life rather than a quantity of something.

Humanity is awakening to a soul knowing of the power of the collective creative consciousness, or mastery of the heart-mind connection. We are learning to create a flow, a stream of resources into our lives, all of which support our Divine purpose.

When we feel constrained, or that what we need is not flowing to us with ease, this is a good time to take inventory. What things or elements of our life are we holding in the present that no longer serve us? When we can identify these things, we can then recognize each of them as energy. The energy that they hold is taking up space in our lives; space that could be used to hold new and exciting things that support us in the present moment.

In letting go of the old, we make room for the new. When we have outgrown aspects of our life, it is time to send these things out into the Universe so that they can serve someone else. This may mean that you sell what you don't need, or perhaps you make donations, or release a relationship or a job. Let these things go, and when the releasing process is complete for the moment, pause to experience how you feel. You have just created space in your life to receive the blessings the Universe has for you.

Be sure that in letting go, you are releasing into areas that you feel in harmony with. For example if you feel you have a lack of money in your life, it can be disempowering to become miserly and spend money on only what you feel you "need". It is empowering to share money, even if it is just a little, by spending it on something that enhances your quality of life. By doing this you are putting energy out that empowers others who are working to help humanity awaken to a more peaceful, joyous, prosperous existence. When you do this you make room for money that improves your life to flow in to you as well.

Now you can use Reiki to assist in magnetizing infinite blessings into your life, in the perfect form at the perfect time.

Create a list of the things that you feel will enhance the quality of your life, and support the highest good of all. If you aren't sure what your list should contain, you can use Reiki to help you. Simply use the same process I defined above. Invoke the distant and mental and emotional symbols to make the heart mind connection with each of the things on your list. Pay very close attention to how you feel when you think of them. What is the energetic essence each holds and how do you sense that they will add to the quality of your life?

Once you have your list, you may wish to enter into a 21-day process of magnetizing these things into your life with Reiki. Each day use the distant, mental/emotional and power symbols by drawing them, or visualizing them, or invoking their names. Once you have called the energy in, hold your list in your hands and send the Reiki energy into it. Now, take a moment to verbally acknowledge all the things in your life that you are thankful for. Let the Reiki flow until it slows, stops or feels complete. Of course it is also important to close the session with a prayer.

In closing I would like to remind you of this thought. Just for today, do not worry and be filled with gratitude for all the blessings that are currently in your life, and that are flowing to you every moment.

A Personal Healing Program

2008-01-17T00:16:00.000-08:00

by William Lee Rand

Each of us comes into this existence with a unique set of personal qualities that include aptitudes that can develop into skills and abilities. Also there are often challenging situations that affect us. Like the rudder on a boat, our choices determine what direction we take in life and what possibilities we explore and develop. When we are confronted with difficulties, as well as opportunities, it is how we deal with them that determines how they affect us. So it is important that we use our ability to choose wisely. A life well lived is a life of growth, a life of healing and development.

As we look back on our lives, it is easy to see turning points where we made a choice that had a powerful effect on where our life went and who we became. By thinking about our past choices and where they have taken us, it is possible to learn from our experiences and improve our ability to choose. Life is filled with many possibilities, and it is important to realize that sometimes it is the more difficult decision that brings us the greatest benefit.

If you are ill in any way or if you are experiencing any part of your life that is less than what you would like, know that it is possible to change, to heal, and to create the kind of life you want. If you want something you don't have, then the most important thing you need to do is to choose this for yourself. Then take action.

The universe is always in a state of balance. A problem, difficulty or challenging situation cannot exist unless its solution exists at the same time. If you want to solve a problem, the first thing you must do is to decide that you are going to find the solution.

Here is a law of the mind, a law of life that is very important to understand. Definiteness of purpose, sustained over time always produces results. Think about that! It always produces results! This is the most important concept you can focus on in terms of personal healing and accomplishment. If you want to heal, you need to form this into a definite purpose and pursue it with a passion and stay with it until you are healed.

The mind is like a magnet. It attracts what it thinks about most, the stronger the thoughts the stronger the attraction. If you want to heal yourself, or develop any positive quality, it is very important for you to make a clear decision that this is what you are going to do. As you hold this thought in your mind with the definite belief, and knowingness that you will achieve your result, you will attract to yourself all the resources and people you need to create the results you want.

We each have special talents, qualities and gems of value that we may not be fully expressing or perhaps not expressing at all. We were born on this planet to fulfill a purpose and that purpose is to discover our truth, who we are, what makes us unique, take possession of this precious part of ourselves and express it to the world.

Regardless of the life situation you find yourself in, it is possible for you to heal or to improve yourself and your life in a most definite way.

Reiki is a powerful tool for healing and personal growth. Its energy comes from the highest spiritual source and because of this, it will always create the best results for all concerned. It can be used to heal the body, the mind or the spirit; and can also guide us through life. It can help us develop latent talents and improve the quality of everything we do. So, if healing and personal development is what you want to accomplish, if you have not already done so, take a Reiki class.

Self-Healing Program
In developing your personal Reiki self healing program it is important to take the time to try different techniques. As you do so, be aware of the results and if the technique seems to be moving you toward your goal. If it is, continue with it, if it is not, try something else. In this way, you will develop a personal system of healing that is exactly right for you. This will greatly improve your results. There are many ways to use Reiki and I would like to present a few ideas and techniques that are powerful and effective.

Self-Treatments
Use of self-treatments is an important part of any Reiki healing/self improvement program. Set aside 15 to 30 minutes each day to give yourself a Reiki treatment. This can be a complete treatment using all the hand positions or you could use Byosen scanning and treat only those areas you are guided to. While giving yourself Reiki, your vibration will go up and as this happens I suggest you allow yourself to contemplate the various activities taking place in your life. As you do this, it is likely that you will find healthy new attitudes developing about issues in your life, as well as receive creative ideas on how to deal with them. In order to keep track of this, I suggest you get a notebook to write these ideas in and then use them in your action plans.

Personal Healing Alliance
Receiving treatments from others is also important and in fact, this is probably the most important thing you can do to keep your Reiki energy strong. I suggest you go one step further and develop a personal healing alliance. To do this, find someone you can trust who also has a health or life issue they want to heal. Meet at least once a week to exchange Reiki sessions and share what has happened since your last meeting. Form an agreement between yourselves that you will support each other completely in finding solutions to your issues and becoming completely healed. Be willing to share everything and keep what you share in your meetings strictly confidential. Use all the creativity and inspiration that comes up to solve your issues or achieve your goals. During the week set aside time to send distant Reiki to each other. You can also call each other on the phone if something comes up. These meetings must be taken seriously and it is important to focus on the steps listed above and not allow them to slip into just a social event. This is a very powerful process and will bring deep and very meaningful levels of healing.

Reiki Affirmations and Prayers
Reiki can be used in a powerful way to enhance affirmations and prayers. Place your healing goal or desired accomplishment on a 3x5 card. Using energy, draw Reiki symbols over the card. I recommend using all three Reiki II symbols and any others you may have. Then hold the card between your hands and give the card Reiki. As you do so, repeat your affirmation and/or say a prayer giving thanks that your goal has been achieved or that your healing has taken place. Say your affirmation and/or prayer over and over. Do this with conviction at least once a day. You can also carry the card with you and repeat this process whenever you have a spare moment during the day.

Going Aganist the Issue
A process that will accelerate healing is to go against the issue and use Reiki to heal the feelings and energies that come up. If you have a fear of doing something, go ahead and do it anyway - go against the fear. This process restimulates dormant psychological feelings causing them to come to the surface where you can more easily use your Reiki to heal or release them. It takes courage, but it is very powerful. Have a Reiki friend work with you to help if possible. As an example, if you have a fear of public speaking, go ahead and arrange to give a speech. Before the speech give yourself Reiki, and focus on any feelings that are coming up. After and even during the speech, give yourself Reiki focusing on the feelings. Or, if you have a fear of meeting people, decide to attend a party and deliberately introduce yourself to people at the party. Give yourself Reiki before, after and during the party if possible. If it is too scary to physically do it, then just imagine doing it in your mind and direct Reiki to the feelings as they come up. After treating the issue in this way, at some point you will be able to do it for real. When using this process, it is important to use common sense and not engage in any activities that could be dangerous.

Raising Your Vibration
Anything that will raise your vibration will help you heal more quickly. Doing things such as improving your nutrition, developing an exercise program, meditation, getting adequate rest and sleep, massage, yoga exercises or stretching, Tai Chi, social activities and other forms of entertainment will act to raise your vibration. As your vibration goes up, it will be easier for you to gain insight into your situation and create more effective solutions. It will also cause all other forms of healing to work better.

Use of Other Modalities
Remember that Reiki works in a very positive way with all other forms of healing. So, with your clear intention, and the use of Reiki energy you may be guided to other healing resources. Be on the lookout for these additional healing methods. Methods such as other techniques, changes in diet, the use of herbs, and homeopathic remedies, etc. These could greatly improve your healing process.

Medical and Psychological Care
There are many excellent medical doctors and psychologists who are open to alternative healing. If you have a medical or psychological condition, it is important that you get their advice and follow it if you feel guided to do so. If you have a serious condition and surgery or drugs are recommended, it is important to get a second opinion before deciding what to do. Remember, Reiki works in harmony with medicine and psychology and there may be some important and even necessary therapies they can offer. It is important to consider them when developing your healing program.

These are a few ways to use Reiki to create your personal healing program. Your inner guidance and your clear intention will cause you to discover others not mentioned here. Being fully engaged in this process is necessary if you are to derive the greatest benefit. To quote Helen Keller, "Life is an exciting adventure, or nothing at all." You are the one who decides which way it will be for you. The challenges we face in life contain the lessons we are here to learn. Do not withdraw from them, nor attempt to solve them half heartedly, but instead, fully embrace them. Accomplishment of a worthy personal goal brings with it more than just the results you were looking for. It also brings the certain knowledge that we can change and create the kind of life we want. In the end, when we examine our lives, it is not so much what we know in our heads that is important, nor even what we do, but what we become.

My Reiki Story

2008-01-17T00:11:00.000-08:00

by William Lee Rand

It’s been 24 years since I first learned of Reiki and began experiencing it’s miraculous power. Since that time many changes have taken place in my life that were brought about by my association with this wonderful energy. In fact, in looking back to that time, I can clearly see the role it played in placing me firmly on my spiritual path and leading me on a journey into greater levels of peace, happiness, and fulfillment. It has guided me in so many ways, helping me progressively strengthen my connection to the spiritual world as well as develop my ability as a writer, teacher, and healer. It has also taken me on adventures literally to the ends of the earth and saved my life in a dramatic way that is certainly a tribute to the healing power of Reiki and the way it unites so many people to help others.

I became interested in metaphysics in high school and decided I wanted to learn as much as possible. Over a period of 20 years or so, I studied and became a practitioner of hypnotherapy, astrology, past life regression therapy, rebirthing, and Neuro Linguistic Programming. While living in Hawaii, I worked with a Kahuna as his astrologer and did readings for his clients.

It was in a rebirthing class held on the Big Island of Hawaii that I first heard of Reiki. In the class a woman asked to talk to the group during one of our extended breaks. Her name was Bethel Phaigh and she was a Reiki teacher. I was fascinated by the idea that the ability to do Reiki is transferred to the student rather than being something the student develops. Yet I was skeptical. I wondered if the attunement actually did anything energetic or if it was an empty ritual that simply gave people permission to use the healing ability they already had.

During the attunement I was aware of an energy entering my crown and going down to the root chakra. Then I felt energy push out the heart chakra, and I could actually see small glowing chunks of something being blown out and felt that the heart chakra was being opened and a block was being released. When this happened, I knew Reiki was real and that I had discovered something very special.

The results that came from giving sessions to others and myself further validated Reiki, and a year later I received Reiki II training. I considered the teacher training (also called Master training), but the fee was too high and so didn’t consider it to be part of my spiritual path.

Reiki has a way of connecting us more strongly to the Source and in so doing providing a much clearer form of guidance. Realizing this I began taking my life more seriously and decided that with the help of Reiki I’d focus on pursuing my spiritual purpose. I began saying a prayer with conviction each day, “Guide me and heal me so that I might be of greater service to others.”

Things began to change. I loved Hawaii and planned to remain there the rest of my life. But when we make a commitment to follow our spiritual path, we must sometimes do things that don’t go along with what we think we want.

I ended up leaving Hawaii, living in California awhile, and moving in with my parents in Detroit for a short time. I had a dream of being a workshop leader and traveling around giving workshops. I planned to develop my own style of personal development, and never thought I’d be a Reiki teacher. However, when we’ve made a commitment to our spiritual path, sometimes we end up doing things we hadn’t planned. In March 1989, I took the Reiki teacher training and taught my first class in June of that year.

My teaching practice developed quickly and while teaching my first class in another town, I suddenly realized that I was living my dream; I was a workshop leader, and I was traveling and teaching! I was overwhelmed with joy!

I was also able to look back to the moment I had been initiated into Reiki and see that I had been guided step by step to be a Reiki teacher, even though I had thought it wasn’t part of my spiritual path!

After I became a Reiki teacher, and accepted the fact that as far as my spiritual path was concerned, I belonged in the Detroit area, my life began getting better and better. As my career continued to develop, I ended up traveling all over the world teaching Reiki classes, wrote several Reiki books, and published a Reiki magazine. I also traveled to both the North and South Poles as well as to Jerusalem to place World Peace Crystal Grids. (See World Peace Project).

Then at the end of 2003, while dancing at a New Years Eve party I was hosting at my home, I felt a pain behind my heart. At first I thought it must be a rib that had come out of place, as I had been having problems with my upper back. I kept dancing, but the pain worsened and I began to feel a physical weakness that made me think it could be something more serious. I went to get some water and lie down for a few moments. The pain quickly spread around to the front of the heart and I also felt a pain in my jaw and down my left arm. My whole body was in trauma. I went back to the dance floor bent over with pain and asked a couple of friends to take me to the hospital.

I entered the New Year having a heart attack in the hospital emergency room. I had a blood clot in the heart, and it took them a long time to find the right thrombolytic agent to dissolve it. I was also told that the pain I was feeling was the pain of the heart muscle dying.

The two people who took me to the hospital had been giving me Reiki on the way. On learning of my situation, my friends at the party began sending Reiki, praying, and drumming for me. I gave myself Reiki as well and from the very beginning maintained a positive, upbeat attitude–even inviting the ER people to go back to my party when they got off work. I knew that regardless of the severity of the problem, Reiki would heal me and that this would turn into a positive experience.

I was transferred to another hospital to have a heart catheterization the next day. In the mean time, a cardiologist came in with a surprised look on his face. He told me my troponin level was off the chart and that indicated I had had a massive heart attack. He was surprised that I was sitting up in bed, smiling and in a good mood. Troponin is an enzyme that’s released when muscle cells die and is used as an indicator of the extent of heart damage. While the heart catheterization indicated that my arteries were not blocked and I didn’t need a stent or angioplasty, my heart function had been seriously diminished. Afterwards when visiting my cardiologist, he too indicated the seriousness of my heart attack, but apparently not wanting to scare me too much termed it as a “mildly” massive heart attack.

The seriousness of my situation was made real for me when I got home. My vitality was very low and I felt close to death. I could hardly walk and had to spend most of the time lying on the couch. It was difficult to speak and even thinking was at times too much. If I even thought about exercise, a life threatening feeling of danger would come over me and I’d have to stop. When I wasn’t sleeping, I found it best to simply focus on peace.

My heart was emotionally sensitive and very fragile. To feel any kind of feelings was very draining. Conversations with others or even their presence in the room drained me.

The amount of energy my friends who came to visit me had amazed me. How easily they spoke and expressed themselves. I wanted to reach out to them and explain how fortunate they were to be alive and to have so much energy and to be able to freely express themselves so easily, but I was unable to do so. I was too weak.

Another experience I had was during the catheterization. During the procedure, they were taking motion picture x-rays, and I could see my heart beating in real time. This moved me deeply. My heart was there, beating away, keeping me alive even after being so injured. A tremendous feeling of gratitude swept through me.

And there was something even more meaningful than this. I felt how grateful the heart is for the gift of life. And that it was this gratefulness that was actually keeping the heart alive. It’s gratefulness that keeps the door of life open.

While in the hospital I had a friend bring my laptop computer and was able to go online. I sent a simple request to my Reiki email list: “I’ve just had a heart attack, please send Reiki.”

Although we didn’t ask for it, 3,500 people replied to the request saying they would send Reiki. Many of these placed me on their healing request lists and we estimated that there were likely 5,000 to10,000 people sending Reiki to my heart. In addition, after I got home, I began receiving many hands-on Reiki treatments each week with several practitioners each session.

When I looked psychically, I could see that I was at the center of a giant ball of light at least 20 feet or so in diameter. While I remained weak at first, my spirits were always high, and I knew I would fully recover The only question was how long would it take?

I got a little stronger each day. Over time it added up and soon I was able to venture outside. I began walking very slowly around the driveway. At first I could walk just one lap before feeling tired, but then gradually I could walk further until I was walking three or four times around the driveway. Eventually I was able to walk a quarter mile and dreamed of being able to walk a whole mile.

On February 3, I went for a treadmill stress test and echocardiogram to determine the extent of the heart damage. I was hesitant, not wanting to over stress my heart during the test, but the tests seemed to go well. I received the results the following week and they looked amazing. There was no detectable heart damage!

I went from having a massive heart attack to no detectable damage in less than five weeks! I was overjoyed. I can only attribute this to the love, prayers, and Reiki sent by so many people.

While my heart had healed, I was still weak, but gradually got stronger. Soon I was back walking the four miles a day I had been walking before the heart attack. I was also able to teach most of my scheduled classes. When I went to Norway, that summer I was able to climb the mountains I had dreamed of being able to climb when I was so weak. I had fully recovered!

I’m ever so grateful for the gift of life and the gift of Reiki.

Southfield, Michigan
July 2005

Reiki , Medicine, Miracles & Magnified Healing

2006-03-15T17:23:00.000-08:00

recently had an opportunity to teach Reiki in Rincon, Puerto Rico. I was blessed by my hosts, Liz and Jean when they shared a healing technique with me known as Magnified Healing®.

One of the techniques in this system is for organ regeneration. This was of particular interest to me because I have been working with a client for nearly a year, who has been diabetic since birth, lost her eyesight 3 years ago, and has been receiving kidney dialysis treatments 3 times a week.

This client, Teresa, has been actively pursuing complementary healing energies including participating in the healing energy at Life's Pathway in Carefree, Indiana where a small group of people have been gathering to experience the energy of Mother Mary, in the form of the Lady of Light. Teresa has also been coming to my office for Reiki treatments twice a week, and has been trained through the Advanced Level of Reiki. She receives much distant Reiki from the group of healers we work with.

I was thrilled to have the addition of Magnified Healing and the organ regeneration technique to assist her.

Teresa has no health insurance, thus it took her over two years to even get on the list for organ transplants, and she finally made the list on June 7th of this year. She was told to be prepared to wait 6 months to 3 years for organs. I called her when I heard this news (I was on my way to Puerto Rico at the time). When I spoke to her she was concerned that it might take years, and didn't know if she could survive that long. We talked about healing miracles taking many forms, and that receiving the transplant could be her miracle.

As we have recently been hearing on the news in stories of Mickey Mantle, and other celebrities' transplant operations; it often takes years for patients to find the donor organs they need, and many times organs are not a match, so the patient goes back on the waiting list. Those with insurance are usually at the top of the list. Remember Teresa has no medical insurance.

On June 7th, she was put on the list to await the organs. On Sunday, June 18th, just 11 days later, I was taught the Magnified Healing Technique. At 9:55 that evening I applied this technique to the regular Distant Reiki treatment I send to her. Just before midnight on the 18th, just 2 hours later, she received a call to come into the hospital, the kidney and pancreas she needed had been located, and she was to be tested to see if they were a match for her. They were a good match, and by noon on Monday the 19th she was on her way to surgery.

My client received the transplant operation, and is recovering in the hospital at this writing and should be home in just a few days.

I know that all the healing energies she has been accessing were instrumental to her healing, the energy of the Lady of Light, Reiki, daily prayer, the love of her mother and many friends, and traditional medicine. I also know within every atom of my being that some sort of connection with the Magnified Healing energy and Reiki was a catalyst to expedite the process of receiving the organs.

Please remember Teresa in your distant Reiki as we focus on acceptance of the organs, and healing her eyes. As always we ask for her continued, perfect healing through the highest and most holy healing energies and know that this is done.

Reiki and a Sense of “Safety”

2006-03-15T17:22:00.000-08:00

Mari Hall is the keynote speaker for our June 2001 Reiki Personal and Professional Development Conference . . . Live Your Dreams NOW! Mari will speak on "What Blocks the Way to Creating Your Dreams?"

The longer I am in the practice of Reiki the more I realize how interconnected our lives are. What was a big world in one moment becomes small enough to hold in my hand and take into my heart. What have been times of loneliness and isolation have now become the desire to embrace all my family of mankind. But how did I get from one reality to the next, Reiki of course!

We all have our stories of the miraculous way Reiki has touched our lives. Any miracle no matter how big or small is just that, a miracle!

I had been “doing” Reiki for years in the United States and had moved into what I thought of as a space of peaceful surrender. Normal work and my work with Reiki were separated in my life. I had a fine line that divided the two. I did not speak much about my “other” life to people because I knew they would not understand, or worse would think I was one of those newagers and had my head in the clouds. On the other side of the coin I did not talk about my “normal “ life with people I treated. So I was in all senses of the word a dual personality. As long as I held the status quo I could juggle these two lives of mine although it was hard at times.

Since taking Reiki into my life I had been healed of a congenital back problem, my life had been changed on so may levels yet I was still not able to integrate the two sides of my life with any feeling of safety. I realize now that for most of my life I had been searching for that safe space to be me, and had not found it. Controlling my life, keeping things in nice compartments was my way to feel safe.

