My Reiki 25th Birthday!

It is 25 years this February since I learned Reiki (as you probably know already).  I had found Reiki treatments comforting following the sudden death of my father and I loved the feeling of peace of mind it brought me.  I decided to learn Reiki so that I could offer other people the same feelings.   I was taught by Martha Sylvester, one of the first Reiki masters teaching in the UK.  Learning 1st degree class was one of the most special weekends of my life (as many of my students will have heard me say!).

I have been re-reading my diary that I wrote at the time.   It is interesting to see what I thought as a very new first degree student, with the hindsight of so many years and so much experience in Reiki – including of course many years of initiating students myself.

Me around the time I learned Reiki!

 “Friday 3^rd February 1989

I went to the first part of the Reiki course this evening. I have now received the first initiation and it felt like a light or joy coming into me from the top of my head. We actually did our first practice on each other this evening which was good.   Martha told us to Reiki ourselves tonight so I'm sure I will sleep well!”

I remember well the excitement of feeling Reiki in my own hands for the first time and that this was possible on the first evening!  I had forgotten about the feeling of “light or joy” in the first initiation, but this is a feeling I’m very familiar with now when practising Reiki.  

In the following extract you may notice that I received both the second and third initiations on the same day.  This was common practice at the time, when Reiki masters travelled a lot to do classes.  Some of you will remember that’s how Alec and I taught at the beginning too.  Subsequently we were encouraged by Phyllis Furumoto (Lineage Bearer of Usui Shiki Ryoho) to teach over four days.  I was resistant at first (three days seems more ‘convenient’) but having tried it I found 4 days better, giving students more time to integrate the changes that take place during the class. 

“Saturday 4^th February 

I’ve now received the 2^nd and 3^rd initiations and it’s been an amazing day.  We learned the head positions, practised those on each other and in the afternoon learned the positions for the front of the body, so we all got treated twice by 5 people at once!  While I was treating I thought of how much I’d looked forward to this .... it was not only as good as I’d hoped but an even more wonderful experience.

I had different sensations with the other two initiations.  With the second this morning I felt a real warmth rush to my hands.  The feeling of the third was more subtle and hard to describe.  Again it was a kind of joy and opening deep inside.”

I can still remember that rush of heat in my hands during the initiation and many of my students have described something similar.   I have also heard many Reiki students attempt to describe the feelings that arise when learning Reiki: it’s often described it as a feeling of ‘coming home’.

 “Saturday 4^th February (continued)

At the end of  the day Martha taught us the positions for treating ourselves.  Earlier in the day I realised what a wonderful gift I am giving to myself since I will be able to use it to heal myself as well as other people.  I’d always thought that First Degree Reiki was only healing on the physical level, but as I understand it now it works “from the inside out” as Martha put it, the emotional and spiritual is healed as well.  

It’s funny, waiting so long for the Reiki course I’d almost forgotten what it was.  I keep being delighted at what I am now able to do.  I feel my hands becoming hot and know they can heal and it is wonderful.”

I’m interested to note that we were taught self treatment and encouraged to use it – and that it was something I intended to do.  How wonderful that I recognised the gift I had given myself.  However what happened over the next few years was that I became much more focused on giving than receiving, helping others rather than taking care of myself.  As you may know it took a long time for my self treatment practice to become daily.  I’m always delighted when my students come back and tell me they are self treating regularly because now I know how beneficial it is!

“Sunday 5^th February

I woke as if from a nightmare, feeling the new energy trembling in me and at the same time not frightened by the dream. It was this: I was in a place where there was a house a bit like my childhood home.  Then a tremendous wind came.  It started ripping tiles off the roof.  A man (possibly my father) was in the house, dodging the falling tiles.  They were smashing onto the ground all around, but although there were other people there, there didn’t seem to be any risk of anyone really being hurt.  Then, with most of the tiles gone, the chimneys began to fall and the rest of the roof go.  Soon the house was little more than a roofless shell, the wind still ripping it apart.    I told Martha about it today and conveyed my feeling of it being a cleansing wind.  She said it was perhaps breaking down old defences.   She thought it was very positive anyway.

