Creating Space with Reiki #3

I worked as a nurse on 3rd shift at the time of my first Reiki class. I don't know if you know about 3rd shift, but it is usually the shift that creates more stress in life for people due to the daylight sleeping and mal-alignment with friends and family who work during the day and sleep at night. Your whole life turns a little backward. The night before I was to leave for my Reiki class weekend I began to feel pretty poorly during my shift and made a doctors appointment that afternoon wanting to go home and sleep before I made the trip to Tampa. I was given the diagnosis of confirmed strep throat. GREAT! I chose to drive over to Tampa anyway, I needed the credit hours for nursing continuing credit.



Interestingly one of the attitudes (stubborn-ness) I have worked to balance is the one attitude that got me to Tampa in the first place, I felt terrible. I slept and slept and woke up early Saturday morning making a plea to God, I felt even worse than I had the night before. I said into the hotel room air around me, "God if my eyes do not open 10 minutes before that class starts, I am simply going to lay in this bed and sleep until theis weekend is over." I promtly laid down and fell asleep. My eyes opened at 9:50 that morning for a class that began at 10 a.m. I went to the class, and I was miserable. I can't really imagine how I seemed to the other participants. I was grumpy and growly and felt incredibly bad. Somehow my Reiki teacher recognized that I was in need of some kid gloves, she intuitively knew that if she pressed me too hard to participate in the class or pushed for me to give verbal answers to things about myself she was going to lose me. I was the lucky one though, because I was so filled with defensiveness, rage over what had transpired in my past, and simple anger and sadness that it most likely oooozed out every single pore, and she was sensitive enough to recognize how really fragile I was at that point in my life.



At the time of this monumental Reiki class I did not believe in angels, infact I believed that they were a mass hallucination on the planet! So of-course my Reiki master talked about them, and encouraged the students that weekend to pick up an angel card and read about the angel, and I adamently refused to do so. The class went on and on with my ego making regular appearances. "This is b.s., this is impossible, you already know about this, these people have no idea what they are doing, that teacher lady is wierd." If a judgement could be had I was having it, along with feeling badly, it made for a rather uncomfortable day. I couldn't wait for the class to end and get back to that bed in my hotel room, but first we had to become initiated into the healing system by attunements. GREAT! I not only was over being there with complete strangers, now someone had to touch me too. As my mind was wrapping itself around each concept that was being shared, my ego stalked the concepts like a rabid beast looking for anyway to break down the truth into a lie, I felt a bit like a ping pong ball. Little pings and pongs of truth were making it down inside the angry facade that I had unknowingly created to protect myself. I had gone from anger and disbelief to fear and hope, an emotion that I was really uncomfortable with.




We were given instructions on how to prepare for our attunement process. We sat serenely with our hands folded into prayer positions and I silently waited, okay; not absolutely silently because that rabid ego of mine was screaming RUN! At the time I felt so much fear I was shaking. I don't remember which moment it was that Spirit took over the process, but it happened. Because of the years of meditation I had previously studied, it was pretty easy for me to get into an altered state of awareness, my body seems to lock down and then at times I had been given to visions and information from the Spirit around me. At the touch of my Reiki teacher my body was in the lock down phase, ego screaming RUN!, and electric light shows and visions flitting across the surface of my mind. There I sat wondering and waiting, the visions became vivid and subtly the most gigantic angel I have EVER come across came into my field of vision, he seemed to be bigger than the building! The golden robes were all I could see and at the same time I was completely aware of the entire angel's being and the words and healing that were being poured into my heart and mind. Tears came, emotions flowed, and all I wanted to do was sleep. I wrote as my teacher had suggested after the attunement. I felt bigger somehow, expanded, and I almost ran not walked to the basket holding the angel cards, the angel I pulled was Raziel, and for me it meant an awful lot at the time. By the end of the weekend my strep throat was completely gone, my Reiki teacher had shown me kindness and compassion, I learned that I had not been the only person hurt by an egotistical spiritual teacher that abused their position and wielded pain and suffereing. Most of all though, I heard the sound of Spirit begin to stir within my heart and that was just like coming home.