One day I was given a choice that would change my life so completely and profoundly. I could leave all that was safe and study in a holistic center, but to do this required that I quit my normal job and move to England for a three-month period of time. I understand now that to not feel safe for three months was better than “forever.” I chose to not straddle the line anymore. I ended up jumping over the line to Reiki full time. It took more than a day to accomplish and that in itself is another story. Away from my safety net and in England with no means of support, I decided to stay and teach Reiki in the UK. I was so engrossed with the work I never thought about the need to feel safe. I was living from a different part of my being. A deeper healing had taken place in me.

What also was happening in my life was living synchronistically. I feel it is because my focus was so much in the present moment that I was more aware of how things came to play in my life. What I needed was provided for. The people places and certainly circumstances all gave me opportunity to begin to BE Reiki, rather than to do it.

Many years have passed since those early days in England when I stood on the top of the Tor in Glastonbury and proclaimed my intention to live and work in Europe. I have gone from having two suitcases and traveling on trains to having a home and a car even in another country. I have been so supported to BE in my practice of Reiki. In the being is also the realization of the continual surrender into this divine and loving energy.

Early in my journey in Europe I was introduced to a wonderful woman in the Netherlands who is a healer. She asked me what I did. I told her proudly that I was a Reiki Master. She looked at me with all seriousness and said. “You may have a paper that says you are a master of Reiki, but you are not. You must learn to be a master of Reiki and that takes time.” I was taken aback with what she said. I did not understand it then and felt that she did not truly see me.

Over these years of being in the practice of Reiki and being Reiki, not just doing it, I have taken on more wisdom. Her words have often rung true in my ears as I work with my own master candidates. I am still learning, I am still being, and I am a Reiki Master still being mastered by Reiki

Living and working in other countries has afforded me the opportunity to come up against prejudice and intolerance in others and myself. This experience has continued to evoke me to “Walk the Walk and Talk the Talk of the potential for peace in the world by using Reiki. I have held a Russian woman in my arms as she was dying. I have celebrated life in a camp of gypsies by dancing and singing. I have been present at the birth of a deformed child. I have heard the cries of the homeless and I am seeing potential for change in countries ravaged by war. All this and so much more have evoked me to see all humanity as my brothers and sisters.

My deepest impression is that in order to be one with people we must first do our inner work to be one with ourselves. Reiki has helped me to bridge the internal compartments in myself that have separated me from fully loving and accepting myself. In loving who I am, I am better able to love others.

My heart has been broken open wide with compassion for all beings on this earth, including myself. Being in the practice of Reiki has given me the opportunity to find my place in this world beside all others. In this place is the deepest sense of safety and of homecoming.

Reiki, Jesus and Eleanor's Healing

2006-03-15T17:21:00.000-08:00

It all started with a broken gold chain that Eleanor’s husband brought into my store for repair. “How is Eleanor?” I asked, knowing that she had spent the last two years going through surgery to remove a tumor, radiation and chemotherapy (twice) after a radical mastectomy for breast cancer. “She’s not very well” he said sadly “ She’s home lying in bed, her right arm swollen to three times the size of the left, due to the surgery that removed 8 lymph nodes from her arm.” I ran to the phone, wanting to offer her words of encouragement. We agreed to do a long distance Reiki healing on her that night at 9:00. And so it began.....

I was still standing at my alter praying, when I saw Jesus and my spirit guides enter the healing room that I visualized. I entered into a deep meditative state. I was at her head, my spirit guides surrounding her. Jesus was standing to her right, holding her wrist very gently, as if not to hurt her. He held her swollen right arm for a long time, laying it gently across her stomach when he finished. I fell asleep knowing intuitively that the swelling would be gone in the morning. I awoke in the night and saw the team of spiritual guides still working on Eleanor. They had worked on her all night!

She called in the afternoon the next day. “I was so afraid to call you today, for fear that you would be lying on the floor unconscious after what happened last night.” “What happened Eleanor?”, I asked. “Well, first my mind was drawn up into the universe, there were stars all around and then I saw sparkling rubies and diamonds. The color purple kept coming to me. I was surrounded by purple. Then I saw a brilliant white light. There were people working on me and I saw Jesus. I felt my right arm being lifted as if by air, then somehow it was across my stomach, and I didn’t put it there . I felt like I needed to keep opening my mouth, because they were pulling these poisons from my toes, up through my body and out of my mouth.” “Guess what?” She said happily, “The swelling in my arm and ankles is gone and I am getting better. My husband says I look like a different person today.”.

We continued the Reiki treatments every night for a week. The second night I was very tired and fought to stay awake. “Go to sleep, we will finish this.” I heard a voice say. They told me and showed me that I was a conduit, plugging Eleanor into the power source. Thank you God, I thought gratefully as I fell asleep.

The most awesome moment came one night during Eleanor’s Reiki treatment. I felt Jesus’ presence near me. Then suddenly I was filled with an overwhelming feeling of love, centered in my heart chakra. It radiated out through my arm into Eleanor’ body, as my hand reached over and gently touched her chin. I felt/ heard Him say “Eleanor, my sweet and precious child.” I knew that it was His love that was healing her.

On the fifth night, while doing her treatment, I began to see myself giving her castor oil packs. I went to sleep and dreamed of this again. I awoke during the dream hearing a voice say “Give her the oil, give her the oil.” I knew they wanted her to begin using castor oil packs. So she did begin using them, and told me that something inside of her changed after the very first time. She knew she was getting well. Reiki practitioners cannot prescribe, but I was also guided to suggest that she check into the healing power of Essiac tea

Later, I asked Eleanor what was so important about having that gold chain fixed. “You know, it’s the strangest thing, but I suddenly decided that I had to have that 22 year old chain fixed.” “Eleanor.... it was time for your healing to begin and that chain was what started it all.” I said.

Eleanor’s healing continues, she is getting stronger every day. During her radiation and chemotherapy treatments she was told by a nurse and her doctor that she was at stage -3 andd that at stage -4, when the cancer enters the patient’s bones death is imminent. They told her that she probably wouldn’t survive the radiation treatments. She was given the most radical chemotherapy they had ever given at that hospital. The doctor told Eleanor that “Only God would save her now.” I think it did.

Working with Japanese and Western Reiki

2006-03-15T17:20:00.000-08:00

In the past several years we’ve learned a lot about the Reiki taught by Dr. Usui. The research done by Arjava Petter, his wife Chetna Kobayashi, Mr. Doi and others have created a breakthrough in our understanding of Usui Reiki and informed us of many techniques new to the West. This contrasts with what we had been told was Usui Reiki, but what we now understand was actually a Western development. When we first began to gain this understanding, many thought that the ideal would be to practice only the Japanese style of Reiki and to stay as close to what Dr. Usui practiced as possible. But now that we have had time to practice the Japanese Reiki techniques and compare them with the Western style, a better understanding has developed about what might be the best approach.

The style of Reiki presented to the West by Mrs. Takata, was promoted by her as being the unaltered methods of Dr. Usui. However, now that many have broken through the barriers that prevented us from researching Reiki in Japan, we have discovered that most of the techniques Mrs. Takata taught were mainly of her own creation and possibly that of Dr. Hayashi. When comparing her style with that of Dr. Usui, one could say that in many cases her’s was methodically opposite to what Dr. Usui practiced.

Mrs. Takata’s style relied on memorizing rules and working with standard procedures that remained the same for each client. This included the standard hand positions for giving a treatment. This was followed to such an extreme that when I attempted to give myself Reiki by placing my hands on my legs, my first Reiki teacher told me in a very emphatic way that “that is not Reiki” because it was not one of the standard hand positions. I found this attitude stifling, as it did not support the development or use of the student’s inner awareness of Reiki. It also didn’t acknowledge the differing needs of each client. However, this was not always the case as the Takata style did include some reference to allowing your Reiki hands to guide you, but this was only after one had given the standard treatment.

Even though there are some limitations to this system, it still has value. By placing the hands evenly over most of the body, the whole person is treated, thus creating balance. In addition, by using this technique, one treats the areas of greatest need automatically whether you know where they are located or not. So, while the Takata style may have limits, it allows virtually anyone to produce consistent results.

After Mrs. Takata passed in December 1980, for a while most of her students continued to practice exactly as she had taught. But in a few years, some began to experiment and to channel, develop or release new systems of Reiki. The first of these were Mari-el and the Radiance Technique. Many more followed and there are now at least 30 different kinds of Reiki being practiced in the West. In an environment like this, one needs to have a clear understanding of ones personal needs and the ability to follow ones inner guidance if one is to wisely choose which Reiki system(s) to study.

While many new techniques have developed in the West, the same basic framework taught by Mrs. Takata seems to be the basis of most of these with treatments continuing to be based on her standard hand positions.

Dr. Usui’s style represents a different approach. He didn’t have standard hand positions. He taught his students to develop the ability to use ones intuition to guide one to the right hand placements. This often resulted in a unique treatment for each client. He taught several techniques for doing this including Byosen scanning wherein one uses the sensitivity in ones hands to find the areas needing Reiki as well as Reiji-ho in which one is guided directly with ones intuition or perhaps an inner sensitivity to know where the client’s energy field is out of balance and in need of Reiki. This style validates ones own subtle awareness and encourages its development. It also allows one to develop a working relationship with the Reiki energy and thus be guided by its potential.

In addition to the above techniques, Dr. Usui also taught Gassho meditation, Kenyoku or dry bathing which is a method for cleansing ones energy, Koki-ho, a method that uses the breath to heal, Gyoshi-ho, a method of sending Reiki with the eyes, Jacki-Kiri Joka-ho, a method for clearing negative energy from objects and Enkaku chiryo which is a method for sending distant healing.

From this we can see that Mrs. Takata’s style focused on a memorized system that was the same for each client and used only the hands to transmit Reiki. In contrast, Dr. Usui’s style was flexible and relied on the developed awareness of the practitioner to provide a unique treatment based on the specific needs of the client. He also taught how to send Reiki not only with the hands, but also with the breath, and the eyes and included other techniques as well.

Since each of these styles is so different, at first many thought that they would have to choose between them. And since Reiki came from Dr. Usui, it seemed that the logical choice would be to practice Reiki as closely to Dr. Usui’s style as possible. However, now that we have had time to practice and compare both styles, what many have concluded is that since both styles have value, the best approach would be to integrate them. The feeling is that by bringing both the Western and the Japanese styles together in one system, the best of both worlds is achieved. The Western style, which is more linear, logical and left brained balances the Japanese style, which is more open ended, intuitive and right brained.

This is what we have done at the Center. Our recently revised Reiki I&II manual includes both the Western style of Reiki and the Japanese Reiki Techniques (JRTs) of Dr. Usui. The JRTs can be learned from our manual, but it is also recommended that one take a JRT class or use the JRT workshop video to get a better grasp of them. The video training is presented by Arjava Petter and Chetna Kobayashi and is an excellent way to gain an understanding of the Japanese mind as well as learn the JRTs. We also offer class outlines that show how to teach the JRTs and Western Reiki together. These outlines can be downloaded free from our website along with many other useful forms. Just click on Teaching Supplies.

It is a joy to see how wonderfully Reiki is unfolding. As we focus on Reiki and allow it to guide us, we discover greater levels of harmony and balance in how it can express through us. What at first seemed like a conflict is becoming a beautiful integration of complementary styles. This will lead to the possibility of even greater levels of health and well being for ourselves, our clients and the world around us. May we all be allowed to choose ever-increasing peace, freedom and love.

Reiki and Light Bulbs?

2006-03-15T17:19:00.000-08:00

When I attended my first Reiki weekend, I arrived with no expectations. I had read a few books about Reiki, but until I had the opportunity to experience it for myself I was keeping an open mind and wanted to experience all that Reiki had to offer. After receiving my Reiki I attunement my Reiki Master began passing out a sheet of paper titled, “The Twenty-One Day Clearing Process”. Up until that point I had never heard of a clearing process. The explanation made perfect sense. As your physical body adjusts to the Reiki energy’s higher vibration, blockages would clear and situations would surface so you could heal and move on to create a clearer instrument for the Reiki Energy to flow through.

For three weeks I experienced an entire range of emotions. I worked through the headaches, stiff neck, and discomfort. At the end of the three weeks I noticed one strange thing, I had changed 8 light bulbs in 3 weeks. Once the clearing process was over, the light bulbs stopped going out. One or two could be dismissed as coincidence, but 8 were a bit much.

Six months later my Reiki Master returned to teach and attune ART and Master level Reiki. It was a wonderful experience and really opened my eyes to the path I was on and the direction I was heading. As the weekend came to a close a question of the clearing process came up. In the back of my mind I saw many trips to the home improvement store, buying bulbs in bulk!

This of course would prove the perfect test. No bulbs had blown out since the last clearing. This time it was so much more. Not only were the bulbs blowing out in my house, they were going out everywhere. I saw bulbs go out at work, in stores, even at a restaurant. My aura was now super charged and only the strongest light bulbs would survive. It usually occurred when I stretched, yawned, or experienced a good laugh. Any bulb I was under would just pop. Fortunately, this only lasted for the first month, and life returned to normal.

As I reflect and try to shed light on this situation I keep hearing that it’s all energy. Our physical world we live in is nothing but energy. As we receive a Reiki attunement, our vibrations increase bringing us closer to the light. Of course this is a big change for our physical bodies and the clearing process is the adjustment period. As we adjust the energy rises and falls, until it finally seats at the perfect level for us. It’s my belief that when I experienced a rise in the energy, it was just a little too much for the light bulbs to bear. Of course it could have been my guides telling me it’s time to go to sleep. You be the judge.

Reiki New Moon Meditation

2006-03-15T17:18:00.000-08:00

For several years I have been studying the power of the cycles of the moon. Of particular interest are the experiences shared with new moon meditation groups when we invoke Reiki to assist in meditations, for personal growth and world service.

Components of the Reiki new moon meditation

Sacred Intention ... The spoken or written word that describes goals for healing or visions for creation offered with love and for the highest good of all.

Prayer ... An act of giving thanks for sacred intentions that have been stated and offered to the Divine for manifestation. A statement of faith and knowingness that the intention is fulfilled as it can be for the highest good.

Reiki . . . Spiritually guided life force energy, which never causes harm. True Reiki is channeled without interference from the ego, nor controlled by the personality. Reiki is totally guided by the infinite wisdom of the Divine. Reiki links sacred intention, prayer, moon energies and the ascended spiritual masters together as one powerful force for manifestation in the highest form.

Soul Linking . . . the act of conscious, energetic soul connections which take place between willing individuals to fulfill a specific portion of the Divine plan.

Moon Energies

The moon emanates distinctly different energies during the full cycle from new moon to full moon. Each of the eight cycles facilitates the process of creation and manifestation. The eight phases each have a duration of approximately 28 days. An example and definitition follow:

Day 1-31/2 New moon energy is for creating a vision

Day 31/2-6 Crescent moon energy if for organizing resources needed to accomplish the vision

Day 6-91/2First quarter moon is using resources gathered to take action toward fulfilling the vision

Day 10-131/2 Gibbous moon energy helps us fine tune our goals, gather opinions from others and make revisions to the plan.

Day 133/4-171/2 The light of the full moon brings about manifestation of, or progress toward our goals. We can see where we are in the process of realization of the plan.

Day 171/2-21 The disseminating moon helps us distribute and share what we have learned, or to have a clearer understanding of what to do next.

Day 21-241/2 In the third quarter of the moon we are in a completion and review phase, or following up on and refining the resources we gathered during the crescent moon. Re-evaluation takes place during this time to determine what is needed as a next step to move forward with the goal.

Day 241/2-282Under the balsamic moon it is time to be alone, meditate, retreat, and release attachment to outcome. It is time to rest and be introspective. During this time vision clears and we are ready to begin again with the next new moon.

Ascended Spiritual Beings

These can be well known Masters like Jesus, Buddha, Kwan Yin, Mother Mary, Maha Chohan, Hillarion, Lady Master Nada, etc. They can also be members of the angelic hierarchy, or highly evolved beings that we have yet to learn of.

Sacred intention

In working with these aspects with the Reiki New Moon Meditation we can focus on intentions such as personal goals for our work, family, relationships, health, finances, home, or any of the aspects of our earthly existence. We can intend to stay focused on our spiritual path, or ask for assistance in understanding or transmuting our karma.

We can also focus on world issues, like ample organic food for the world, peace among nations, humanity living in harmony with the earth, nurturing home environments for everyone, healthy relationships, a world where diversity is embraced as a strength, etc. Notice that we are not focusing on hunger, homelessness, war, etc. We are focusing on what we are creating, not on what we want to change, or are afraid of. The sacred intention is powerful when the vision is created in the highest form that you can imagine, but left up for manifestation by the Divine in the most perfect way.

Steps in the Reiki New Moon Meditation

1. Pray by giving thanks that you are clear and open channel for Reiki to flow through and that your personality and ego stand aside, so the Reiki will flow in its clearest and truest form. Give thanks that you are open to receive the guidance of angels and masters who have come forth to assist you.

2. Prepare you energy field by strengthening your light. To do this draw a large Usui power symbol in front of you and move the energy into you etheric field. Draw small power symbols over each of your charkas beginning at the base. Pause and beam Reiki into your energy field and toward your solar plexus and heart.

3. Call on the Divine, and the ascended spiritual masters and beings. Welcome them, and give thanks for their presence. Give them permission to assist you in creating your sacred intention, and helping you manifestation your visions.

4. Invoke the Usui mental/emotional symbol. Write down your sacred intention for this meditation. Include your personal goals, and also your intention for world service. It can also be helpful to draw something that represents your vision. A new moon journal is very helpful. Channel the mental/emotional Reiki energies into your written intention, and state your intention.

5. Invoke the Usui distant healing symbol imagining that you are creating a bridge of light from your heart to the hearts of all the spiritual beings who are assisting you, and all the other people who are joining in this group meditation around the world. Allow yourself to feel each soul linking with yours, and to feel the illusion of separation melt away, and you recognize the Oneness of all creation. Remember that Reiki transcends time and space. (note: if you are attuned to the Reiki Master or Karuna Reiki® symbols you can add them to the meditation)

6. Meditate and transmit Reiki for as long as you feel comfortable.

7. Give a prayer of thanks.

8. Draw a large power symbol over your body with the intention of disconnecting from the meditative process, and knowing that each person is disconnecting also and returning to their individual life expressions with clarity and aligned with their soul purpose.

The first few times you do this you may wish to refer to the above notes about the various aspects of the moon cycles to see where you are in the process. It is intriguing how often we find ourselves in full momentum and taking action on our goals and we check in with the moon cycle to find that we are in the first quarter phase; or we may realize that we are feeling withdrawn and introspective and then become aware that we are under the influence of the balsamic moon.

If you would like to join in a worldwide Reiki New Moon Meditation, please join with us. We meditate monthly on the second day of the new moon phase, as the new moon energies are growing in strength. I personally meditate at 6 a.m. mountain time, but I also time-capsule the meditation to link with all others who are participating anytime during that day. At each new moon I hold a vision of a world at peace, where humanity honors the earth and every person is living life as their higher self in every moment. Please join me to uphold this vision and allow the energy to empower your personal goals and world vision as well.

In the Light of the Creator . . . We See Only Love

Karuna Reiki® and the Evolving Human Subtle Energy System

2006-03-07T23:28:00.000-08:00

To better understand how Karuna Reiki® is able to create such powerful healing effects it is helpful to know a little about the transpersonal chakras that Karuna Reiki® can activate and permeate.

Because there are many resources that explain the basic chakra system, I will not address the 7 basic chakras. If you wish to read more about them I recommend Anodea Judith’s book, Wheels of Life.

In order for our body to be able to integrate the higher frequency healing rays that are being anchored on the planet at this time, our subtle energy system must be able to hold more light than it has in the past.

The activation of transpersonal chakras, such as the stellar gateway, soul star, causal chakra, etheric heart, earth star and Gaia gateway is vital. This is, in part, what Karuna Reiki® is doing for us. It is helping our transpersonal energy system become more fully activated. Please refer to the diagram for the positioning of these chakras.

The stellar gateway and soul star chakras are portals through which very high frequency light can enter our etheric field. The stellar gateway is like a spiritual barometer that measures the intensity of light our field can hold. The soul star is the filter through which the light is measured and flows. The soul star also facilitates access to our personal library within the akashic records.

The causal chakra is the center that accepts the “dosages” of light that the upper two chakras deliver, and it assists in higher activations of the crown, brow and throat chakras.

The ascending heart and sacred heart chakras house the essence of Universal Compassion and Universal Love. They create a triad via an etheric link with the heart chakra.

There is a holographic projection of the link between these three centers held in the subtle energy field. This hologram is known as the etheric heart. Its purpose is to facilitate communication via the language of light between our soul, the Universal Heart, and the Universal Mind.

Although the diagram depicts the etheric heart in what appears to be a fixed position in our subtle energy field, it is not stationary. We are dealing with a multidimensional light-form that is in constant motion; pulsing in and out of various layers and positions within our etheric field.

When giving a Karuna Reiki® treatment, an awareness that both your energy system and the client’s are affected in the same way is helpful. As we are anchoring these higher frequencies, our energy bodies are able to speak to one another through the language of light. Through this interaction between practitioner and client, Karuna Reiki® receives the “information” that it needs.

Please keep in mind that it is not necessary to have an intellectual understanding of the transpersonal chakra system, or even the basic chakras in order to work with Karuna Reiki. I only give this brief explanation here because it seems to help us better understand how Karuna functions differently than many other healing rays. This can partially explain some of the phenomenal results we see so often with Karuna Reiki.

Remember, this energy knows exactly what to do in every situation, and it knows precisely how to do it. I find it a great honor to facilitate healing by simply being a vehicle for this infinitely wise, Divinely powerful, energy to flow through.