Today I received the fourth and final initiation.  I did not have any very strong sensation this time, was only very aware of what she did, pressing my head, blowing on me etc. although my hands did get hot again.

So I am now certified as having achieved First Degree Reiki.  

I had a very good experience with the treatment I gave today.  At the end of it the bloke jumped off the table and said “You’re so strong!”  He’d had really strong sensations (including fleetingly being in touch with being a kid again!) and felt my hands very hot in some places.  In others he’d felt emotions about to come out.  He was totally bowled over by the experience and it was wonderful to have such a positive response.”

An interesting dream!  It remains vivid and certainly seems to have been connected with learning Reiki.  

Another thing I remember is that when the certificates were handed out, there wasn’t one for me!  I had to pluck up the courage to ask for it (I was shyer in those days) and Martha apologised and said she was sure it was significant.  Perhaps it was an early lesson in asking for what I need!

It’s lovely to read again how much I enjoyed giving that treatment – I still experience the same joy when helping people with Reiki treatments, although with many years’ experience I think I’m better at getting less over-involved now!

Thank you, thank you, thank you: to Alec for introducing me to Reiki, to Martha for teaching me Reiki and to myself for deciding to learn!

I’d love to hear your own experiences of learning Reiki.  Did you keep a journal at the time too?  Did you have any similar experiences?

Keeping a Gratitude Journal

I have often found January a tough month with the anti-climax after all the busyness and festivities of Christmas.  January can be the worst month of the year for me: it is cold, dark, with short days and there is nothing special to look forward to in the near future.

Giving myself Reiki on a daily basis has improved my health, including my mental and spiritual health.  I have also found other practices that help me and I would like to share one of them with you as a gift to welcome the New Year...

Keeping a Gratitude Journal

All you need to do is find a lovely notebook that gives you pleasure to handle and a good pen or pencil you enjoy writing with.  A simple notebook will do, but if it is a thing of beauty it will encourage you to pick it up each day.  Then simply write down in the book, at the end of each day, 5 things that you are grateful for.  You need to write 5 different things, but you can write the same things again the next day if you want to.

You could write down people you are grateful to have in your life, your home, your animal friends or the food you eat.  You could write about something of beauty you have seen or experienced during the day, such as waking up after a good sleep, being free from pain or meeting an old friend.

I made a commitment to keeping a Gratitude Journal for a year and ended up doing it every day for 2 years.  As I didn’t find it easy to practice anything on a daily basis this was truly amazing!  After a bad day it was often difficult to think of 5 things; but on those days it helped me to refocus on the blessings in my life.  Then I was able to go to sleep with those positive thoughts in my head, instead of staying awake and worrying about the bad things.  Also I was able to look back at previous days and see how much good there is in my life.

Sometimes I had more than 5 things to write and this brought home to me the wonderful abundance of my life.  Writing the gratitude journal each day seemed to allow more abundance to come into my life too.  I attended a workshop on the Reiki Principles only 6 months after starting this practice and we were asked to spend a 10 minutes writing down things we were grateful for. I wrote for the whole time without stopping and still could have written more, thanks to being so much in touch with gratitude in my life.  And I noted that the Reiki Principles encourage us to SHOW gratitude, in other words make it an action, not just a thought.  Keeping a gratitude journal does just that!

So why not make it a resolve for this year to keep a gratitude journal?  It is a simple thing to do that will help to improve the quality of your life.

From an article in my 2007 January newsletter

Thank You Letter

After Christmas, as a child, I was encouraged to write thank-you letters for the gifts I received.  At the time it seemed a chore, but I’m grateful to my parents for teaching me the importance of gratitude.  So as the New Year begins I am writing this letter of thanks for some of the Reiki gifts received in the past year.

Thank you to everyone who chose to come for Reiki treatments: for some it was a new experience, for others a continuation of the Reiki journey.  To those who decided to try Reiki for the first time I’m grateful you overcame any reservations you may have had and gave it a go!  Thank you to those who continued to receive healing for your faith in Reiki.