It is interesting how through challenge and contrast many of us find our ways back into the innocence we were born with. It was through the contrast of my egoic experience, my pain, my drama that I could see how differently things could be and how I could strive to be a story of success and courage rather than yet another person in the ranks of the abused on the planet that had fallen into the cracks and stayed there. Reiki comes to the heart of humanity in an individual and special way. It whispers of hope and peace and reminds us through the 5 Reiki principles that there is indeed another way. Reiki and the practice of it's ideals in our lives opens up and encourages the use of intention in our daily lives. Of course it is a choice, how, when, where, and why we use Reiki is as individual and numerous as there are living beings on this planet and beyond this planet; yet it comes. Sometimes it finds us and shakes up our lives so loudly we are deaf after all of the shaking and rearrangement. Sometimes Reiki whispers to those of us willing to search and be silent enough to hear. Sometimes Reiki comes like cool and soothing spring water, washing the dust our own boots have kicked up, right out of our eyes leaving clarity and a sense of direction. However Reiki comes, it creates space in the mind and the heart for the budding of a new seed of hope. I wonder... how will Reiki bloom within you?

Reiki, Japan, and all of US!

Often when teaching Reiki we talk about the 1923 earthquake that devastated Japan and pulled Usui Sensei into the public arena of healing and teaching out of dire human need. Usui traveled and taught to assist his people in recovering after the massive blast that shook his country and the hearts and minds of his people. Usui stepped up and out into the public because of the need for his knowledge and compassion, and because of his people's need to feel relief and comfort.

Here we are 88 years later looking at the devistation of the people of Japan again. Many people are calling out that this is the end of days, that things are taking a turn for the worse, and largely that the world is on a path of certain destruction. I have no doubt that throughout history and throughout this world, people's fear becomes so large that they see earth-changes as a bad omen and the "end of times". This is not the first time those words have been whispered from the lips of our brothers and sisters as the Earth evolves and changes.

Usui stepped out with a tool to assist his people to find comfort and ease, and he practiced compassion in his work through teaching and his service to human kind. Because Usui was who he was and because he was willing to teach others I have been afforded the opportunity to share his system of healing with hundreds of people.

It can be easy to forget our center and our universal love in the midst of chaos and destruction.

This is a shrine on Mt Kurama, the mountain where Usui did his 21 day retreat and was given the knowledge of the system of Reiki. I have used it to gaze at and to see the beauty of Japan, to ignite my certainty that I do have something to offer on a global scale; because of so many brave Japanese people throughout the years.

Perhaps this is time to honor what has been given to us and offer our services to our global community through distance and hands on healing. You may notice that in the past few weeks your dreams have become more vivid and you are feeling as though you have worked all night long. For those of you that are lightworkers you are being asked to work with the planet and it's life in your night time hours. It can feel challenging and exciting to know that you are helping people even when you are sleeping.

Remember to offer yourself healing daily in your waking hours and offer to yourself and your world the kindness that the founder of Reiki was so generous to share with this world. You are a part of the legacy that Usui shared with the world and you are most certainly needed here, whether you are carpooling your kids to school or on the front lines feeding the hungry and easing discomfort.

YOU are the light of the world... always remember!

Everyday Heros

I have a friend that works 12 hour shifts. She is able to work from home near her family and loved ones. No commute, no co-workers, no packing of lunches or getting up before dawn to rush out the door. What a slice of heaven right? Ah no, she hates her job... reminds herself and family often of this fact. Yet her bills are paid and her family is fed and warm, the blessings truly abound. Sometimes it is so easy to miss what is right in front of us! Interesting isn't it?