If you have an interest in exploring the transpersonal system from an experiential level I would recommend working with Karuna Reiki® and the following crystals/gemstones.

Kyanite (blue or green), white selenite, golden selenite, moldavite, peridot, tanzanite, kunzite, rose optical calcite, aquamarine, aqua aura, and rutilated topaz.

Note: When working with crystals as indicated in this article, the intention is not to do bodywork on self or others.

The intention for the use of crystals as described here is to help the Karuna Reiki® practitioner develop a deeper understanding of the nature of Karuna energy and their evolving subtle energy system.

Crystal healing is an entire modality in itself and deserves serious and thorough study.

If at anytime you feel lightheaded, scattered or disoriented while working with crystals it is wise to discontinue using them until you feel more grounded. The grounding and focusing techniques found in The Book on Karuna Reiki® may be helpful should this occur.

Reiki In Children's Eyes

2006-03-07T23:26:00.000-08:00

As adults, we are always looking for the perfect words to describe or explain something. Usually, we get quite longwinded just trying to get to the point. Children, on the other hand, have a simple explanation of life, if we would just learn to listen to them.

For example, explaining "Reiki" to some new inquiring person: I will go into "spiritually guided life force energy", "electromagnetic energy fields", "chakras and auras", "meridian lines", and even explanations on "negative psychic energy blocks". Sometimes that's just enough to get that bug-eyed, over-informed look on someone's face.

My daughter, Allisia, has taught me just how easy it is to explain "Reiki". One evening after a class, Allisia, then six years old, had not been feeling well. Her sister, Allison, and I decided to give her a Reiki session. After about 10 minutes of Reiki, I asked her if she felt the energy. Without a second of hesitation, a big smile came over her face and she said, "Oh yes Mommy! I feel the Goodness!"

Reiki Helps Heal a Broken Ankle

2006-03-07T23:23:00.000-08:00

I would like to share my experience with others to help them understand how powerful Reiki healing energy is as a hands on healing modality and as a complementary natural alternative to be used in conjunction with good medical care. This story contains the validation I had been looking for while sometimes wondering why other people's opinions came across to me as being so very skeptical

Last October, in the early evening, I fell and broke my ankle. As quickly as I realized I was down on the ground, I knew my ankle had gone in one direction and my foot in the other. My son'in'law, Bob, a highly trained EMT, immediately called for an ambulance and immobilized my leg and foot. Having had my First Degree Reiki attunement in early September, I thought it was a good idea to start a Reiki treatment on myself as I knew I was probably facing quite an ordeal. So I began deep breathing relaxation and Reiki. The ambulance crew arrived asking the usual questions and arranging to transport me to the ER. 'Are you in pain?' No, I didn't feel any pain. Although apprehensive it would start any time I continued on with my Reiki

On the way to the hospital my blood pressure was normal and one attendant remarked that my ankle probably was just badly sprained as I had no discomfort or disfiguration and seemed quite in control of the situation

At the hospital the usual questions'how much pain, where, etc.'I continued my Reiki and then a few encouraging comments from the nurses that it was a good sign not to have pain and swelling around my foot/ankle area. The x'rays, however, proved quite another story'I had a very bad 3'way break that would require surgery to insert a metal plate to secure the bones in place

I requested a highly recommended orthopedic doctor to be my surgeon. I remember him making a remark that immediate surgery would be advantageous as conditions were optimal including the fact that I had very little swelling around the broken bones. Totally relaxed and confident that all the prep work was complete'the surgery went ahead very successfully and the rest of the night was a bit hazy but still I felt no pain'no discomfort at all

I can honestly say I waited for any and all medications to wear off. Nothing happened. I felt fine. During the next morning a nurse disconnected my IV/morphine pump and commented that I had not 'hit the button' for any pain medication. I told her I thought what was pumping into me automatically was probably enough as I was quite comfortable. She then informed me that the morphine did not drip automatically and I was not on any pain medication.

Surprised? I sure was'what was the explanation for 'no pain?' Reiki? I am totally convinced it was Cynthia, my Reiki master showed up that morning after surgery and gave me a Reiki treatment and still no pain, no discomfort. I do believe my surgeon was a bit skeptical but I am very pleased that he was open'minded enough to respect my rights to integrate an alternative modality such as Reiki with his medical skills as a surgeon, much to my benefit to 'set things right.

After being released from the hospital my recovery went along normally but I have to add here that I did supplement my diet with a liquid calcium magnesium supplement, a good B vitamin complex as well as several homeopathic remedies and continued with Reiki treatments. Four weeks after the accident my hard cast was removed and I arranged to have acupuncture treatments two to three times per week for the next four weeks. The swelling remained minimal and the flexibility increased almost daily

My surgeon's reaction to seeing my ankle at eight weeks after the surgery was that of surprise and I am pleased he expressed himself honestly saying that my foot looked 'ten times better than he had expected it to.' He told me everything was fine and to call him if I had a problem. To date all is well, I resumed normal walking ability, although slowly at first, but then quickly progressed without the use of any aid to driving, climbing stairs, etc

At this time I have no problems whatsoever. This little escapade is over as far as I am concerned. I do not wear any type of support hose, ace bandage support, wraps, etc. just a good leather tie shoe

As for me and my Reiki, I will continue to practice and document my little stories from time to time. I received my Second Reiki Degree during my convalescence and I have found Reiki to be very helpful also as a wife, mother, grandmother and friend. Many days a little Reiki has soothed a bump on the head of a little grandson, a friend with an achy back, a mother with arthritic pain, and a husband tired and stressed. I will be receiving my Reiki Mastership very soon from Cynthia Morrone'Siswick who has been extremely helpful, encouraging and supportive as my Reiki Master. I can only hope that I can continue on in the traditional Reiki spirit that she practices for the good of everyone around her

Strengthen Your Reiki Energy

2006-03-02T22:27:00.000-08:00

The strength and value of the Reiki treatments you give can be improved by observing some simple guidelines. There are other things you can also do that will increase the strength of our Reiki. Remember, Reiki comes from an unlimited supply and contains the loving wisdom of the highest spiritual power. There is no limit to the benefit and value that is possible for you to receive from Reiki. As you try the techniques in this article, intend that they will work for you and know in your heart that this is right and you will get the improved results you seek.

The quality of the energy in the room you do your Reiki treatments in is important if improved results are what you seek. Make sure the room is not too hot or too cool. Make sure there is fresh air from an open window or that the room is not stuffy. A clean and orderly room is also helpful as negative psychic energy tends to collect around disorder and clutter Smudge the room with sage before and after a treatment to release any negative energies left by past clients and to act as a blessing. As you smudge, call in the ancestors and the ascended masters and Reiki guides asking them to bless you and your client and to help you with your healing treatment. Place pictures of Dr. Usui, Dr. Hayashi, and Mrs. Takata around the room and ask them to be present also. The use of incense, essential oils or fresh flowers will also act to raise the vibration. Soothing music during the treatment will help the client move into a more receptive state of mind.

Before the client comes, sit in a meditative state with your hands on your legs doing Reiki on yourself. Then after a few minutes, use your dominate hand to intently draw the Reiki Power symbol in light on each wall, and on the ceiling and floor. As you do this state "I bless this room with light" three times for each place. Then draw the power symbol in the center of the room and send Reiki into the room to fill the room with healing energy. You can also send distant Reiki to your client while they are on their way to the session so they will be relaxed and in a receptive state when they arrive.

Before starting the treatment, place the power and master symbols on your palm chakras. This will more completely open the palm chakras and energize them. Then draw a large power symbol down the front of your body to protect and empower you and draw smaller power symbols on each chakra. Placing the symbols into the clients crown chakra, and seeing them pass into the clients heart is also valuable before starting as it raises the vibration of the treatment and makes the energy of the symbols more available.

It is an interesting feature of Reiki that when giving a treatment, Reiki will continue to flow regardless of what you do with your mind. You can talk to others about any subject - including trivial matters, or gossip or even talk on the phone and Reiki will continue to flow and the client will receive some benefit. However, this sort of behavior does not produce the best results with Reiki. It must be kept in mind that giving Reiki is a spiritual experience and is more appropriately given with reverence. By meditating on the flow of Reiki as it passes through you, rather than talking, you will not only experience the energy more directly, but will also increase its flow. As you meditate on the Reiki energy, your mind merges with it and causes your energy field to resonate in greater harmony with the flow of Reiki, thus allowing it to flow more freely. As you do this, you may feel currents of energy flowing through various parts of your body including your spine, chakras, arms and hands. You may also feel heat, soothing sensations, vibrations, pulsations or waves of energy passing through you. By using your inner eye, you may also be able to see the Reiki energy. This may appear as tiny particles of white or golden light, or other colors of energy flowing through you. As you meditate and merge with these sensations, your mind will be uplifted, becoming more optimistic. Feelings of joy, peace and spiritual love will be experienced. Wonderfully positive fantasies and visions of higher spiritual planes can also be experienced. By going inward and looking up through your crown chakra, it is even possible to psychically travel up to the source of Reiki and merge with it. All these experiences are very enjoyable and can be deeply healing for the practitioner at the same time that they increase the benefit to the client. As you meditate on Reiki in this way, you will also be opening the pathways through which Reiki is able to flow, thus increasing the strength of Reiki you are channeling to your client. This is a very enjoyable way to improve the quality of the Reiki you give.

Adding prayer to your Reiki treatments is also an effective way to increase its strength. While your are giving a treatment, you can pray out loud or to yourself. Call on the ascended Reiki masters, or on Jesus, St. Germain, Buddha, Krishna, Babaji, or other ascended masters, angels, or spirit guides, or pray directly to the infinite God/Goddess or to the Reiki energy itself. As you pray, ask that your Reiki be strengthened and ask it to bless you and your client. Ask it to bless and guide your Reiki practice and to guide you in increasing its strength and the benefit it provides you and those you treat. Accept the fact that there is no limit to the value and healing power that is available to you and ask that you be blessed with an abundance of healing, loving spiritual energy so that you will be of greater service to others. Combine your prayers with the above technique of merging with the energy and feeling it as it flows through you. By praying as you do Reiki, your prayers will be more powerful because when doing Reiki, you are more directly connected to the higher power which is the source of all answered prayer.

Attracting a special healing guide(s) that will work with you will also improve your treatments. While Reiki comes directly from God, there are spiritual guides who are adept at healing. They can add their Reiki energies to yours and also channel Reiki directly to the client. Many have reported that they felt additional hands on them and the presence of someone else in the room during a Reiki treatment. Having a sincere desire to help and praying that a healing guide or angel will come to help you can bring this about. Also, using the "Meet Your Reiki Guides" tape listed in the newsletter can create this connection.

Some Reiki practitioners report that their Reiki seems to have lost some of its power and they wonder why this happens and what can be done to get it back. It is a fact that when doing Reiki, the practitioner also receives a treatment. When this happens, sometimes negative energy is loosened and begins to move through the practitioners system on its way out. This energy can sometimes get stuck temporarily so that ones Reiki tends to work on the practitioner more than flowing to others. What is needed is for the practitioner to receive a treatment. This will release the blocked energy and restore the flow of Reiki. Remember, we need to maintain a balance of Reiki by treating ourselves, giving treatments to others and receiving treatments from others.

Your Reiki can also increase when you take your next level of Reiki training. The attunement for the next level and the use of the symbol(s) that go with it can definitely improve the quality of your Reiki treatments. This is regularly reported to occur by most students. One practitioner reported that his wife was in continuous pain which was only partially and temporally removed with his Reiki II treatments. After taking the Master training, one treatment using the Master symbol completely released the pain and it didn't return. Your Reiki can also improve by receiving additional attunements for the same level you already have. Even though you need only one attunement to have Reiki for the rest of your life, extra attunements for the same level you have will further refine and strengthen your Reiki. Many Masters will give extra attunements for free or for a low fee. Sometimes new Masters need people to practice on, go ahead and volunteer. A group of Masters can practice attunements on each other and strengthen their Reiki at the same time. Have each Master give the Master attunement to each person in the group. If you have five Masters, then each will receive four Master attunements and give four. This can be very powerful.

Chi Gong and Tai Chi are methods of developing your Chi and opening the pathways that Chi or Ki flows through. The pathways that are opened in these exercises are the same ones that Reiki flows through. On the average, most people who have practiced this type of moving meditation have stronger Reiki than those who have not. Find a teacher you feel comfortable with and take up the regular practice of Chi Gong or Tai Chi and not only will it be healthy for you, but your Reiki will also improve.

It is possible to use self-hypnosis and meditation as well as affirmations to improve your Reiki. Simply enter self-hypnosis or meditation and suggest to yourself that your Reiki is getting stronger and stronger and stronger and it will. You can also do this while giving a treatment.

Playing the "Chanting Reiki Masters" tape while give a treatment can also improved the value of your Reiki. The tape was made by 18 Reiki Masters who chanted the names of all four Reiki symbols into a microphone while intending that all who hear the sound will be healed. Most who play the tape while giving a treatment notice an improvement in the quality of their Reiki.

Placing sacred pictures in your Reiki room when you are doing Reiki can also increase the value of your treatments. This includes pictures of Jesus, Buddha, Krishna or any other spiritual teacher or great being. The Beaming Reiki Masters picture in the back of "Reiki, The Healing Touch" will also raise the vibration of your treatments as well as the Antakarana that is given in the Master training. You can place these cards under your Reiki table or on the wall of your healing room.

These are a few methods of improving the strength of your Reiki. Try them. Also remember that Reiki has it's own consciousness and by simply intending to find ways to improve the value you pass on to others with your treatments, and by being open to its guidance, the Reiki energy will guide you to additional ways. Reiki comes from an infinite supply. There is no limit to the healing power that is available to you. Focus on love and compassion. Trust in your inner guidance and take action on it. You will not be disappointed.

Healing Relationships With Reiki

2006-03-02T22:11:00.000-08:00

As we progress on our journey through life, many opportunities are presented to develop relationships with other people. When we are small children, we form our relationship with ourself, our parents, siblings and other family members. When we go to school we add our friends, peers, and teachers to our lives. As young adults, romantic relationships often become the focus. If we choose to marry, or otherwise commit ourselves to another person, the romantic relationship brings us almost back to the beginning, as we now have new family members and friends to relate with.

Reiki is a very effective tool to assist in creating and nurturing successful relationships in your life. The first step is to recognize that each relationship is a living creation. It is a special blend of energies between people. Once you recognize the relationship as a life form, it becomes much easier to detach your thoughts and emotions and be able to serve as a channel of healing energy which is directed tothe relationship.

When there is an imbalance in a relationship, it is very often rooted in power issues, and/or fear. The first step in healing a relationship with Reiki is to identify the areas of weakness or imbalance. You need to focus on the action of identifying these areas. It is often helpful to select an object, that can physically represent the relationship. Items like pictures, crystals, or gifts the parties have given to each other can serve very effectively in this role.

The purpose of selecting an object is to more clearly focus the healing energy when you are working on the relationship, and to give you a point of reference to visualize when conflicts arise. For example you may wish to select a quartz cluster to represent your family relationship with your parents, or a tantric twin crystal for a life partner. By selecting the object to use in your meditations and healing work, you can bring the energy of it to you through visualization by simply thinking of the object.

Often there are weaknesses in relationships that produce symptoms which are very much on the surface, and only glimpses of the real issues. As The Course in Miracles teaches us; "I am never angry for the reason I think I am." We attract relationships into our lives to assist with our growth. A very common way this happens is for a person who faces lessons of power and control to select a relationship with either a very controlling, or a very docile person. Learning to bring this energy into balance is vital for the relationship to survive, or to transform peacefully.

To determine the issues you need to work on to heal your relationship, select the object which represents the relationship. Find a special place to keep it, an altar, a table or shelf, where you can keep other items away from it so the energy field is not disrupted. If you want to carry your object with you keep it in a special carrying case, or perhaps a scarf. Find a quiet time and place where you will not be interrupted by the telephone, or other people. Sit or stand before the object in a comfortable position, and create a prayer of intent. Something like;

"Creator, Infinite Spirit, Mother Father God, I request the presence of the Angels and Archangels of Healing, my Reiki guides and forces, and the purest and most holy spiritual guides. I ask that these energies gather with me at this time for the purpose of healing the relationship of (name all parties involved). I ask that I be guided to determine the imbalances in the relationship, and that the lessons needed be made clear so all concerned may grow with Divine Love. Thank you for this guidance. Amen."

Then draw all the Reiki symbols you are attuned to over the object, and invoke the sacred name of each symbol three times as you draw them. (If you are a Reiki I practitioner you can do this without the symbols) Then draw the symbols on your palms, crown, third eye, throat and heart chakras. When this process is complete ask the Reiki energy to flow fully and completely through you for the purpose of clarity and healing this relationship. Let the energy flow as long as you feel it. The first time you empower the object it is good to try to allow at least 30 minutes for this work. Subsequent work can be accomplished sometimes in 5 minutes, but try to allow at least 15.

When you feel the process is complete seal it in Divine Love and Healing. It is very important to then acknowledge the healing that has taken place by giving thanks to all the guides and forces which assisted you, and send Reiki back to them. This is to balance the energies between you and your guides, and to create a complete acknowledgment within your entire spiritual, mental, emotional and physical being that your prayer has been answered and the healing has taken place. This signals to your mental and emotional being to be aware on the conscious level when issues present themselves in the relationship, that they are being offered as opportunities to heal. As each and every issue comes up ask why it is presented to you, what is the source of your discomfort with it, and how can you perceive it in a positive light?

You will be presented with the answers in many forms, so be open and aware. God speaks to us in infinite ways.

Often problems in relationships are simply related to the perspective in which we see things. We each live in our own Perspective Reality, based on our experiences. When we can step into another's Perspective Reality and see the situation through their eyes, based on knowledge of their experiences, it is much easier to understand one another. When we understand something, we no longer fear it, and our relationship is healed. Remember, Reiki always produces results on some level, and no prayer goes unanswered. Wishing you much peace and joy in all your relationships.

Reiki and Breast Cancer

2006-03-02T22:07:00.000-08:00

This is a story of courage, hope and success in one woman's healing from breast cancer.

By nature I am a practical and cautious person. My educational background is in science, I hold a B.S. in zoology and a Ph.D. in microbiology. Serious illnesses have transformed my life in unexpected ways, drawing me into the world of complementary medicine.

Using my own combination of therapies, I was successful in healing from multiple sclerosis. In June of 1996 I was diagnosed with two different cancers, one in each breast. At the time I was only 44 years old and had few major risk factors for breast cancer.

After much consideration I chose to combine conventional medicine with my own blend of unconventional therapies. I integrated surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, Reiki, spiritual connection, energy balancing, visualization, psychotherapy, affirmations and yoga. I formed a healing circle for family and friends who sent me positive energy and prayers. At every stage I used Reiki, sometimes in quite unusual ways. I never felt helpless because I could use Reiki, regardless of what was happening to me.

I used Reiki directly on the larger tumor, which did not vanish, but according to the pathology report, the cancer was breaking down. There could be other explanations besides Reiki, but it was an intriguing finding.

Before surgery, I was quite fearful. I decided to give myself Reiki sessions regularly and for about two weeks I sent Reiki every night to the surgeon and the surgical team to ensure the best healing experience for all of us. The surgery was to take place in a large teaching hospital and I was afraid that my needs would get lost in the cold technical atmosphere.

On the day of surgery I encountered only warm and supportive people. I requested only local anesthesia so I could be fully aware the whole time. I was able to speak to each person on the medical team myself. I sent Reiki into the cold surgical suite.

As surgery progressed, I asked to see the tissue samples that were excised, sending them off to the lab with my blessing. Everyone was most caring and considerate. My sense was that the Reiki energy set up a deeply healing experience for all members of the team, including me. I felt most empowered and the surgeon, nurses, resident and medical students were exposed to a very different way of doing medicine.

After surgery I sent Reiki directly into the bandaged areas. Even though large amounts of tissue were removed, I needed painkillers for only one day following the double lumpectomy. Scarring has been minimal and internal healing has been amazing. Much of the breast tissue has filled back in!

About a month after surgery I prepared for four chemotherapy sessions, as recommended by my medical team. To prepare for this I had an advanced Reiki attunement, and received a full Reiki treatment before each session. Bill Farber, the Reiki Master/Practitioner also did some psychic surgery.

The night following each chemotherapy session I used 10 to 15 minutes of Reiki treatments directly on my abdomen, along with accupressure bands on my wrists to control nausea. Reiki also helped boost my immune function. As seen in blood tests prior to each chemotherapy session, my immune cells stayed within normal healthy range, allowing me to complete the treatments on time.

The night before my last chemo treatment, after much consideration and consultation with a number of health care professionals, I decided not to take the anti-nausea drugs that were prescribed for nighttime. I felt the negative side effects of these drugs outweighed the positive benefits for me, but this was a very personal decision. In addition to Reiki, this time I used energy balancing techniques, a ritual to call spiritual guides to my aid, and used Reiki to bless my drinking water. I incorporated affirmations from the book "Heal Your Body" by Louise Hay.

I listened very carefully when my body spoke to me. If it wanted three sips of water, I gave it exactly three sips of water. I made it through the night and awoke clear headed, feeling a tremendous sense of empowerment and success.

One month later I began radiation treatments. I used Reiki to help recover from the burns, as well as the emotional and spiritual effects of cancer treatment, which is very stressful.

Probably my most unusual use of Reiki was during the actual administration of the gamma rays. I drew the Reiki Master power symbol and the distant symbol in the path of the radiation beam, calling on the spiritual guides to help protect me from harm and to help send the gamma ray energy to the earth, which is so in need of energy. I also used visualization techniques. I continued this during 23 sessions, each time with eight different positions.