Thank you to all the new students who learned Reiki last year.  You have given yourselves a great gift, and it was also a joy and an honour for me to be able to teach you.  I’m also grateful to those students who decided to deepen their Reiki learning by doing Second Degree.  It’s always exciting for me to open up even more potential with Reiki, so thank you for your commitment and dedication to the practice that led you to move forwards.

Thank you to all my existing students who have supported the Reiki Shares and other classes over the past year.  Whether you came to several or just one, it’s always good to see you, hear the stories you have to share and how you are integrating Reiki in your life.  I always enjoy receiving Reiki from my students – I am often moved by the feeling of your Reiki hands, knowing that I helped you to have this healing gift.

Thank you to the Second Degree students who sent me Reiki recently when I hurt my back, rescuing a sheep.  I was touched to receive so many messages of support and it was wonderful feeling the waves of warmth soothing my back.  Asking for help isn’t easy, so this experience was a good learning experience too, showing me that help is forthcoming in abundance when needed if I just ask!

I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with Phyllis Furumoto this year in various ways, helping to support her teaching in the UK and other countries.  I was honoured to be invited to be a ‘docent’ at the retreat in Spain, helping to facilitate the process of the group.  It was also wonderful to be asked to teach some songs to what I realised later was the biggest ‘choir’ I’d ever led!

I’m grateful to my friends and colleagues in The Reiki Association and Reiki Council.  I am constantly excited and surprised by where Reiki is taking us and delighted with the growing connections between Reiki people.

Thank you to Jenny Bracelin who has been my business coach over the past year.  I’m grateful for her help and encouragement through what has not been an easy year to be in a small business.  I know that many small businesses have not been able to survive, so I’m grateful that I have been financially supported so that I was able to continue to offer the gift of Reiki for my living over the past year.

I'm grateful to my Reiki master Martha Sylvester for teaching me Reiki and lastly (for now) I’m grateful to Reiki for the healing, growth and comfort I’ve received this year.  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

Time for Rest

The Season for Rest

One of the things I love about giving Reiki treatments is seeing people relax and rest for a while.  In

During winter Nature takes a rest. The trees have let go of their leaves, withdrawing their energy to survive until longer days return.  Many other plants also withdraw underground until Spring.  I sometimes wonder how the birds make it though the long cold nights without feeding.   Hedgehogs have a good way to cope with the cold: they sleep all winter!

such a busy world it is such a gift to have an hour or so of silence and the deep relaxation Reiki can offer.  It often takes people a while to wind down, but even the fact that they are letting themselves lie quietly for a time is so beneficial.  I know that people often find this restfulness continues over the following hours and even days.

Busy, stressed, over-tired

For many of us, this time of year is very busy as we rush around getting ready for Christmas.  This often includes getting stressed and over-tired, using up a lot of energy at a time when the rest of nature is taking things slower, conserving energy to make it through the long cold nights and resting.

Perhaps that is why a lot of people succumb to colds and flu during the winter.  I know I go down with a virus when my energy is low, usually because I haven’t been mindful of how I’m using my energy.  If I just take enough rest (as well as proper nutrition and plenty of Reiki) my immune system is strong enough to fight them off.  This includes getting enough good quality sleep – something Reiki often helps with.  I know that many of my Reiki students place their hands on themselves when they go to bed because it helps them to go to sleep easily and quickly.

Preparation

During this resting time Nature is also preparing for the new season.  What we don’t see is the growth that is happening underground, as shoots work their way towards the surface, seeds prepare to grow and the buds form that will become next year’s new leaves.  In a similar way we can also prepare for next year, dreaming dreams and making plans.  In a restful state the mind is more creative, a most enjoyable state of being!  That is why the answer to decisions or questions can often arise during a Reiki treatment: the mind is at rest, so creative thoughts can arise.