I have a friend, she has been infected with HIV for over 20 years now. Her neuropathy is so terrible I am sure that if she can even feel her feet it is only because it feels like white hot pins are stabbing the feet and legs. She has been diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer for about 8 years now I believe, maybe more. Because of her disease process we can't even tell when something goes sky-woggled in her body, if the cause is really the cause. Recently she came out of a coma and is now on insulin injections 4 times daily. Do you know what my friends job is? Do you think she stays at home and bemoans her health status? She is an HIV educator, in fact she is summoned to congress when the Ryan White bill is under the microscope for funding purposes, and when congress calls you must go. She can be sick as a dog and pull herself up and do a keynote session for nurses and doctors right after being so sick none of us think she will stand up. That is her job... touching even one person is her passion... and over the years she has single-handedly saved hundreds if not thousands of people from despair. She is my hero! She might be your hero too... http://www.cathyrobinson.org/

I have a friend, her job is working in a specialties boutique for some women who's husbands were rich enough to give them a business. My friend is well trained in marketing and advertising, and yet she is selling high scale beads and purses to women who like to buy these novelties. Some people including her would think her situation is bad... but in these economic times she is grateful for the opportunity to work. Here is the kicker... my friend has a real job... one you might not know if you saw her on the street. It is taking care of her elderly mother. You see if my friend held a high paying position she would not have the time or the patience to deal with the dementia her mother is progressing through. She would not have the time to feed and dress her in the morning, to take her to church, to make sure her family is involved so that they have incredible memories while her mother is still lucid enough to recognize who everyone is, and even this is slowly drifting away. You see my friend doesn't understand the kind of gold her soul is being paid as it is forged on the kiln of life experience.

I have a friend who is a single mother of a troubled teen aged son. Everyday she gets up and goes to work in the health care field. Working to make a good life for herself and her son. Everyday she works to remain calm and balanced as her own soul is being forged on the kiln of the life experience of an out of control child. I think the hardest part of this entire experience is that often we look to the parent when the child is out of control. We forget each child just like each adult comes to the planet with their own individual plan to progress through. Yet she puts a mask on as she goes to work, calm, cool, and collected; while inside she feels as though she won't make it another second. This is a woman who has courage... to do the best she can each and everyday and to keep moving forward no matter what kind of curve balls her son throws her way... believe me there are a lot of curve balls here.

My point here is that often times we find ourselves in a position of wanting that very thing we do not have so that we can feel better. Not very often do we look at where we are and find acceptance and peace within it. These times in the world are testing and trying our resolve. The soul is being forged at a higher and higher heat for some. At a time when 11 million people have become jobless... hope is a commodity many people don't seem to have. Yet there is hope... in the blossom of a new flower, in the eyes of a new born, and mostly in the kindness that each of us have the opportunity to show and share with each other. The Reiki ideals give a recipe for those who wish to try it. For those willing to believe in themselves enough to know that things will indeed get better. They give us the opportunity to meditate on the words, to believe that worry and anger are not helpful, and to remind us that to be grateful is indeed the most positive thought practice in the law of attraction. They remind us of the unshakable golden rule of do unto others as you would have others do unto you.

• Just for today do not worry




• Just for today do not anger




• Just for today do your work honestly




• Just for today be thankful for your many blessings




• Just for today be kind to every living thing

At this time in our world it is time to let the light of our true heart shine. To love those feeling the pain and despair, and to beam widely the unconditional love of the creator of our world toward those who can not find hope within their lives. Many people are spending a lot of time teaching and coaching about the law of attraction and sometimes this is so necessary and yet, when your belly is not fed and your kids are cold and you may not know if you have a place to live... kindness and love are the balms we need the most. I feel a calling from my own soul to be much more involved in healing on the global level and in doing so I must heal myself on that global level as well.

So I seek to be kinder than I have to be. To love more than necessary. To find patience when I have none at all. To share a meal or two with those less fortunate and to believe in myself so that I know how to believe in others as well. To remember that with Reiki I have a healing balm at my fingertips and that even though I understand suffering to be a perception there are still many that are living within that perception and they need our love and kindness. Change happens within us, and then our world changes the beat of it's drum to support our inner beauty. Let us embark on the deep inner healing, to find our blind spots and shine light upon them and forgive the unforgivable within us, so that we may lack judgement and find kindness for those in our world.

Namaste'