I continued to use Reiki in the post-cancer treatment recovery period. I knew from my inner guidance that the cancer was gone and would not return. All medical tests done so far confirm this. I have done what I needed to do to heal completely on all levels, body, mind and spirit. Reiki was a crucial part of my integrated approach to recovery from life-threatening illness and difficult medical treatment.

I think this is the future of Reiki, that each individual will find the combination of healing tools that is right for them, selecting from a large "menu" of choices. We are limited only by our openness and our imagination. It has been my experience that the healing of one individual heals all around them.

I continue to use Reiki on a daily basis in my own journey to wholeness. I have also created two volumes entitled: Shrink Wrapped and Heat Sealed: Writings to Nurture and Heal Body, Mind and Spirit Book I and Book 2. These contain the writings I collected during my cancer treatment, including poems, photographs, letters and inner listening conversations. These pieces have been very healing for me and for others. I use them in my workshop series "Expanding Our Possibilities", which is designed for groups of adults or children. If children learn these skills early, they'll be better able to heal as they go through life. My intention is to spread the word!

Reiki for the Recovering Alcoholic and Addict

2006-02-22T19:18:00.000-08:00

This article is dedicated to all those who have looked at their lives and dared to change - to those who have faced their problems and gone on to live full and rewarding lives. To all of my friends and clients in the recovering drug and alcohol community, I thank you for allowing me to bring Reiki into your lives.

From 1991 to 1993, I had the privilege of working at Hope Ranch, a drug and alcohol treatment center in Triangle Lake, Oregon where I was hired to give Reiki to clients and staff. During that time I became a counselor and participated in more than 1,500 Reiki sessions with addicts and alcoholics in different stages of recovery - from early detoxification to years of sobriety.

Prior to working at the treatment center, my understanding of Reiki was that it is used to encourage physical healing and promote relaxation. I had previously worked with clients suffering from a variety of ailments, including ulcers, cancer, arthritis and other physical maladies. Because my experience showed that Reiki had a positive effect on these people, I thought those suffering from drug and alcohol withdrawals could also benefit from exposure to the Universal Life Energy.

Withdrawal from chemical dependency is extremely stressful, both physically and emotionally. Symptoms include muscle pain, bone aches, headaches, vomiting, the shakes, diarrhea, cravings, sleep disorders, loss of appetite and extreme moodiness. I quickly discovered that Reiki was very helpful in relieving the physical symptoms, and in calming the body and mind.

New clients were often understandably reluctant to participate in the Reiki session, as they usually had trust issues. However, within a half an hour the calming effect of Reiki greatly reduced or eliminated their shakes. Furthermore, once the shakes stopped, they did not return. I would then continue to administer Reiki, focusing my consciousness on the client's sense of calmness, peace and safety. Once the body felt safe and supported, it seemed to release the sense of panic and trauma that accompanies withdrawal symptoms. At this point, I usually had a pretty willing client for future sessions.

I observed that these clients, who usually suffered from anger and shame issues, were beginning to behave more gently, openly and compassionately once they experienced Reiki. The staff also reported that clients who received Reiki appeared to become calmer and were less likely to have destructive emotional outbursts. The more Reiki they received, the more centered they became. Once clients became comfortable with Reiki, they would often seek a session to help alleviate physical pain. Those who came into a session with a headache, shoulder pain or backache would find relief from their pain just like others I worked with who suffered from purely physical afflictions. However, I believe that much of the pain suffered by addicts and alcoholics is emotionally induced. Once the body is calmed and the mind relaxed, the pain subsides.

Clients also suffered from tremendous emotional pain. The disease of addiction creates reservoirs of grief and guilt. Successful treatment relies in great part on providing an environment of acceptance that promotes self-love. Reiki fits this requirement perfectly. Many clients claimed that the first time they ever felt unconditionally loved was during a Reiki session. Clients often cried during Reiki, and this too helped release built-up stress in the body and psyche.

Clients also commented that their Reiki sessions were their first experience of being touched lovingly without someone wanting something from them. Many addicts have been physically and/or sexually abused. Experiencing such softness and care allowed them to release the tension that resulted from their desire to protect themselves from further abuse. Many of these clients experienced peace in their lives for the first time.

Emotional healing was aided in another way. Occasionally, when placing my hands on the different Reiki positions, a client would remember past trauma. Because of the calming effect of Reiki, the client would remember an incident without experiencing the original pain.

This allowed the client to become an observer instead of a participant in the trauma, which helped the client see more clearly how past behaviors or unresolved issues could lead to relapse, and helped the client to address such issues without being blocked by fear.

Many of the clients I worked with had been through chemical dependency treatment a number of times. Their ability to stay clean and sober was inhibited, in part, by their carrying unresolved issues and repressed feelings. Clients were often seeking some way to access whatever it was that kept them in a state of denial. This process was a valuable tool in breaking through the walls that kept them from understanding themselves. It sometimes also helped clients to release chronic physical pain that was associated with the original trauma

Reiki In Hospitals

2006-02-22T19:15:00.000-08:00

At hospitals and clinics across America, Reiki is beginning to gain acceptance as a meaningful and cost-effective way to improve patient care. "Reiki sessions cause patients to heal faster with less pain," says Marilyn Vega, RN, a private-duty nurse at the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital in New York. [Reiki] accelerates recovery from surgery, improves mental attitude and reduces the negative effects of medication and other medical procedures.

Vega, a Reiki master, includes Reiki with her regular nursing procedures. Because the patients like Reiki, she has attracted a lot of attention from other patients through word of mouth, as well as from members of the hospital staff. Patients have asked her to do Reiki on them in the operating and recovery rooms. She has also been asked to do Reiki sessions on cancer patients at Memorial Sloane Kettering Hospital, including patients with bone marrow transplants. Recognizing the value of Reiki in patient care, 6 doctors and 25 nurses have taken Reiki training with her.

America's Interest in Complementary Health Care

The general public is turning with ever-increasing interest to complementary health care, including Reiki. In fact, a study conducted by Dr. David M. Eisenberg of Boston’s Beth Israel Hospital found that one in every three Americans has used such care, spending over 14 billion out-of-pocket dollars on alternative health care in 1990 alone!1

Reiki is also gaining wider acceptance in the medical establishment. Some hospitals are incorporating it into their roster of patient services, often with their own Reiki-trained physicians, nurses and support staff.

Why Hospitals Like Reiki

Hospitals are undergoing major changes. They are experiencing a need to reduce costs and at the same time improve patient care. Under the old medical model based on expensive medication and technology this posed an unsolvable dilemma. Not so with Reiki and other complementary modalities. Reiki requires no technology at all and many of its practitioners offer their services for free. Reiki is therefore a very good way to improve care while cutting costs.

Julie Motz, a Reiki trained healer has worked with Dr. Mehmet Oz, a noted cardiothoracic surgeon at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York. Motz uses Reiki and other subtle energy techniques to balance the patients’ energy during operations. She has assisted Dr. Oz in the operating room during open heart surgeries and heart transplants. Motz reports that none of the 11 heart patients so treated experienced the usual postoperative depression, the bypass patients had no postoperative pain or leg weakness; and the transplant patients experienced no organ rejection.

An article in the Marin Independent Journal follows Motz's work at the Marin General Hospital in Marin County, California, just north of San Francisco. There Motz has used subtle energy healing techniques with patients in the operating room. She makes a point of communicating caring feelings and positive thoughts to the patients, and has been given grants to work with mastectomy patients in particular.

Dr. David Guillion, an oncologist at Marin General, has stated "I feel we need to do whatever is in our power to help the patient. We provide state of the art medicine in our office, but healing is a multidimensional process. . . . I endorse the idea that there is a potential healing that can take place utilizing energy."

The Tucson Medical Center's Reiki Clinic

The Reiki Clinic at the Tucson Medical Center (TMC) in Arizona has a team of Reiki practitioners who give Reiki to patients in their rooms. The program is administered by Sally Soderlund, RN, who is the Support Services Coordinator for Oncology. Arlene Siegel, who has been with the program from the beginning, runs the monthly support meetings for the Reiki volunteers.

The TMC program started in May 1995. Three Reiki masters invited members of the Tucson Reiki community to help them start a Reiki clinic, but lacked the funds for a location. In the process of trying to solve this problem, they contacted Sandy Haywood, the hospital administrator at TMC, and offered to provide Reiki sessions for the hospital patients. Haywood had a supportive attitude toward complementary care and made it possible for the hospital Reiki program to get started.

The program first began in the Cancer Care Unit, but has since expanded to many other areas in the hospital. At first, the attending physician had to give permission for Reiki to be provided. This has changed, and now the attending nurse makes the request. Reiki sessions are given by two-person teams as this creates a feeling of safety and confidence for both the patients and the practitioners. A patient must sign a consent form and sessions are given in their rooms while they are in bed.

It is up to the Reiki team to explain Reiki to the patient before giving the treatment. They have found that this usually works best by first taking a few minutes to introduce themselves and get to know the patient, then explain the work they do.

They have also found it best not to use the word "Reiki" at first when describing how they can help, but to talk about healing energy. They explain how healing energy exists in the body but is depleted when a person is sick, and they describe their work as helping to increase the patient's healing energy supply. After that, they explain more about the technique and that it is called Reiki. They also play special healing music during the Reiki session.

*Editors Note: It is very important when giving Reiki treatments in hospitals or otherwise to make sure the patient understands what Reiki is and to only provide a Reiki treatment if the patient has requested one. Also, if the issue comes up, it is important to explain that while Reiki is spiritual in nature, in that love and compassion are an important part of it's practice, it is not a religion and that members of many religious groups including many Christians, Muslims, Hindus and Jews use Reiki and find it compatible with their religious beliefs.

Volunteers at the Reiki clinic have found it helpful not to use metaphysical terms when talking to patients or to hospital staff about Reiki. Terms like aura, chakras, energy bodies, etc. tend to cause confusion and mistrust. It works better to explain Reiki in simple everyday terms by simply saying that touching is something that everyone needs and enjoys. They also found that describing their work as Reiki treatments tended to create some fear, whereas calling them Reiki sessions worked much better.

When new Reiki volunteers come in, Soderlund has them fill out a detailed questionnaire and sign a release form. Volunteers must agree not to solicit Reiki sessions from the patients for treatment outside the hospital. Then they are assigned to work with an experienced two-person Reiki team in a process they call shadowing. After six shadowing sessions, Soderlund goes over administrative procedures with them, giving information about how the hospital works and explaining how to interact with the hospital staff and the patients. They are also told how to deal with various issues that might arise. Then they team up with another veteran volunteer or another new volunteer like themselves to form a new two-person team. There are about 20 volunteers in the program now with two to four giving treatments at any one time.

Siegel runs monthly meetings for the Reiki volunteers. At the meetings, they set goals, share experiences and go over policy such as dress code and other guidelines on conduct. They also do role playing where they develop new ways to respond to patients’ questions or comments. At the meetings, they have also developed a questionnaire to keep track of patients’ progress after receiving Reiki.

Siegel believes that each patient requires a unique response. Most of the patients are very sick, some are dying, but they all respond to their conditions differently. Conditions treated at the Reiki Clinic include cancer, pain, chronic conditions, and postoperative surgery (they also deal with childbirth).

Siegel says that "from the time we enter the patients room, the patients’ best interests are uppermost in our minds. We take time to establish rapport, listen to them describe their condition and make them as comfortable as possible. Then, as we become channels for Reiki to do its work and the Reiki begins to flow, the real reason for our presence becomes apparent." She says people volunteer because of the feelings they have in their hearts and the other spiritual experiences they receive by helping those in need.

The main reason the program is successful is that the patients like Reiki and request it. The patients enjoy the sessions and request more after their first experience. Some have reported spiritual experiences. Nurses also report that Reiki has positive effects on their patients that include reduced pain, increased relaxation, better sleep, better patient cooperation and increased appetite. The program has been well received by other members of the hospital staff who sense the value of Reiki and accept that it is filling an important aspect of hospital care.3

Reiki at Portsmouth Regional Hospital

Patricia Alandydy is an RN and a Reiki Master. She is the Assistant Director of Surgical Services at Portsmouth Regional Hospital in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. With the support of her Director Jocclyn King and CEO William Schuler, she has made Reiki services available to patients within the Surgical Services Department. This is one of the largest departments in the hospital and includes the operating room, Central Supply, the Post Anesthesia Care Unit, the Ambulatory Care Unit and the Fourth Floor where patients are admitted after surgery. During telephone interviews with pre-op patients, Reiki is offered along with many other services. If patients request it, Reiki is then incorporated into their admission the morning of surgery, and an additional 15-20 minute session is given prior to their transport to the operating room. Some Reiki has also been done in the operating room at Portsmouth Regional.

The Reiki sessions are given by 20 members of the hospital staff whom Patricia has trained in Reiki. These include RN's, physical therapists, technicians and medical records and support staff. Reiki services began in April 1997, and 400 patients have received sessions to date either pre or postoperatively.

"It has been an extremely rewarding experience," Alandydy says, "to see Reiki embraced by such a diverse group of people and spread so far and wide by word of mouth, in a positive light. Patients many times request a Reiki [session] based on the positive experience of one of their friends. It has also been very revealing to see how open-minded the older patient population is to try Reiki. In the hospital setting Reiki is presented as a technique which reduces stress and promotes relaxation, thereby enhancing the body's natural ability to heal itself."

The Reiki practitioners do not add psychic readings or other new-age techniques to the Reiki sessions, but just do straight Reiki. Because of these boundaries, and the positive results that have been demonstrated, Reiki has gained credibility with the physicians and other staff members. It is now being requested from other care areas of the hospital to treat anxiety, chronic pain, cancer and other conditions.

Alandydy, with her partner Greda Cocco, also manage a hospital-supported Reiki clinic through their business called Seacoast Complementary Care, Inc. The clinic is open two days a week and staffed by 50 trained Reiki volunteers, half of whom come from the hospital staff and the rest from the local Reiki community. They usually have 13-17 Reiki tables in use at the clinic with 1-2 Reiki volunteers per table. The clinic treats a wide range of conditions including HIV, pain, and side-effects from chemotherapy and radiation. Some patients are referred by hospital physicians and some come by word of mouth from the local community. They are charged a nominal fee of $10.00 per session. The clinic is full each night and often has a waiting list.4

The California Pacific Medical Center's Reiki Program

The California Pacific Medical Center is one of the largest hospitals in northern California. Its Health and Healing Clinic, a branch of the Institute for Health and Healing, provides care for both acute and chronic illness using a wide range of complementary care including Reiki, Chinese medicine, hypnosis, biofeedback, acupuncture, homeopathy, herbal therapy, nutritional therapy and aromatherapy. The clinic has six treatment rooms and is currently staffed by two physicians, Dr. Mike Cantwell and Dr. Amy Saltzman. Cantwell, a pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases, is also a Reiki Master with training in nutritional therapy. Saltzman specializes in internal medicine and also has training in mindfulness meditation, acupuncture and nutritional therapy. Other professionals are waiting to join the staff, including several physicians.

The doctors at the clinic work with the patients and their referring physicians to determine what complementary modalities will be appropriate for the patient. A detailed questionnaire designed to provide a holistic overview of the patient's condition is used to help decide the course of treatment. The questionnaire involves a broad range of subjects including personal satisfaction with relationships, friends and family, with body image, and with job, career, and spirituality. The clinic is very popular and currently has a waiting list of more than 100 patients.

Dr. Cantwell provides 1-3 hour-long Reiki sessions, after which he assigns the patient to a Reiki II internist who continues to provide Reiki sessions outside the clinic. Patients who continue to respond well to the Reiki treatments are referred for Reiki training so they can continue Reiki self-treatments on a continuing basis.

Dr. Cantwell states: "I have found Reiki to be useful in the treatment of acute illnesses such as musculoskeletal injury/pain, headache, acute infections, and asthma. Reiki is also useful for patients with chronic illnesses, especially those associated with chronic pain."

At this point, Reiki is not covered by insurance at the clinic, but Dr. Cantwell is conducting clinical research in the hope of convincing insurance companies that complementary care is viable and will save them money.5

More MD's and Nurses Practicing Reiki

Mary Lee Radka is a Reiki Master and an R.N. who has the job classification of Nurse-Healer because of her Reiki skills. She teaches Reiki classes to nurses and other hospital staff at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. She also uses Reiki with most of her patients. She has found Reiki to produce the best results in reducing pain and stress, improving circulation and eliminating nerve blocks.

Reiki master Nancy Eos, M.D., was a member of the teaching staff of the University of Michigan Medical School. As an emergency-room physician, she treated patients with Reiki along with standard medical procedures.

"I can't imagine practicing medicine without Reiki," Eos says. "With Reiki all I have to do is touch a person. Things happen that don't usually happen. Pain lessens in intensity. Rashes fade. Wheezing gives way to breathing clearly. Angry people begin to joke with me."

In her book Reiki and Medicine6 she includes descriptions of using Reiki to treat trauma, heart attack, respiratory problems, CPR, child abuse, allergic reactions and other emergency-room situations. Dr. Eos now maintains a family practice at Grass Lake Medical Center and is an admitting-room physician at Foote Hospital in Jackson, Michigan, where she continues to use Reiki in conjunction with standard medical procedures. According to Dr. Eos, there are at least 5 other physicians at Foote hospital who have Reiki training along with many nurses.

Libby Barnett and Maggie Chambers are Reiki masters who have treated patients and given Reiki training to staff members in over a dozen New England hospitals. They teach Reiki as complementary care and the hospital staff they have trained add Reiki to the regular medical procedures they administer to their patients. Their book Reiki Energy Medicine7 describes their experiences. One of the interesting things they recommend is creating hospital "Reiki Rooms," staffed by volunteers, where patients as well as hospital staff can come to receive Reiki treatments. Bettina Peyton, M.D., one of the physicians Libby and Maggie have trained states: "Reiki’s utter simplicity, coupled with its potentially powerful effects, compels us to acknowledge the concept of a universal healing energy."

Anyone interested in bringing Reiki into hospitals is encouraged to do so. The hospital setting where there are so many people in real need is a wonderful place to offer Reiki. The experiences and recommendations in this article should provide a good starting point for developing Reiki programs in your area.

Reiki and Pregnancy

2006-01-04T17:48:00.000-08:00

Recently a client asked me if I knew of any instances where Reiki had helped infertility. I answered as a matter of fact I do know of one case. I had a student in my class last March who had undergone treatment for infertility taking medications without positive results. She had nearly given up on the idea of having a child. During her Reiki I and II weekend she remarked to the others in the class that she had felt something 'pop' in her lower abdomen. Approximately 6 weeks after the class I received an email from her that she had become pregnant after she returned from her Reiki training weekend. She delivered a healthy baby last November.

In another situation I had a client who was four months pregnant when she decided to take a Reiki I workshop. During her attunement, Tonya experienced the baby responding to the energy flow. As her pregnancy progressed she gave 'Noah' reiki treatments. After his birth he was nicknamed the 'Reiki Baby', as he was so relaxed and contented. Tonya says that on many occasions it appears that Noah reaches out to exchange Reiki energy with her and others. She has also used Reiki to help him through teething, childhood falls, and illnesses.

Another Reiki client of mine heard about the positive benefits of having a 'Reiki Baby' and decided to take a Reiki I and II workshop after she found out she was pregnant. The week of the class, Victoria was told that she was carrying twins. After becoming a Reiki Practitioner, Victoria gave her 'boys' a Reiki treatment every day. She was able to carry the twins almost to full term and reports that they are easy to care for, whenever they are fussy she gives them Reiki and they calm down.

I had a student this past summer question me about a statement she had read in a book on Reiki which said that Reiki should never be given to a women late in her pregnancy. She asked for my reaction to the statement. I told her I expected it came from the thought that the Reiki energy might cause labor to prematurely start. I did not believe that to be true because I knew from my private practice and from my students that Reiki had only benefited them during their pregnancy. I also believe very strongly that 'Reiki can never cause harm' and is appropriate for all situations, therefore can be used at any point in the pregnancy for the highest good.

There is a differing opinion among Reiki Masters regarding the unborn baby receiving an attunement to the Reiki energy. Some feel that as the mother is being attuned the baby is also being attuned to Reiki. Others disagree, saying that the baby is in no way part of the attunement process. I personally feel that since the baby is part of the mother's energy system during the attunement process he/she receives the benefit of the attunement. There is a connection or bond between the baby and Reiki. Does this mean that the baby is a Reiki Practitioner, only spirit knows the answer to that question? I do know that 'Reiki Babies' seem to respond to the world around them differently than other babies.

I realize that there is no controlled scientific study in these cases, however there is certainly evidence that the use of Reiki before, during, and after pregnancy has positive results both for the mother and baby. My daughter, Wayles (who is a Reiki Master), and I have talked about her future pregnancies. There is no question, she will be receiving a Reiki attunement during her pregnancy and will use the Reiki daily during pregnancy for the health and contentment of her baby and herself.

The Reiki Symbols

2006-01-04T17:44:00.000-08:00

One of the joys of Reiki is learning and using the Reiki symbols. We are more connected to the source of divine guidance, intelligence and power once we are attuned to Second Degree Reiki and given the symbols. The power of the symbols becomes clear to us when we begin to use them. How and what they can be used for is a question often asked. The symbols and their uses are discussed at length in 'Reiki: The Healing Touch,' the Reiki I & II manual by William Rand. This article describes the power symbol and the mental/emotional symbols in ways that I have been inspired to use them.

Being a visual person, I have found that the symbols, if I look at them in a certain way, often tell me what they do. The lines and the shapes of the symbols have a meaning and energy of their own.

The Power Symbol

The power symbol, when translated, means 'put the power of the universe here.' The top horizontal line represents 'shiva' or the male energy of the universe. The line coming down represents the energy coming down to earth or down the spinal column. The spiral represents 'shakti,' the female, or earth energy. The spiral then crosses the vertical line seven times representing the seven chakras.