So may I suggest you take some time to rest during December and January?  If you have learned Reiki, why not take a break from the frantic busyness and give yourself the delicious treat of a long self-treatment during the afternoon (sometimes known as a Reiki Nap)?  If you get snowed in, rather than see it as an irritation perhaps you can see it as an opportunity for rest and Reiki.

Reiki Rest

If you haven’t learned Reiki perhaps you can find a Reiki practitioner near you who can give you a restful, regenerative Reiki healing (for many of my clients this includes a little sleep!).  Even if you have learned Reiki, receiving a treatment from someone else is a good idea – you can relax even more if someone else is taking care of the timing and where the hands rest

I wish you a restful and peaceful Christmas holiday, preparing for a happy and healthy New Year

Do you find it difficult to stop and rest?  Perhaps you have some good techniques for taking time out? Do share your thoughts.

Resistance is Useless

Resistance is useless

On one of my recent birthdays I chose to visit the Dr Who exhibition with my family.  As we walked into one of the rooms a dalec turned towards us and said “Resisntance is useless!”  I laughed that such a profound spiritual teaching could come from this source!

I have heard this phrase in other sci-fi stories – of course it’s always the baddies who are saying it, hoping I suppose that the ‘victims’ will just surrender.  In real life, however, I’ve found that resistance can be what stands in the way of a happy and fulfilled life.

Change

Have you ever found yourself in the situation where you had a decision to make that could lead to something new or a change in your life?  Have you noticed a part of you that would prefer you not to make that change?  That part of you likes things as they are: apparently safe and comfortable.  It will tell you about all sorts of dangers that are lurking ahead if you make that change.  That’s the voice of your resistance speaking.

Resistance is tiring

What I’ve also heard from a spiritual teacher is that it’s resistance that makes us tired.  Like rocks that slow the flow of water, mental resistance inhibits the natural flow of life, creating difficulty and distress.  It doesn’t feel good when there’s resistance who what should be.

I’ve had an experience of that recently when I was invited to take on a new role.  I experienced a lot of resistance – which even kept me awake at night, so I was certainly tired as a result!  I had so many ‘good’ reasons not to make this change, yet I was not able to simply say no.  Over the years through my Reiki practice I have deepened my self knowledge, so I knew something else was going on.

Reiki helps

I found Reiki very helpful in my dilemma.  By doing distant treatment to the problem and treating myself I was able to bring my mind and body into a calmer state, which allowed me to see the resistance for what it was and gently let it go.

Personal Growth

Personal growth is one of the four aspects of Usui Shiki Ryoho that students of this system receive when they practice.  The ability to move through resistance, to transform it into forward momentum with the help of Reiki is one way that this is manifest.

Resistance is an expression of fear: of change, of loss and of loss of control for example.  It can also be a fear of personal growth.  You may be familiar with the words of Marianne Williamson that: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”  So the resistance we experience is often an attempt by the part of ourselves that believes it’s not safe or appropriate to reach for that power.  As Marianne goes on to say: “Your playing small does not serve the world.”

Over the years I have often seen my Reiki students overcome inner resistance to become more empowered in their lives, making choices that allow their light to shine.  The world is certainly a better place as a result!

Going for a Walk

Going for a walk

In addition to giving people Reiki treatments we are told that Hawayo Takata, the woman who brought Reiki from Japan to the West, would also give health advice to help people in their healing.  One of the suggestions she made was that people should walk for 30 minutes each day.

This is of course now also advice we are given by doctors and other health professionals.  It’s also something a lot of people struggle to do. 

A few months ago we took on a new dog.  After the death of my old dog last summer I didn’t enjoy going for a walk on my own and even before she died it was a struggle as she wanted to go out less and I was very busy.  When I decided to have another dog I made a commitment to taking her for daily walks and this has been wonderful.  I have really enjoyed getting away from my desk for a while to re-connect with Nature and have some exercise.

One of the things I like about Takata’s advice is that, like Reiki, it’s simple.  All you have to do is go out, put one foot in front of the other and keep doing that for a while.  I find that this simple practice helps my mind as well as my body.  It helps increase my fitness but also allows me to unwind mentally.

