Winter Landscapes and New Age Music

It's 24 degrees here today and with the wind chill it feels like 10 degrees!  Brrrr!!!  Even though it's pretty cold, I do like the change of seasons and will welcome winter ...for awhile anyway.  A hot cuppa something yummy and  a bit of relaxing music is always a nice way to spend a cold day! 

Wishing you a beautiful winter! 

Permission or not?

 

The topic of whether to get permission before sending Reiki or not seems to be quite controversial in the Reiki community.   I read one woman's opinion that if it's 'sent' it's more like a prayer because you aren't actually touching the person, so it's alright to send without permission because if the person you send to doesn't accept the energy it just won't be received and there is no harm done.  Others feel that there is no difference in Reiki done in person and Reiki being sent so it's always necessary to ask permission.  And still others feel that it's important to get permission from those who can give it but in other cases, such as with babies or young children who wouldn't understand what it is or even a person who is in a coma or unconscious and unable to respond, you can ask their parent or caretaker or make contact with the person's higher self and ask permission that way.   

What do you think?  

Pay It Forward Day!

There are a couple 'Pay It Forward' days, so the one I noticed on Facebook for today might not be the 'official' one, but no worries, it's okay to do kind deeds as often as possible!

OF COURSE.... if you are a Reiki practitioner it would be a wonderful idea to give or send Reiki to as many people as you can who are willing to accept it, but if you aren't going to be in contact with anyone in particular today, or don't have the time to do multiple sessions like that, you can always just send Reiki for world peace or to a situation of tragedy, maybe something you hear on t.v. or read in the news today. 

There are lots of other ways to offer kindness:

*Buy someone a cup a coffee, and if you patronize Starbucks today, they will donate .05 per drink sold to World Aids Day, which is also today!  And they have a Red program if you are interested in other ways to help the cause.

*If you are eating out somewhere, and the service is very good or excellent, ask to speak to the manager and tell them you appreciate your server and their hard work!   And if you can afford it, leave a little extra tip!

*Hold a door open for someone, and smile as you do it.

*Call someone you love and tell them!

It doesn't have to cost alot of money to do a few good deeds.  Sure, it would be awesome if you could afford to do something financially for someone, make a donation, buy an item that a person really needs, some groceries or gas, etc. but the point is ... those random acts of kindness no matter how big or small have value and go a long way! 

Yesterday, I was in a craft store and I heard the woman ahead of me in line say something about forgetting her coupon.  I had some with me and offered them to her.  She really appreciated it.  Such a small thing, but it made her happy and it made me happy.  Win/Win!!!  Maybe she went on about her day and did something nice for someone else.  That's the ripple effect!  Imagine how wonderful it would be if that was happening all over the planet every day!   It starts with you... with me....
together we can make a difference don't you think?!
     

Kodo - Irodori

Kodo is AMAZING!  I have a couple of their cd's.  It's not the type of music one would use for a relaxing Reiki session, as it will really get your primordial groove going, but try it some other time.... I think you'll like it!   

Best wishes for a happy and enjoyable weekend! 

Move!!!

Do you have a set way that you give a Reiki treatment every time or do you prefer to go with the flow... and allow intuition only to guide you, or is it a combination of both?

For some reason, I find that when I'm *sending* Reiki I have been prompted to move my hand positions to a specific area a little more so than when I'm with someone personally.

(I have a stuffed animal, 'Reiki Bear', that I use for distant healing)     

For instance, when sending to a friend's daughter who was in the hospital at the time, I got the sense that she had an upset stomach.  I would have thought that since it was such a major surgery it would be the area that was operated on (brain/spine/neck) be where her body needed the healing energy the most, but when I talked to my friend later and told her what I felt she told me that the medication her daughter was taking was bothering her stomach quite a bit.  So, of course the surgery was tramatic and I'm sure the healing energy was helping with that, but stomach pain on top of it was no picnic either ... so I've been trying to be more open to what I feel.  

It's not always easy though. 

I think I've second-guessed myself at times because my mind isn't always quiet.  I deal with alot of chatter (yeah, I'm a Sag, with Mercury in Sag or as Joan Rivers would say... 'Can we talk?') and that gets a bit frustrating during times that should be very peaceful.   So I have to bring myself back to quiet alot.  Sometimes I will replace the wandering thoughts with repeating the word 'Reiki' or saying the person's name under my breath as I try to allow the intuition to happen too.   