To me, that spiral often represents a cocoon of protective energy, much like being in a labyrinth. The power symbol can be used to create a sacred or protective space around you. You can imagine yourself within that spiral, protected by Reiki energy. If you feel threatened by people around you, or are surrounded by negativity, you can imagine yourself within that labyrinth and the Reiki energy creates a protective field around you. The energy vibrates around you and sends the energy out as well. Another example is that if someone is verbally attacking you, you can envision a power symbol in front of you, protecting you like a shield and keeping their negativity out of your energy field.

Before I send my children to school each morning, I put a power symbol over the top of their head with the intent that they are surrounded and protected by Reiki energy all day. This can be done with pets as well.

Putting the power symbol on each chakra and in the palms of your hands, clears your channel and empowers your hands before giving a treatment. Placing the power symbol over the crown of the person's head creates a cocoon of Reiki energy around the client and a sacred space to work in. Putting the symbol over the back of the heart and end of the spine (low back) when you end the treatment seals the energy in.
The power symbol can be visualized in the palm of your hand when you go to shake someone's hand. This way you are bringing the power of Reiki to your encounter and giving the other person a blessing.

Placing the power symbol on medication before you take it has the effect of helping your body to receive the medication with the least side effects. The power symbol placed over your meal before you eat serves as a blessing for the food, removal of negative energies by anyone that handled the food, and receiving the food so that it truly nourishes your body.

One of my favorite ways to use the power symbol is when I fly. I have a Reiki ritual that includes visualizing the distant healing symbol laying down in front of the plane and becoming a 'Reiki bridge' of safety to my destination. Then I imagine the power symbol spiral coming down over the nose of the plane to the tail (including the wings), placing the entire plane in a protective cocoon of Reiki energy.

The Mental/Emotional Symbol

This symbol translates to mean 'God and humanity become one.' The sharp angles on the left side of the symbol represent logical, linear, or male side of the brain. The curves on the right side represent the intuitive, creative, imaginative or female side or right brain. So one can see how using this symbol balances the left and right sides of the brain and helps in any mental (thinking, analyzing, studying) or emotional (feeling) situation.

The mental/emotional symbol can be used on yourself (or others) when feelings of fear, anxiety, anger or depression come up. The Reiki energy helps to calm the emotion and help one see clearly. It is often said that many illnesses begin as blocked emotions. The next time an uncomfortable emotion (fear, sadness, anxiety, anger) comes up (for you or your client), don't try to stop it. It is there for a reason. Take a deep breath, activate the symbol, place your hands on your heart chakra and solar plexus chakra and give yourself Reiki. Imagine the power symbol there as well. Stay with the emotion and allow yourself to feel it. Wait with it. Thank it for coming up. And then release it.

Other uses for the mental/emotional symbol are when trying to learn something new. You can place the symbol on the paper or book, asking that Reiki energy help you to understand it more easily or clearly. Or, place your hands on top of your head, activate the symbol, and allow it to relax your brain so concepts or ideas will enter (and stay) more readily.

This symbol is also helpful in healing relationships. This can be between friends, lovers, family, peers, bosses, etc. What the Reiki energy does when this symbol is used is harmonize the situation between people. It helps calm the emotions so one can see the situation clearly or see it from the other person's perspective. Reiki cannot be used to control the relationship, but works for the highest good. Reiki brings about the best outcome for the relationship and/or the situation.

A visualization that I use when asking for healing between two people is to imagine that the two people are standing on opposite sides of the mental/emotional symbol. The Reiki energy comes up like a cloud of smoke and fills the symbol. The energy then comes out of the symbol and surrounds the two people involved in a cocoon of Reiki energy so that they are bathed in healing energy.

These are just a few ways that you can use the symbols. Allow yourself to work with them more closely, feel their energy, meditate with them, and let them tell you what they do.

Know Your Reiki Guides...

2006-01-04T17:40:00.000-08:00

the Art of Listening
Isn't it interesting how the Universe brings lessons to our attention repeatedly, until we listen? The other day I observed my friend Michael having a telephone conversation with a business associate. I was amazed at how often Michael was interrupted by the person he was talking too. Every time Michael would attempt to answer a question, the other person talked over him, and he never had a chance to fully answer. Shortly after this, I observed a couple in a restaurant, and they too were talking over each other, and neither was hearing what the other was saying. They weren’t arguing, simply trying to have a conversation. Then in the grocery store, a little boy was trying to tell his father something, and it was as if the boy were invisible, he was never even acknowledged. Suddenly I felt a little twinge in my heart, that I hadn't noticed for a long time. I knew that twinge was a signal from my higher self and my guides. I have felt this in the past just before I received a message, or inspiration about something in my life.

I began to reflect on the art of listening and recent events in my life. As I did this I had one of those A ha! moments. There has been an unusual amount of confusion in my life lately, at times I felt overwhelmed by all the sudden changes, and just couldn’t seem to get clarity on some issues. I had become a little disappointed with this unusual lack of connection with my spiritual guidance. As I was pondering on this lesson in listening, I realized that I had allowed all the upheaval in my life to prevent me from tuning into my heart. I was trying to sort things out mentally, and I was not hearing my heart's message.

Then I thought of all the times students have asked me How can I talk to my guides, how do I know they are there? My answer to this question has always been Listen with your heart.

If I need guidance I find it works best for me to stop whatever I am doing, take a deep breath, say a prayer, invoke the distant healing symbol, and ask that the Reiki energy help connect me with my guides. When I feel the energy flowing, I will ask a specific question, stay very quiet and pay attention to what I hear. Now I don't usually audibly hear voices, but I FEEL them.
For example, I knew I was to move to a new home in Colorado, however I wasn't sure where. To discern this, I asked my guides to tell me where my next home was to be. Then I just felt a warm glowing sensation in my heart, and had an idea of a place that I had never been, but was feeling very curious about. I immediately went to this area, and within two hours had found my new home.

This same technique applies for me when I am doing Reiki treatments on others. When I find an area of the person's body that has a blockage, and I feel that we need additional information about this, I use the same process of connecting with my guides to receive a specific answer.

Two things that I have learned about communicating with guides is that they take many forms, and if they are acknowledged and thanked they appreciate it and then teach me more.
When we are frustrated because we don't feel our guides presence, it is simply because we have placed a veil between ourselves and our guidance. We do this in many ways but the most common ways are by holding an expectation of the form the guide should take, trying too hard, staying so busy that we don't allow ourselves the opportunity to listen, or by focusing our attention on what others are doing rather than on our own thoughts, feelings, actions and behavior.

Listening is a healing art. I learned this years ago by observing some of my greatest teachers. They each had this amazing ability to make me feel like I was the only person on the planet during the time I was talking with them. I never doubted that they truly heard what I was saying.

I find this important to do, especially when working with clients and students. It is very healing to know that someone cares enough to really listen. Sometimes I find it helpful to invoke the distant symbol when I am having a pre-treatment dialogue with a client. In this case I do so with the intention a bridge of light connects our higher-selves and guides, and that we are conversing from our higher minds and hearts. This enables me to hear things that may not be verbalized but are important to the healing session.

In closing, I would like to borrow a phrase from the Course in Miracles, “Every encounter is a holy encounter. If we remember this whenever someone speaks to us, we have an opportunity to be Divinely blessed by simply giving that person our undivided attention, really hearing what they have to say, and listening with our hearts..

In the Light of the Creator... We See Only Love

Reiki In India

2006-01-04T17:38:00.000-08:00

Reiki is being practiced all over India and is very popular. It seems to have gotten started about 1992. Then in 1994, one of my students, William Hawu began teaching all levels of Reiki and it took off. There are now an estimated 1,000,000 people practicing Reiki in India and the numbers keep growing. One thing we noticed is that Indians are into Reiki for the healing benefits and they really practice Reiki. With a large population of poor, Reiki is a solution for low income people and we heard many Reiki success stories from all over India. We taught 5 classes in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai with a total of 140 students. Because of the low income of most Indians, we adjusted the cost of the classes so it was afordable.

While there we also spent 3 days at the the Sai Baba ashram in Putaparty. Baba does 2 darshans a day and we were at 5. I took pictures of the World Peace Crystal Grids for both the North and South Pole and wrote prayers on them. I asked that the World Reiki community would be united in love and work together in harmony, I asked also that the WPCGs would be charged by Baba for world peace and I also asked that Baba help me on my path as a Reiki leader. As he came by during darshan, I held out the pictures and he came over, felt the energy and then accepted them. So, Baba has blessed the World Reiki community and because of this, I am sure we will now see a major difference in how all the groups of Reiki people get along with each other. I received many spiritual blessings while I was there and plan to return to spend even more time in the future.

We were so well received and encouraged that we have set up a branch of the ICRT with offices in Delhi and will likely open other offices in cities around India. We will be publishing a special edition of the Reiki News just for India and will also have a special web page. We will also be looking at property in the foot hills of the Himalayas near Dharmasala and are making plans to open an International Reiki Spa and training center there. There are plans for a world Reiki event in Goa in January 2001 with several well known International Reiki masters who will be speaking and giving workshops. The spiritual foundation of Reiki is easily understood and accepted and the devotion of the people is very strong. They want to know as much as possible about how to practice and use Reiki and most are doing lots of treatments. There are several Reiki newsletters and many Reiki Centers, some with as many as 1000 members. Prices for classes range from 400Rs ($10) for Reiki I to 20,000Rs ($475) for Master. With a population approaching 1 Billion and a middle class of 3-400 million who enjoy a standard of living equal to western Europe, India is a most interesting mix of economic, educational and religious backgrounds and all seem to get along well. It will be an exciting experience to watch as the Reiki movement grows and matures there

Expressing the Joy of Reiki

2006-01-04T17:35:00.000-08:00

After practicing Reiki for years, many of us know from experience that Reiki is a great healer. Reiki treatments have healed or greatly improved major and minor illnesses and medical conditions of every kind. And while a cure cannot be guaranteed, we know that there are many reported cases of major illness being healed through the use of Reiki that have often been verified with medical records. And when a complete healing does not take place, almost always the person’s condition improves in one way or another. Also, we know that Reiki improves the results of other forms of medical treatment, acting to quicken healing after surgery, shorten hospital time and decrease the negative effects of treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, or drug therapy. Nurses love Reiki as they find it helps the patient relax, improves sleep, decreases anxiety, increases appetite, reduces pain etc.

So, we know that Reiki heals, and this is a wonderful gift that has been used to relieve the suffering of thousands of people all over the world. But what about other possibilities for its use? In the Reiki Ideals, Dr. Usui calls Reiki the secret art of inviting happiness and on the Usui Memorial stone at the Saihoji temple in Tokyo, Reiki is called the ancient secret method for gaining happiness. So, here we have a clear indication that Reiki has a purpose other than healing. But how many have taken the time to explore this use?

Most people want happiness, yet how often do we really pursue it? Here is an experiment that will allow you to experience the secret art of inviting happiness right now! Begin doing Reiki on yourself. Once the energy starts flowing, begin repeating this affirmation. I ask that the joy of Reiki will continuously express through me. Say this affirmation over and over and keep going for 10 to 15 minutes or more. If you have any issues you are working on, any challenging situations, or any aches or pains in your body or medical or psychological conditions, focus on them as you say this affirmation. As you read this article, I ask you to not just read, but go ahead and try what I am suggesting right now! Stop reading for a moment, place your hands on yourself, ask Reiki to flow and repeat this affirmation over and over: I ask that the joy of Reiki will continuously express through me. Try this now!

So, what did you feel? Has your level of joy increased? If you were feeling depressed, or down, or upset in any way, has this lessened? Are things starting to shift toward a more positive state of mind? Are you feeling better? Keep doing it and remember to do it whenever you get a spare moment throughout the day.

As you continue with this experiment, you may also find that opposing, negative thoughts or feelings may be stimulated and come to the surface of your mind. If this happens, focus on what comes up and continue to do Reiki on yourself and repeat the affirmation I ask that the joy of Reiki will continuously express through me. As you do this, these negative feelings will be healed. They may dissolve or they may be released or transformed in some way!

After doing this exercise off and on for a few hours or so, you may notice that joyous feelings come over you unexpectedly even when you are not doing the exercise. Let it happen and give thanks for this wonderful experience that is developing in you. You may also notice that your conversations are more lively, animated and filled with interesting comments and that you make friends more easily and have a more positive attitude toward yourself and others!

Your creativity will be enhanced, you will be more productive and also find it much easier to exercise, diet, or do anything that is healthy! Another interesting experience is that aches and pains or other ailments you have been experiencing will be reduced or eliminated. This is because the joy you are experiencing is not ordinary joy, but because it comes from Reiki, it's healing joy! It is being generated from within and is a very powerful healing energy.

I believe that the reason this exercise is so powerful is that it activates the two qualities Dr. Usui stated Reiki to have: The ability to create happiness and the ability to heal. So I recommend you practice this exercise everyday! And also tell all your Reiki friends about it. If you are a Reiki teacher, ask your students to try it. Remember, as a wise person once said: “It is better to feel good, than to feel bad. So activate your Reiki joy and share it with others. It will make the world a better place. May the power of Reiki bless your every moment.

How We Got Reiki Into The Hospitals

2006-01-04T17:33:00.000-08:00

This is the story of how we balanced intuition and strategy, and learned to patiently follow the thread of openness of others who supported our intention to build the Reiki Clinic in the Department of Oncology at Women & Infants Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. The first thing we did was to write a letter introducing ourselves to Dr. Cornelius "Skip" Granai, Head of the Department of Oncology. The Department had a Complementary Care Program underway, but no Reiki had been offered. We were invited to a series of four interviews and demonstrations with different levels of staff.

This process took nine long months, which often left us thinking that we might be wasting our time. At the first demonstration/interview, we submitted a formally written proposal for bringing Reiki into the hospital one morning a week, letters of recommendation, and client evaluations of our work. We made copies available for all who attended. Simultaneously, we applied to and were accepted by, the Rhode Island State Nurse's Association to offer Reiki training for nursing CEUs. This further enhanced our credibility.

After our first interview fortified our outer intention, we used a visual affirmation to strengthen our inner intention to become active members of the Complementary Care Team. We each made a collage that included photographs of our faces, which we glued onto a photograph of the hospital staff. We also included images of material ease and abundance, directing our energy toward fair compensation for our services. At present, everyone on the Complementary Care Team works on a volunteer basis; however, a fund-raiser has been planned for the purpose of generating financial support for our work.

Prior to our interviews, we developed our vocabulary so we could express our healing concepts in medical terminology. During the interviews, we focused on finding common ground. We spoke of Reiki's value as a technique for stress reduction, defining it as "energy nutrition" and an effective touch therapy. We found that the concept of Mind/Body/Spirit connection was acceptable, but avoided references to channeling, auras, energy fields, guides, and spirituality. We endeavored to "normalize" Reiki, to meet pragmatic scientific people on their own terms, as much as possible. We also cultivated a "professional" image by dressing conservatively. We demonstrated [Reiki] repeatedly, and the power of Reiki came through. It is important to say here that neither of us has any medical credential or experience. We simply presented ourselves as Reiki professionals. We recently learned that over a dozen other Reiki practitioners had previously been interviewed. The Director of the Complementary Care Program confided in us that we were the first "normal" Reiki practitioners she had interviewed. We're glad she saw us that way!

In the Hospital Setting Once past the interview process, it became clear that we had to prove to the medical staff that Reiki would benefit the patients. Whenever possible, we treated staff, allowing them to experience the benefits firsthand. It was clear we were over the first hump when the nurses started to ask for our help with their patients.

Initially, we gave individual mini-sessions to patients during their chemotherapy treatments. Most patients had never heard of Reiki, so it was our job to explain it to them. We kept it simple. We introduced ourselves, explained briefly that Reiki might help them with pain, fatigue, anxiety, post-operative recovery, and the side effects of chemotherapy. We distributed handouts for them to look at and left the room, so no one would feel put-on-the-spot. We wanted to be sensitive to the fact that cancer patients often feel overly poked, prodded, and pressured and we did not want Reiki to fall into this category. After a while, we would return to answer questions and see who was interested. Slowly the work gained acceptance and momentum, and people scheduled one-hour appointments in the massage therapy room. A third treatment format emerged when we were invited to treat patients on the hospital's surgical floor.

Hospitals are opening to Complementary Care services in order to maintain a competitive edge in marketing to patients as consumers. To that end, Women and Infants Hospital is currently producing a video including our work with Reiki to introduce their patients to their Complementary Care services. We're excited about the way Reiki is catching on, and are exploring ways to create hospital internships for our master level students.

"Chemotherapy treats the body,and Reiki nurtures the Soul"

~ Chemotherapy Patient

The most exciting part of our work has been seeing the results of Reiki. Patients have experienced reduction in chemotherapy side effects, as well as reduction of neuropathy, back pain, anxiety, fatigue and faster recovery from anesthesia. They also report a general sense of comfort, well being, and relaxation. Several nurses and a few patients have learned Reiki as a result of being treated at the Clinic. Even the most resistant nurse, who barely spoke to us for months finally asked us to put our hands on her. As of this article, at least one doctor is interested in scheduling a treatment for himself. What Worked For Us:
Present a professional image. Present yourself professionally in every possible way, including letterhead, business cards, brochures, dress and vocabulary.

Cultivate relationships. When you find an ally, stay in touch; write thank-you notes, follow up on meetings and phone calls. Do what you say you're going to do when you say you're going to do it!
Develop a resume of experience. Volunteer at any agency that the energy calls you to. Examples: Hospices, Nursing Homes, AIDS agencies. Before we came to the hospital, we ran a clinic at Rhode Island Project AIDS for a year. This gave us credibility to work with people who are ill.

Write a proposal. Be specific about what you can offer, while remaining flexible to the needs of the hospital. Keep negotiating to find what will work.

Apply for Nursing CEUs. Call your state nurse's association for an application packet. Ask if there is a nurse education consultant to help you with the application process. We found it was well worth the $50 consultation fee to get help with writing the application.
Persevere! Hang in there. Remember you are doing groundbreaking work, and watering the root works better than pulling at the shoots.

Support, support, support. Work with a partner and/or stay in touch with people who inspire you in this work.
Demonstrate Reiki. When you go for an interview, make sure that you will be given the opportunity to demonstrate Reiki. Emphasize that Reiki is experiential in nature-hard to explain but easy to experience. If this can't happen at a first meeting, arrange for a second. Chain of command. Once you are in a hospital, identify the chain of command and use it. Example: We were asked to treat people receiving chemotherapy. One slow day we wanted to demonstrate Reiki in the waiting room. We knew this would most likely be acceptable, but we cleared it with the appropriate administrative person. Be respectful of people's positions of authority.
Respect boundaries. Always respect medical protocols and don't obstruct them. Maintain patient confidentiality.

Follow the energy. Any door that opens to you is your main entrance. Do not judge any opportunity, no matter how small. An invitation by one nurse or one patient may be all you need. We have found that one opening always leads to another.

Check your ego at the door. This work is very humbling. It is a constant reminder that it is only about us in that we are willing to show up. Serve the patients, follow and trust the energy, and remember the true healers are the patients and the Reiki.

Peace as Reiki Vibration

2006-01-04T17:31:00.000-08:00

Reiki helps us understand, on an experiential level, that all things are energy and that energy is constantly changing. Through Reiki we also learn that energy is simply vibrational frequency that can be raised, or lowered by increasing or decreasing the amount of light available.

Therefore, peace is a vibration that can be affected by the light of the Reiki energy. As we create peace in our own hearts, we align with our personal purpose for being alive, we remember who we are.

When we truly understand that we are spiritual beings placed on this earth to remember our Divinity; to understand that the only true power is love and to carry out the mission that the Creative Divine Consciousness is offering us . . . we are tapping into this power and transforming the world ... from the inside ... outward.

A simple Reiki meditative technique, that I like to experience in the morning, which helps me feel deep, abiding inner peace is as follows: I offer a prayer of intention, calling on the highest and most holy spiritual energies and invoking the guidance of my higher self. In this prayer I give thanks that I am aligning with the path of most light for this particular day.

I send the distant Reiki symbol forward "into my day", imagining that it is a brilliant bridge of light stretching out before me. I send any other Reiki or Karuna Reiki® symbols, that come to mind, across this bridge. I then sit in meditation in this energy for several minutes, or maybe as long as a half an hour. When I complete the meditation, I have a very clear sense that, throughout my day, I will be walking in the light of Reiki and am in complete alignment with my Divine Purpose in every moment. This creates a magnificent sense of inner peace that permeates my energy field, and helps me stay calm and centered. It is also fun to observe the effect our energy has in helping others experience the essence of peace. I hope you will try this technique.

Your Surging Reiki Finger

2006-01-03T20:17:00.000-08:00

In Reiki, one of the ways practitioners are encouraged to draw symbols is with the tip of the middle finger. In the Japanese Reiki Techniques class, one of the major techniques to strengthen one's Reiki involves focusing on tips of the middle fingers. What's so important about the tips of the middle fingers?

The acupuncture point at the tip of the middle finger is called PC-9, and its name is commonly translated "Central Hub"1 . It is associated with the element wood. Wood is associated with the liver, which controls the blood. Since "qi courses inseparably through the body with the blood," there is a natural connection between the strength of this meridian and the qi (chi, ki) in the body2

Even more fascinating was the description. "Though the qi at well-jing points is usually described as small and still like water in a well, numerous sources say that the qi at PC-9 surges forth. Therefore the point name could also be rendered as Central Surge.3 " What a great description for a point through which we send Reiki energy!

Reiki and Healing Our Ancestors

2006-01-03T20:09:00.000-08:00

I love the way Reiki shines light into our healing process and that it goes deeper and is more far reaching as we grow. My awareness of the simplicities and the complexities of the healing process is growing keener every day. As we use Reiki to heal ourselves we become more aware of the vastness of our being.