I enjoy looking at the plants, birds and animals around me, the scents of the changing seasons and feel of different weather on my skin.  Recently there’s been lots of sunshine of course which has been wonderful – and great for topping up the vitamin D in preparation for the winter!

I enjoy watching the fun my dog has running around too and this lifts my heart if I’m having a troublesome day.  I also find that walking is a good way to solve a problem.  I read recently that the word ‘problem’ comes from the Greek meaning “the rocks put in our way by the gods”.  Sitting at my desk doesn’t help get round those rocks, but going for a walk often does!  As I walk and my mind relaxes, a solution often appears in a most unexpected way.  I also find Reiki treatments have a similar effect in that they also relax my mind and allow creative solutions to come forth.

Like Reiki, and as Mrs Takata suggested, it’s also good as a daily practice.  I’ve noticed that the more I practice daily the things that help me keep healthy, the less out of balance I get, so it’s easier and quicker for equilibrium to be restored.  Like Reiki, walking encourages flow both physically and mentally, enhances living in the present moment and enlivens the senses. 

So I’m grateful for the gift brought by my dog who encourages me to go walking each day and the joy that brings.  Yesterday I discovered harebells growing in a lane where I never would have expected them.  Bliss!

What Diet Is Good For You?

Best diet for you

Chatting over lunch with some Reiki students recently the subject of dietary needs came up.  Various ideas about what people should and shouldn’t eat were discussed.  What struck me thinking about this discussion, and my own exploration of what diet makes me most healthy, is that advice can often be conflicting.

For example: for a woman of my age (menopausal) there is advice that soya can be helpful and the example of women in Japan who rarely suffer from hot flushes is given.  Then another expert advises that everyone should stay away from soya as it can be antagonistic to the human body.  So do I eat soya or not?

There are abundant theories about what diet can help us reach our ‘ideal’ weight.  What people find is that they don’t always work.  Our discussion over lunch included the ‘Blood Type Diet’ which some find works while others say it doesn’t.  What I think the blood type diet does offer is an insight into the fact that what works for one person is not necessarily good for another.

First Step

 Over the years I’ve made various changes to my diet and as a result feel more healthy and balanced.  I also find that I have a greater resilience, bouncing back more quickly from any infection or stressful time.  Most of the insights about what I needed to change came during my Reiki self treatments.  Often they began as vague intuition, frequently met by resistance due to the comforting nature of what I was feeling needed to be given up.  Reiki seems to help this resistance, because after a while of holding awareness of the need for change, one day it was an easy decision to take the first step.

What I have also learned is that we are all unique.   What nourishes us can depend not only on the genes we were born with, but also on how we were nourished in our early years of development.  It’s also common knowledge that what we like to eat has an emotional aspect to it for many people.

Comfort Eating

For example when I decided I needed to stop eating wheat I found it challenging to stop eating scones, because a trip out to a lovely place with a tea of scones with jam and cream was always a happy time in my childhood.  The food therefore became associated with this happiness, so to decide to give it up felt like giving up some happiness!  What's also true is that being stressed about what to eat is not good for our health.

Where I feel Reiki really helps is that it meets the needs of each individual, embracing our uniqueness and helping us to do the same.  With Reiki treatments comes deeper connection with the intuition and inner wisdom that will guide each of us to our particular dietary recipe that will bring vitality and good health.  It also helps to resolve the emotional attachments that make some dietary changes so difficult.

Let Reiki Help

So next time you are struggling to resolve conflicting advice about what you should or shouldn’t eat – let Reiki help you.  If you have learned Reiki: give yourself a treatment, holding your dilemma in mind – or if you have second degree Reiki you could use those tools to bring clarity.  If you have not learned Reiki or feel you need another person to support you, then seek out a Reiki practitioner and receive healing with this focus in mind.

However you approach your dietary changes may you celebrate your uniqueness and eat delicious food that gives you vitality and health.