How hard/easy is it for you to get into a total Reiki zone and stay there and how intuitive are you?  If you feel you are very intuitive, do you think you always have been or was it something you worked to develop?

  

Have a perfectly wonderful Wednesday!    And thank you for stopping by!

Energy healing on CNN int'l with Carolyn Coleridge

I saw this on YouTube and thought it was worth sharing.   Wouldn't it be wonderful if stories like this were broadcast and published more often!?  

I have looked around in New Jersey to see where Reiki is being offered in medical settings and I haven't found much in the southern area.   The Catholic hospitals have removed Reiki from their services and teaching facilities because the bishops ruled against it last year.  I wonder how many Catholics practitioners there were before it was determined inappropriate and if they are still practicing, albeit very quietly.   I'm sure they must be still involved but I wonder in what capacity.

My Reiki Master told me of another hospital that had Reiki practitioners but that program isn't currently running.   And yet another hospital does list it on their complementary medicine webpage but when I called to inquire about volunteering the woman told me that it was not requested very often at all, she had a hard time getting it going.  I called again at a later date to follow up, as I saw it was still listed on their site, and spoke to the same woman.  She said again that Reiki was not being requested much by patients or their families but this time added that since I wasn't a Reiki Master she wouldn't really consider me an appropriate candidate for her program anyway.   She had her go-to people available to her if a Reiki request came in and they were professionals in one way or another.  She was nice enough and I understood what she was saying, but I also felt a bit disappointed. 
Regarding it not being requested there, I don't know why that is if it's something they offer.   It may be that the program has more paid practitioners than it does volunteers so unless those services were free maybe patients aren't as interested in something they have to pay for that they aren't familiar with.   Most people know what a massage is, or could guess what one is like even if they have never had one, but Reiki may be something they have never heard of at all.  I don't know if that facility hosted events to provide information about complementary healing therapies and if so, what the turnout was.  Maybe they don't offer much information to their patients about certain things because the administrators or directors have their own personal likes and dislikes and that comes in to play with what modalities are highlighted and which ones are not promoted much.   That may not be the case at all but I know sometimes individual views can have their effects. 

Also, it was a bit frustrating to hear that just because I am not at the Master level, a person wouldn't consider me to have something valuable to offer.  I explained to her that being a Reiki Master would only give me the ability to teach, it doesn't make the Reiki stronger.  Basically, she said that she sees it as an additional valuable training, shows more dedication to being a professional.  While I got what she was sharing with me, I guess I disagreed with it in my own mind.   Master classes vary from instructor to instructor.  Some are intensive and take months to complete.  Others can be done in one afternoon.   If you took a one day class, I guess you would receive the attunement and information on how to attune others, but just those basic things don't necessarily make you a professional or ready to teach classes on your own.  That would come with further preparation and practice.  Some people prefer to do that part of it on their own.  I'd be more inclined to want to do it that way because then I wouldn't be taking on the exact style of my Master, but developing my own.    But the bottom line is,  you can become a Reiki Master in a number of different ways but that title doesn't make you better than anyone else or more professional.  It's how you value it and what you do with it that makes the difference.   

So I'm thinking that to be part of a volunteer program, the main requirement should be that a person has a desire to help others.  That they are kind and compassionate and willing to follow whatever rules and regulations the facility requires.  It's up to those who manage the programs to provide training regarding privacy issues, and working with patients and their families.  That's how you learn to handle yourself in a hospital setting, not at a Reiki Master class.   

Just my personal thoughts. 

A few questions....
If you are a Reiki practitioner either with a full-time business or just seeing clients occasionally, do you also do volunteer work?   Do you send Reiki to friends and family all the time?  Do you take clients for no fee if you know they are on a limited income or cannot afford to pay?

Happy Diwali!

I enjoy learning about different countries and their cultures and religions.  Today is Diwali.  It is an official holiday in India and other countries.   Known also as the Festival of Lights,  you can read about it HERE if you like. 

Our home is decorated with a variety of things.  We have no particular theme.  In the living room above the mantle is a picture of Lord Krishna and his Consort Radha.   The colors are rich and beautiful.  And as you can see, I like candles!   Today, they are burning for Diwali but other days I light them for the scents that some of them give off, other times I like the glow if we're having company, and sometimes they are just for relaxing. 

Wishing you a beautiful evening!    Light and love,   Mary 



Images From... The Hubble Space Telescope

I found this on YouTube today and thought both the pictures and the song were really nice.