I have found that, as I grow with Reiki, my understanding of what it means to be "one with all there is" expands. I realize now that my initial personal healing experiences were based on a very limited understanding of my connection to that oneness. Over the years Reiki has assisted me with wonderful mental and emotional healing by helping me recognize unhealthy thought patterns and emotional responses. Through that recognition I was then able to focus Reiki on developing a healthier way of being. Reiki has also helped me with physical healing and better understanding myself and my purpose in this life. Every day it seems as though Reiki has something else to teach me and I am able to move deeper into knowing how to BE who I truly am.

During this process I have become keenly aware of the energetic effect that my ancestors have on who I am, and also the energetic effect that I have on my children. I recognize now that I have been holding genetic coding from my ancestors, which affects my cellular memory, and in turn influences the patterns in my subtle energy system. Therefore, I make choices in my life based in part on the beliefs, experiences, feelings and thoughts of my ancestors.
If we think of the challenges and triumphs of our ancestors we can often see how or where we are personally affected by them.

Let me give you an example. I learned that many of my issues involving self-worth, prosperity, and work ethics go back through many generations. Although I feel that I have come a long way in healing them, I still see traces of these issues in my life daily. I have been sending healing to my guides, masters, and ancestors. Through this process I am developing clarity on healing issues that some of my ancestors did not complete in their lifetime, and thus passed on to me genetically.

Many of our parents and grandparents lived through the Depression in the 1930's, and I imagine some of you reading this did also. Living in that time created much fear for the ability to survive. It also brought up self-worth issues for many and created a workaholic consciousness in some. Many people felt powerless to change their circumstances. Whenever there is a sense of powerlessness it is based on a fundamental belief in separateness from the Divine, or perhaps an abandonment by one's own spiritual guidance. Only through reconnecting with that personal Divine power can such a belief system be healed.

One day while I was sending healing energies to my ancestors I felt a particularly strong connection to my paternal Grandmother. She lived the nightmare of the Depression when she and her family lost everything they owned except a piece of land in Illinois. For a period of time they lived in a small barn on their property, and they farmed the land to feed themselves and help their neighbors. The earth sustained them through this difficult time, and ultimately they were able to re-establish financial stability. However, this experience further instilled several beliefs in my grandmother, who already had lived through some very challenging times as a child. During this healing session I felt her fear, sense of hopelessness, unworthiness, and I also felt the anchoring of the belief that life is hard, and that we must work very hard for everything we receive.

Although my life as a child was materially much easier than my grandmother's, and my parents did their best to provide for all of our needs, genetically the energetic essence of her fears and beliefs were passed on to me. In order to provide for our family, my parents "worked very hard"and sacrificed many of their personal emotional needs. Although my parent's are both basically positive people, I still received messages from them or other family members such as; "Life isn't always fair", "Only hard work and perseverance win out", "If you are going to do something, do it right." "Always put other's feelings before your own", "In the end you can only count on yourself." and so on. Conversely I received the message that "You can do anything, if you set your mind to it, maintain a positive attitude and act with honesty and integrity". This last message is one I choose to hold as a personal truth, the rest I am repatterning with the help of Reiki and soul clearing work. Reiki is a tool that helps us reconnect to our true personal power, Divine Love, thus it assists us in healing any sense of separation. I would like to share a healing technique that Reiki has given me to assist in my healing, by help my ancestors heal.

The Reiki Generational Healing Technique

1. Prepare yourself as you would for any Reiki treatment.

2. State a prayer of intention to be a clear channel for Reiki to flow through and that your personality and ego stand aside. Give thanks that the healing energy flows to you, your guides, masters, your ancestors, and future generations for the highest good of all, and with soul permission of those willing to heal.

3. Invoke the distant healing symbol and the mental/emotional symbol with the intention of creating a bridge of light through the generations that came before you and those that are yet to come. When you feel this link you may be guided to activate the power symbol, or the some of the Reiki master and Karuna Reiki® symbols. Bring in any energies that you feel guided to work with. Then simply let the energy flow.

4. Channel energy and meditate for as long as it feels appropriate, be aware of anything you feel, sense or think. Often messages will come to assist you in understanding any particular genetic coding that you may be holding onto that is ready to be released.

5. When the healing/meditation session feels complete, give thanks to the Divine, your guides, masters and ancestors for sharing in the healing, and acknowledge that the healing will continue. Then close the session as you normally do, perhaps with a power symbol.

6. Do this as often as you can until you notice shifts in your thoughts, feelings, body, or circumstances. I strongly suggest that you do this daily for 21 days for the most magnificent results.

Allow the Reiki energy to assist you and guide you in all that you do, and it will take you into places within your being, and dimensions of your consciousness that you have not yet experienced. Channel healing and joy to your ancestors and allow the essence of their transformation to flow into your life and the lives of future generations. In so doing we allow ourselves to move into and create a new paradigm of working and living in joy, peace, and prosperity for all people.

Reiki and the Future

2005-12-26T22:21:00.000-08:00

Because of the change that consciousness is undergoing on the planet, Reiki has a wonderful future. Reiki is becoming more popular because of this change at the same time that it is one of the reasons the change is taking place. In fact, you could say that the spirit of Reiki is the spirit of our planet's future.

In the past people have attempted to preserve their well being by establishing and defending their differences and creating separateness; separateness from other individuals, other ethnic groups, other religions, other countries, etc. Maintaining our separateness has been of paramount importance and we have devoted the majority of our resources to doing this. The underlying idea was that peace will come only when we first protect ourselves from others and then dominate them. The result has been the development of weapons of greater and greater destructiveness and a world that became less and less safe.

The assumption that separateness was the solution to our security came from fear. This fear came mostly from not knowing or understanding members of other groups, religions, and countries etc. Fear creates distortions in ones thinking and this is what caused people to accept this false assumption.

The truth is that we are not separate. We are all interconnected. This has been an important part of the teachings of many spiritual groups and native peoples since ancient times. It is also a basic truth of Reiki consciousness. Fortunately, as the world becomes a smaller place and activities in the world have speeded up, this truth has become easier to see. Many of the world’s leaders are realizing this and have begun to work more closely together. We can see this in the end of the Cold War, the destruction of the Berlin wall; and the fact that the major powers of the world are now working together to solve problems and create peace rather than to engage in or instigate war.

Most of the countries of the world have gotten the message too and are beginning to operate under the assumption that if we all work together, everyone will be better off. And while there are still major problems in the world, there are tremendous resourses being focused on them. It appears that we are over the hump. We are quickly moving from a world where separateness, power and control are the main methods of organization to a world where love, cooperation and acceptance is becoming the primary basis of our activities. These are the basic qualities that Reiki creates in any person or situation it is directed toward. It is certain that the increased use of Reiki in the world is contributing to this process.

Reiki will help bring world peace

One of the difficulties the world has experienced is the struggles that have taken place between different religious and ethnic groups. In fact when we look at the history of the world, we can see that many of the wars that have been fought have been over religious differences where one religious group try’s to dominate the other. This has caused great suffering in the world and created religious hatreds that go directly against religious principles. Much of the suffering in the world comes from religious intolerance.

Because Reiki is spiritual, yet not a religion, it has attracted students from all religious and spiritual backgrounds. There are catholic priests and nuns that practice Reiki. Jews, Protestants, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists practice Reiki. Jains, Zoroastrinists, Taoists, and Shintoists practice Reiki. Wiccans, shamans, native peoples and those on independent spiritual paths practice Reiki. Virtually all religious groups are attracted to the practice of Reiki. An important reason for this is that Reiki gives each person a more immediate experience of the divine. Reiki places everyone more directly in contact with the higher power; regardless of the name one may call it and provides direct experience of the higher powers grace and compassion. Because of this, Reiki is helping to unite all people of the world regardless of religious or ethnic background.
One of the things I notice from teaching all over the world is that Reiki people seem to be the same wherever I go. There seems to be a sparkle in the eye and a special positive energy that all Reiki people share. This special energy seems to break through all barriers between those who have Reiki. As more and more people open up to the practice of Reiki, the common thread it provides between all religious groups will help them to see each other as friends rather than enemies.

In addition, the fact that Reiki can and is being sent at a distance by many people to heal world crisis situations adds another dimension to the healing Reiki provides for the world. The number of people in the world who practice Reiki will continue to grow. This in turn will increase the help Reiki is providing to create world peace.

Many have experienced the fact that as more people gather together in one group to do Reiki, the strength of each person’s Reiki goes up. This means that the total amount of Reiki energy being channeled increases exponentially. As an example, if you double the number of people doing Reiki in a group, rather than having twice as much Reiki flowing, you actually have four times as much. This also applies to the number of people in the world who are doing Reiki. Therefore, as the number of people in the world who do Reiki goes up, it is causing a tremendous increase in the amount of Reiki flowing in the world. At some point in the near future, a critical point will be reached where there will be so much Reiki flowing on the planet that world peace will come very quickly. In the near future, Reiki, working with all other forms of religious and spiritual practice will make the difference that brings peace to the world.

As this happens, we will see the members of all religions acknowledging, honoring and respecting each other. The world’s religious leaders will be seen together, working to promote higher spiritual consciousness. In the past, only saints and rare individuals could work miracles and have powerful spiritual experiences. As consciousness shifts into a higher dimension, new possibilities will develop for the “common” person allowing everyone to have a direct experience of the higher power that produces results in ones everyday life. Current religions will go through major transformations and new religions will be come into being. Reiki will play an important role in these spiritual developments.

The paradigm shift is happening now and the popularity of Reiki is one of the key indicators.
In the past, if one did Reiki, one often found it difficult to explain to others. Often Reiki practitioners would keep this fact to themselves out of fear that others would ridicule them. If Reiki or other healing practices were described on news programs or in the newspaper, it was often done in a derogatory way. Reiki people and other healers were portrayed as being weird and misguided or even worse, as charlatans.

This attitude began to change in the mid-90’s. Reiki became more popular and accepted by the general public. News programs began to air short segments on Reiki and portray it in a positive way, often saying “this is what people are doing now” as a way of informing the public of something that is becoming more popular. Scientific research began to be conducted on Reiki with positive results. Alternative medicine in general became more popular. A report by David Eisenburg indicated that in the US, over 100 million people were receiving some form of alternative health care and spending over 14 Billion dollars of their own money for their sessions.

I noticed about this time that not only were more nurses enrolling in my Reiki classes, but so were some doctors! These doctors and nurses began reporting to me about their experiences doing Reiki in hospitals and clinics. At first, this was difficult and many of their stories were filled with experiences of resistance and difficulty from other members of the hospital staff and the administration. Then as time went by, and Reiki continued to be promoted in hospitals and clinics, the stories began to include more and more successes and greater acceptance of Reiki.

Now at the beginning of the Millennium, Reiki is really gaining a foothold. There are at least 100 hospitals in the US where Reiki is being offered. In many, Reiki has become a regular part of the service the hospital officially offers its patients! In these hospitals, organizations have been started to administer Reiki and other alternative practices. Some have developed protocols, guidelines and ethics that work in harmony with the hospital; at the same time they support the Reiki practitioners and the patients. This is turning into a major success story for Reiki. One indication of this is that those hospitals without a Reiki program are wanting to get started because they are noticing that they are losing patients to those hospitals with Reiki programs.

The current attitude is so positive for Reiki and other alternative practices in the US that this trend will certainly grow. I predict that in a short time, Reiki will be offered at most hospitals across the US. In addition, health insurance programs are now looking at Reiki as a possible insurance benefit. As soon as a few add it, the competitive nature of the health insurance industry will cause all of them to include Reiki. Then health insurance will pay for Reiki treatments. The need for Reiki practitioners will grow quickly and Reiki will have become established as a normal part of health care in the US. This will happen easily within the next 10 years!

Looking further into the future, I see advances made in the effectiveness of Reiki treatments. As science gets involved in studying what makes Reiki work, the increased understanding will be used to improve its effectiveness. Also, as more and more people practice Reiki and continue to heal the deeper aspects of themselves, improvements will be made and they will become better healers. With all this attention from both the spiritual and the scientific communities, breakthroughs are bound to happen creating even greater benefits. I see no end to this process of improvement. In the future, when a person gets sick, many hospitals will use Reiki first to heal the patient and in most cases, because of the improved effectiveness of Reiki, this is all the patient will need. Only if Reiki does not heal the patient, would the doctor consider using allopathic methods.

The spiritual nature of Reiki will continue to develop also. We have seen that new forms of Reiki are continually being channeled. Some of these are more powerful. People are having more meaningful spiritual experiences from their attunements and treatments. The validation of Reiki by science and its complete acceptance by the public will move Reiki into a position of great importance. The increased use of Reiki by more and more people and its examination from different perspectives will quicken the process of development. Attunements and treatments will become more and more effective.

The higher power is infinite in nature. There is no limit to what can come from it. As we surrender more completely to the power of Reiki, the superconscious mind from which Reiki comes will be able to heal us more and more deeply. As this happens, we will become better able to hold and ground higher consciousness within our physical bodies. Our awareness will expand. We will channel ever-higher qualities of Reiki energy, which will produce even more meaningful healing. So strong will this energy become, that eventually the vales of illusion that prevent us from knowing our true nature will be broken, dissolved and released. This will lead at first to a few, but then quickly, to more and more people entering satori and becoming self-realized. This higher state of mind which only a very few people on earth have experienced will become the normal state for everyone. Our mission as a race of people will have been completed. The peace, love and freedom of the higher power will be established as the predominate power on the planet and Reiki will have fulfilled its divine purpose on earth. This is our future, yet it dwells within us now. Let us rejoice in our true nature as we experience it unfolding in our lives now.

Walking the Labyrinth with Reiki

2005-12-26T22:20:00.000-08:00

This July I celebrated my 50th year of life. What a glorious celebration it was. It was the perfect weekend. It began with two very dear friends taking me to a wonderful lunch, which not only included great food, but also real heart connections. The warm feelings from lunch led into an evening of sharing with friends at a surprise party given for me by two of my best friends here in Cookeville. The next morning two friends and I left for the ‘mountain’ or University of the South at Sewanee, TN to attend a Labyrinth Workshop.

Labyrinths have fascinated me since I first visited Chartres Cathedral in France where one of the few remaining original classical eleven circuit labyrinths is laid out in stone on the main floor. A labyrinth is not a maze. There are no tricks or challenges to the walk, you simply enter and exit at the same spot. After you enter, you walk the circles which meander throughout the whole circle going through 34 turns, getting close to the center, and then going to the outer edge only to wind your way back to the center again. In the center is a rosette with 6 petals symbolizing mineral, vegetable, animal, human, angelic and the unknown.

The walk into the labyrinth is known as purgation, where you ‘purge’, release, empty and quiet your mind, body, soul and spirit. It is there that we let go of things that block communication with our Spirit source and let go of control. The second stage is in the center and is called illumination. The illogical winding path that takes us there culminates in us realizing we are there, fully present in the moment. It is a time of prayer and meditation and clarity of life and our problems. Union is the stage where we leave the center following the same path out, feeling grounded, empowered and integrating the information we have learned to help us on our journey of life. During the entire walk we spend time with Spirit in silence, listening for answers to the questions we brought into the labyrinth.

The labyrinth is located under trees with the paths outlined with bricks. I would like to share with you some of what I wrote down after my two experiences in the labyrinth. The first time was during the afternoon, Here is my experience: entering the unknown, what does the labyrinth hold for me? I begin feeling the wind, the earth under my bare feet. I find that I can get so close to the center, only not to be there. There is a message in this for my life. Then I hear “blessed are you” you are on the right pathway. Peace that passes all understanding – all things in their own time. Learn to let go of that you cannot control. Be aware when your ego is driving you; move out of a place of ego. Don’t do things for man reasons; do them for Spirit reasons. I pass through the light and shadow’s of the afternoon reflecting onto the path. Am I in Spirit’s light or in the shadows? It is my personal choice. The path also mirrors the light and shadow self. I need to examine my shadow self and let it go. When I enter the center I feel angels surrounding me. I am doing what I am supposed to be doing.

I exit the center feeling air under my feet. My steps are light and easy, then deliberate steps, slowly taking the walk out, contemplative, I am enhanced by the energy of the path I have walked. I am aware that I have been connecting with Reiki energy with each step I have taken as I walked barefoot along the path.

My second time through the labyrinth was at twilight. There were torches of fire surrounding the circle. I was at peace. I entered the circle reverently, hands in prayer position, again deliberate slow steps. I notice as I walk the circles that my hands begin to feel very warm, I realize that Reiki is flowing throughout my entire being. It was very sacred, spiritual, an awareness of people long ago walking, turning, stopping, praying, and thinking. As I get to the center I immediately fall to my knees and offer myself to Spirit. I felt as if I received Spirit’s blessing for the healer I have been, the healer I am, and the healer I am to become. I felt like a humble servant, I give thanks. I begin my walk out feeling like a child, full of wonder, awe, I begin to look upward to the skies, I see fireflies, one zooms by my nose, and I giggle. There are night sounds now. The path darkens such that I have to feel my way out. As I leave I am elated, feeling that I have experienced a deep spiritual ceremony.

Our workshop presenter told us that every time someone walks the labyrinth, the earth receives a healing. We know that Reiki works to heal Mother Earth. Adding Reiki to a labyrinth walk is a powerful way to send healing and peace to all people on the planet…I hope that each one of you has the opportunity to experience the wonderful healing experience of a labyrinth. What a gift of healing for yourself and for Earth.

Why Reiki and not Leiki?

2005-12-26T22:18:00.000-08:00

When Japanese people pronounce “Reiki”, they say “Leiki.” If Reiki is from Japan, why do they pronounce it with an "L"? It is not just the word Reiki. If you look at a map of Japan, many of the place names have ‘R’s in them also, but the pronounce these names with an "L". So, why do the Japanese pronounce the "R" like an "L"?

The answer appears to go back to the Portuguese Jesuits of the 1540’s. The Portuguese were the first Westerners to try to trade with the Japanese and convert them to Christianity. To do this they had to learn the language. They were the first to create a dictionary of how to pronounce words in Japanese using a Western alphabet.

The Portuguese use more of a rolling R than we do. To the Portuguese, what sounds like an “L”to us, sounded like a Portuguese “R”. I once had a student who could make both sounds and they really are quite similar. Try the word earl; with a rolling r. Notice how similar the sounds are to make. Even though this dictionary was not widely circulated, it started the tradition. So when Japanese place names were translated into a western alphabet, the ‘r’ was used, and we have Reiki rather than Leiki.

Reiki and a Sense of “Safety”

2005-12-26T22:16:00.000-08:00

Mari Hall is the keynote speaker for our June 2001 Reiki Personal and Professional Development Conference . . . Live Your Dreams NOW! Mari will speak on "What Blocks the Way to Creating Your Dreams?"

The longer I am in the practice of Reiki the more I realize how interconnected our lives are. What was a big world in one moment becomes small enough to hold in my hand and take into my heart. What have been times of loneliness and isolation have now become the desire to embrace all my family of mankind. But how did I get from one reality to the next, Reiki of course!

We all have our stories of the miraculous way Reiki has touched our lives. Any miracle no matter how big or small is just that, a miracle!

I had been “doing” Reiki for years in the United States and had moved into what I thought of as a space of peaceful surrender. Normal work and my work with Reiki were separated in my life. I had a fine line that divided the two. I did not speak much about my “other” life to people because I knew they would not understand, or worse would think I was one of those newagers and had my head in the clouds. On the other side of the coin I did not talk about my “normal “ life with people I treated. So I was in all senses of the word a dual personality. As long as I held the status quo I could juggle these two lives of mine although it was hard at times.
Since taking Reiki into my life I had been healed of a congenital back problem, my life had been changed on so may levels yet I was still not able to integrate the two sides of my life with any feeling of safety. I realize now that for most of my life I had been searching for that safe space to be me, and had not found it. Controlling my life, keeping things in nice compartments was my way to feel safe.

One day I was given a choice that would change my life so completely and profoundly. I could leave all that was safe and study in a holistic center, but to do this required that I quit my normal job and move to England for a three-month period of time. I understand now that to not feel safe for three months was better than “forever.” I chose to not straddle the line anymore. I ended up jumping over the line to Reiki full time. It took more than a day to accomplish and that in itself is another story. Away from my safety net and in England with no means of support, I decided to stay and teach Reiki in the UK. I was so engrossed with the work I never thought about the need to feel safe. I was living from a different part of my being. A deeper healing had taken place in me.

What also was happening in my life was living synchronistically. I feel it is because my focus was so much in the present moment that I was more aware of how things came to play in my life. What I needed was provided for. The people places and certainly circumstances all gave me opportunity to begin to BE Reiki, rather than to do it.

Many years have passed since those early days in England when I stood on the top of the Tor in Glastonbury and proclaimed my intention to live and work in Europe. I have gone from having two suitcases and traveling on trains to having a home and a car even in another country. I have been so supported to BE in my practice of Reiki. In the being is also the realization of the continual surrender into this divine and loving energy.

Early in my journey in Europe I was introduced to a wonderful woman in the Netherlands who is a healer. She asked me what I did. I told her proudly that I was a Reiki Master. She looked at me with all seriousness and said. “You may have a paper that says you are a master of Reiki, but you are not. You must learn to be a master of Reiki and that takes time.” I was taken aback with what she said. I did not understand it then and felt that she did not truly see me.
Over these years of being in the practice of Reiki and being Reiki, not just doing it, I have taken on more wisdom. Her words have often rung true in my ears as I work with my own master candidates. I am still learning, I am still being, and I am a Reiki Master still being mastered by Reiki

Living and working in other countries has afforded me the opportunity to come up against prejudice and intolerance in others and myself. This experience has continued to evoke me to “Walk the Walk and Talk the Talk of the potential for peace in the world by using Reiki. I have held a Russian woman in my arms as she was dying. I have celebrated life in a camp of gypsies by dancing and singing. I have been present at the birth of a deformed child. I have heard the cries of the homeless and I am seeing potential for change in countries ravaged by war. All this and so much more have evoked me to see all humanity as my brothers and sisters.
My deepest impression is that in order to be one with people we must first do our inner work to be one with ourselves. Reiki has helped me to bridge the internal compartments in myself that have separated me from fully loving and accepting myself. In loving who I am, I am better able to love others.

My heart has been broken open wide with compassion for all beings on this earth, including myself. Being in the practice of Reiki has given me the opportunity to find my place in this world beside all others. In this place is the deepest sense of safety and of homecoming

Reiki and the Healing Drum

2005-12-26T22:11:00.000-08:00

Drumming, sound, music, harmony, experiencing feelings, stepping into the flow. . . this describes my life today, yet it didn’t before I regained the awareness of the healing sounds and rhythms of drumming.

Many of us were silenced in childhood, “children should be seen and not heard”. However, today we are remembering that sound is our participation in life’s symphony, music plays all around and within us.

Several years ago on a sunny spring day the seeds of freedom to be one with healing sound were planted within me. I quietly followed and watched as two 14 month old children explored their world. They laughed, gurgled, touched everything and even cried. I saw two people living in enthusiasm, experiencing their feelings, two people affecting and being affected by everything in their world. Most of all I heard, all their many sounds unsilenced, freely expressing their joy. I was the silenced and quiet observer, separated from the awareness of living by the restrictions of my long gone caregivers; restrictions that I still maintained. Standing there watching the joy and life of those two children, I saw my choices, remembered my enthusiasm and the joy of being in this world.

Years later I bought a drum for a friend’s birthday, which was several weeks away. For many days I walked past it and even picked it up a few times, yet never played it. Then one night while I was home by myself, I picked up that instrument and very slowly began to explore the sounds it and I could make. I released the expectations of what the sound should be, and abandoned fear of disapproval. I, like those children, just explored. I imagined that I was a child; a child feeling sound flowing from my interactions with the drum. Enthusiasm, joy and even sadness flowed from me through that beautiful drum. We sang, we danced and I cried tears of reunion with what I had silenced years before, and what I had stilled to be good in the eyes of others. That night I remembered . . .the joy of healing sound.

Since that time I have been inspired to incorporate Reiki and other energies with drumming. This combination has produced powerful vibrational frequencies and deep healings. At the end of this article I share a basic Reiki Drumming(TM) healing technique that is designed to work with a basic shaman’s drum.

Many things in your world can become a drum, a healing tool that emits a sound with each stroke of your hands. Imagine yourself as a young child discovering the world. Remember your enthusiasm as you touch and hear each responding sound. Remember your joy as you interact with the world around you. Hear the song, conducted by your heart, and feel the Reiki energy rise from the silence. Remember the child laughing and know this is you. Celebrate your presence with sound. Feel your heart beat with each stroke of the drum. Know you have rhythm . . . your very existence is a rhythm. Awaken to your presence and hear the song of everything around you.

The Basic Reiki Drumming(TM) Technique

Focusing Intention:

Dialogue with your client to determine the issue they intend to heal. Ask them to focus on the issue and on their willingness to heal and release it. Ask them to confirm that they are willing to make any changes in their habits, behavior, or thought processes that may be necessary to complete this healing.

State their healing request in the prayer of sacred intention . . . give thanks that this healing is for the highest good, and that your personality and ego stand aside. This will help Reiki flow clearly and freely through you and your drum. Call on your guides, angels and the healing spirit of your drum.

Preparation of Self and Setting Sacred Space:

Draw all the Reiki symbols that you know over your drum, and with each symbol, channel the energy into the drum. Hold the intention that the essence of the symbols will flow out with the sound.

Draw or visualize a large Usui power symbol over your entire body, and also on each chakra starting at the base and moving toward the crown. Intend that your chakras are aligned, clear and open to the full power of the Reiki healing energy. Hold the intention that your light is being strengthened, and that any denser energies which are released during this session will be healed and not absorbed by your energy system.

Draw an Usui power symbol in all 7 directions, NSEW as well as the Sky, the Earth and the Center.

Preparation of Client:

With your drum mallet, or your hand draw a large Usui power symbol, (or Master chakra balancing symbol), over the client starting above the crown to the base. This is to align the client’s chakras, open them to the healing, and to invoke the recipient’s higher self’s assistance.

The Session

Draw any Reiki symbol(s) you are guided to use over your drum. Slowly scan the client’s body with the drum, and begin drumming over the area your drum is drawn to. Let Reiki and your drum guide you. Drum for 2-5 minutes 12-24 inches above the physical body, letting the drum glide over the client’s energy field. Note: Drum higher above the person and softer from the heart chakra to the crown. This is to protect the client’s hearing and the subtle energies of the upper chakras.

Closing the Session

When you feel guided to stop, give a prayer of thanks for the healing, and draw an Usui power symbol over the client to seal the healing with love and light.

Why is a Reiki Attunement Necessary?

2005-12-26T22:10:00.000-08:00

Over the years that I have been teaching Reiki, I have often been asked the question: “Why do I need an attunement or initiation to healing energy?” or “If this is universal life energy that is available to all why do I need to come to a Reiki class and receive a special initiation?” I would like to address these questions. I am going to focus on the word initiation as I feel that when you receive an attunement to the Reiki energy you are being initiated into the energy.

In the “Oxford English Dictionary” initiation is described as “the action of beginning, entering upon, or starting something.” It is also defined as “formal introduction by preliminary instruction or initial ceremony into some position, office, or society, or knowledge of or participation in some principles or observances- hence - admission to the knowledge of instruction in the elements of any subject or practice.” This definition accurately describes my perception of an initiation.

I am sure that there are those who worked with energy work much longer than I had when they took their first Reiki class. They may question why it is necessary to be initiated into something that they believed already existed within them. I would have two responses to them. Would the neophyte believe in this natural gift from Spirit of healing self and others without the ritual? Secondly, as the “Oxford Dictionary” indicates, initiation is also “admission to the knowledge or instruction in the elements of any subject or practice.” Is this not the process that Dr. Usui went through when he received the Reiki keys to healing from Spirit?

As a teacher I have seen my students many reactions to the process of receiving an initiation. In varying degrees each student has been touched in some special way by Spirit. Initiations are a part of the process of reconnection to Spirit and a beginning of a new or renewed walk down the path of life. Many doors are opened in this sacred ritual. If you have received an attunement to Reiki, remember back to the feelings you had during your special ceremony and connection to Reiki. If you are thinking about taking a Reiki class, then know that the healing energies that you were born with will only expand as Reiki begins to flow through your body, soul, and spirit. Blessings on your journey.

Questions to ask a Reiki Master about Reiki Training

2005-12-26T22:07:00.000-08:00

There are many people teaching Reiki classes now. Some are highly qualified and may be just the right teacher for you and others may not have the right energy for your needs. So, the question is often asked about how to choose a Reiki teacher that is right for you. Here is a list of questions to ask any Reiki master who you are thinking about taking a class from.

• How long have you been working with Reiki? What training have you had? How often do you teach? How do you personally use Reiki? What is your lineage?

• Will this training initiate me into, or progress me within the Usui lineage? If not, then which lineage is it a part of?

• What qualifications are required to take Reiki Training?

• What do you cover in your classes? How many hours of class time is included? How much time is instructional, and how much is hands on practice?

• What are the specific things I will be able to do after taking the training?

• What are your fees, and will I receive a certificate and a manual?

• Can I take notes and tape record the class?

• How many symbols will I learn?

• Is there a Reiki support group in my area or can you help me establish one?

• Will you openly support me in being a successful Reiki practitioner or master?

• Do you have a positive respectful attitude toward other Reiki practitioners and masters, regardless of lineage or affiliation?

Be aware of how you feel about their answers and if they are responding in a loving manner that is supportive and empowering. Listen to your heart and you will be guided to the right teacher.

What I Believe About Reiki

2005-12-22T22:39:00.000-08:00

As Autumn and the time of many beginnings approaches, it seems a good time to reflect on how my beliefs about Reiki have expanded and changed over the years. I have been working with Reiki now for ten years. It started out as learning a simple healing technique but has blossomed into so much more. Here are some of my thoughts.

I believe that Reiki is different things to different people. It is “user friendly” so to speak and it meets you where you are at in your life. It seems to find you when you are most in need or ready for the next step on your path. Perhaps your soul calls out for a better way. Or your higher power knows you need a change.

I believe that Reiki can be a simple healing technique, a spiritual path, or a personal empowerment journey (or all three combined.) That is why there are so many different schools of Reiki, so many different ways to do it, and so many varying philosophies. It is also why Reiki blends in so well with massage, cranio-sacral work, counseling, nursing, and any other helping or health related profession.

There is no perfect school or right way to do Reiki. Nobody’s Reiki is better than anyone else’s. The journey is to find who and what feels right to you. What philosophy (beliefs) or way of doing Reiki feels right for you? Are you a self-starting type that just needs the information to get you going or do you need a mentor and internship to help you along? Those questions are important in choosing a teacher and way of studying Reiki. Neither is THE way. What is important is YOUR way. How and what do you need to learn? That will help in your choice of a teacher and a school for learning Reiki.

The journey of Reiki is an exciting one. Finding the right teacher is the first step. And finding out which school of thought is another. And sometimes there are detours on the path. Taking a class with a teacher that wasn’t right for you often leads you to another. Or, the timing of the first attunement or empowerment is in divine timing…just when you needed it. Sometimes what is important are the other people in the class. All groups come together for a reason. Shared experiences, common lessons to be learned, or similar backgrounds make for a great class experience. And when you feel comfortable with others, you feel more open and safe to share your story and experience in class. That makes for powerful and healing experiences.

There is no wrong way to do Reiki. It is simply connecting with universal life force energy and bringing it to another. You can use the standard hand positions or intuitively go to the areas of most need. You can also scan. There are no Reiki police watching over you to correct what you are doing. The energy itself teaches you. Hand positions are only a guide to help you experience the flow of Reiki and give you structure when you are first starting out. Once you have experience and trust what you feel, the hand positions are only guides.

Reiki doesn’t do any harm and will not work if harm is intended or negative thoughts prevail. It cannot be used to control people or situations. It works to bring the best result or highest outcome for all. When using Reiki, we only ask for the best outcome possible. We do not know what that is. Reiki teaches you how to let go. Some people say, “this or something better” or “thy will be done.” This helps you detach from the outcome and let higher consciousness or the divine will prevail.

Reiki is for many, a simple healing technique. It is a gentle hands on (or in the aura) technique that brings deep relaxation, strengthening of the body’s ability to heal itself, and a speeding up of the healing process. Used with massage, polarity, acupressure, counseling, or any other healing work, it can be brought in before a session to prepare the room and fill it with Reiki energy. It can also be sent to the client on the way to the session. It can then be used to begin a session by placing your hands on the top of the head and bringing the symbols in. Then the general bodywork or counseling can be done. Reiki can be used anytime during the session. You might feel stuck or unsure of what to say or do next. Using one of the symbols can help you move along and get over the “bump.” I know many counselors, who, during their session, send Reiki with their eyes or from their heart, to the person. Some bring in the mental emotional symbol to help the person connect with the emotion and the issue. Reiki can facilitate the healing. Some massage therapists Reiki a tight muscle or trigger point while they are working.
Once you have Reiki, it actually flows while you are doing your work. It might be that little voice that says, “go here” or “say that.” So, in a sense, it is always on.

Reiki as a spiritual path is a gift for many. What may start out as learning a simple healing technique can lead you to a stronger faith, more connection to your higher power, or a belief system that focuses on compassion and connection with higher intelligence. The Reiki ideals are really guides for living. They can be viewed as a way of life or personal philosophy. Taking one ideal at a time and reflecting on it daily helps you to heal issues in your life. The way of Reiki is about learning to detach from outcome and being fully present in the moment. It is about unconditional love, caring, peace, compassion for all, and trust. One can sense that during a Reiki session. The person giving Reiki also receives. The way of Reiki is also about honoring people’s path. Seeing them as the divine person that they really are and honoring the best in them is evident in the translation of the distant healing symbol. “The buddha (or Christ) in me reaches out to the buddha (Christ) in you, to promote enlightenment and peace.”

Reiki can also be practiced by anyone, regardless of their religious affiliation. One does not have to believe in Buddhism (or practice it) for Reiki to work. It originated with Dr. Usui, who was a Buddhist, so he brought that influence in. But, Reiki is really about unconditional love, healing, and acceptance. It is also about the teachings of Christ and Christianity as well. The Reiki ideals are similar to the golden rule and the concept of loving thy neighbor as thyself. The difference is only who brought it in (or developed it.) The intent is the same. To bring the love of the creator (God, Great Spirit, universal intelligence) to all for healing. And letting go of outcome and trusting in a higher power and intelligence. One can practice Reiki and still keep their religious affiliation or belief system. One does not exclude the other. I know many nuns and priests practicing Reiki and they have found it to be a direct expression of God’s love for all his creations. The simple act of loving and compassionate touch is God’s love in action.

For those who have no religious affiliation, the practice of Reiki can help you see the divine in all.
Reiki as a personal empowerment tool, helps you to be all that you can be. In “The Celestine Prophecy,” by James Redfield, he talks about all our natural human abilities. The ability to know, to sense energy, to bring healing to others, are all normal human abilities. It is simply a choice to develop them or not. Reiki is like that. The more you practice Reiki, the more you get in the flow of life. You learn to sense energy and to sense the flow of life around you. We live in a world of energy and Reiki helps you to tap into that and learn to read it and work with it. That includes learning to sense the energy of a meeting, a person, a situation, and acting accordingly. Going with the flow is not just a cliché.

Reiki also enhances natural abilities. If you are an artist, it helps develop your artistic expression. If you have an intuitive sense, Reiki heightens that. If you have a business head, Reiki can enhance that as well. In the practice of Reiki, working with energy helps you to connect with your path, your skills, and develop your senses. But it takes practice and trusting what you feel.

Reiki and Light Bulbs?

2005-12-22T22:30:00.000-08:00

When I attended my first Reiki weekend, I arrived with no expectations. I had read a few books about Reiki, but until I had the opportunity to experience it for myself I was keeping an open mind and wanted to experience all that Reiki had to offer. After receiving my Reiki I attunement my Reiki Master began passing out a sheet of paper titled, “The Twenty-One Day Clearing Process”. Up until that point I had never heard of a clearing process. The explanation made perfect sense. As your physical body adjusts to the Reiki energy’s higher vibration, blockages would clear and situations would surface so you could heal and move on to create a clearer instrument for the Reiki Energy to flow through.

For three weeks I experienced an entire range of emotions. I worked through the headaches, stiff neck, and discomfort. At the end of the three weeks I noticed one strange thing, I had changed 8 light bulbs in 3 weeks. Once the clearing process was over, the light bulbs stopped going out. One or two could be dismissed as coincidence, but 8 were a bit much.

Six months later my Reiki Master returned to teach and attune ART and Master level Reiki. It was a wonderful experience and really opened my eyes to the path I was on and the direction I was heading. As the weekend came to a close a question of the clearing process came up. In the back of my mind I saw many trips to the home improvement store, buying bulbs in bulk!
This of course would prove the perfect test. No bulbs had blown out since the last clearing. This time it was so much more. Not only were the bulbs blowing out in my house, they were going out everywhere. I saw bulbs go out at work, in stores, even at a restaurant. My aura was now super charged and only the strongest light bulbs would survive. It usually occurred when I stretched, yawned, or experienced a good laugh. Any bulb I was under would just pop.

Fortunately, this only lasted for the first month, and life returned to normal.
As I reflect and try to shed light on this situation I keep hearing that it’s all energy. Our physical world we live in is nothing but energy. As we receive a Reiki attunement, our vibrations increase bringing us closer to the light. Of course this is a big change for our physical bodies and the clearing process is the adjustment period. As we adjust the energy rises and falls, until it finally seats at the perfect level for us. It’s my belief that when I experienced a rise in the energy, it was just a little too much for the light bulbs to bear. Of course it could have been my guides telling me it’s time to go to sleep. You be the judge.

Reiki and the Shadow Self

2005-12-22T22:17:00.000-08:00

We create our own reality. This phrase is frequently repeated in the healing community, and many accept it as true. And it is easy for us to accept that when we make plans and carry them out, that we are creating our own reality. Or when positive things happen, it can be a boost to our self-esteem to accept credit for causing them, even when they seem like nothing more than good fortune.

But when calamity strikes, how many of us take credit for our misfortune. Frequently, when something negative happens to us, resentment, anger and fear begin to take over making it difficult to avoid blaming others or to blame circumstances that are seemingly beyond our control. By following this path, we sometimes gain sympathy from others, and validate our feelings of self-pity, which is a reward of sorts. And when confronted with the possibility that we have created our problems, our response is to state that we would never choose to create something so negative for ourselves. In this way, people often try to rationalize the idea that there must be some exceptions to the concept that we create our own reality, but as many have found, this is simply a way of giving up our power and remaining stuck in the illusion of helplessness.

It is possible to take personal responsibility for our unwanted experiences in such a way that we take back the power to create our lives in a healthier and more fulfilling way. The mystery of personal responsibility for all our experience begins to clear up when we begin to understand that who we are is much more than what happens in our conscious mind. We have a deeper side to our identity that most know very little about and for the most part are completely unaware.

This deeper side is often called the unconscious mind. Many psychological processes take place within the unconscious that have a powerful effect on our lives. By gaining a better understanding of it, we will be better able to deal with our experiences of powerlessness and transform them into a life of greater freedom and accomplishment and in so doing, become the person we are meant to be.

As stated above, it is not just the conscious mind that is creating our reality, but our unconscious mind as well. The unconscious mind has a powerful influence on our decisions, our communication with others and especially on our body language. It also expresses directly through our energy field and by working in combination with the previously mentioned influences has a major effect on our total life experience. The unconscious mind can have both healthy and unhealthy aspects and it is the unhealthy aspects that are often called the Shadow Self. By working through the power of the unconscious mind, the Shadow Self is responsible for creating our unwanted experiences. Therefore, the only meaningful way to prevent unwanted experiences from taking place is by getting to know the Shadow Self and then to help it heal.
One important insight is that the Shadow Self is actually created by the way we deal with our unwanted feelings and thoughts.

In our society and especially when we are growing up, if we express feelings such as anger or jealousy, or other socially unacceptable behavior, we are often told by our parents to “stop it” or “don’t do that” which is a message to take our feelings and shove them inside. At first we may not do this well, but with repeated commands from our parents each time we experience these feelings, soon we develop skill at shoving our unwanted feelings inside. Eventually, we learn to do this automatically and the process becomes unconscious. We don’t even know we are doing it.
These unwanted feelings don’t simply go away, but accumulate in the unconscious mind, still very much alive and often even more angry and resentful for having been rejected in such an uncaring way. These Shadow Self feelings take on an identity of their own, retain a great deal of energy and are intent on expressing themselves. Because the Shadow Self is in the unconscious mind, we are unaware of it and the influence it is having on our lives. It is through this process that the Shadow Self is empowered and motivated to create difficulties in our lives.
So, if we want to get to know our Shadow Self, all we need to do is look at the condition of our life. Unwanted experiences are actually a reflection of our own Shadow Self. This means that if there is someone in your personal life that you have strong negative feelings about and wish would go away, it is your Shadow Self that has attracted them to you and caused you to feel the way you do toward them. And in fact, it is likely that the characteristics of this unwanted person that you dislike the most are characteristics of your Shadow Self. In other words, you have these same or similar traits within you. This is sometimes a difficult thing to accept at first, but if you can, it becomes possible to stop yourself from directing your negative feelings toward the outer person, and turn your attention inwardly to consider your inner state and search for any aspects within that may have the same feelings or characteristics you dislike so much in the other person. This about face in your behavior requires humility, but the effort is worth it. It is a step in the direction of healing and of changing not just your inner world, but your outer world as well.

Once you begin to do this, a process of inner discovery and healing becomes possible. The Shadow Self exists because, rather than heal the feelings that have created it, for one reason or another, you chose to ignore and deny them. If you are to heal, it is necessary to reverse the process by paying attention to the Shadow Self and accept it as part of yourself. When you begin to do this, only then is it possible to heal. Once the Shadow Self begins to be accepted and the healing process begins, you will find it much easier to accept the outer person as well, making it easier to find solutions and resolve issues. Or it may result in the person going away with little direct contact needed, or in you simply not being affected by them as you have in the past.

Reiki can be used to help this process. As an example, if there is someone in your life that is causing you grief, and you would like to use this experience to get to know your Shadow Self better and to heal, meditate on the feelings you have toward the person. Then ask yourself, “Is there a part within myself that is similar to this person?” As you do this, locate where in your body or energy field these feelings and/or the part resides. Direct Reiki energy there with your hands. Use the mental/emotional symbol along with the power symbol or the master or other Reiki symbols you feel would be helpful if you have them. As you do this, speak to the Reiki energy with your mind and ask it to show you the part of yourself that has attracted this experience into your life. This can bring up hidden aspects of yourself that you have been unaware of, but need attention. When you begin to feel the part, let it know that you are sorry for ignoring it for such a long time. Tell it you would like to get to know it better and to help it heal. This process may feel uncomfortable at first, but continue sending Reiki and it will help you work with your emerging Shadow Self. Allow yourself to have compassion toward the part(s) that come into your awareness. Continue to send Reiki and also, if you are open to it, say a prayer and ask for help from the Higher Power using whatever name feels comfortable to you. Continue sending Reiki, feeling compassion and looking into this part of yourself with the intent of understanding it and helping it to let go and heal. As you do this continue to thank the Reiki energy and/or the Higher Power for its help. You may also include an affirmation such as, “I release all negative feelings into the Reiki energy to heal now” or similar words or other affirmations you feel are right. Continue to do this until the session feels complete for now and end the session with the intension that the healing will continue as long as is needed. Repeated sessions may be necessary until you have let go of all the negative feelings and you feel at peace.
As you use this technique or variations of it, hidden parts of your personality that had been intent on creating problems for you will become allies that you can consciously direct to achieve goals and create a healthier more satisfying life. This is because the Shadow Self has what can be called a Radiant Self counterpart that becomes available when the Shadow Self begins to heal. The Radiant Self has the same abilities as the Shadow Self, but uses them to create benefits for you and to attract positive situations and experiences.