Yay, a reason to shop!

Dog hairs. 

Even though Ollie has very short hair, he does shed.  So I guess if he's going to jump up on my massage table for regular treatments, I can finally go get a new set of sheets (needed them anyway!) and let the old ones be just for him. 

My hubby took this picture the other night, and while I did crop it and fix the color, you can probably still see the top area has a bit of a fuzziness to it.  And if you look even closer maybe you'll notice a couple of orbs.   Do you think it's just the glow of the camera, the flash, and some dust.... or something else???   Oooh... ahhh....

Enjoy your day!
Namaste,
Mary

Share the love!

Have a great day!!!

Peace,   Mary   xo 

Healing Overtone (Solfeggio DNA Arpeggio & binaural beats)

Have you ever heard anything like this?  I came across it on iTunes while looking for meditation type music.  The tracks I purchased weren't available on YouTube to post here, but you can get the general idea from this video.  I did a search to read more and found this article. 

Forgotten in Time, the ancient Solfeggio frequencies

Interesting, yes/no??  

Tee Hee

A few of my friends are Reiki practitioners or atleast know what it is and have maybe enjoyed a few sessions.  There are others I know who might understand a few of the basics but don't seem interested in learning more or having a treatment.  And there are also some who have no idea at all that I'm involved with it.   I have a short description of Reiki on my FB page and I've also shared in the personal information section that I am Ordained with the Universal Life Church.   No one who didn't know from me telling them has commented or questioned me about either.   I'm not using the ordination for anything specifically at this time or trying to make anyone aware of it really but I just wonder sometimes if any of my FB friends/family have ever really read my bio.  I think if they had, I might have gotten a few messages asking about those things.   

Do you have things that you share with some friends/family but not others?   Would anyone you know be really shocked if you told them you were into Reiki, or any other practice you might be involved with, because you didn't ever feel you could talk to them about it?  When you meet someone new, do you try to work Reiki, or another modality you're practicing, into the conversation?    

Peace,   Mary   

Reiki, anyone??

Since our home is a bit small, I don't always have my massage table open, but I had been giving hubby treatments lately so it was set up in the living room.  The other day, as I stood there looking over some paperwork, our dog Ollie jumped up and laid down!   My son came home not too long after that and he got off of it so I didn't get to see whether he was interested in having some Reiki or just being the quirky dog he is.    

How was your weekend?

Chakra Meditation

I did this short chakra meditation this morning.  It was quite nice.

I have recently started doing an additional brief chakra balance on my husband before beginning Reiki.  He's had alot of pain in his right arm, possibly from a pinched nerve in his neck.  He started seeing our Chiropractor for some treatment this week but is accepting of Reiki too.  I think a bit of extra chakra harmonizing can't hurt.  The hand positions I'm working with are:  Left hand under neck and over, but not touching, the 1st chakra area.  Then left hand on forehead, and right hand on the 2nd chakra area.  Followed by the left hand over the 5th chakra and the right hand on the 3rd chakra.  And finally, both hands on the 4th chakra, heart center.  

Of course, in a standard Reiki treatment the 7 major chakras are focused on so that negative energy can be cleared to allow the whole body to experience harmony, but are you doing any extra chakra work, with yourself before Reiki, or while in meditation, or with a client?

Wishing you a happy weekend!

Namaste,

Mary  xo

Nice experience

Last night while giving my husband a Reiki treatment, he felt relaxed enough to fall asleep for a little while.  One of our dogs was sitting on the recliner (yeah, he does that) with his head on the massage table and our other dog was laying on the floor next to the table with part of his body laying on my feet.   It felt nice to be in their company.  I'm happy and loved.  Can't ask for more than that. 

Paul Lawler ~ True Reiki ~ Just for Today

I have this cd and the first track 'Just For Today' as it is described:

'Hypnotic Japanese Vocals of the Reiki principals.  These are the founding personal development tools of the art and are viewed with absolute respect by any Reiki enthusiast.'

Many other languages are so beautiful, aren't they?  I enjoy hearing the principles pronounced in Japanese and following along. 

Kyo dake wa(Just for today)
Okoru-na(Don't get angry)
Shinpai suna(Don't worry)
Kansha shite(Show appreciation or, be grateful)
Goo hage me(Work hard)
Hito ni shinsetsu ni(Be kind to others)

Work to do....