Reiki and the Family

2005-12-20T23:18:00.000-08:00

Reiki is a gift that we give ourselves and it increases for us when we can share it as a family. Not just the typical mother and father and children, but also significant others, and the many people we often consider family.

My first "students" that I attuned as a new Reiki Master in 1995 were my husband Bob and son Johnnie (7). Although they didn't fully understand what Reiki was all about and what I was about to do, they were willing to support me in my journey as a teacher. I cannot begin to tell you the joy that I felt as I prepared them to receive this gift. Tears flowed from my eyes as I attuned them. I felt the joy and the coming together as a spiritual family. The remembering of who we are at our soul level and why we come together in a family was the gift of their attunements.

Later that year, when I attended a Karuna Reiki® workshop, I was told during a meditation that my son Matthew, at 4 years of age, was ready to receive his attunement as well. He has brought much insight ever since (and many laughs) about how to use Reiki.

How we use Reiki as a family is that we pick a time and share Reiki with each other. The boys are much quicker in their giving and receiving since they are pure channels. They feel the energy come in and out. So a typical sharing can last just an hour. We usually scan each other to find the areas in need and then allow the Reiki to flow there.

Whenever I am teaching, someone always gives me Reiki before class. It helps me to be a more clear channel and for things to flow smoothly.

If there is an illness or injury, whoever is available at the time will give Reiki. If we are all available, we give the person as much Reiki as they want. This has worked well with the kids and sports injuries and fevers and colds. We have found that the illness works through the process quicker and injuries heal faster.

A friend of John's recently broke her wrist. He went to her house and gave her Reiki. He is usually shy about sharing it (he's a teenager now) so I was quite happy when he told me what he did! He said she felt the heat and the energy and enjoyed the "treatment."

When one of the boys has an exam in school, we make time to send Reiki to them. We send the mental/emotional symbol for relaxation and clear thinking. A few weeks ago, when John was taking his Math Regents exam, Bob and I stopped what we were doing and sent Reiki 5 minutes before the exam began. John told us later that he felt this energy come over him and he felt really good taking the test. I also send the boys Reiki when they are into sibling rivalry and fighting. Again, I use the mental/emotional symbol to help heal the relationship and ask for the best outcome.

We also send Reiki as a family to other family members in difficult times. When my cousin died this year at 46 years of age, it was a difficult time for the entire family. The boys and I prepared them emotionally and asked that we give ourselves Reiki for a few minutes before we went in. I also asked them to bring Reiki in, fill themselves up with it, and then let it flow from them to our relatives and friends who needed it.

We also send Reiki to anyone in the family who is sick or in distress. We just stop what we are doing, invoke the distant healing symbol, and think of the person or situation and let the Reiki flow. We always ask for the best outcome and let Reiki do what needs to be done.

When Bob has important business meetings, or travels, the boys and I send Reiki for a successful outcome or safety. When I travel to teach, they send me Reiki as well.

What I have found is that the use of Reiki in the family helps us all to be more understanding and accepting and compassionate with each other. It helps us really focus on the love we feel for each other.

An interesting family experience was when I gave my niece a Reiki session (she is 30) and she loved it! I explained what Reiki is and that we all do it. She then said, "I always knew there was something special and different about your family!" That was one of the best compliments I ever had! We have since had many interesting conversations and it brought our relationship to a different and more enjoyable level.

One very special family use of Reiki was by two of my students from New England. They took the Master class in December 1997, and their gift to their family for Christmas was the gift of Reiki. On Christmas Eve, they gathered their family together (mom and dad and sisters), talked about Reiki, and then gave them their first degree attunement. Even the cat joined in! That was their sharing of their love for their family. They have shared it ever since.

Some other ways families can use Reiki is if someone is terminally ill or going through radiation or chemotherapy. The family members learn Reiki and are able to give their loved ones Reiki to support their process. They also have Reiki for themselves to replenish their energy and help them keep on keeping on. It is also useful for someone who has surgery. Giving Reiki before and after helps the healing process and strengthens the connection between family members.

Some women also study Reiki so that they can give themselves and their baby Reiki during their pregnancy. What a gift that baby has receiving Reiki even before it's born!

Reiki is good for all aspects of loving and living together. It helps us to be the people we are truly meant to be. It helps us to remember to be compassionate and understanding and tolerant of those we love and live with.

How do you share Reiki with your family and friends?

Reiki and Meditation

2005-12-20T23:10:00.000-08:00

Creating Time and Developing Focus

When teaching Reiki classes I often speak of “my Reiki meditations”. This stirs questions and comments from many of the students. Frequently students exclaim “I just can’t meditate”, “My mind is always wandering”, “I don’t have time to meditate”, “How do I use Reiki to help me learn to meditate”, “I’ve meditated for years, why do I need to use Reiki?”

It wasn’t until I began incorporating Reiki into my meditations that I began to feel like I was really accomplishing something. I happen to be a Gemini with an Aquarius moon, talk about mental chatter! So if I can learn to meditate with the help of Reiki, I believe anyone can!

The purpose of meditation

First let’s consider the purpose of meditation and the forms it can take. Meditation is the art of creating a quiet mind and listening to the sound of silence. Where prayer is the act of talking with the Divine, meditation is the act of listening and truly hearing what God has to share with us. This can take place during special sacred moments that you set aside specifically for the purpose of meditation, or spontaneously. Activities when spontaneous meditations often occur are while brushing your teeth, in the shower, hiking, running, washing the dishes, mowing the lawn and yes, we have all had those auto-pilot moments while driving the car.

Creating time

Now, what about that challenge of making time to meditate? This is a challenge for nearly every person on the planet. Multi-tasking is a way of life for so many people, and time seems to be moving faster every day. So how does one make time? Simple… just DO it! Our communion with the Divine through prayer and meditation is THE single most important thing we can do each day. NOTHING holds more urgency for the development of our day, the events in our life and the growth of our soul. The most important relationship we have is our relationship with God. The quality of all our other relationships is influenced by our ability to commune with God as we would with a friend.

The best way I have found to create time to meditate is by starting my day earlier, and the first thing I do is my prayer, meditation and distant Reiki practice. Whatever the schedule of my household is at the time, I arise at least an hour before everyone else. This is MY precious time. These are sacred moments and they are just for me. You deserve precious, sacred moments to commune with and develop a relationship, a friendship with God and with the healing love of the Reiki energy.

Creating Focus

Usui Sensei taught his students the first pillar of Reiki, the Gassho meditation. Gassho means “two hands coming together”. Dr. Usui taught his students to place their hands in the Gassho position every morning and evening. Gassho teaches the art of quieting the mind and creating single pointed focus in meditation. One basically places their hands in prayer position, closes their eyes, and brings all their awareness to the tip of the fire (middle) finger. When the mind wanders, gently press the fire fingers together and refocus. This technique is detailed in “Reiki the Healing Touch”.

I begin my daily sessions with Gassho, and then I offer prayers for myself, for others and the planet. Next I send distant Reiki to all who have requested it.

A 21-Day Reiki Meditation Program

have used the following 21-day program to learn more about Reiki, develop the ability to focus, to empower my prayers, goals and visions; and to receive answers.

Days 1-7 – Begin by creating an intention or a question. Draw the Usui power symbol in front of your body and with your hands, move the energy into your solar plexus. Breathe deeply, imagining that you are breathing in the essence of the symbol. As you exhale allow the energy to permeate every cell of your body, and expand out into your emotional body, your mental body, all the way into your spiritual body. State your intention or ask your question. Sit quietly with this energy for 5-15 minutes. If your mind wanders, simply invoke the name of the power symbol three times and visualize it. When you finish, acknowledge that you are holding the full light of the Reiki energy and it will be with you through your day. Write notes about your experience in a journal. Include any thoughts, words, images or feelings that came to you. Do this even if there seems to be no logic to it. Often Reiki and the Divine speak to us in symbols, or with pieces of a puzzle that will come together later by reflecting back on your journal.

Days 8-14 – Begin by creating an intention or a question. Draw the Usui mental and emotional symbol in front of your body and with your hands, move the energy into your heart. Breathe deeply, imagining that you are breathing in the essence of the symbol. As you exhale allow the energy to permeate every cell of your body, and expand out into your emotional body, your mental body, all the way into your spiritual body. Imagine any unhealthy mental or emotional patterns being rewoven into healthy thought, feeling and response patterns. State your intention or ask your question. Sit quietly with this energy for 5-15 minutes. If your mind wanders, simply invoke the name of the mental emotional symbol three times and visualize it. When you finish, acknowledge that you are holding the full love of the Reiki energy and it will be with you through your day. Write notes about your experience in a journal.

Days 15-21 - Begin by creating an intention or a question.Draw the Usui distant healing symbol in front of your body and with your hands, move the energy into your entire body beginning by moving the energy from the crown and down through your feet. Breathe deeply, imagining that you are breathing in the essence of the symbol. As you exhale allow the energy to permeate every cell of your body, and expand out into your energy field.State your intention or ask your question.

Take a moment to imagine or visualize the symbol taking the form of a bridge of light. This bridge reaches through time and through space. Allow the bridge of light to carry Reiki energy back in time as it permeates all levels of your consciousness and the multiple dimensions of your being.

Next allow the energy to flow forward in time creating harmonious energy in your future. Now bring the energy into the present moment. Sit quietly with this energy for 5-15 minutes. If your mind wanders, simply invoke the name of the distant symbol three times and visualize it. When you finish, acknowledge that you are holding the timeless healing power of the Reiki energy and it will be with you through your day. Write notes about your experience in a journal.

This 21 day program is designed for those who are attuned to level two Reiki. Level I practitioners could modify it using level I energy instead of the symbols. It is possible to also extend the program for another 21 days by replacing the symbols with the three Reiki Master symbols, or with the Karuna symbols of your choice.

I hope you find these suggestions helpful, and that you are willing to explore the importance of creating special time to deepen your relationship with the Divine and the love of the Reiki energy.

MEDITATION

2005-12-20T23:00:00.000-08:00

Meditation is used to both relax the physical body and to enhance and accelerate spiritual growth and enlightenment. People who practice meditation on a regular basis look and feel younger, more alert, more creative, and better able to handle the stresses of the day. Meditation that relieves stress will show up on your face as it helps give that peaceful look that can take 5 to 15 years off your actual age. Meditation is also invaluable as a tool for self-healing. Giving your body as little as 5-10 minutes of quiet or shall we say "down time" a day can help boost the immune system and keep your body healthy. An improved immune system can help keep you from getting the common cold. Ever connect the fact that when you are feeling overwhelmed that seems to be the time that you get a cold or flu bug? Then you are forced to regroup and rest. Meditation may actually help keep you from continually "coming down with something".
There are many techniques for Meditation. Some of the more popular ones are listed here:

CHAKRA BALANCING MEDITATION

Place a crystal at or under the feet when doing this meditation. This is a modified form of the Taoist Microcosmic Orbit meditation. Its purpose is to open and clear the chakras and create a clear pathway for higher frequency energies as they are brought into your system. It will allow these higher energies to be fully assimilated and prevent problems caused by too much energy in the head or other parts of the body. It will also purify and/or release from your system any negative energy you may have released from storage within yourself or that you may have attracted. By circulating your energy, the negative energy is transmuted in the chakras as it passed through them and may also be released from the chakras. This happens automatically as you circulate it.
Hold your tongue to the roof of your mouth and gently contract the Hui Yin points. Then,, picture the Power symbol at the navel point and hold your attention there for 30 sec. or up to several minutes. Then move to the next point down and do the same, proceeding around and up the spine to the head and back to the navel using the points on the Reiki 3 Mediation chart. This will open and clear each chakra. Then, run white light around this circuit for several minutes or up to a half hour. Picture it moving through each point. The flow is always down the front and up the spine. You may choose to do this as a separate meditation from the complete Reiki 3 meditation. It is very soothing and creates a calm balanced state.
Earth Grounding Meditation.
Used for when you get that "Spaced Out" feeling. Helps to focus one's attention on the here and now.Begin by taking a deep, slow breath in ....release slowly out. Do several times paying attention to your body responding by allowing stress and tensions to flow out of the body and away. Close your eyes and picture yourself as your favorite tree. Feel roots sprouting from the soles of your feet and searching deeper ....deeper ...into mother earth. Feel strong ....feel rooted.....feel grounded. When you can feel the strength that comes from being fully grounded in the earth, move your thoughts up your legs, torso, shoulders, neck, face, up to the top of your head. Feel branches sprouting from the top of your head, reaching ...stretching ...opening ....towards the sky. Higher.....higher ..towards the sky. Feel the great expansion from your branches. Bring your thoughts back to your roots and slowly inhale the energy that is freely given to you from Mother Earth. Inhale slowly up the trunk of your body and exhale through the branches over your head. Feel the cycle of breath energy coming up from your roots and showering over your head through the branches. Continue for a few more breaths. When you are ready, open your eyes. Feel stronger. Feel grounded.Other things that may help you feel grounded is to take off your shoes and allow your bare feet to play in the dirt. You may also try wiggling your toes in the sand at the beach. When I had trouble working on being grounded, I would go to the beach, dig two holes, stick my feet in them, and cover them in with sand. I would then begin my grounding meditations. Somehow, having the feeling of sand (or dirt) covering me halfway up to the knew, helped in visualizing the grounding. You may also wish to hold a handful of fresh dirt in your hands, feel the energy that is in the soil. Contemplate it, exchange with it. You may even wish to bring it into the house and place in a bowl (maybe added to your altar) to bring your focus to the earth, thus to grounding.You can also wear articles of clothing that are black, brown, or other earth tones to help you with the feeling of groundedness.Wearing jewelry or meditating with some of the following crystals/gemstones may also help. Look especially for stones that are in the black/brown family, such as: Hematite, Onyx, Black tourmaline, or Tiger's Eye.

White Light Meditation

Focus on each part of the body. Staring from the feet. Progressively relax each part consciously till you reach the crown of the head.

Repeat the last step by breathing love and gratitude in every part to your body. Give special attention to stiff or painful areas.

Thank your higher self.

Close your eyes and go into your mind and imagine a ball of white light hovering six inches above your head (your crown chakra). See this white light as very bright, very clear, and filled with a most wonderful energy that you have ever experienced. Feel the energy from this ball as it floats above your head.

Focus on your crown chakra area and allow it to open to receive the energy from this ball of white light. As you open your crown chakra to receive this energy you feel completely at ease, completely safe.

Draw down this white light energy into your forehead, your eyes, nose, cheeks, chin.

Draw down this white light energy into your throat, shoulders elbows, wrists, to each and every finger. Feel the energy in your fingertips right now, feel it tingle with energy and excitement.

Draw down the white light energy down your chest, hips, thighs, knees, calves, ankles, into each and every toe. Feel the toes tingle as the energy fills them.

Picture this white light energy filling up your entire body.
Now, expand this white light energy to include your house and breathe love into it.

Expand your love to all the people who are a part of your life.

Spread your love to the city you live in.

Reach with love towards your country and then the whole world. Include mountains, cities, rivers and humanity in general.

Feel the floor of love energy from your heart engulfing the world and the whole universe.
Maintain the feeling of love for a few minutes.

Withdraw your aura back towards your body. Thank Your self and God for this beautiful experience.

I share this process with you in the hope that your adventures into this aspect of our consciousness will be as exciting as mine have been.

To begin with, accept the subtle energies of the world around you as reality. These energies play as vital a role as human begings do in planetary evolution. Recognise the life force in every thing you see, smell, touch, taste and hear, as also in what you cannot sense or imagine. Accepting their reality and capacity to interact with you intelligently is a necessary part of this work.

Listen and honour the directions of your inner voice system or intuition. Follow the directions of intuition by closely listening to your true feeling. Do not write them off as imagination. With experience, you will learn to didtinguish the fact that imagination and logic come from the left brain and intuition, with its base in feelings, flows from the right brain. Intuition simply informs without analysis or judgement. Remember, it is the voice of your true self, so learn to trust it.

Develop your third eye vision by strengthening the third eye chakra, the area which lies in the centre of your forehead, directly above the beginining of your eyebrows. There are a number of yogic and non-yogic and non-yogic exercise that can help you do this.

Sharpen time alone amidst nature. Use all five senses to establish a close rapport with the wonders of creation. Kinesthetically feel the places and persons you meet routinely. Get familiar with your personal energy, and develop the habit of felling the vibrations around you. Using your kinesthetic sense is an important part of all energy work.

Spend time alone amidst nature. Use all five senses to establish a close rapport with the wonders of creation. kinesthetically feel the places and persons you meet routinely. Get familiar with your personal energy, and develop the habit of feeling the vibrsations around you. Using your kinesthetic sense is an important part of all energy work.
Spend ten minutes daily on the love light meditation (see box) to dramatically alter the quality of your day.

Before allempting to tune into another's energy field, complete the Love Light Meditation. With eyes closed, feel your love spread through the whole universe, establish in your mind that you are divine being and then use your third eye to visualise your subject with complete love and respect. Request permission from his higher self to make this connection. Listen carefully as the answer will be translated to you through your intuition.

To scan your subject (this step is a continuation of fine-tuning). Continue to focus on your third eye centre. Empty your mind of all biases and judgements. Becoming thought-free. If possoble, using your inner vision. Scan your subject's physical body slowly from head to toe. Repeat this exercise three times. Again , Remember what you "See" Scan the first three layers of the aura one by one. Do this three times. Again, remember what you see. Ask your subject's higher self if there is any information it has for you. Wait for a response. End this meditation by thanking yourself. Your subject and its higher self. And all the divine energies that made this connection possible. Note down all the details of the fine turning and scanning is privileged and should not be conveyed to anyone except the person concerned or his representative.

What can Reiki treat?

2005-12-20T22:59:00.000-08:00

Reiki is a particularly gentle technique because it is non-invasive and non-manipulative. Treatments can be used to facilitate physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. Treatments can be done on oneself, others, animals, plants, etc. Reiki treatments can be used for nearly all conditions, with little or no side effects (some clients may experience light-headedness, sinus drainage, increased gastrointestinal activity, etc.)
Reiki treatments usually take an hour to an hour and one-half, but short treatments can also be effective. Sometimes they are given on a table (such as a massage table), or mini-treatments can be given with the client seated in a chair. Generally, full Reiki treatments involve the practitioner moving his/her hands through a series of positions on the face, head, the front of the body from the throat region to the hips, and the back from the neck down to the tailbone. Reiki is also effective in treating injuries: bruises, cuts, etc. It can help to alleviate pain and speed healing.
Reiki treatments can also be done at a distance from the client. With the client's permission, energy can be transmitted to a client from far away. Distance and emotional healing are learned in the second level of training

What is the history of Reiki?

2005-12-20T22:58:00.000-08:00

Reiki's tradition and history is oral and generally passed from Reiki Master to student during training. Some of the writings tell the story of how Dr. Mikao Usui, a Japanese Christian educator, discovered the ancient healing art in Japan in the late 1800's. His revelations paved the way for its emergence in the United States and the rest of the world. There are stories about the life and work of Dr. Usui or "sensei"(teacher) as he is affectionately called. Recommended readings for the history of Reiki include: "Reiki Fire" by Frank Arjava Petter and "Reiki, The Healing Touch" by William Rand.
Based on ancient Buddhist and Hindu teachings, Dr. Usui evolved a system of healing through study, research, and meditation. He practiced and taught this method of natural healing using the laying on of hands. In the traditional Reiki lineage, he trained Chujiro Hayashi to continue his work after his death. Dr. Hayashi then opened a clinic and school in Tokyo where he trained his successor, Mrs. Hawayo Takata, who brought Reiki to the mainland of the U.S. Between 1945 and 1970, she was the only living Reiki Master in the world. Between 1970 and 1980, she trained twenty-one Reiki Masters. Mrs. Takata's granddaughter, Phyllis Lei Furumoto, is the currently the Grand Master of the Usui System of Natural Healing (Usui Shiki Ryoho).

Reiki is based on five spiritual principles:

Just for today do not worry.
Just for today do not anger.
Honor your parents, teachers and elders.
Earn your living honestly.
Show gratitude to everything.

What is Reiki?

2005-12-20T22:55:00.000-08:00

Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is a Japanese word meaning "universal life energy." This life force energy can be defined as energy in all created matter. "Ki" is similar in thought to "chi" or "qi" in Chinese medicine, Hindu "prana" and Christian "light." Reiki is hands-on energy healing where the practitioner serves as an open channel for transmitting the "ki" to others. The energy is channeled through the hands to the client, which activates the body's own natural ability to heal itself. Reiki goes to wherever it is needed most, releasing blocked energies, cleansing the body of toxins, working to create a state of balance and harmony, and promoting relaxation and healing.
Reiki practitioners, with a centered intent to help the client achieve relaxation, reduce pain and/or anxiety, use their hands to direct healing energy. The practitioner's intent is to support the healing process from a conscious and compassionate state. The client, to benefit, must have the willingness to (change) that which is to be helped. Light touch is used on, or above the client's fully-clothed body. Shoes can be removed for added comfort.
Reiki practices are just beginning to be formally studied. Case studies are published in books, magazines and on the web for more information about others' experiences.