 

I understand that the concept of mindfulness is to stay continuously in the present moment and not allow your mind to wander into the past or the future.   Since the future hasn't happened yet and the past is already gone by then all we really have is NOW. 

Mikao Usui provided his students with these wonderful ideals that they could use daily.  They are the building blocks for a healthy, enjoyable life.  Taking responsibility for our own healing, on the mental, physical, and spiritual levels allows Reiki to be a complete system. 

That makes sense to me.

Still, I am having trouble with a few things.

The hardest of the principles for me lately is the 'do not get angry' one.   I'm not really an 'angry' person by nature though, for as a Sagittarian, we generally all share a certain optimism about life and a cheery attitude a good bit of the time.   But lately, some anger, or maybe negativity is a more accurate word, has been creeping back in.  Reiki has certainly helped with some situations.  But others seem to return again and again and again.   It's frustrating at times to not be able to get at the true cause, the deeper meaning of things I allow myself to become upset about and not find closure with.

One for instance....

a situation happened a couple of years ago  (yes, yes, the PAST) with my inlaws and it was never completely resolved.  We have gone on with our lives and don't see each other all that often.  The dynamics of the relationship have changed and that in itself doesn't have to be good or bad.... just how it is.   But for some reason, I keep wanting things to be different.  I feel annoyed, or even sad, if I do have to see them but it's probably because I want things from them that they are not able to give me.  Respect, love, understanding.  
My MIL was never overly loving but she was much nicer to me before the incident.  My BIL is the same way.  
Recently, my daughter got married and they were in attendance.  Because they wouldn't approach me first, I went to them offering a hello and some brief conversation.  It was a bit awkward but I felt it was the best thing to do.  When I hugged my MIL at the end of the evening, I could feel her coldness.  And here it is over a week later, and I am still having some difficulty letting it all go.  I have allowed it to move me from my center....again.
 

A couple times I have tried sending Reiki to the situation but haven't done enough work on it I suppose or it wouldn't still continue to be an issue.
This is one of my biggest challenges right now.  Still, I am thankful for the opportunity to keep working on it. 
   

If you are practicing Reiki, which principles come easy to you, which ones need more work?   Is there any situation you have a hard time with each time you are faced with it?



Pet Reiki

Our cat is very particular about who touches her and when.  You will draw back a bloody finger if she's not in the mood, so I don't really try to give her hands-on Reiki.  However, I've read that some pets prefer to experience the energy from a distance so I'll will try that with her sometime soon and see if she's more receptive to it that way.  

Our two dogs both seem to enjoy a short treatment now and then. 

Do you have pets?  If so, do you give them Reiki?

Have a nice evening!

Mary   xo  

Beginnings....

Many years ago, I bought a book at Borders titled  'Reiki, the Healing Touch' by William Lee Rand.  At the time, I didn't have a specific reason to get it.  I didn't know anyone practicing Reiki, nor had I taken any classes.  It just seemed interesting.  I must have looked through it initially and then put it in amongst many other assorted books on my shelves. 

Now and then, Reiki would come to mind, and I mentioned to a few people that I might like to learn more about it and take a class someday.   Awhile later, my husband saw it listed in a local college booklet we got in the mail and told me about it.  I was really getting seriously interested by that point.  I must have mentioned it to a fellow blogger and she gave me the name and number of someone she was considering a class with.  As it turned out, that woman became my teacher.  Since I was unable to take the class she had coming up due to a conflict in my schedule, I inquired about a private class.  She agreed if I could find someone else interested in taking it with me, to have someone to practice with, etc.  I asked one of my girlfriends and she said YES!   We received the Level I attunements that April and 5 months later we took her Level II class. 

I'm very thankful to have met Maryann and been given the opportunity to learn about Reiki.  It was there all along for when I was ready to experience it and welcome it into my life. 

When did you take your first class?  What level are you?  If you are not a Master, do you want to attain that someday? 

Peace,

Mary  

Reiki - Tranquility

Is there a particular music you like to listen to when giving or receiving a Reiki treatment?  If you are seeing clients, do you offer them a selection of music to choose from?

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Namaste,
Mary 

Peaceful Japanese Music

Hello and welcome to my new blog!  I'm looking forward to sharing Reiki information, music, pictures, videos, personal thoughts and stories about my own journey.  Please feel free to leave comments or just say hi! 

Namaste,

Mary